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TOP NEWS

The Missing Layer in Family Office Investing (1)

ESG-AI Governance for Family Offices and Wealth Managers A weekly series published in partnership with AsiaFirst The Gap Nobody Is Pricing In by Alfons Futterer How an ungoverned AI and ESG blind spot is quietly eroding returns in private portfolios — and why most family offices have not yet noticed. Eighty-six percent of family offices are now using AI in their operations. Sixty-five percent plan to increase AI as a strategic priority in their portfolios. And yet, in a recen

FAMILY OFFICES

2 hours ago

Succession Planning as the Ultimate Test of Governance

In This Issue: Why succession planning is fundamentally a governance challenge rather than a financial one. The critical needs that define modern succession frameworks. How leading family offices are putting these principles into practice across generations. Governance is the Cornerstone of Succession Planning Succession planning is fundamentally an issue of family office governance. During periods of generational wealth transition, the absence of an effective, controllable g

FOCUS

May 18

Singapore Private Bank Onboarding Target Set at One Month

Singapore aims to reduce private bank account opening times for wealthy clients to within one month by the end of 2026 as authorities seek to strengthen the city-state’s position as a trusted global wealth management hub. The Singapore private bank onboarding initiative is being led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore together with the Private Banking Industry Group. MAS managing director Chia Der Jiun said onboarding currently takes around six weeks or longer for more com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

7 hours ago

HSBC Taiwan Private Banking Names Edward Chiu for Key Role

HSBC Private Bank has appointed Edward Chiu as Onshore Taiwan Market Head effective June 1, 2026, as the bank strengthens its onshore wealth management operations in Taiwan. The HSBC Taiwan private banking appointment comes as competition intensifies for affluent and ultra-high-net-worth clients across North Asia. Chiu has more than 20 years of experience in wealth management and affluent banking in Taiwan and has served as Head of Premier Elite at HSBC Taiwan since 2024. He

PEOPLE MOVES

7 hours ago

ASEAN Intra-Asia Investment to Capture 81% of Regional Capex

Companies across Southeast Asia plan to allocate 81% of capital expenditure within Asia over the next three years, led primarily by ASEAN markets, according to The Business Times Insights: ASEAN Intelligence 2026 survey. The ASEAN intra-Asia investment findings were based on responses from more than 500 business leaders across the ASEAN-6 economies. All respondents said they planned additional capital deployment within Asia, with 90% focused on ASEAN markets, 77% targeting do

ECONOMY

7 hours ago

Taiwan Business Sentiment Rises as AI Demand Offsets Risks

Taiwan’s business sentiment improved across manufacturing, services and construction last month as resilient artificial intelligence demand helped offset geopolitical uncertainty linked to the Middle East, according to the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. The Taiwan business sentiment indicators showed broad-based improvement across key sectors. TIER’s manufacturing climate gauge rose 0.93 points to 97.14, while the services index increased 0.54 points to 96.73. The con

ECONOMY

7 hours ago

Singapore Q1 GDP Beats Estimates as AI Exports Boost Growth

Singapore’s economy grew 6% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, beating an earlier official estimate of 4.6%, supported by wholesale trade, manufacturing and finance as artificial intelligence-related demand boosted exports. The Singapore Q1 GDP figures also showed the economy expanded 1% quarter on quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, reversing an advance estimate of a 0.3% contraction. The Ministry of Trade and Industry maintained its 2026 growth forecast at betwe

ECONOMY

2 days ago

Hong Kong Re-Domiciliation Regime Approves 36 Company Applications

Hong Kong has approved 36 company re-domiciliation applications since launching the regime nearly a year ago, according to the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. The Hong Kong re-domiciliation regime was introduced to attract overseas-incorporated companies seeking to relocate their legal domicile to the city while maintaining operational continuity. Authorities said another 21 applications are currently being processed by the Companies Registry. The approved compani

REGULATION

2 days ago

HSBC Hong Kong Wealth Push Targets 7.5m Clients

HSBC is targeting growth in its Hong Kong customer base to 7.5 million, roughly matching the city’s population, as the bank accelerates expansion of its wealth management operations and seeks to attract more international investors. The HSBC Hong Kong wealth strategy follows the addition of nearly two million customers during the past two years, bringing total customers to seven million at the end of 2025. Hong Kong chief executive Maggie Ng said the city’s role as a wealth m

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

2 days ago

Hong Kong Luxury Wealth Centres Expand as Banks Chase Rich Clients

Hong Kong banks are opening more luxury wealth centres in premium commercial locations as competition intensifies for high-net-worth and family office clients amid lower interest rates and rising demand for fee-based advisory income. The Hong Kong luxury wealth centres expansion reflects a wider shift away from traditional branch banking towards exclusive advisory venues tailored for affluent customers. HSBC recently opened its fifth Hong Kong luxury wealth centres location a

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

2 days ago

Singapore Wealth Advisory Centre Opens at Ngee Ann City

Singapore-based financial advisory firm PFPFA has opened a new Singapore wealth advisory centre at Ngee Ann City as it expands services focused on wealth preservation, succession planning and legacy advisory for affluent families and high-net-worth individuals. The Singapore wealth advisory centre, branded as the PFP Signature Centre, is located in Orchard Road and will provide private consultations covering investment advisory, estate planning, insurance structuring and inte

FAMILY OFFICES

3 days ago

APAC Cyber Attacks on Banks and Fintechs Surge, Akamai Says

Financial institutions across Asia Pacific accounted for 52% of global Layer 7 DDoS incidents targeting financial services in 2025, making the region the leading target for application-layer attacks for a fourth consecutive year, according to Akamai Technologies. The APAC cyber attacks finance report highlighted growing vulnerabilities as banks, fintech companies and payment providers expand digital banking and API-driven services. Within Asia Pacific, banks represented 44% o

REGULATION

3 days ago

Family Business Succession Failures Often Follow CEO Transitions, McKinsey Finds

Family-owned businesses frequently underperform for years after leadership changes, according to new McKinsey research covering more than 200 companies across 50 countries. The family business succession study found average shareholder returns fell by 5.7 percentage points during the five years following a CEO transition. McKinsey said the decline occurred regardless of whether the successor was a family member or an external executive, suggesting that family business success

FAMILY OFFICES

3 days ago

Hong Kong Financial Hub Role Secure Despite Geopolitics, HKTDC Chair Says

Hong Kong’s role as an international financial and regional business hub will continue strengthening despite geopolitical tensions, according to Hong Kong Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma. The Hong Kong financial hub outlook remains supported by the city’s free flow of information and its mature banking, capital markets, accounting and legal ecosystem, Ma said during a public event. He added that foreign companies still largely prefer Hong Kong as a location fo

ECONOMY

3 days ago

VIDEO RECAP
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22nd May 2026

EVENTS

INSIGHTS

PEOPLE MOVES

HSBC Taiwan Private Banking Names Edward Chiu for Key Role

7 hours ago

Howden Names New Hong Kong CEO as Asia Expansion Continues

May 18

Singapore Reappoints Gan Kim Yong as MAS Chairman

May 15

LGT Appoints Ex-Stanchart Thailand CEO to Expand Wealth Management for Thai Families

May 15

South Korea Keeps BIS Board Seat as Shin Begins Three-Year Term

May 14

HKMA Reshuffles Five Executive Director Roles in Leadership Planning

May 12

UBS Reshuffles Southeast Asia Wealth Management Leadership Team

May 11

Banks Strengthen Hong Kong Corporate Banking Leadership

May 6

Southeast Asia Private Banking Expansion Strengthens as Lombard Odier Hires DBS Veteran

May 1

Family Office Advisory Demand Rises as Bank of Singapore Expands Team

Apr 30

China Private Equity Interest Returns, but Exit Concerns Linger

China private equity activity is recovering, although investors remain increasingly selective and focused on exit opportunities, industry executives said during DealStreetAsia’s Asia Private Equity Leadership Summit in Hong Kong. The China private equity recovery follows a prolonged market reset triggered by the US-China trade war, the pandemic and domestic policy changes. Gary Chan of Sun Hung Kai & Co said fundraising activity had improved during the past 12 to 18 months, a

PRIVATE EQUITY

3 days ago

Morgan Stanley Bankers Told to Carry Separate Phones for China Travel

Morgan Stanley has instructed its Hong Kong-based bankers to carry separate iPhones and iPads for business trips to mainland China as global financial institutions strengthen controls over cross-border data security. The Morgan Stanley China travel policy was introduced in recent months and applies specifically to travel involving mainland China, according to reports citing a source familiar with the matter. The Wall Street bank declined to comment publicly on the policy. The

REGULATION

3 days ago

Vietnam Proposes Updated Rules for Online Securities Trading

Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed updated regulations for electronic stock market transactions as authorities seek to modernise the framework governing online securities trading. The Vietnam online securities trading reforms would replace rules introduced in 2017 and later amended in 2020. The draft circular introduces provisions covering electronic know-your-customer verification, electronic contracts, transaction authentication and API-based connectivity between se

REGULATION

3 days ago

Singapore Closest to AI Finance ‘Flywheel Activation’, DBS Says

DBS Group Research said global financial centres in the artificial intelligence era will increasingly be judged by whether AI-driven financial decisions can be trusted across borders rather than simply by technology capability or capital-market size. The Singapore AI finance hub assessment came in a DBS report titled The Trusted AI Financial Hub, which introduced a Global AI Financial Hub Index covering 15 financial centres across AI integration, governance, digital infrastru

ASSET MANAGEMENT

6 days ago

Standard Chartered Raises Taiwan 2026 GDP Forecast to 9.5%

Standard Chartered has raised its 2026 growth forecast for Taiwan to 9.5% from 7.6%, citing stronger-than-expected first-quarter expansion and surging artificial intelligence demand that is boosting exports, semiconductor production and investment. The Taiwan AI economy outlook follows first-quarter GDP growth of 13.7% year on year, marking the fastest quarterly expansion in nearly four decades. The bank said exports surged 35.3% during the quarter as global demand for AI-rel

ECONOMY

6 days ago

Malaysia Tightens Rules for Digital Asset Exchanges

Malaysia’s Securities Commission has tightened rules for digital asset exchanges as regulators seek to speed up product approvals while strengthening investor protection, governance and operational resilience standards. The Malaysia digital asset exchanges reforms took effect on May 20 under revised Guidelines on Recognized Markets. The updated framework introduces stronger safeguards for client assets together with higher standards covering financial stability, ownership str

REGULATION

6 days ago

ALL NEWS

TOP NEWS

The Missing Layer in Family Office Investing (1)

Succession Planning as the Ultimate Test of Governance

Singapore Private Bank Onboarding Target Set at One Month

HSBC Taiwan Private Banking Names Edward Chiu for Key Role

ASEAN Intra-Asia Investment to Capture 81% of Regional Capex

Taiwan Business Sentiment Rises as AI Demand Offsets Risks

Singapore Q1 GDP Beats Estimates as AI Exports Boost Growth

Hong Kong Re-Domiciliation Regime Approves 36 Company Applications

HSBC Hong Kong Wealth Push Targets 7.5m Clients

Hong Kong Luxury Wealth Centres Expand as Banks Chase Rich Clients

Singapore Wealth Advisory Centre Opens at Ngee Ann City

APAC Cyber Attacks on Banks and Fintechs Surge, Akamai Says

Family Business Succession Failures Often Follow CEO Transitions, McKinsey Finds

Hong Kong Financial Hub Role Secure Despite Geopolitics, HKTDC Chair Says

VIDEO RECAP w/e

22nd May 2026

EVENTS

INSIGHTS

PEOPLE MOVES

HSBC Taiwan Private Banking Names Edward Chiu for Key Role

Howden Names New Hong Kong CEO as Asia Expansion Continues

Singapore Reappoints Gan Kim Yong as MAS Chairman

LGT Appoints Ex-Stanchart Thailand CEO to Expand Wealth Management for Thai Families

South Korea Keeps BIS Board Seat as Shin Begins Three-Year Term

HKMA Reshuffles Five Executive Director Roles in Leadership Planning

UBS Reshuffles Southeast Asia Wealth Management Leadership Team

Banks Strengthen Hong Kong Corporate Banking Leadership

Southeast Asia Private Banking Expansion Strengthens as Lombard Odier Hires DBS Veteran

Family Office Advisory Demand Rises as Bank of Singapore Expands Team

China Private Equity Interest Returns, but Exit Concerns Linger

Morgan Stanley Bankers Told to Carry Separate Phones for China Travel

Vietnam Proposes Updated Rules for Online Securities Trading

Singapore Closest to AI Finance ‘Flywheel Activation’, DBS Says

Standard Chartered Raises Taiwan 2026 GDP Forecast to 9.5%

Malaysia Tightens Rules for Digital Asset Exchanges

VIDEO RECAP
w/e