The founding of the Asian Financial Society (AFS) was buoyed by the second wave of new Chinese immigrants with higher education and better assimilation into US society starting in the 1970’s. Incorporated in 1984, AFS’s membership and activities has ebbed and flowed with the tides of history.
The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis slowed down AFS’s activities. As part of the revitalization effort, AFS initiated several Special Interest Groups in the late 90’s: Trading SIG, Investment SIG, Real Estate SIG, Enterpreneurship SIG, Risk Management SIG, and the China Business SIG. The idea was to coordinate the talents and creative energies of the membership by sponsoring smaller, more focused meetings. These SIG generated varying levels of excitements and longevity. The China Business SIG and the Investment SIG continue to grow to be pillars of the organization today.
Since 2004, however, a third wave of students and professionals from China have injected new energy to revitalize the organization. We now have a reach of over 3000 listed members.
Throughout this time, there have been luminaries who’ve shared their insights with us. Here is a partial list of notable speakers:
Charles Schumer, Senator, New York state
Ernest Liu, Partner (retired), Goldman Sachs
Oscar Tang, Chairman, Presidet & CEO, Reich & Tang
Sir Q.W. Lee, CBE, JP, FCIB, LLD, Chairman, Hang Seng Bank BJ
Henry Tang, Founder, Committee of 100
David Chu, Founder, Nautica
James Lebenthal, Chairman, Lebenthal & Co.
Andrew Silberstein, COO, Moergan Realty
Professor Thomas Ho, creator of Ho-Lee interest rate framework
Savio Tung, Sr. Partner, Investcorp.
Shang Ming, former deputy governor of People’ Bank of China
Samson Wong, President, Beacon Capital Management
Michael Chu, CFO of Pace Industries, Inc.
Leonard Wang, Esq. Branch chief. Div of enforcement, SEC
Ted Shen, Chairman of Capital Markets Group of DLJ
Roderick Chu, Partner, Andersen & Co. Former Commissioner of Taxation and Finance of NYS
Victor Fung, Chairman & CEO, Prudential Asian Capital Ltd.
Charles Wang, Founder of Computer Associates
Lilia C. Clemente, Chairman & CEo, Clemente Capital, Inc.
Mee Seen Loong, Co-Director, Chinese Departmen, VP Sotheby.
Alair Townsend, Publisher, Crain’s NY Business
Xinhua Wu, CFO, China Pharma Holdings, Inc.
Dr. David Zhou, Chairman, American Union Securities, Inc..
Donghai Yu, CFO, China Carbon Graphite Group
Chou Weimin, Deputy Director General, Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau
Yang Shujian, Board secretary, Bank of Beijing
Liu Xiuchen, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Banking Hua Xia Bank
Yu Yuan Deputy General Manager International Business, Beijing Rural Commercial Bank
More than a few AFS Presidents and members have moved on to substantive achievements on their own:
Noland Cheng
MD, Morgan Stanley
SIFMA Operations Committee
Previously EVP & Chief Operating Officer, US Trust
Thierry Ho
Managing Director, Lightyear Capital, Lightyear Investment Committee.
Previously, VP of Strategic eFinance in the Office of the Chairman, Paine Webber
Cheryl Lobell
VP, Colgate-Asia Pacific
Eugenie Shen
General Counsel, AIG Investments Asia ex Japan
Previously Assistant Director at HK Stock Exchange
Fred S. Teng
Chief Executive Officer News China China Newsweek Corporation