This month’s interview in the NextGen series is with Ellen Lee ACG HKACG, Manager and Company Secretary – CUHK Innovation Ltd.

What is your current role and what was your career path to this role?

‘I am currently the manager of CUHK Innovation and also carry out company secretarial duties. Our company is the investment entity of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), which aims to commercialise the university’s research outcomes that would benefit society. We started less than a year ago, but we have already formed an investment network in the hope that the investors’ appraisals can help our entrepreneurial teams grow. Before joining CUHK Innovation, I worked in hedge funds, financial regulatory agencies and local startups.’

What role do you think governance professionals can play in the startup scene?

‘Listed companies have regulatory requirements to follow but startups do not, so it is vital that they develop clear and effective internal governance standards. In my experience, most early-stage institutional investors pay attention to whether startup teams are trustworthy, whether they communicate well with stakeholders and whether information is transparent, all of which are aspects of governance. The work of a company secretary definitely affects investors’ perceptions and attitudes towards the company, which in turn impacts the company’s growth and fundraising capabilities.’

What was your chosen route to complete the Institute’s qualifying programme and why did you choose that route?

‘While working in hedge funds, I realised that – as well as the financial statements – ESG is also an important indicator for evaluating a company, which sparked my interest in governance. My background was in mathematics and finance, and I didn’t have much understanding of company structure or board operations, so I wanted to fill this gap. I chose to take a part-time master’s degree in corporate governance and compliance at Hong Kong Baptist University, which is one of the Institute’s accredited programmes through the Collaborative Course Agreement, after which I became a member of the Institute and have since been participating in many of its continuing professional development courses.’

What qualities do you think are needed to be a successful governance professional and what advice would you give to people who are considering qualifying as a Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional?

‘I am still learning myself, so I can only say that the professional knowledge of a company secretary is crucial for building a company. In the startup world, knowing how to communicate with stakeholders can have a positive impact on the company’s growth. If someone wants to learn more about corporate governance, I would encourage them to take action immediately. Coming from a finance background, studying corporate governance gave me a new perspective. Each new skill you acquire adds another dimension to your viewpoint, making your world broader and richer.’

As a member of the younger generation, how do you think governance will evolve in the future?

‘I believe governance will become increasingly important and more wide-ranging in the future. For instance, there is already a lot more discussion about ESG and sustainability issues. I would like to see these concepts being extended from listed companies to the startup community, so I will continue to play my part in providing information and support to ensure that startups are aware of corporate governance considerations from the beginning, which will help them grow in the future.’

今期新一代治理访问中大创新有限公司经理兼公司秘书李思敏女士 ACG HKACG。

请问您目前的职位是什么？能告诉我们您的职业发展经历吗？

‘我现在在中大创新担任经理，同时负责公司秘书职务。我们公司是香港中文大学的风险投资公司，目的是将学校的科研成果商品化，为社会带来益处。虽然我们成立了不到一年，但已经成功建立了一个投资网络，冀广纳投资者的意见来协助我们的创业团队成长。加入中大创新之前，我先后从事对冲基金、金融监管机构及本地初创企业的工作。’

您认为治理在初创企业中可以发挥什么作用？

‘目前，上市公司有责任遵守监管要求，初创企业则没有，所以更加需要发展清晰有效的内部治理概念。在我的工作经验中，我发现大部分的早期机构投资者很重视创业团队是不是值得信任，有没有好好地与持份者沟通，信息是不是透明， 而这些都是治理的一环。公司秘书的工作表现绝对影响投资者对公司的看法和态度， 进而也会影响企业的成长和集资能力。’

您完成公会的资格计划的路径是怎样的？

‘早在对冲基金任职期间，我了解到除了看财务报告之外， ESG也是评价一间公司的重要指标，因此开始对治理产生兴趣。过去我的工作背景与数学跟金融相关，对于公司结构组成或是董事会的运作方式没有太大认识，我希望能补充这一方面的短板，于是在香港浸会大学读了一个在课程合作协议下获公会认可的公司治理兼读硕士课程，其后加入了公会，参与了很多公会的持续专业发展课程。’

您认为成为一名成功的治理专业人士需要具备哪些素质？ 对于那些有想去成为特许秘书和公司治理师的人，您有什么建议？

‘我也还在学习，所以我只能说公司秘书的专业知识对于建构一家公司是很重要的。在创科的世界，当你知道如何有效地和持份者沟通，可以帮助公司更好地成长。如果有人想学习更多关于公司治理的知识，我会鼓励他立刻行动。我是读金融出身，学习公司治理为我带来新视角。我觉得每学习一项新技能，就多了一个角度去看事情，你的视角会更多元，眼界会更广阔。’

作为年轻一代的一员，您认为‘治理’将来会如何发展？

‘我认为治理在未来一定会越来越重要，范围越来越广阔。 像是现在大家已经对 ESG 和可持续发展议题有更多的讨论。我希望看到这些概念从上市公司扩展到初创企业，因此我将继续发挥我的作用，提供信息和支持，希望初创企业从一开始就意识到公司治理的考虑因素，这将有助于它们未来的成长。’