Chief Executive's Message

With deep roots in Hong Kong, our success is closely intertwined with the development of our city, and our ability to build effective dialogue with various sectors of our community. Serving half Hong Kong’s adult population and a growing number of customers in mainland China, open communication and building strong ties are essential to upholding our core values.

Our approach to sustainable development emphasises regular contact with a diverse range of stakeholders. This strategy enables us to carry on the conversations that ensure our activities as a financial institution and good corporate citizen remain responsive, relatable and relevant to the needs and priorities of those we serve and who underpin the long-term growth of our business.

Our annual Corporate Sustainability Report sets out our sustainability principles and practices, and provides information on our progress towards achieving our objectives.

We were the first local bank in Hong Kong to use the internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines and, for our 2011 Sustainability Report, the first to gain an A+ rating – a rating we have maintained for four consecutive years.

For the past three years, we have been the only Hong Kong company included in the ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’, compiled by Corporate Knights. In 2011, we became the first local Hong Kong bank to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index.

We continually take steps to improve the sustainability performance of our own operations, encourage our stakeholders to act as agents of positive change and leverage our corporate strengths in planning an effective sustainability strategy.

The Bank’s senior executives lead by example in lending their experience and expertise to a wide range of social development projects. Beginning on 1 January 2015, Bank staff can now take up to two days of volunteer leave per year to support worthy causes. Over the past five calendar years, Bank volunteers and their family members have contributed around 120,000 hours in service to the community.

Our corporate sustainability programmes focus on promoting an inclusive and vibrant society by providing opportunities for personal exploration, achievement and growth, particularly for young people and socially disadvantaged groups.

Our youth development initiatives aim to improve social mobility and provide young people with the opportunities, experiences and skills they need to find their passion, fulfil their potential and become personally involved in contributing to a positive future for our city.

We nurture young sporting talent through the Hang Seng Table Tennis Academy (HSTTA), which provides specialist training for rising stars of tomorrow and fun table tennis events for the wider community. With HSTTA having organised about 5,000 activities since its establishment in 2001, we are delighted to see our long-term support for this project reap rewards for Hong Kong, with Academy graduates Lee Ho-ching and Ng Wing-nam winning bronze medals at the 2014 Asian Games.

As we strive to enhance service excellence and ensure our long-term success, maintaining constructive conversations with our customers, staff and the wider society will remain at the heart of our values, business strategy and commitment to the sustainable development of the Greater China region and the communities that support us.

Rose Lee
Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive
Hang Seng Bank