Alex Bowen
Chief Operating Officer
PayMe

Alex is the Chief Operating Officer for PayMe, HSBC Hong Kong’s market-leading payments app, and co-founder of the HSBC Hong Kong Ability Employee Resource Group, a volunteer group advocating for Mental and physical Health, care-giving and people with diverse abilities.

Alex is a Father of two girls and has enjoyed a Banking career spanning 22+ years, with leadership roles in 4 markets including the UK, Europe and Hong Kong. He is currently undertaking his Masters degree in Business Administration with Manchester University.

A mentor and speaker, and member of City Mental Health Alliance Hong Kong and Inspiring Girls Hong Kong, Alex is passionate about sharing insights and experience on mental health, creating a positive people culture, and financial education.

Bhavna Bharvani
Clinical Counsellor
Central Minds

Bhavna Bharvani is a US-trained Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Here in Hong Kong, she practices out of Central Minds working with individuals, couples, and LGBT teens, supporting them in the deep, challenging work of mastering their ability to manage themselves, and hence find fulfillment in the world of work, relationships and play. Specific issues she works with are trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, life transitions, and relationship issues. Bhavna has a background providing therapy in community mental health clinics, high schools, and residential substance abuse centers. Before becoming a therapist, she worked in television journalism, investment banking, and market research in Mumbai, New York, London, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.

Kate Wood
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness Leader, Asia Pacific Financial Services
Ernst & Young

Kate leads Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at EY for Asia Pacific Financial Services. Kate joined EY in November last year following 8 years at HSBC where she worked across a number of risk and compliance roles but where she also founded and ran their first mental health employee resource group in Asia Pacific. During the pandemic Kate shifted her focus to organisational culture and wellbeing and retrained in mental and physical health, pivoting to a career in DE&I following the birth of her first child. Alongside her role at EY, Kate is a certified PT and also a mental and physical health advocate.

Vivian Cheng
Global Diversity and Inclusion Specialist
Prudential plc

Vivian Cheng, a champion in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is dedicated to empowering individuals by respecting and appreciating what makes them different.

Following a successful battle against a severe mental health condition, she fostered an unwavering dedication and commitment to raising awareness to mental health and wellbeing.

She has played a pivotal role in ‘This is Me’, a storytelling campaign aimed at normalising discussions about mental health and disability.

Her series of 70 blog posts, titled #thisisme, recount her personal experiences with mental health challenges and have reached over 100,000 impressions on LinkedIn. These narratives, grounded in reality and lived experiences, have resonated with many, sparking significant dialogues.

The candid honesty in her stories serves to educate readers with pragmatic solutions, offer solace to those silently struggling, and provide a sense of understanding and support.

In 2021, backed by her employer Prudential, she spearheaded the ‘This is Me’ initiative, inspiring senior executives and staff members to courageously disclose their personal mental health journeys, fostering meaningful conversations within the organisation.

Vivian is a proud parent of Sammi, her furbaby and 70 indoor plants. She is also an avid diver who enjoys forming connections with sea turtles, sharks and rays.

Kathryn Weaver
Co-Managing Partner, Hong Kong
Seyfarth Shaw

Kathryn Weaver heads up the Asia Pacific employment practice at Seyfarth Shaw, an AmLaw 100 labour and employment-focused international law firm. She is dual-qualified (Hong Kong and England & Wales) and has extensive experience of advising multi-national employers in the Asia Pacific region on international employment law matters. Her work spans both contentious and non-contentious matters, such as implementing partnership programme and equity schemes, coordinating litigation, carrying out contract, policy and compliance reviews, advising on restructuring and terminations, and negotiating settlements. She is regularly called on to speak at legal and HR conferences and events in the region on topical employment law matters. She cares passionately about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging matters, including those relating to mental health, and assisting companies in Hong Kong with their DEIB journey.