Against a purple sunset overlooking the windswept waters of Tai Tam Bay, the 22nd AmCham Women of Influence awards came to end on March 13. Held at the country club of the American Club of Hong Kong, 200 senior executives celebrated the seven exceptional women who won this year’s awards, together with an outstanding male ally and the best company championing women.
Among those gathered on the American Club balcony before the formal event began was Beverly Sunn, founder and president of Asia Pacific Properties, who helped to launch the inaugural Women of Influence awards in 2004, in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce.
Given the rocky geopolitics of 2025, the choice of theme, “Future Proof: Leading in an Age of Uncertainty,” seemed inevitable. But it is not just geopolitics that presented challenges to leaders, male and female, this past year. Uncertainty is a fact of life with the growing disruption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace, climate change, and regulatory setbacks to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
AmCham HK Chairman David Butts underlined the chamber’s ongoing commitment to gender equality and diversity in his opening remarks. IGNITE talks helped to dispel the gloom, while popular standup comic Maitreyi Karanth Rao served as moderator. Rao was winner of the 2025 WOI award for Leading Woman in the Arts, Sports and Leisure.
Organization of the awards, as well as the events leading up to it, was a long process. From planning themes, to securing venues, to identifying judges, reviewing nominations, accepting applications, catering, photography, obtaining sponsorships, marketing, overall planning and execution took more than nine months.
The awards require first-class logistical precision, attention to detail, good communication and tremendous team effort between the Steering Committee, Co-Chairs, Judges, the AmCham team and External Vendors. There were nearly 200 nominees, 140 applications, 27 finalists and 9 winners.
In addition, each of the SheLeads luncheon events attracted around 60 participants. The latest SheLeads Luncheon last week left everyone feeling motivated, educated and appreciative of the message sent by such strong female leaders.
The 22nd annual WOI awards went to:
– Young Change Maker: Grace Cheng, Founder & CEO, Agewhale
– Leading Woman Entrepreneur: Dr Sharmeen Shroff, Founder & Clinical Psychologist, Central Minds Ltd
– Leading Woman Director or Executive: Kristi L Swartz, Partner, DLA Piper
– Woman Change Maker in STEM: Liona CY P., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CUHK & CEO, PregnaSense Co. Limited
– Champion for Women (Female): Jen Flowers 杜敏, Head of Asia, Hyperlayer
– Champion for Women (Male): Anders Lundholm (He/Him), Founding Member, Godric.ai, Multimodal Ventures
– Leading Woman in Arts, Sports, and Leisure: Marisa Yiu, Co-Founder, Lead Curator and Executive Director, Design Trust
– Woman Champion of Disadvantaged Groups and Minorities: Dr. Kanie Siu, CEO, Plan International Hong Kong
– Best Company Championing Women: Standard Chartered
The gala was the end point of months of work by WOI Committee Co-Chairs Maggie Ho, Trilby White, and Amanda Kwan, who also organized a series of leadership forums. Chubb Life was Platinum Sponsor, Goldman Sachs served as Gold Sponsor, and Delta Air Lines was Silver Sponsor for the WOI awards series. Corporate sponsors included The Coca-Cola Company, Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated, J.P. Morgan Private Bank and the many volunteers, AmCham staff members and others who contributed.
The award winners each had stories, emotion and experience to share about the awards.
Grace Cheng, Founder and CEO of Agewhale and winner of the Young Change Maker Award, described the award as “visibility for the invisible.” She hopes to use the WOI platform and Agewhale to build a culture in Hong Kong where caregivers, the majority of whom are women, are acknowledged in the workplace. In her own experience leading the Fair Employment Agency during COVID-19 while caring for her grandparents, the lack of caregiving support was a personal challenge. Grace has since created Agewhale as part of a broader mission to build the support system she once wished she had.
Dr. Sharmeen Shroff, Founder and Clinical Psychologist at Central Minds Ltd, was the winner of the Leading Woman Entrepreneur Award. She shared that while the work itself has always been a reward in and of itself, the recognition from WOI marks a significant milestone for her team and for the development of mental health services in Hong Kong. She recalled the uncertainty when Central Minds expanded from a five-person team into a multi-clinician practice. To “future-proof” their work, she emphasized collaboration in decision-making, as well as trust and quality of care as non-negotiables.
Kristi L. Swartz, Partner at DLA Piper and recipient of the Leading Woman Director or Executive Award, described the win as a validation of her journey – from a young girl in Texas, to an aspiring law student, to her current position as Head of FinTech for DLA Piper. Working in the fintech regulatory space, she navigates uncertainty daily. Her approach is to learn from the past, stay prepared, put forward strong ideas, and persist even when running into blank walls.
Professor Liona Poon, Professor and Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellow at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and CEO of PregnaSense Co. Limited, received the Woman Change Maker in STEM Award. She described the honor as a strong affirmation of her mission to transform maternal health through innovation, policy, and collaboration, as well as helping to inspire future women leaders and advance equitable solutions for mothers and babies worldwide. Professor Poon has faced uncertainty when challenging established medical practices. However, by grounding decisions in evidence, partnerships, and outcomes, she added, uncertainty can turn into momentum.
Anders Lundholm, Founding Member at Godric.ai and Multimodal Ventures, was named the winner of the Champion for Women (Male) Award. He dedicated this recognition to the many women who have shaped his life, from family to colleagues, describing the award as marking his journey from unawareness to empathy to action. Anders emphasized that certainty in a career is often a false proposition. Instead, he suggested viewing a career as a “team sport,” where mentors, sponsors, and support networks each play critical roles.
Jen Flowers, Head of Asia at Hyperlayer and winner of the Champion for Women (Female) Award, expressed delight at the growth of women’s communities in Hong Kong since her involvement over the past decade. Having faced multiple uncertainties in her career, she highlighted the importance of relying on friends and family, building communities, and seeking expertise to navigate challenges: “Don’t do it alone.”
Marisa Yiu, Co-Founder, Lead Curator, and Executive Director of Design Trust, received the Leading Woman in Arts, Sports & Leisure Award. She described the honor as an opportunity to help shape future leaders in culture, art, and design. Marisa faced uncertainty during the 2020 lockdown, when people could not see each other and social bonds were broken. In response, she curated and led a new Design Trust project, Critically Homemade, encouraging people to craft objects from home and foster community bonding and cultural creativity despite physical distance.
Dr. Kanie Siu, CEO of Plan International Hong Kong, received the Woman Champion of Disadvantaged Groups & Minorities Award. She described the recognition as giving a bigger voice to their work supporting girls and children in Hong Kong and beyond, adding that it is not just a win, but proof that their efforts are changing lives. Reflecting on uncertainty, Dr. Siu highlighted her transition from a previous NGO role into her current CEO position. Moving from a specialized role to leading all aspects of Plan International Hong Kong was not easy, but with the support of a strong and proactive team, she transformed this uncertainty into organizational growth and positive change for children.
Standard Chartered Bank was winner of the Best Company Championing Women Award. The company representative said: “The award is a great recognition of who we are, and our massive effort in fostering a culture where we empower our female colleagues and create an environment where they don’t just participate, but lead, innovate, and thrive.” In recent years of global volatility and disruptions in the financial services industry, Standard Chartered has faced challenges by keeping its team connected, aligned, and resilient.
