The fact that men still dominate the business world was underscored by the recent election for the president of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA).
Keith Pogson, managing partner of Asia-Pacific financial services at Ernst & Young, trumped frontrunner Susanna Chiu, director of Li & Fung Development (China).
That dashed hopes for the election of the HKICPA's first female president since its founding in 1973. Chiu was, however, re-elected as vice-president of the 22-member council.
Clement Chan Kam-wing, managing partner of BDO, was also elected as vice-president.
Gender-wise, the HKICPA now has slightly more female members than male ones.
To be sure, men still dominate the top ranks of Hong Kong's professional bodies, as well as the boards of listed companies. In most listed companies, just one or two directors are women.