ExplainerWho is Bonnie Chan, the first woman CEO of Hong Kong stock exchange operator HKEX? What challenges does she face?

A Hong Kong-born lawyer, Chan takes the reins as the first woman and first internal candidate to serve as CEO

Here is what colleagues and peers say about Chan’s readiness for the job at a challenging time for the city’s bourse

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Nicolas Aguzin (left) shakes hands with his successor Bonnie Chan Yiting at a press conference on February 29, 2024. Photo: May Tse

Published: 8:30am, 1 Mar 2024Updated: 3:37pm, 1 Mar 2024

Bonnie Chan Yiting has entered the history books as the first woman to serve as CEO of the city’s bourse operator, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).

She is also the first CEO promoted internally to run Hong Kong’s stock exchange – Asia’s third-largest. Stepping up from her role as co-chief operating officer, Chan succeeds Nicolas Aguzin, who decided in December not to renew his contract, and then announced in February that he would leave two months before that contract was due to end.

Those who have worked with Chan believe she has the ability to succeed in the top job at the exchange during a challenging time. Her appointment is also a positive data point for gender diversity in leadership positions in Hong Kong.

Here is what you need to know about the first woman to serve as CEO at the local stock market, which began operations in 1891.

Screens show stock prices outside Exchange Square in Hong Kong’s Central district, the home of bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, on February 15, 2024. Photo: Sun Yeung

Who is Bonnie Chan Yiting?

Chan, 54, was born and brought up in Hong Kong. She has a law degree from the University of Hong Kong and a master’s degree in law from Harvard Law School.