The IFTA FinTech Achievement Award 2019 award winners revealed

Awards recognise outstanding contributions to FinTech sector, with Mr John Tsang, Senior Advisor of Bowtie, Mr Jim Lai, Vice President, Tencent Holdings Limited & Chairman, Fusion Bank Limited and Dr Suen Wai Mo, Founder & CEO, ClusterTech Limited on list of awardees

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach - 25 September 2020 - The IFTA FinTech Achievement Awards 2019 (the "Awards") organized by the Institute of Financial of Technologists of Asia (IFTA) successfully concluded today. The award ceremony this year was held online in response to the persistent influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award has returned in its second edition with the theme of "Transforming FinTech Communities with Competence, Character, and Care", to recognise talents and corporates in their pursuit of innovative solutions that meet both business and social needs. A total of 26 corporate and 4 individual awards were announced in a wide range of fields, including Cloud Computing, Big Data Analytics, Payment Tech, Artificial Intelligence, and more.

Kicking off the award ceremony was Guest of Honour Mr Joseph H. L. Chan, JP, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Hong Kong SAR government.

Mr Chan said "Hong Kong has one of the highest consumer FinTech adoption rates in the world. According to the Global FinTech Adoption Index, Hong Kong's adoption rate increased from 32% in 2017 to 67% in 2019, ranking above other major markets including France, USA and Japan."

"With over 600 FinTech companies and start-ups operating in Hong Kong, the government will continue to work closely with the industry and develop Hong Kong as a FinTech hub of the region" Mr Chan added.

Mr Paul Pong, IFTA Founder and Chairman, added "FinTech solutions enable businesses and consumers to address physical distancing needs without losing access to the financial systems they depend upon. We are in difficult times, but it can also be seen as a golden year for the development of financial technology."

This year, the newly set Iconic Star award goes to Mr John Tsang, Senior Advisor of Bowtie; Mr Jim Lai, Vice President of Tencent & Chairman of Fusion Bank; and Dr Suen Wai Mo, Founder and CEO of ClusterTech, in recognition of how they have devoted their time in their respective professions to create extraordinary impacts on the FinTech industry.

One of the Iconic Stars Mr John Tsang, Senior Advisor of Bowtie added "Living in an uncertain and volatile world, Bowtie, as a novel Fintech business platform, is challenging industry norms that we have taken for granted with the application of disruptive technological innovations with the aim of enabling society to reimagine our future."

Corporate Achievements in FinTech (for corporates, NGOs, and start-ups)

Outstanding Financial Technologists of the Year (for individuals)

The Prestige Award -- Iconic Star (by appointment only)

Iconic Star

FinTech Ecosystem Contribution Honorary Award

FinTech Education Contribution Honorary Award

To review the online ceremony of IFTA Award 2019, please click HERE.

Please Click HERE to download more high-resolution photos.

About IFTA

The Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia (IFTA) is an NPO established in Hong Kong in September 2017; IFTA is dedicated to accelerating FinTech development and leading the global development of FinTech talent with the highest standards of ethics, education and professional conduct. In the witness of HKSAR Government and City of London representatives, IFTA entered a collaboration agreement with the Certificate in Finance and Technology (CFT) from the United Kingdom to introduce the first CFT program in Asia. Besides delivering certification, IFTA also organises events including boot camps, seminars, and an annual award to accelerate Fintech education and industry engagement among government, regulators, universities, enterprises, and start-ups.