Dr Hing Tang, Managing Director, BOCI-Prudential Asset Management

What makes a good asset manager? Dr Hing Tang explains the four key areas that have made BOCI-Prudential Asset Management a market leader: good corporate governance, a robust investment process, product innovation, and sensible partnerships. He also discusses investors’ attraction to China, the steadily expanding ‘dim sum’ bond market, and considers some of the traditional investment strategies that are no longer relevant in today’s volatile markets.

Robert Lang, Managing Director, HSBC Insurance Businesses Hong Kong

The HSBC brand has long focused on Asia and other emerging markets to secure strong and sustainable growth; in 2010 for example, Hong Kong alone contributed five percent of the group’s profits. Robert Lang discusses how HSBC Insurance is responding to the challenges presented by the still thriving city-state.

David Fried, Group GM and Group Head of Insurance, HSBC

We talk to HSBC Insurance’s David Fried on the company’s status as one of the world’s leading bancassurers, its work in emerging markets, and how it plans to develop its products for the world’s aging population.

Mohammad Al Mannai, CEO, Qatar National Broadband Network

Qatar’s government has launched a new initiative to roll out fibre-optic networking across the country: the first of its kind in the Middle East. The broadband segment is already expanding rapidly – it grew 21.5 percent in 2011 – so how will the new network enhance the industry? Mohammad Al Mannai discusses the potential impact that QNBN will have on Qatar’s economy.

Oleg Pankratov, Head of Infrastructure Capital and Project Finance, VTB Capital

Shackled by budget deficits, governments are increasingly seeking direct investment from the private sector. However, Russia’s infrastructure is also challenged by a historic lack of capital investment, with some estimating that $1trn is required in the next 10 years to bring it up to par. VTB Capital’s Oleg Pankratov describes the steps which have been taken to attract private investment both locally and from overseas, and outlines some of the key PPP projects currently in development.

Dr Antonio Loyola, President, Universidad Politecnica de San Luis Potosí

As Mexico’s economy gets stronger and its middle class grows, more and more young people are demanding good quality higher education. To meet this demand 50 new polytechnic universities are being founded – and the first of these was UPSLP. Dr Antonio Loyola outlines the university’s educational standards and describes how its funding model was inspired by public-private partnerships in the UK.