AmCham's 22nd Women of Influence Awards Gala Recognises Changemakers Driving Gender Equality
HONG KONG – Monday, March 16, 2026 – The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham HK) hosted its 22nd Annual Women of Influence (“WOI”) Awards Gala (「最具影響力女性」頒獎禮) last Friday, on March 13, at The American Club. Seven outstanding women leaders, an exceptional male leader, and one leading company were recognized for advancing the gender equality agenda in Hong Kong.
The AmCham WOI Awards has earned its reputation as a prestigious and influential women’s awards initiative in the Asia-Pacific, honouring women, male allies, and organizations committed to advancing inclusivity in Hong Kong and empowering the next generation of changemakers. This year, under the theme of “Future Proof: Leading in the Age of Uncertainty,” 24 finalists and 3 companies were shortlisted from nearly 200 nominations, all of which underwent a comprehensive vetting process by judges from diverse sectors to ensure a broad range of voices were represented. The Awards were overseen by an AmCham WOI Committee led by Maggie Ho, Head of Human Capital Management in Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs, Trilby White, Leadership and Management Consultant, and Amanda Kwan,Partner at Social Supply.
“It has been a privilege serving on the committee in the past two years. We look forward to the WOI initiative continuing to deliver meaningful impact in the years ahead,” said Maggie Ho, Co-chair of the AmCham WOI Committee & Head of Human Capital Management in Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs.
“As we look ahead, I am excited to build on the strong foundation of the WOI Awards and continue evolving the platform to amplify diverse voices and drive meaningful impact in the year to come,” said Amanda Kwan, Co-chair of the AmCham WOI Committee and Partner at Social Supply.
The Awards Gala was led by an emcee, Maitreyi Karanth Rao, Actress and Standup Comedian, and Founder and CEO of Koma Karanth Foundation Limited. As a 2025 WOI Award winner herself, she set the stage for a dynamic evening. It was followed by a series of TEDx-style five-minute IGNITE talks by inspiring women leaders, who shared personal reflections and practical insights on wellbeing, purpose, communication, accessibility, and community building, offering diverse perspectives on leadership and impact. "Tonight, we explored what future proofing truly means across diverse sectors, and it has been inspiring to witness women, allies, and organizations driving this agenda forward. As Co‑Chair this year, my focus has been on amplifying diverse voices and ensuring the WOI platform continues to serve as a catalyst for equity, action, and leadership in the age of uncertainty,” said Trilby White, Co-chair of the AmCham WOI Committee & Leadership and Management Consultant.
Congratulations to the following winners who excelled in the 9 award categories:
Young Change Maker
Grace Cheng
Founder & CEO, Agewhale
Leading Woman Entrepreneur
Sharmeen Shroff
Founder & Clinical Psychologist, Central Minds Ltd
Leading Woman Director or Executive
Kristi Swartz
Partner, DLA Piper
Woman Change Maker in STEM
Liona Poon
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong &
CEO, PregnaSense Co. Limited.
Champion for Women (Female)
Jen Flowers
Head of Asia, Hyperlayer
Champion for Women (Male)
Anders Lundholm
Founding Member, Godric.ai, Multimodal Ventures
Leading Woman in Arts, Sports, and Leisure
Marisa Yiu
Co-Founder, Lead Curator and Executive Director, Designtrust
Woman Champion of Disadvantaged Groups and Minorities
Kanie Siu Mei Kuen
CEO, Plan International Hong Kong
Best Company Championing Women
Standard Chartered
More than 180 senior business executives attended this year’s celebration. The event’s success was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including Chubb Life Insurance Hong Kong Limited, Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, RGA Reinsurance Group of America, and J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Many thanks also to the following organizations for their support: Wallbrook (Global Risk Advisor) and The Women’s Foundation (Partner).
Key Photos
Media enquiries:
Carman Ngai
Corporate Affairs Manager
Email: cngai@amcham.org.hk