Growth, skills and policy impact in Asia Pacific
Brenda Hou explains what makes Asia Pacific (APAC) different from other parts of the world, and what this means for its investment industry and CFA Institute.
Over the past few years, the Asia-Pacific investment landscape has surged. Equity markets are poised for a strong 2026, driven by rising IPO activity and an increase in large-scale deals, alongside growing demand for equity-linked financing.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has emerged as Asia’s leading bond issuance hub, with international bond issuance volumes totalling more than US$130 billion and the region accounting for a higher share of sustainable bond issuance than the global average, according to data from the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).
The APAC region is fast-moving and made up of many high-growth economies, but despite a unifying name, it is incredibly diverse, as might be expected from a region that two-thirds of the world’s population call home.
Accelerating economic growth has also meant a profusion of more sophisticated financial products, which has led to clients expecting more from investment managers and placing more scrutiny on governance, sustainability, risk management and returns. “Clients demand faster responses, they expect transparency, they want outcomes,” explains Brenda Hou, CFA, Senior Head APAC at CFA Institute.
A region defined by diverse markets and regulations
The region is made up of individual markets each with its own jurisdiction, regulatory frameworks, policies and investor preferences.
“It is not one market, it is many markets all at different stages of maturity – developed, emerging and developing markets. And each market is evolving very rapidly as well.
A surge in initial public offerings, rising cross-border flows, and accelerating deal activity has underscored the region’s growing importance in global capital markets and has cemented an entrepreneurial mindset underpinned by a culture of resilience, says Hou. Meanwhile, fast-growing markets nurture an environment that encourages innovation to flourish. As Hou puts it, “The growth momentum that we have enjoyed over the past few years has encouraged a mindset of wanting to capture opportunity quickly.”
Making the most of this growth hinges on the drive, agility and resilience of the investment industry – and its professionals – to navigate the complexity of the region, Hou says. And she is proud that APAC investment professionals see the CFA® Program as the gold standard – providing a common language underpinned by shared values and a common terminology.
One of the major reasons CFA Institute qualifications have that lustre is they allow professionals to work across different markets in the region. “The differences provide an opportunity for us as charterholders to unite and understand how to leverage this common professional credential,” says Hou.
Why investment skills are evolving faster than ever
Amongst such rapid change, talent development is clearly a key issue across Asia Pacific. “Regulators, policymakers and governments want to ensure that they are preparing the talent of tomorrow,” says Hou.
And we are contributing to that talent development debate, not simply from the perspective of the programs we offer and current demand for skills but also the type of skills the industry will need in the future.
It’s also crucial that professional skills evolve to keep pace. “Skills now have a shorter shelf life. It means continuous learning is not an option but a necessity. It is how our members stay relevant and demonstrate the robustness in providing advice to protect investors’ interests.
The CFA charter is constantly evolving to stay relevant in response to demand from our clients who want not just knowledge and the highest degrees of technical competency but also the right mix of in-demand practical and job-ready skills to meet the increasingly high expectations of this complex market,” Hou says.
How CFA Institute helps shape Policy and Regulation in APAC
Another factor that distinguishes the region is the prevalence of policy-driven economies. In markets such as India, China, and Vietnam, government policy plays a far more decisive role in shaping economic outcomes than is typically seen in the United States or Western Europe. This includes influencing which industries thrive, directing investment flows, and determining how the workforce is developed and trained.
This means that industry bodies such as CFA Institute play a strong role supporting policymakers and regulators with evidence-based research to shape standards and develop industry best practice across the APAC region. This is something CFA Institute welcomes, says Hou, as “we all share a common objective to create more transparent capital markets and enhanced investor protection.”
The bedrock of better capital markets is trust, which in turn comes from a clear ethical framework to which everyone understands and abides by. Hou is proud that CFA Institute brings together a global community of charterholders and members with shared ethical values, and a collective commitment to do the right things by investors underpinned by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct of CFA Institute.
“Ethics has become an important common language for us to engage with regulators and policymakers,” Hou explains. It’s for the benefit of the investment community at large, but is integral to the mission of CFA Institute. “We play a strong role contributing to these dialogues. This is core to our mission to drive the investment industry agenda and lead the industry professionally with ethical and professional excellence.”
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