The ever-evolving dynamic landscape of corporate laws and regulatory requirements in Hong Kong is no less than a challenge for companies and start-ups to get the ball rolling. Complying with all these regulatory and legal requirements can be arduous for them. To shoulder this administrative and corporate burden, Leader Corporate Services Limited has emerged as a go-to solution for all secretarial services in the country.
The Woman at the Helm: Belinda Wong, Director
An extensive professional career in the company secretarial industry encouraged Belinda Wong to get Leader Corporate Services Limited off the ground in 2010. After working with MNCs, SMEs, and charitable organizations for many years, Belinda took up the challenge of establishing something on her own.
Belinda Wong redefined the concept of personal branding while striving to build a reputable brand name with Leader. As the company was up and running, news regarding the need for an author to write the Hong Kong Company Secretary’s Practice Manual by CCH (now named Wolters Kluwer Hong Kong) surfaced. With target readers being lawyers, accountants, and company secretaries, Belinda grabbed this opportunity as a boon for Leader’s corporate reputation.
Up till now, she has written 5 Practice Manuals and 2 Hong Kong Company Secretary Checklist editions. Writing kept Belinda abreast of legal changes while providing to potential clients her technical competence as an effective personal branding strategy. Under her thoughtful leadership, Leader emerged as an affordable and quality secretarial service partner for businesses across Hong Kong.
Making Her Way to Success
Belinda showcased exceptional vision in hitting the jackpot as a thought leader. Followed by the new Companies Ordinance (Cap 622) (CO) in 2014, she published the 3rd edition of the Practice Manual in 2015. The popularity of this book paved the way for another book, titled ‘HK Company Secretary Checklist’ for students.
Her professional acumen continued to grow as she started speaking at seminars organized by various accounting professional bodies on the new Ordinance. Her vision of the company secretarial practice on the CO helped accountants and lawyers develop a clear understanding of the CO and its practice.
She made her way to success by connecting with people from the legal and finance industries across social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and WeChat. Now, she has over 20k contacts on LinkedIn, demonstrating her ability to strengthen professional relationships as a leader.
A Vision Defining Scopes
Belinda is often asked, “What industry do you focus on?” While addressing this question, she reflects on the wider scope of the secretarial business in Hong Kong. Her vision identified the scope of incorporating company and corporate compliance in the secretarial industry. Looking at client diversity from different countries, she adds, “As HK is an international financial centre, the companies to be incorporated are not restricted to HK companies.”
While dealing with offshore companies, it is important to liaison with these agents on incorporation and annual compliance. Many companies set up their business here for its low tax rates and easy business conduction, and many use it to branch out to other Asian countries. Professionals operating in such a diverse landscape must continuously upgrade themselves to keep a step ahead.
Broadening Horizon
Belinda serves as an associate member of HK Chartered Governance Institute and a fellow member of each of the HK Institute of Directors and HK Securities & Investment Institute. Her association with these institutes has broadened her perspectives on good governance for companies and regulatory requirements of the financial industry. She believes that to escalate the transformations in government policies and commercial environments, joining top Chambers of Commerce is a comprehensive solution.
Leader is a corporate member of the HK General Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Manufacturers Association of HK. As shared by Belinda, “Regular updates from government officials on policies and visits to commercial organisations/factories are best for getting all the necessary news to stay on top of things.”
Navigating Challenges
Success brings challenges, and those who navigate these challenges well emerge as successful leaders. This is true for Belinda Wong as well. Her leadership journey encountered several hurdles, but she made a lemonade out of all the lemons that life threw at her. One of the biggest challenges that swept the HK commercial world was the COVID-19 outbreak. At this juncture, where many businesses came to a halt, Belinda accepted the invitation to manage the Startup China Club platform in HK, a platform affiliated with the Startup Club, founded by Mr. Oliver Doering and Ms. Olga Kuznietsova.
Her writing received recognition from Mr. Ayoob Rawat, founder of the Private Wealth & Family Office Association in Switzerland. As a thought leader, Belinda writes articles concerning Hong Kong and startups bi-monthly. Her articles, with her insights and experiences, have an undeniable contribution to the promotion of doing business in HK and the management of startups to attract investors.
UnifyToken: Gateway to Successful Business
Belinda holds the position of an Advisory Board Member of Unify Platform AG, also in Switzerland. Unify’s vision of connecting researchers with investors complements her role in startup development. The Unify Platform Token was issued in 2024 and is tradable in a South Korean Exchange. As HK advances virtual assets, the steps taken to expand the business scope and the UnifyToken gave Belinda new experiences concerning business management.
Showing the Way
Belinda’s visionary leadership is a guiding light for emerging leaders. She focuses on the use of social media platforms as a tool for building connections. As HK professionals are not making the best out of these platforms, Belinda advises them to explore them further. In her view, reaching out to the commercial world outside of HK is much easier now. Hence, when approached by contacts for collaboration, she advises to think ‘Why Not’ and then explore potential opportunities. Belinda asks emerging leaders to always make themselves ready to work on something new, as one thing may lead to another.
Leader Corporate Services knows how to deliver as they practice what they preach.
