25 May 2018
Today on the podcast we are honored to have with us Lukas Petrikas who is the co-head of Innovation at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited or better known as HKEX. His Linked In profile summary explains what he does best.
"I look for creative business models and disruptive technology innovations that can deliver value and open new opportunities for HKEX as we shape the global capital markets of tomorrow.
During my career, I have been involved in many of the initiatives that have broken new ground for Hong Kong's markets, including the acquisition of London Metal Exchange; Shanghai & Shenzhen Stock Connect; China Bond Connect; 2018's listing reform; and the HKEX Private Market blockchain initiative."
We want to pick his brains on all of the above today and we also want to trace his journey on how we ended up becoming the co-head of Innovation for HKEX.
So let me first of all welcome and thank Lukas for taking the time to do the podcast with us today.
Lukas' background and what lead him into technology
Please introduce yourself in your own words and say a few words about your background. Where are you from?
You started your career with Rothschild (one of the largest independent Financial Advisory) in M&A. Did you always want to do M&A after graduation?
Talk about what life was like in M&A. In many books on Wall Street, they talk about how the poor Analyst stays in the office all day & night long doing pitch books? Is that what it's really like?
You moved from Rothschild to HKEX in Hong Kong in Corporate Finance. How did that move come about and what is an exchange and why work for one?
What is the difference in culture between working for an advisory in M&A and between working for an exchange in corporate finance?
Everyone has heard about different exchanges like Singapore Exchange, Hong Kong exchange and so forth. What are some metrics one can use to determine the complexity and success of an exchange?
After an year in corporate finance you moved to Group Strategy in HKEX? What does Group Strategy do and how did this move come about?
Does HKEX have a start up like environment to pave the way to go after new business ideas and execute on them?
You've helped deliver major projects, like Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Bond Connect. Can you talk about those projects briefly? How did the idea come about and how was it vetted? What was your role in these projects?
How important is relationship building, i.e. to make friends with investors, regulators and government officials in your job? How do you build that skill?
In March 2018, you became co-head of the Innovation lab at HKEX. Please talk about that move. Why the interest in that and how did this transition come about?
Some questions on the Innovation Lab at HKEX
What is an Innovation Lab?
Why is it important for companies to innovate and why is it important specifically for HKEX to do so?
Your role in this Innovation Lab is to "Explore and accelerate creative new solutions for HKEX's business, using modern technology" - what are some of these modern technologies?
What got you interested in technology? Is it the technology as such or the value that comes from deploying the tech?
Would you describe yourself as a tech person or a business person?
Which technology do you think will become a big game changer for HKEX within the next 5 years?
Could you talk about block chain in specific and how that might change the way HKEX does things?
What about Machine Learning / AI? How are they expected to influence what HKEX does differently?
Everyone seems to compare the Singapore Exchange and the HKEX and I hear about how the SGX is more advanced in some ways. First of all, is this sort of comparison fair?
How much truth is there to the statement SGX is ahead of HKEX in many ways? Like their Sandbox for FinTech firms?
How do you see the world of exchanges changing in the future?
What is HKEX doing different to get ahead of its competition and to embrace all these new technological changes?
Advice and personality
What career advice would you give to young ambitious IT professionals climbing up their career ladders now and wanting to do something in high tech?
Do you have a special routine that you follow that has enabled you to achieve success in your career?
What books do you read? Is there a pattern and what are some of the top books you'd recommend?
Has there been a key mentor or a significant person in your life that has enabled you to achieve the success you have had in your career?
Knowing what you know now, if you could travel back to when you were 25 years old, what advice would you give yourself?
Is there anything else you would like to say that we haven't asked you?
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