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CKGSB Wraps Up 12th Women in Leadership Forum

On December 2, 2025, the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) hosted its 2025 Women in Leadership Forum in Beijing, marking the 12th annual event that has emerged as a pivotal platform for women's leadership discussions in China. With participation from more than 500 industry executives and the insights of 19 distinguished speakers, this year's forum sought to highlight the significant impact women have on technology, branding, and intellectual property innovation.

CKGSB Dean, Li Haitao, emphasized the importance of this gathering as a multi-sector platform where policymakers and business leaders could come together to exchange views, share experiences, and ignite new opportunities. He noted the importance of gender representation in business, underlining that the percentage of women in CKGSB's MBA program has surged to 49%, a remarkable increase since it was just 16% in 2003. Moreover, the school has pioneered the Women in Leadership Program, known as Juanyong, which serves as China's first comprehensive educational initiative dedicated to empowering women leaders.

Chu Q. Wang, the Head of Office (a.i.) at UN Women China, shared her perspective on the business advantages of embracing gender equality. She pointed out that companies with a higher proportion of women in senior roles tend to outperform their competitors and navigate market fluctuations more adeptly.

Associate Dean and Organizational Behavior Professor, Zhang Xiaomeng, presented her latest research findings on the role of AI in the workplace. Her analysis revealed that women tend to utilize AI technologies more than men, with those possessing advanced education and extensive work experience being more inclined to adopt these innovations. Interestingly, despite concerns surrounding job displacement, frequent engagement with AI tools reduced respondents' anxiety.

FedEx China's President, Poh-Yian Koh, added to the discourse by discussing the transformative power of women's adaptability and resilience in the AI landscape. She addressed how women's unique skills—including empathy and strategic foresight—position them as indispensable players in bridging the gap between technology and human experience.

The forum concluded with an inspiring keynote from renowned Chinese television presenter and Chairperson of Sun Media Group, Yang Lan. Drawing from her experience as a host of the Beijing Declaration 30 years ago, she delivered a stirring message about the necessity of empowering women.