DeepSeek's AI emergence: exploring groundbreaking advancements and market disruption

William Gee, Vice Chair, Tech Faculty Board, ICAEW
William Gee currently serves as Vice Chair of the Tech Faculty Board of ICAEW and is a member of both the Technology Working Group and the Technology Expert Group of the IESBA, where he addresses the impact of technology on ethics. He continues to advise on Post-Quantum Cryptography and remains involved in initiatives such as central bank digital currencies and the tokenisation of traditional assets.

Mr Gee retired from PwC Mainland China and Hong Kong in June 2022 after 22 years as a Partner. As a former Senior Adviser on the Metaverse and digital economy, he supported digitalisation and drove innovation in Risk Assurance, including leading the development of a blockchain audit platform for cryptocurrency exchanges and exploring its wider applications.

Since 2000, he has been a strong advocate for XBRL adoption in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and globally. In 2009, China’s Ministry of Finance appointed him to develop the China Accounting Standard Common Taxonomy. He has also advanced digital identity infrastructure, including Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), Self-Sovereign Identities (SSI), and Distributed Identifiers (DID). His previous roles include work with the MOF XBRL Quality Review Team, the National Accounting Informatisation Standardisation Committee, and the IFRS Taxonomy Consultative Group.

Dr Ryan Manuel, Founder and CEO, Bilby AI
Dr Ryan Manuel is the founder and CEO of Bilby AI, an AI startup that uses machine learning to automate the analysis and prediction of government and regulatory decisions. Bilby’s software scales government and regulatory affairs by collecting data, analysing events in real time, and delivering findings through APIs and reports. A third-time founder, Dr Manuel has over 20 years of industry experience working at the intersection of technology, academia, and government.

Before founding Bilby, Dr Manuel held academic positions at the University of Oxford, the Australian National University, and the University of Hong Kong. He also served as a Senior China Analyst for the Australian government, where he advised the Prime Minister and the National Security Committee, and worked as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.

Dr Manuel holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. His writings and research have been featured in leading publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and The Guardian. During his AsiaGlobal Fellowship, he investigated how Chinese leadership uses official media to communicate economic policy preferences.

Philip Chow, Commercial and Technology Lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland at Eversheds Sutherland
Philip Chow is a Commercial and Technology Lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland. With over 10 years of experience in commercial and technology law, Philip has a broad range of expertise in information technology matters. He specialises in drafting and advising on technology agreements, including contracts involving software licensing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), technology outsourcing, and procurement.

In addition to his work on complex technology arrangements, particularly in the financial services and aviation sectors, Philip’s practice extends to data security, data privacy, and telecommunications matters. He is highly sought after for his ability to navigate intricate framework agreements and address regulatory and compliance challenges in the evolving technology landscape.

Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland in 2019, Philip worked at Piper Alderman in Melbourne, Australia. 

Phil McManus, Director, Business Innovation of NTT
Phil McManus is the Director of Business Innovation at NTT Com Asia, where he drives smart city solutions, including Private 5G, AIoT, and advanced smart building platforms. Since 2024, Phil has led key innovations, such as launching Hong Kong’s first Private 5G license, AI-datacenter with Direct Liquid Cooling technology, and a Private 5G-powered lab in partnership with top universities and startups.

As Chair of the Innovation and Technology Committee at The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Phil works with industry leaders to foster a vibrant innovation ecosystem. With over 20 years of experience spanning cybersecurity, risk management, and business innovation, Phil has held leadership roles at BT, co-founded Human Managed, and consulted for Cathay Pacific.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Phil is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from CityU and is a proud alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University, HKUST, and SMU.