Matthew Chan GAICD | Principal
Matthew Chan is a senior strategy leader with 25 years’ experience across Australia, Asia Pacific and the United Kingdom. He has worked with and advised organisations across the private, public and international sectors on strategic questions involving resilience, energy security, infrastructure, capital mobility, technology, regulation and regional development.
His career spans corporate and regional strategy, infrastructure, capital markets and market infrastructure, sustainable finance and organisational leadership. Matthew has led businesses, teams and strategic programmes across Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, working with policymakers, multilateral institutions, corporates and financial institutions across diverse Asia Pacific markets.
His work includes the commercial, governance, financing and business implications of environmental risk, climate transition and changing energy systems. In recent years, he has also focused on the challenge of mobilising capital for infrastructure, resilience and economic transition in Asia Pacific, and on balancing investment, development, affordability, security and longer-term environmental outcomes across both developed and emerging economies.
Matthew has held senior roles with J.P. Morgan, the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA), DTCC/Omgeo and Flint Global. At J.P. Morgan, he established the firm’s Asia Pacific Corporate Sustainability function across 17 markets, working across businesses and control functions on strategy, governance, reporting, risk, client engagement and the regional implications of climate, energy and sustainable-finance developments.
At ASIFMA, Matthew led public-policy advocacy for major international investment banks operating across Asia Pacific, while establishing and building the association’s sustainable-finance work across regional capital markets. His remit included market development, regulatory fragmentation, cross-border data, cloud and privacy, and involved collaboration with member institutions and a wide range of regional and international participants.
Earlier, at DTCC/Omgeo, Matthew led the Asia Pacific institutional trade-processing business and regional strategy. He was responsible for a US$30 million regional business serving 1,600 bank and buy-side clients, chaired DTCC’s APAC Senior Leadership Committee, and helped develop a cross-franchise strategy spanning post-trade processing, regulatory reporting, data, product development and financial-market infrastructure.
Before financial services, Matthew held corporate-strategy and planning roles at Cadbury Schweppes and PepsiCo International, advised the Australian Government on government business enterprises and asset sales, and began his career as an environmental engineer and infrastructure consultant. He holds a Master of Commerce in Strategic Value Management, degrees in Environmental Engineering and Political Science, and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Publications, Interviews and Commentary
Matthew Chan is a business thinker and communicator of ideas, with experience across strategy, market infrastructure, regional development, sustainability and institutional change in Asia Pacific.
His commentary has covered capital and market connectivity, financial-market infrastructure, technology and operational resilience, sustainable finance, energy transition, environmental risk and the practical challenges of balancing investment, development, affordability, energy security and longer-term outcomes across diverse regional markets.
He has contributed to industry and public conversations on how organisations can navigate complex change, mobilise capital for resilient growth, and understand the links between markets, infrastructure, energy systems, regulation and economic development.
Selected Podcasts and Conversations
J.P. Morgan Making Sense Podcast — Mobilizing Development Finance in Asia Pacific, 9 April 2024
Matthew Chan hosted a discussion with J.P. Morgan’s Head of Development Finance Institution on mobilising capital for sustainable development in Asia Pacific. The conversation considers how development-finance institutions, private-sector participants and other partners can identify financing opportunities that support climate and development objectives in a complex regional investment environment.
J.P. Morgan Making Sense Podcast — Unpacking Renewable Energy Across Asia Pacific, 16 May 2024
Matthew Chan hosted J.P. Morgan’s Asia Pacific Energy, Power, Renewables and Metals & Mining lead in a discussion of renewable-energy investment across the region. The episode examines the accelerating role of renewables, the differing market dynamics across Asia Pacific and the opportunities and constraints affecting the energy transition.
Tokyo FinTech / Exponential Finance Podcast — Addressing Securities and Derivatives Market Fragmentation Through the Policymaking Lifecycle, 2020
Matthew Chan discusses the drivers of fragmentation in Asia Pacific capital markets, including inconsistent standards, extraterritorial rules, localisation and ringfencing. He considers why coordinated policymaking and more interoperable market conditions matter for regional capital-market development, resilience and economic recovery.
ESG Investor and Refinitiv — Sustainable Investing: Part 1 — The Asian Context, 10 June 2021
Matthew Chan discusses the emerging Asian sustainable-finance landscape, including the region’s differing market structures, policy priorities and implementation challenges. The discussion considers why approaches must account for varied stages of development, local market needs and the connection between financial frameworks and real-economy outcomes.
Redefining Risk Podcast — The Carbon Conundrum and the Future of Carbon Markets, January 2024
Matthew Chan discusses the Asia Pacific carbon-market landscape, the role of banks in supporting the transition, and J.P. Morgan’s approach to voluntary carbon markets and its Carbon Market Principles.
Selected Commentary
Future of Sustainable Data / ASIFMA — Data Challenges and Opportunities for ESG and Sustainable Finance in Asia Pacific, 28 September 2021
Matthew Chan commented on ASIFMA’s work with the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance examining sustainability-data challenges in Asia Pacific. The paper highlighted the need for practical capability building across scientific, operational, risk, reporting, governance, commercial and technology dimensions, alongside greater clarity in the evolving data and disclosure landscape.
Finadium / ASIFMA and FOSDA — ASIFMA/FOSDA on APAC’s Data Challenges in ESG and Sustainable Finance, 15 February 2021
Coverage of ASIFMA and the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance’s review of sustainability-data challenges facing Asia Pacific financial markets. Matthew Chan discussed the complexity of disclosure frameworks, incentives, data collection and assessment, and the need for coordinated capability building across financial and other sectors.
Oliver Wyman / ASIFMA — New Industry Paper on Tackling Regulatorily-Driven Market Fragmentation in Asia Through the Policymaking Lifecycle, August 2020
Matthew Chan commented on an ASIFMA and Oliver Wyman paper examining the costs of fragmentation in Asian capital markets. The work considered how inconsistent regulation, data localisation and capital ringfencing can impede market development, increase stress and constrain finance’s role in supporting economic recovery.
Market Connectivity and Resilience
Regulation Asia — Strategy, Management, Governance: Lessons from the Hayne Interim Report, 9 October 2018
Commentary on the strategic and governance lessons arising from Australia’s Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, including the importance of culture, accountability and effective oversight.
The Business Times — Investors Gain in US Move to Shorten Settlement Cycles, 24 January 2018
Commentary on the benefits and implementation challenges of moving to a shorter securities-settlement cycle, including risk reduction, operational readiness and the implications for market participants operating across different time zones.
South China Morning Post — More Finessing Needed for Hong Kong–China Stock Connect, Says DTCC, 31 May 2017
Commentary on the operational, market-structure and participation issues to address as Stock Connect developed as a channel for cross-border investment between Hong Kong and mainland China.
The Asset — PBoC, HKMA Announce How Bond Connect Will Work, 18 May 2017
Commentary on the design of Bond Connect and the practical questions affecting how international market participants could access China’s onshore bond market.
GlobalCapital — More Questions Than Answers on Bond Connect, Says DTCC, 10 April 2017
Discussion of the operational and market-access considerations surrounding Bond Connect, including the importance of clear infrastructure, standards and processes for cross-border participation.
Australian Banking & Finance — Rails Needed to Keep Blockchain on Track, 8 July 2017
Commentary on the need for appropriate governance, standards, interoperability and market infrastructure as distributed-ledger technology develops in financial services.
Earlier Commentary Archive
Other earlier commentary includes interviews and articles on settlement-cycle reform, post-trade automation, cyber resilience, market infrastructure, Stock Connect, cross-border renminbi markets and technology change across Asia Pacific financial services.
Regulation Asia, Strategy, Management, Governance: Lessons from Hayne, 9 October 2018 (International)
The Nation, T+2 Trading Hailed, 2 March 2018 (Thailand)
WatersTechnology, Thai Stock Exchange Settles in for T+2, 2 March 2018, (International)
The Business Times, Investors gain in US move to shorten settlement cycles, 24 January 2018 (Singapore)
South China Morning Post, More finessing needed for Hong Kong-China Stock Connect, says DTCC, 31 May 2017 (Hong Kong)
The Asset, PBoC, HKMA announce how Bond Connect will work, 18 May 2017 (Asia Pacific)
Global RMB, More questions than answers on Bond Connect, says DTCC, 10 April 2017 (International)
Investor Strategy News, Coming soon, maybe: splitting research from trading, 26 March 2017 (Australia)
RMB Week, RMB borders are coming down, 7 March 2017 (Australia)
Investor Daily, How Australia can become a global hub, 31 October 2017 (Australia)
Australian Banking & Finance, Aspirational Sydney faces RMB obstacles, 18 November 2016 (Australia)
Global RMB, Rule Mismatches Challenge RMB Access – DTCC, 15 November 2016 (International)
Australian Banking & Finance, Cyber risk tops list of financial sector concerns, 14 November 2016, (Australia)
Investor Strategy News, Mistakes from standing instructions: 20% of trades fail, 30 October 2016 (Australia)
Investor Daily, ‘Step-change’ needed on super efficiency, 20 September 2016 (Australia)
WatersTechnology, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect Not Without Challenges, 2 September 2016 (International)
The Asset, Shenzhen-HK stock connect benefits from challenges faced by Shanghai scheme, 31 August 2016 (Asia Pacific)
The Asset, CSRC announces launch of Shenzhen-HK stock connect will be in November, 30 August 2016 (Asia Pacific)
Global Capital, Shenzhen Connect: weighing up the changes, 16 August 2016 (International)
Australian Banking & Finance, Rails needed to keep blockchain on track, 8 July 2017 (Australia)
Asia Asset Management, Understanding evolution, 16 April 2016 (International)
South China Morning Post, Shorting rules drag on Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, 3 December 2015 (Hong Kong)
Australian Financial Review, Australia on track for shorter two-day trading settlement cycle, 2 November 2015 (Australia)
Investor Strategy News, Scary world of cyber security comes to Australia, 25 October 2015 (Australia)
The Insto Report, Network lowers cybersecurity response time, 22 October 2015 (Australia)
Investor Daily, Time zones biggest ‘pain point’ for T+2, 16 October, 2015 (Australia)
The Trade, New Zealand to move to T+2 settlement in 2016, 1 October 2015 (Asia Pacific)
GlobalCapital, Stock Connect a step towards East-West market harmonisation, says Omgeo, 19 August 2015 (International)
The Asset, Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect paves way for Shenzhen Scheme, 17 August 2015 (Asia Pacific)
Regulation Asia, Long term success of Stock Connect hinges on removal of barriers, 11 June 2015 (International)
The Trade, Stock connect success hinges on removing barriers, says study, 10 June 2015 (Asia Pacific)
Australian Financial Review, Debt markets may follow ASX to T+2 settlements in 2016, 24 March 2015 (Australia)
Investor Strategy, Better automation needed in Asia Pac post trade, 25 May 2014 (Australia)
Insto Report, Aust has highest post-trade automation level, 22 May 2014 (Australia)
Global Custodian, APAC Markets Vary in Post-Trade Automation, Most Need Improvement, 21 May 2014 (International)