May 28, 2021
The first day at a new job is always stressful, but for Nicolas Aguzin, perhaps especially so. On Monday (May 24), the 52-year-old banking veteran took over as the new CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), the operator of the stock exchange crucial to Hong Kong’s role as a world financial hub.
Hong Kong’s identity has long been closely tied to its status as a financial center, and the city’s eponymous (and sole) stock exchange is an integral part of that enterprise. Last year, the exchange was the world’s second largest bourse in terms of IPO funding. Although it also has assets such as the London Metal Exchange, HKEX has almost become the equivalent of the bourse, its most high-profile subsidiary.