Henry Han: Lawyer turned Fintech specialist

When Henry Han graduated from Wuhan University of Technology with a master’s degree in law in 2005, he gained knowledge of contract, corporate, financial, commercial and commercial property laws. He did not expect that his career path would extend to different industries such as transportation, consulting and finance. We had 15 minutes to find out how he juggled multiple skills while ensuring he stayed true to his goals in life.

With Singapore as a regional hub for Fintech events, the world will witness the necessary evil of a disruptor – Cross-border E-payment. With the strengthening of ties between China and Singapore, this Fintech system will be useful and important because it will integrate RMB currency sales, cross-border transfers, balance of payment declaration, checking account information and other functions. With the ongoing global pandemic, this fintech process allows businesses to expand into local markets, avoiding the traditional paper-based payment methods.

He helped set up the first “virtual credit card” in Macau (February to June 2020). This sped up processes for customers in many ways, eliminating paperwork, minimizing human resources while securing the virtual credit card network to prevent unauthorized access. He has set up the ICBC Macau Mobile Banking eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) project.

For example, he was the main initiator of two projects: Posting Office Savings and Cross-Border E-payment service. The former helped promote cooperation between ICBC and foreign governments in intelligent government matters. Furthermore, it also enabled the bank to break the bottleneck of working with local businesses, and Han even won the “2020 Special Award for Major Project Promotion-Savings Project” by ICBC Macau.

As a key person responsible for cross-border e-payment service, Han created a new scene for cross-border interconnection between bank and school. Four local institutions are now registered under the project and payment arrangements can be made in two minutes, effectively solving the problems of difficult cross-border payments, cumbersome exchange procedures and high processing fees for mainland students studying in Macau.

Tell us how you got to where you are now.

Well, I started my career in 1997 as a structural engineer for Jiangxi Architectural Design and Research Institute. The work mostly included work with proposals, contract documents, assessment of industrial applications, participation in tender meetings and work with project start-up.

That led me to join another company called Ricacorp (Macau) Properties as Senior Account Manager and Regional Director Assistant in 2006. I spent six years there leading cross-functional teams and stakeholders in account vision and business delivery. I helped leverage relationships to develop business partnerships and optimized them for common goals. It was very rewarding to present the best internal practices and success stories to other companies in a similar industry. But in 2012 I joined Jones Lang LaSalle Limited as an investment manager and administrative assistant. With some help from information technology, I was able to use the system to identify potential customers and developed their consultative sales approach to become experts in profiling. This helped increase the productivity of licensed branch personnel through increased delivery and distribution of traditional banking and investment products and services.

Fast forward to the present, I am currently working for the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Macau) Limited. It has been pleasant and rewarding. My most famous time was being entrusted by the top management to act as the general secretary of the company. I helped establish the ICBC Macau Youth Association, which gained wide influence and support from political and business leaders, and it received the 2021 Special Award for Social Influence Prize. My work was recognized and I was awarded Excellent Employee of the Year 2020/2021.

When were your most challenging points in your career?

I would estimate that it was my employment period in a law firm in Beijing from 2013 to 2015. It was then that I expanded my skill in law as a paralegal. I helped achieve sought-after status among legal peers, and I was personally called upon by senior partners to handle highly complex, deadline-driven cases. I also assisted lawyers with the timely preparation and submission of legal documents and correspondence that supported case preparation for court appearances, hearings, trials and meetings.

However, my four years with Fortune International Investment Immigration Consulting Co. Ltd as Co-Director and Managing Director equally memorable. Based in Macau, I had to oversee all aspects of the visa and immigration service and ensured that all information provided by clients was accurate, complete and correct. I also had to prepare and review all legal documents while overseeing the completion of all relevant visa and immigration documents to ensure they were received within the deadline set by law.

What advice can you share when talking to young prospective lawyers if they ask you for career advice?

That’s a good question. I guess, it’s always to keep an open mind and seek opportunities. It pays to be well read in the industry. Try to read more about the corporate law industry and keep up to date with the trends. It is important to have your goals early in your career. Goals are like carrots to me; it is rewarding when you achieve something you fought very hard for. Being ambitious is good, but having the right people to support you in life is also important. I would also say to those new to the legal profession: “Don’t give up! Keep your eye on the prize and work hard.”

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