The 2024 ABA Planning Committee met virtually on March 13, 2024, starting at 2:00pm, Taipei Time. The meeting primarily discussed preparations for the 40th ABA General Meeting and Conference, which is to be hosted by CTBC Bank Ltd. in Taipei, Taiwan.

Presided by ABA Chairman Mr. Morris Li, Chairman of CTBC Bank Co., the online meeting was attended by ABA Board members and representatives of ABA member organizations.

Among the issues taken up during the meeting were the dates of the Conference, the Conference format, the Conference theme and topics, and possible speaker line-up. In this regard, the Committee:

• Confirmed November 18-19 as the dates for the 40th ABA General Meeting and Conference, as proposed by CTBC Bank.
• Endorsed CTBC Bank’s recommendation to hold the 40th ABA General Meeting and Conference at Grand Hyatt Taipei.

As regards the Conference theme and topics. The Committee noted the suggestions submitted earlier by members and agreed that they comprise very timely, relevant, and wideranging topics of current concern to the region’s business sector, namely: (a) Sustainability ESG/Green Financing; (b) Digital Transformation / Generative AI; (c) Cyber Security / Customer Fraud; (d) Banking Transition; and (e) Refocusing on Changing Customer needs and CSR issues Chairman Li requested the ABA Secretariat to formulate the theme and topics, taking into account the suggestions and comments made by the Committee, and submit these to the organizing team for review and further comments. These will then be forwarded to the Committee members for additional input, if any, including their suggestions on speakers for the agreed topics.

The Committee members also noted the submissions made on possible Conference speakers. However, they agreed that the speaker line-up can be considered only after the Conference theme and topics are finalized. The ABA Secretariat was tasked to coordinate with the organizing team and the other members of the Planning Committee on their suggestions for speakers.

The Committee also approved the 2024 Work Program of the ABA Policy Advocacy Committee, as presented by its Chairman Mr. Austin Chiang, Chief Strategy Officer of CTBC Bank Ltd., and noted the ABA activities lined up for 2024.