Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) has appointed Mark Dickens as its Head of Listing, effective 1 March 2009.  Mr Dickens will join HKEx 1 January 2009.  HKEx’s current Head of Listing, Richard Williams, has agreed to remain in his position until 28 February 2009 after notifying the company earlier this year of his decision not to seek renewal of his employment contract for family reasons (for details, see 27 August 2008 HKEx news release).  

Mr Dickens has over 25 years of experience as a financial regulator in Hong Kong and Australia.  In addition, he has been chief risk officer of a Hong Kong-based fund management firm and an adjunct professor of finance at Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Mr Dickens was Executive Director, Supervision of Markets and Research at Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) between April 1999 and March 2005.  He was the SFC’s Executive Director of Enforcement between January 1997 and March 1999 and served as a senior director of the commission between February 1991 and December 1996.  From December 1987 to February 1991, Mr Dickens was with the Australian Securities Commission and its predecessor, the National Companies and Securities Commission, where his roles included national managing director and senior director.

Mr Dickens holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and laws from Australian National University.  He is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Victoria, and the solicitor attorney and proctor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Mr Dickens is a Hong Kong Permanent Resident.