Julia Leung to become first female head of Hong Kong securities watchdog

The Hong Kong government has named Julia Leung as new head of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), becoming the first female chief of the territory's securities regulator.

Leung, currently deputy chief and head of the intermediaries division at the 33-year-old SFC, will succeed Ashley Alder when his tenure ends on Dec. 31, the regulator said on Thursday. The SFC veteran, who worked as a journalist early in her career, has overseen several large projects including the new licensing regime for virtual asset service providers.

Alder, who served at the watchdog for 11 years, will become chair of Britain's Financial Conduct Authority in January.