Jamieson Bryan lives it up on Hong Kong harbour, enjoying a day off from his role as head of treasury services technology and operation at JPMorgan Chase Bank

Financier Jamieson Bryan is head of treasury services technology and operation for JPMorgan Chase Bank, and chairs the entrepreneur committee at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Having previously lived in various cities in Asia, he says Hong Kong has outstanding business and lifestyle attractions - and explains  the reasons why JP Morgan Chase, the largest dollar processor in the world, uses Hong Kong as its regional processing hub.

"I have lived in Hong Kong since March 2002, arriving from Singapore, to head up the IBM Business Consulting Group focused on the financial services industry in Hong Kong and Greater China. Before that - since 1983 - I had worked in and out of Hong Kong on a regular basis when I was with the Bank of Nova Scotia - which was what brought me to Asia in the first place.

I was always struck by the vibrancy and dynamism of the place - so much so that I actually sacrificed a lot (in cash, cost, and family stability) to move up to Hong Kong. From a staffing point of view, I have always been able to get the exact skill set, and more, to staff projects and to hire the right person for the job. Given Hong Kong's solid international nature, there is little cultural integration required for staff from Hong Kong - plus from my personal perspective as a Canadian, there are a multitude of Hong Kong people who have lived in Canada, gone to school and graduated from Canadian universities, that have strong ongoing ties with Canada.

Interestingly, I have found more than 150 folks from Hong Kong who actively play ice hockey. Although the rinks are a little smaller, and there is no contact, the speed and calibre of play is more than equal to what I experienced in Canada over 25 years ago. This impressed me so much that I have strapped on my skates again and play twice a week in Sham Shui Po.

Easy, accessible support

Compared to other cities in Asia, I feel Hong Kong has a number of distinct advantages. The business support infrastructure is efficient, effective and transparent, plus all the information one needs to set up a business or home is readily available, and easily accessible, from the government web sites and publications. Whatever you need, you can basically do it yourself:  get a driver's licence, find a maid, seek advice on leases or obtain personal or corporate tax information. Folks are well informed here and able to help you get things done. The subway, bus and mini bus system is very efficient, even for non-Cantonese speakers - and I use it extensively.

Hong Kong has well established business education and training facilities, so if you want to set up a business in the financial sector for example, you don't have to reinvent the wheel - you can leverage the experience and knowledge of people that have done it before. And as I've stated, the talent pool is trained, experienced and ready to assist you.

Hong Kong has a well established financial market with significant growth opportunities in brokerage, wealth management, asset management, fund management and traditional banking that are supported by a large and growing services sector. JPMorgan Chase takes advantage of that, as we expand in a large way both on the technology side and also in the sales area, using Hong Kong as our regional hub.

Trusted business platform

As a business platform, JPMorgan Chase uses Hong Kong as a hub for our payment processing system that covers virtually all our Asia-Pacific transactions. We trust Hong Kong, the skill sets are here, and you don't need to go outside to get what you need.

Canadian entrepreneurs do well in Hong Kong because the entrepreneurial spirit is kept alive here. Singapore seems to have lost its entrepreneurial edge recently, but Hong Kong continues to forge way ahead. Its people continue to seek out new innovative ways to provide economical, efficient and effective services - and they don't need to do a lot, because government policy enables business to thrive.

There are opportunities for all, but because of the close relations between Hong Kong and Canada - from a family, education and investment perspective - we are talking significant, long-term situations that can be advantageous for both Canadian businessmen and their Hong Kong counterparts.

As for lifestyle, Hong Kong is a fast, exciting city with ethnic and cultural diversity, that has the ability to cut through many cultural differences and focus on sharing a common goal. Whether it is high fashion, sport, the arts, fine dining or entertainment, Hong Kong has it all. For instance, you don't have the International Rugby 7s anywhere else in the world. The way Hong Kong delivers the experience is itself such a drawing card that people travel from all over the world just to attend.

I do lots of hiking, and the view from the hills is amazing - coming from the 'concrete jungle' the environment transforms itself into lush green hills and mountains everywhere, with aquamarine ocean on both sides, and fresh cooling breezes that really make the hiking experience breathtaking. My children enjoy exciting sports like wakeboarding, and they attend the Canadian International School which has an active sports programme itself. I think this really provides a strong Canadian anchor for them, plus reinforces their roots since they have never lived in Canada.

As I said, I sacrificed a lot to come here - I virtually had to bribe my kids to agree to move again. But it is everything we hoped for, and more. Hong Kong is a great place to work and to live, and I hope I'll be able to stay here for many years to come."

Related links
JP Morgan Chase
Canadian Chamber of Commerce