Covid-19: don't shake hands

Feb 22, 2020

On the 20th February I participated in a Webinar on COVID-19 as shown in the title slide above. Thanks to the host Felix Moesener, Science Consul, Swissnex and the two guest speakers, Dr Christian Althaus (University of Bern) and Dr Pietro Vernazza (Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen). It was very informative.

However, late in the webinar, Dr Vernazza emphasized how important personal hygiene was in controlling infection and stated that during a time like this, ‘shaking of hands’ (a very common business custom) should be avoided as the hands are frequently the transmitter of a virus between persons. I thought long and hard about this as so much in the press has been about masks, potential vaccines, hospital beds, etc., and yet so little is talked about about our personal (or societal) behavior. As a preventive measure, good personal hygiene is essential for good healthy living and limiting the exposure and impact of viruses on us.

Of course, there are many things an individual has no control over, sanitation of the public transit system, hygiene in the food chain, pollution in our water or air. Thus, if we are to remain healthy, public areas and systems, and food supply chains, must be a top priority for us. It worries me when I read articles about UK – American trade discussions and ‘rolling back’ EU food standards. Or recent changes that allow for industry to dump their waste into the waterways. As a wealthy and civilized society, should we not be delivering the best of public hygiene to our populations? I am not an expert on food standards but I worry that big, commercial/economic interests sometimes get priority over the public’s well-being.

So, improving the healthcare system, optimizing new technology in healthcare delivery, building GP clinics (not over-relying on hospitals), new vaccines, etc., are all very important. We also hope that our governments will attach a high priority to our public hygiene and commercial food chain. But, let us also realize that if we take a long, hard look at ourselves and our personal hygiene habits there are things we can do to improve our healthy living that are completely within our own control. ‘Every little bit helps’.

Secondo me.

John D. Evans CFA

Founder of SEIML

Benny Cao, CFA

Manager, Investment Management

benny.cao@seiml.com

Benny has worked in the financial markets of China with an emphasis on fixed income, currency and asset-liability management.  He is currently Vice President of Longly Capital, a medium-sized, Ningbo-based private fund management company. The firm’s strategies include various types of fixed income portfolio management and convertible bond portfolio management. In addition, Benny offers financial investment services to professional investors such as Fund of Funds (FoF) of securities companies, enterprise investors and high net worth (HNW) individuals.

Benny has also been active on the commercial side of the securities business managing client business development strategies, marketing programmes and roadshows and developing and delivering financial markets training programmes for small and medium-sized banks and other financial institutions.

Benny is fluent in Mandarin, English and Japanese.

Jina Zhu, CFA Institute, Investment Foundations

Manager, Corporate Relations

jina.zhu@seiml.com

Since returning from graduate studies in France to China in spring of 2014, Jina has been continually working in the field of e-commerce and its applications to the financial, entertainment and automotive industries. She is a multi-functional talent and fluent in Mandarin, English and French.

Jina is SEIML’s key relationship manager between foreign clients and the Chinese administrative authorities and has held many responsibilities dealing with international companies and executives operating in China.  As a result, she manages all of the company’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) activities with clients

With her graduate degree in economics and completion of the Investment Foundations certificate from CFA Institute, she has the knowledge to assist foreign companies in China market research, including reviews of potential customers, suppliers or other third parties.  She is also quite savvy in the use of Chinese social media.

Jina is fluent in Mandarin, English and French.

John D. Evans, CFA

Founder & Director

john.evans@seiml.com

John spent the first 24 years of his career in investment banking, first in Toronto, briefly in New York and then London.  He was involved in DCM, ECM and strategic investment advisory to large funds in EMEA.

In 2004 he moved into academia and designed and ran MSc programs in investment management at universities in the UK and China. He also created and managed one of the larger financial professional training organizations in Europe while at the UK university (that was a JV partner in the training firm).

In 2016, John returned to industry to work with start-ups and various platforms and eco systems to support these early and middle stage companies. Initially he pursued this venture in the Shanghai region but then moved to Hong Kong in 2024 to build SEIML’s footprint in Southeast Asia. John is also a Director of the Hong Kong Founder Institute (FI) eco system and Program Director for the FI ASEAN Fintech accelerator.