Cayman Finance successfully completed its month-long Asia outreach from 11 May to 8 June, with high-level engagements across Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The strategic mission aimed to strengthen relationships with key financial markets and reinforce the Cayman Islands’ position as the leading jurisdiction for investment funds and global financial services.
Led by Samantha Widmer, Associate Director of Funds & Capital Markets at Cayman Finance, the outreach featured more than 30 meetings and industry events including asset and fund managers, legal and other service provider professionals, industry association leads and key stakeholders across Asia’s major financial centres. Widmer, who previously spent eight years living and working in Hong Kong, brought a deep regional understanding to the initiative.
“This tour reinforced the Cayman Islands’ strong position within Asia’s financial ecosystem and highlighted the value of global collaboration in supporting evolving needs of clients that use our jurisdiction,” said Widmer. “Across key markets – from Tokyo to Singapore – stakeholders expressed clear confidence in the Cayman legal and regulatory framework, recognised its longstanding appeal to institutional investors, and showed strong interest in leveraging Cayman structures for future fund formations and business expansion.”
The mission was supported by the Cayman Islands government, including Gene DaCosta, the Overseas Representative to Asia based in Singapore on a full-time basis, who joined the delegation for all three legs of the tour. The trip supported the continued collaboration between the Cayman Islands government and Cayman Finance to promote the jurisdiction in the Asian region and provide support where needed.
Key highlights of the trip included:
- Tokyo, Japan (12–16 May): Participation at the AIMA Japan Forum and meetings with FinCity Tokyo and Japanese institutional investors.
- Hong Kong (19–23 May): Cayman Finance Promotional Strategy Session for overseas member firms and a networking reception co-hosted with Walkers. Attendance at the Maples Hong Kong Investment Funds Forum.
- Singapore (25–29 May): An appreciation networking drinks event co-hosted with Mourant, alongside a week of targeted industry outreach.
- Hong Kong (29 May–8 June): A solo extension by Widmer, including participation in the Sohn Hong Kong Investment Conference, member office visits and follow-up stakeholder engagements.
The Asia outreach marked another milestone in Cayman Finance’s ongoing efforts to promote the Cayman Islands as a trusted, world-class financial services centre and to engage with the industry professionals that are part of the ecosystem of Cayman’s more than 30,000 registered investment funds.
“Another key aspect of this trip was to help demystify any misconceptions about our jurisdiction and provide clarity around the strength and sophistication of the Cayman Islands as a hub for investment funds,” Widmer said. “It’s important that investors and stakeholders across Asia understand the depth of expertise, the commitment of our professionals, and the ongoing efforts of our government and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, our local regulator, in maintaining the high standards that make Cayman a trusted and resilient platform for global investment.”
To hear more about the Asia tour and the opportunities it uncovered for the Cayman Islands Financial Services Industry, tune in to Money Sense on Radio Cayman on 24 July for an in-depth interview with Samantha Widmer.
