Ellie Lai Recognized for Excellence in Legal & Compliance at 2025 Women in Finance Asia Awards

Ellie Lai, Head of Hong Kong Compliance at Instinet/Nomura, has been honored with the Excellence in Legal & Compliance award at the 2025 Women in Finance Asia Awards. Lai's career in compliance stems from her belief that trust is the cornerstone of the finance industry. She emphasizes that compliance goes beyond rule enforcement—it builds the framework for productive relationships with clients, investors, and regulators.

Lai highlights the strategic role of compliance in fostering ethical innovation and sustainable business growth. Her approach combines critical thinking with practical problem-solving, transforming compliance into a collaborative function that aligns regulations with business realities. Working with diverse teams across ages, genders, and ethnicities has been a particularly rewarding aspect of her career.