14 April 2026 – Hong Kong

Last night, Oliver Li, Associate Director at Aurex Group, joined an outstanding panel at the inaugural RIBA Accelerator event hosted by the RIBA Hong Kong Chapter.

The evening brought together architects, designers, developers, and industry leaders for honest and practical discussions on the evolving architecture and design market in APAC.

Oliver shared insights from his experience in recruitment and talent strategy, alongside a strong lineup of panellists. The event also included a tour of Wheelock Properties’ Deepwater Bay South showrooms, generously hosted by Sam Poon.

Key Takeaways from the Panel

Several themes resonated strongly throughout the evening:

• Build your professional network from day one – it remains one of the best long-term investments you can make in your career.
• Never lose curiosity and passion – these two core principles make design work meaningful and will carry you through every stage of your career.
• There is no single career path – everyone’s journey is different, and you can forge your own. (A point Oli strongly agrees with from his perspective as a recruitment partner.)
• What makes a strong CV and portfolio – the entire panel agreed on the importance of clarity, authenticity, and showing how you think, not just what you’ve done.

Thank You

A big thank you to the RIBA Hong Kong Chapter, Wendy Leung, Celia Lai, Professor Dr. Ruffina Thilakaratne, and Sam Poon of Wheelock Properties for organising such a thoughtful and valuable evening.