Brian San, Secretary General of the Institute of Philanthropy in Hong Kong, on Asia's philanthropic ecosystems — a special series marking the 10th anniversary of the PBC Forum
>>> This episode airs on 21 September 2026 <<<
Across Asia, philanthropy takes markedly different forms — from mass individual and faith-based giving to corporate mandates and state-led funds. Brian San, Secretary General of the Institute of Philanthropy in Hong Kong, sheds light on twelve playbooks the Commission on Asian Philanthropy has identified as proven models: built in one market and ready to travel to others. In this episode, Brian joins Alberto Lidji to unpack what's actually working in Asian philanthropy, and why.
This conversation was recorded at the PBC 2026 Forum — Philanthropy for Better Cities 2026 — in Hong Kong, and forms part of a special series made possible by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, marking the forum's 10th anniversary, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, in association with the Institute of Philanthropy.
Brian discusses the Institute of Philanthropy's work co-convening the Commission on Asian Philanthropy alongside the Asia Philanthropy Congress, set up by the Nippon Foundation, bringing together thirteen of Asia's most influential foundations, and their interim report, published in September 2026, "Strengthening Asia's Philanthropic Ecosystems for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth by 2050," with a final report due in Tokyo in December 2027.
Brian explains why each giving model's real value lies beyond the money itself, in the technology, supply chains, and community trust that different actors bring to bear, and why understanding a model's underlying objectives and constraints matters more than assuming a single shared goal across the sector.
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About Brian San
Brian leads the Institute of Philanthropy (“IoP”), which was established in September 2023 through a seed grant from The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust—the largest foundation in Asia. As an independent “think-fund-do” tank, IoP is dedicated to reimagining the Asian philanthropic sector and catalysing its growth through thought leadership (such as the Commission on Asian Philanthropy), global health-climate funding partnerships, as well as convening and capacity building initiatives.
Brian brings extensive experience in business leadership and ecosystem development, across the education, philanthropy, family office and private equity sectors in Asia. Prior to joining IoP, Brian served as the Executive Director, Programmes and Strategic Development at the Wealth Management Institute, a non-profit education and research institute founded by Singaporean state investors GIC and Temasek. During his tenure, Brian established the Asia Centre for Changemakers, a centre dedicated to building capacity in the impact sector. He also developed a national network platform for family offices and led a comprehensive portfolio of education programmes covering investments, social impact, and family office management.
Prior to this, Brian held senior management positions within leading organisations in the Asian education sector, and served as a strategy consultant with Bain & Company.
Brian holds a Master in Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.