Get to Know Our IT Governance & Compliance Officer: James Lau

Hi James, it’s been a busy time for you recently managing the SOC 2 Type II attestation process and becoming one of the first 20 publicly listed Certified Cryptocurrency Security Standard Auditors in the world. Firstly, congrats! Can you tell us about your role as IT Governance & Compliance Officer and what it entails?

Thanks for the kind words. Essentially IT Governance and Compliance is all about ensuring the company’s IT processes, procedures, and policies are aligned with the expectations of regulators, authorities, and international standards. This means when it comes to audit engagements and regulatory assessments, we would have sufficient material to support our compliance statuses. Besides that, I would also help on several security-related topics, answering due diligence questionnaires from our clients, technology risk management, and occasionally supporting procurement on the technology/security side.

Some people might think that I focus on security topics because of my reporting line, but my work actually covers all aspects of tech, so you would see me talking to our engineering teams and operations team quite often.

What got you first interested in digital assets?

I first heard of blockchain and Bitcoin when I was in high school, but I did not pay too much attention to them except using GPU mining to show off my new Nvidia Graphics Card. My younger sister joined a web3 company in 2020 after her graduation, and she introduced a lot of things she saw to me; that’s when I got more interested in web3 / digital assets. Now I can be proud to say that I probably know more than she does!

You spent many years working for major banks in their IT departments. What are the main differences which you’ve noticed between the banking and digital asset worlds?

A couple of obvious differences: Agility, Innovation, and Fun People!

How did you first hear about Hex Trust, and what made you decide to join the team?

To be honest, I had never heard of Hex Trust until the introduction by the recruiter. However, it immediately got my interest after a few minutes of reading up. The job opening was relevant to my profile, and I always wanted to try working in a startup, but what really made me decide to join was the interviewers. Each of them was a domain expert in what they do, were very passionate about their job, and most importantly, they all believe in the future of this company. That’s why I decided to join Hex Trust and learn from them.

Tell us something interesting that you do outside of work and which not many people know about you!

I am a huge tennis fan, and I play at least twice a week. I love to cook (best dishes include green curry, stir-fried prawns, and Cantonese roast pork belly), but I seldom follow recipes (and I get a lot of complaints about this). And I enjoy having a drink (fav drink is a mojito) or two with my colleagues.

Finally, here are some quick-fire questions:

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl, I have been spending at least an hour every night watching The Office (the US version!) before I sleep.

Favorite sports teams?

NBA: Warriors, Football: Manchester United

Dogs or cats?

Dogs

Sweet or salted popcorn?

Salted Caramel 

Coffee or tea?

Coffee

Favorite film?

The Intern, Interstellar, Hangover, The Big Short

Favorite travel destination?

Taiwan for food, Australia for the weather, and Koh Samui for Sunshine beaches

What would you eat for your last meal?

A decent burger with thick-cut fries

Bitcoin or Ethereum?

Ethereum for investment and Bitcoin for religious beliefs