The 2017 Shanghai Financiers Award Ceremony opens in Shanghai on Dec 6. [Photo/Xinhua]

Fifteen winners of the 2017 Shanghai Financiers Awards were announced at a ceremony on Dec 6.

Seven of them, including Bai Weiqun, chief supervisor of China Central Depository & Clearing Co (CCDC) and general manager of CCDC Shanghai headquarters, Liu Shaotong, deputy general manager of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Xu Zaiyue, vice president of the China Foreign Exchange Trade System, and Hui Mei, deputy general manager of the China Financial Futures Exchange, were named Shanghai Financial Industry Leaders.

The other eight, including Shi Jian, president of Anxin Agricultural Insurance Co, Lyu Houjun, president of GP Capital, Shen Wei, deputy general manager of Shanghai Equity Exchange, and Lin Weizhong, vice chairman and president of Heng Seng Bank China, won honors as Shanghai Innovative Financial Figures.

According to the organizers, the Shanghai Financial Industry Leaders award is to recognize financial professionals with deep backgrounds in finance, an open and international vision, and unique leadership, while the Shanghai Innovative Financial Figures award is to praise talented personnel who stand out in promoting inclusive finance and innovative operation models, and serve micro, small, and medium-sized users.

The selection of Shanghai Financiers is an annual event that awards individuals who have made significant contributions to the city's financial development and its goal of becoming an international financial center, and encourages people to learn from those role models.

The selection is also considered conducive to luring more Chinese and overseas top minds in finance to work in Shanghai, which is one of the main priorities for the city's international financial center construction.

Shanghai's 13th Five Year Plan on Talent Development in the Finance Sector predicts that the city will have 450,000 financial workers by 2020. The number and placement of financial talents will be more rational and the quality of services will be further improved.