David Kwan

Objective

Embracing a purposeful semi-retirement after 20+ years stewarding the family business, redirecting energy toward lifelong learning and meaningful contribution
Pursuing rigorous academic study in Applied AI and emerging technologies, with a focus on practical business applications such as marketing and customer intelligence
Committed to giving back through pro bono consulting, peer support, and collaborative academic research — helping classmates navigate business challenges while deepening my own expertise in AI and data science
Bridging 15+ years of self-taught ML/AI practice with formal academic credentials to foster knowledge exchange within learning communities

Education

MSc Marketing Management (Half Scholarship Recipient)

Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Faculty of Business | Sep 2025 – Jan 2028 (Expected)

Considering the dissertation track with a potential research focus on sentiment analysis models — extending my HKU MSc capstone through the lens of recent breakthroughs in AI-assisted development and refined prompt/context engineering methodologies

Leadership Initiatives for Future Talent (LIFT) Programme

Selected as a LIFT programme member — a distinguished initiative cultivating next-generation business leaders through executive-level training, personalised mentorship, and curated networking with industry leaders. Currently in strategic discussions with my LIFT coach exploring pathways toward a DBA (Doctor of Business Artificial Intelligence) at PolyU upon programme completion.

PgDip Artificial Intelligence & Business Transformation

University of Hong Kong, Institute for China Business | Qianhai, Shenzhen | May 2025 – Jan 2027 (Expected)

Concurrent enrolment approved by PolyU
Distinguished Cohort: Studying alongside C-suite executives from Tencent and Baidu, chairpersons of Hong Kong-listed companies, practising Hong Kong barristers, Shenzhen entrepreneurs, manufacturing industrialists, and venture-backed tech founders

Top Academic Achievement — Ranked #1 Among 62 Students

Achieved the highest marks across all modules completed to date:

Business Transformation Strategy in the AI Era — Professor commended "exceptionally lucid strategic thinking" and noted a rare synthesis of deep technical background with strategic business vision
Business Decisions with AI — Scored 96/100. Recognised for "near-flawless professional-grade analysis," demonstrating mastery in scenario matrix construction, Monte Carlo simulation, Four Corners competitive analysis, and advanced prompt engineering with Chain-of-Thought techniques

Pro Bono Consulting & Collaborative Ventures

Providing voluntary data analytics and AI strategy consulting to classmates leading medium-to-large enterprises:

Heavy-Duty Truck Corporation: Delivering data analysis support; formalising a part-time consulting engagement effective December 2025
Pet Care Technology Company: Advising on AI-powered pet health diagnostics platform development via WeChat Mini Program (小程序), including computer vision-based diagnostic features

Class Representative (Academic Affairs):
- Championing academic excellence and peer support for 62 classmates
- Curating study resources and coordinating learning initiatives to elevate collective achievement
- Serving as the primary liaison between cohort and faculty on curriculum matters
- Facilitating peer learning circles and collaborative study sessions
Strategic focus on AI deployment across China and US markets
Curriculum Highlights:
- Technology Transfer Strategy & Innovation Management
- Advanced Prompt Engineering & Industrial Research Methodology
- Smart Manufacturing & Digital Supply Chain Optimisation
- AI-Driven Marketing & Product Innovation
- Strategic Human Capital & Corporate Finance with AI Integration
Proposed Capstone Project: Data Intelligence and Reverse Engineering (數據智能與逆向工程) — applying reverse engineering methodology to data intelligence by working backwards from business value endpoints rather than forward from data points, breaking down organisational silos, and leveraging today's powerful AI to unlock hidden data relationships that traditional approaches miss

Executive Education Programme for Data Scientists

HKU Business School & China Resources Business School | HKU Main Campus & China Resources HQ, Shenzhen | Jan–Aug 2025

Focus: Advanced Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing Architecture, and Enterprise AI Implementation
Practical Application: Hands-on R and Python modelling with GPT-assisted workflows, utilising proprietary datasets from China Resources Corporation, ICBC, and Bank of Communications
Core Competencies: Large-Scale Data Acquisition & Processing, Predictive Analytics & Forecasting, GenAI-Augmented Analytical Modelling, High-Performance Computing, Cloud Infrastructure Design
Ongoing Capstone Project: Collaborating in an elite five-person team — featuring undergraduates from Tsinghua and UC Berkeley, a PhD candidate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and an EMBA from Peking University Guanghua School — to optimise Mengniu's (蒙牛) smart farming operations through big data analytics addressing milk price volatility in China, with periodic progress reporting to HKU faculty supervisors

MSc Electronic Commerce & Internet Computing (Distinction)

University of Hong Kong, School of Computing and Data Science | Sep 2021 – Jun 2023

Technical Foundations: Machine Learning (Python), Data Science (R; Carnegie Mellon curriculum), Geospatial Analytics (ArcGIS), Full-Stack Web Development, Database Architecture & API Engineering
Business & Technology Integration: Digital Logistics, Digital Marketing Strategy (Carnegie Mellon), Cybersecurity Fundamentals, TCP/IP Networking, E-Logistics Operations (HKU Business School)
Capstone Research: Developed a BERT-based sentiment analysis model for customer satisfaction prediction leveraging the Hugging Face Transformers framework

MSc Engineering Business Management (Joint Award with Dissertation)

Hong Kong Polytechnic University & University of Warwick | Sep 2008 – Jun 2011

Core Competencies: Total Quality Management, Project Management Excellence, Applied Statistical Methods, Industrial Operations Strategy, Financial Management for Engineering Enterprises
Dissertation: "Knowledge Management Frameworks for ERP Implementation in SMEs"
Professional Certification: Six Sigma Black Belt (Reg.# 0195, Hong Kong Six Sigma Institute)

Master of Commerce in Finance

University of New South Wales Business School | Sydney | Feb 1999 – Jan 2000

Specialisations: Security Valuation Methods, Derivatives & Risk Management, Quantitative Portfolio Modelling, Capital Budgeting Analysis, Risk & Insurance Economics

Bachelor of Commerce

University of Sydney Business School | Feb 1996 – Jan 1998

Double Major: Accounting and Management
Core Areas: Financial & Managerial Accounting, Auditing & Assurance, Organisational Behaviour & Strategy, Economics & Econometric Methods

Professional Experience

Universal Jewellery Design Center Ltd

An established high-end jewellery manufacturer with a 40+ year legacy, serving as a global production partner for prestigious luxury brands

Financial and Systems Controller | Jan 2013 – Present

Directing cross-functional operations spanning 150+ personnel across Hong Kong and China facilities
Spearheading digital transformation initiatives leveraging AI tools, Python/R automation, and modern ERP ecosystems
Architecting bespoke analytics solutions for demand forecasting and automated market intelligence gathering
Overseeing financial and operational risk management while executing strategic cost optimisation programmes
Maintaining enterprise IT infrastructure, server systems, and business continuity protocols

Company Accountant | Feb 2002 – Dec 2012

Managed end-to-end accounting operations and multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance
Directed annual budgeting, rolling financial forecasts, and working capital optimisation strategies

HSBC Bank Australia

Personal Financial Services Officer | Sydney | Jun 2000 – Dec 2001

Conducted mortgage and consumer lending risk assessments; prepared regulatory-compliant credit documentation
Administered legal contracts and delivered comprehensive wealth management advisory services

Key Projects 2025

View Complete Portfolio

Showcasing interdisciplinary mastery beyond conventional Python and R ML/DS — spanning cognitive psychology, evolutionary computation, and specialised NLP applications

Sentiment Analysis System (2023–2025)

HKU MSc Capstone: Pioneering sentiment analysis framework targeting "hidden dissatisfaction" patterns in e-commerce ecosystems
Data Foundation: Comprehensive Amazon review corpus analysed through multi-model ensemble architecture
Technical Implementation: Advanced ensemble methods, RoBERTa Transformer architecture, and extensively engineered feature-based classifiers
Innovation: Integrated Transformer-based Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) for granular aspect-level sentiment extraction, revealing nuanced patterns invisible to conventional approaches
Business Impact: Enabled proactive customer intelligence by surfacing latent dissatisfaction signals before escalation

Purchase Decision Modelling (2025)

Methodology: Applied Drift Diffusion Models (DDM) to decode consumer choice dynamics through evidence accumulation theory
Scope: Comprehensive analysis across multiple decision-making scenarios with extensive simulated trial data
Key Insights: Quantified how bias amplification, speed-accuracy tradeoffs, and time pressure modulate purchasing behaviour
Consumer Typology: Identified distinct behavioural archetypes ranging from impulsive buyers to deliberative decision-makers
Strategic Value: Enabled precision-targeted marketing strategies and optimised choice architecture design

Multi-Objective Optimisation Framework (2025)

Algorithm Benchmarking: Rigorous comparative evaluation of NSGA-II, NSGA-III, and MOEA/D across ZDT1 and DTLZ1 test suites
Key Finding: MOEA/D demonstrated superior convergence with comprehensive Pareto-optimal solution coverage in tri-objective scenarios
Analytical Methods: Implemented hypervolume indicator analysis and statistical performance metrics
Technical Contribution: Advanced understanding of conflicting objective navigation in complex optimisation landscapes
Practical Application: Developed evidence-based algorithm selection guidelines for multi-objective problem domains

Buddhist-Specific Neural Machine Translation (2025)

System Development: Purpose-built neural machine translation engine trained on curated Buddhist parallel corpora
Technical Innovation: Custom tokenisation optimised for CJK character processing and Buddhist terminology preservation
Performance Gains: Achieved substantial improvements in domain-specific translation fidelity versus general-purpose models
Domain Expertise: Excels at rendering technical terms such as "prajñāpāramitā" and "five aggregates" that generic translators systematically misinterpret
Cultural Impact: Contributing to the preservation and accessibility of Buddhist textual heritage through AI-enhanced translation

Technical Skills

Programming Languages & Core Technologies

Languages: Python, R, JavaScript, SQL, HTML5/CSS3

Frameworks: React, Bootstrap, Flask, Django, FastAPI, Node.js

Machine Learning & Deep Learning

15+ Years Combined Academic and Professional Experience

Core ML/DL Frameworks: Scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow/Keras, Hugging Face Transformers

Ensemble Methods: XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost

AutoML & Optimisation: Optuna, Hyperopt, TPOT, H2O.ai, auto-sklearn, PyCaret, Ray Tune

Model Interpretability: SHAP, LIME

Specialised Libraries: Imbalanced-learn, Feature-engine, Statsmodels

Natural Language Processing & Computer Vision

NLP Stack: spaCy, NLTK, Transformers, LangChain, custom CJK tokenisation pipelines

Computer Vision: OpenCV, end-to-end image processing workflows

Applications: Sentiment analysis, ABSA, neural machine translation, multilingual NLP systems

Data Science & Analytics

Data Processing: Pandas, Polars, NumPy, PySpark

Time Series: Prophet, ARIMA, Statsforecast, sktime

Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, SQL/NoSQL query optimisation

Web Scraping: BeautifulSoup, Scrapy, Selenium, Requests; proficient in SERP and social media data extraction

Data Visualisation & Business Intelligence

BI Platforms: Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, advanced Excel with VBA automation

Python Visualisation: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, Dash, Altair, Bokeh

R Visualisation: ggplot2, Shiny, Highcharter

Web Visualisation: D3.js, Highcharts, Streamlit

Statistical Software: JMP Pro, Minitab (Six Sigma applications), Origin

Systems & Infrastructure

Cloud Computing: High-performance computing architecture, distributed systems design

Linux Administration: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora; shell scripting and process automation

Server Management: Nginx configuration, RESTful API design, security hardening, scalable architecture patterns

Specialised Tools: GIS (ArcGIS), Digital Forensics (Autopsy, FTK)

Large Language Models & GenAI-Augmented Development

Early Adopter & Power User

Premium AI Platforms: ChatGPT Pro, Claude Max, Gemini Ultra, Grok Heavy

Advanced Prompt Engineering: Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting, role-based scaffolding, structured context architecture, systematic hallucination mitigation — demonstrated at professional grade in academic coursework (96/100)

Technical Implementation: RAG system development, model fine-tuning workflows, multi-turn context optimisation, complex analytical modelling with AI assistance

Practical Applications: GenAI-augmented code development, automated report generation, intelligent data processing pipelines, rapid ML solution prototyping

GenAI Development Amplification

Programming capabilities significantly amplified through expert-level prompt engineering and sophisticated context management across premium AI platforms, enabling rapid iteration and production-quality output