Institute of Compliance Officers

Name

Institute of Compliance Officers

Legal name

Institute of Compliance Officers of Hong Kong

Website

https://ico-hk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Compliance Education and Certification

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAANAN

Legal, Governance, Privacy & Audit Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDABADAD

Financial Crime Compliance (AML/KYC/Sanctions)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Compliance, Ethics & Regulatory Training

SECONDARYEDADACAF

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

Keywords

• Professional certification
• Compliance training
• Continuing professional education
• Regulatory compliance courses
• Financial services compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for compliance professionals seeking professional designations and networking opportunities
2. Professional Certificate Courses: Certificate courses including OFC (Operation Finance and Compliance) Level III Final course at HK$8,800 per level, with discounts for members and early-bird applicants. Also includes exemptions for existing ROs and MIC Compliance Officers.
3. SLCC Courses: Sustainability and Listing Compliance Certificate (SLCC) Advanced Level courses for listed company management professionals
4. Seminars and Webinars: CPL (Continuous Professional Learning) seminars and webinars covering compliance topics, regulatory updates, and professional development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute of Compliance Officers is a voluntary professional membership body that delivers professional certification courses (PCCL, OFCC at fundamental and advanced levels, and SLCC), four professional designations (CCO, CGO, PCO, CA), continuous professional learning seminars, scheduled webinar series, and compliance publications for compliance professionals, Responsible Officers, Manager-In-Charge officers, and listed company personnel in Hong Kong's financial services sector. Its offerings are built around SFC rulings and the Securities and Futures Ordinance, and are delivered bilingually in Cantonese and English across classroom and online formats.

Product overview

The Institute of Compliance Officers is a voluntary professional body offering a portfolio of professional certifications and training programs for compliance professionals in Hong Kong's financial services sector. Its core offerings include the Professional Certificate in Compliance and Licensing (PCCL) course and the Certificate in Operation Finance and Compliance (OFCC) at fundamental and advanced levels, along with the Sustainability and Listing Compliance Certificate (SLCC) for listed company professionals. The institute also provides four professional designations (CCO, CGO, PCO, CA), continuing professional learning seminars, webinars, and publications including a Compliance Newsletter. All courses are designed for compliance professionals, Responsible Officers, and licensed corporation personnel under Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Ordinance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Certificate in Compliance and Licensing (PCCL) Course A comprehensive 96-hour certification course (12 sessions of 8 hours each) that systematically consolidates SFC rulings to explain different licensing and compliance requirements of the Securities and Futures Ordinance. Designed for compliance professionals, Responsible Officers, and Manager-In-Charge officers in SFC-licensed corporations.
• Certificate in Operation Finance and Compliance (OFCC) - Fundamental Level Entry-level course for fresh graduates wishing to enter the financial services sector, covering major global compliance policies, various financial sectors' operation and regulatory supervision, and compliance importance in the industry. Targets aspiring compliance and finance professionals.
• Certificate in Operation Finance and Compliance (OFCC) - Advanced Level Advanced certificate course designed for newly-licensed or potential Responsible Officers, OMOs, and Manager-In-Charge (MIC) officers including compliance officers and CFOs in the regulated activities industry. Covers comprehensive compliance framework, operational aspects, and risk management under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. Pricing is HK$8,800 per Level III-Final level with member and early-bird discounts.
• Sustainability and Listing Compliance Certificate (SLCC) - Advanced Level Advanced course for professionals intending to become management of Hong Kong listed companies. Covers Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) issues, ESG reporting, spin-off corporate finance, green bonds, and impact investments. Targets executive directors, INEDs, CFOs, CIOs, and company secretaries of Hong Kong listed companies.
• Professional Designations (CCO, CGO, PCO, CA) Four professional designations conferred by the Institute: Certified Compliance Officer (CCO) for lawyers and accountants who completed PCCL; Certified Governance Officer (CGO) for professionals passing the PCCL exam; Provisional Compliance Officers (PCO) for qualified lawyers or CPAs provisionally accepted for the PCCL exam with 3 years compliance experience; and Compliance Associate (CA) for those engaged in regulatory compliance in Hong Kong financial market. Membership is approximately HK$30 per member annually.
• Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Seminars Regular seminars conducted to increase members' public awareness and professional knowledge, serving as a platform for member networking and sharing of professional experience. Features industry experts, regulators, and practitioners on compliance topics.
• Scheduled Webinar Series Online webinar series covering Operation Finance and Compliance, Sustainability and Listing Compliance, and TCSP Compliance topics such as ESG, green finance, AML/CTF compliance, fintech applications, and regulatory updates. Accessible via online enrollment.
• Compliance Newsletter and Compliance Alerts Regular publications including the monthly Compliance Newsletter and Compliance Alerts covering OFAC sanctions, SFC circulars, AML/CTF updates, and cybersecurity risk management for members and the compliance community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 students trained through OFCC certificate courses across 4 intakes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institute of Certified Finance and Responsible Officers (RO Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Strategic partnership for joint visits to regulators and industry collaboration. Both institutes strive to play the role of a two-way bridge between industry professionals and the regulator, with agreement that more regular meetings between two sides would be conducive to the development of the intermediaries profession.
• Guangdong-HongKong-Macao-Bay Area Economic and Trade AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint participation in charity dinner organized for celebration of China's Reform and Opening-up after 40 years. Institute represented by Senior Council Member Mr. Eric Chan, awarded plate of appreciation for sponsorship and support.
• Hong Kong Independent Non-Executive Director Association (HKiNEDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly-organized CPL seminars for listed companies and licensed corporations professionals on compliance topics.
• ONC LawyersminorOthersVenue provider for OFCC courses and seminars at their Exchange Square III location in Central, Hong Kong.
• SCOPE, City University of Hong KongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourses are in the final process of being accredited by SCOPE of City University of Hong Kong.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS): Global professional body for AML/CTF and financial crime compliance specialists. ACAMS is expanding aggressively in Asia-Pacific and competes with ICO for AML/KYC continuing education and certification of Hong Kong compliance professionals.
• International Compliance Association (ICA): Global professional body for compliance, AML, and financial crime professionals with a broad international certification portfolio. ICA is a larger incumbent expanding into Asia, providing direct competition in compliance certification and CPE training.
• Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI): UK-based professional body offering securities and investment compliance qualifications. CISI has a Hong Kong presence and competes directly with ICO for RO and compliance officer training under the SFO framework.
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA): Hong Kong's statutory professional body for CPAs. HKICPA provides compliance and ethics CPE for its members, partially overlapping with ICO's CCO designation pathway targeted at qualified accountants.
• Law Society of Hong Kong: Statutory professional body for solicitors in Hong Kong. The Law Society's CPD scheme for practicing solicitors partially overlaps with ICO's CCO designation pathway targeted at qualified lawyers in compliance roles.

Regional players

• Asian Banker: Asia-based financial industry intelligence and training organization. The Asian Banker runs compliance, risk, and governance programs that serve as adjacent executive education competing with ICO's seminar offerings in the region.

Emerging players

• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE): US-based professional association for corporate compliance and ethics professionals. SCCE provides certifications and training that partially overlap with ICO's governance and ethics offerings, with growing international reach.

Others

• City University of Hong Kong SCOPE: School of Professional and Continuing Education at City University of Hong Kong. SCOPE is currently accrediting ICO's courses and is a partner in delivering certified compliance training, making it both a partner and adjacent provider of professional compliance education.

Direct peers

• Institute of Certified Finance and Responsible Officers (RO Association): Hong Kong-based professional body for Responsible Officers and finance professionals. ICO has a strategic partnership with the RO Association, including joint visits to regulators, indicating highly overlapping audiences and offerings in compliance training for SFC-licensed intermediaries.
• Hong Kong Independent Non-Executive Director Association (HKiNEDA): Hong Kong-based association supporting INEDs and listed-company governance professionals. HKiNEDA and ICO co-host CPL seminars and share an overlapping customer base of governance and listed-company executives needing compliance training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Compliance Officers