Robert A. Cook
Robert A. Cook is Senior Executive Vice President and General Manager, Asia, for Canadian-based Manulife Financial, responsible for 6,000 employees and more than 40,000 contracted agents in 10 countries and territories in Asia, who together serve 6 million customers.
Under Mr. Cook's leadership, Manulife's Asia Division currently accounts for more than one-third of the group's total earnings, and could by 2015 contribute one-half of total top-line insurance sales for Manulife. Manulife is one of the few insurance companies to have a pan-Asian presence. In addition, it operates asset management companies in nine countries throughout Asia. Of the approximately 1,500 asset management firms in Asia, Manulife Asset Management is one of only 12 with a presence in all of Greater China – Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In addition to his role with Manulife, Mr. Cook is a General Committee Member of the Employer's Federation of Hong Kong as well as Chairman of its Insurance Group. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Mr. Cook is a graduate of the Universities of Toronto and Calgary and holds an MBA in Finance.
Prior to his current appointment in 2007, Mr. Cook served as Executive Vice President, U.S. Insurance Group. During more than 30 years at Manulife, Mr. Cook has held management positions in the company's U.S., Canadian, International and Corporate divisions. He has been located at various times in Toronto, Waterloo, Boston, England, and currently is based in Hong Kong. His experience spans a number of areas including: strategic planning, product management for insurance and annuities, sales, and marketing.
As a strong and reliable company, Manulife strives to give back to the communities in which it operates and through this mission, Mr. Cook leads his Division to implement dozens of community corporate social responsibility projects throughout all 10 territories in Asia in which Manulife operates, that improve people's lives as well as the environment.
Connie Lau
Connie Lau, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Consumer Council, is a graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As the CEO of the Consumer Council, Ms. LAU is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Council, formulating policies, strategies and long-term programmes for the protection of consumer rights and interest.
Monitoring trade practices that may have implications for consumer welfare is an important part of the Council's daily operations. Under the leadership of Ms. LAU, the Council has published a number of reports. These included reports on "Fairness in the Marketplace for Consumers and Business" which proposed for a cross-sector Trade Practices Statute; and "Building a Property Market Information Platform for Home Purchasers" for better enhancement of property information to prospective buyers.
The Hong Kong Consumer Council is a Member of Consumers International (CI), a federation of consumer organizations comprising over 220 members from 115 countries. In 2007, Ms. LAU was elected as Executive and Council Member of CI. The Council has been a long-standing and active participant in the international consumer movement and will host the 19th CI World Congress, a fourth-yearly major assembly of consumer advocates from around the globe, in Hong Kong in May 2011.
Ms. LAU is active in public service currently representing the Council on many public and community bodies, including the Steering Committee on the Regulation of the Sale of First-hand Private Residential Properties by Legislation, the Estate Agents Authority, the Advisory Committee on Travel Agents, the Travel Industry Compensation Fund Management Board, the Competition Policy Advisory Group, Expert Committee on Food Safety and Deposit-taking Companies Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
She also serves as Member of the Working Group of the Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee.