It is an honor to be the new President of the Beta Gamma Sigma HKUST Chapter. I take much pleasure in welcoming this year’s new honorees and members, and I would like to congratulate all new members on earning recognition for their distinctive achievements in the study and practice of business.

It is gratifying that the Chapter has gained enormous support from members in the academic and business communities, which enables us to promote professional excellence through our expanding network. I hope all members will continue to tap into the wide connections of the Beta Gamma Sigma network and reap the lifetime of benefits that come with their membership. I would also like to thank Professor Albert Ha, the immediate past Chapter President, for his dedicated service in leading the Chapter in the past two years.

Congratulations to the newly inducted honorees and members! I am delighted that the School continues to develop its strong links with international honor societies, especially our association with Beta Gamma Sigma. It is a long-standing and prestigious organization that recognizes academic excellence and provides opportunities for interaction between students, faculty and professionals.

The School will continue to extend the reach and network of our local BGS Chapter and foster exchanges among its members and with the business community. I hope the Chapter will not only bring benefits to our students, graduates and the School, but also make a positive contribution to the world around us.

The Hon Audrey Y.M. Eu, SC, JP obtained her LLB from the Hong Kong University in 1975. She completed her LLM with the University of London in 1976 and was called to the Bar in England in 1977. She was admitted as a barrister in Hong Kong in 1978 and has been in practice since then. She has served on various statutory or non-statutory bodies and is interested in community services. In 1993, she was called to the Inner Bar and became a Queen's Counsel (now Senior Counsel). In 1994, she became a Non-official Justice of the Peace. She was the Chairman of Hong Kong Bar Association in 1997 and 1998. She is currently a member of the Legislative Council.

Ms. Eu is married with 3 daughters.

Benjamin Hung Pi Cheng is currently Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited.

Mr Hung joined Standard Chartered in 1992 and has held a number of senior management positions in both Wholesale and Consumer Banking. Prior to taking on his current role, Mr Hung was Country Head of Consumer Banking and before that he was the Chief Operating Officer for the Hong Kong operations. Outside of Hong Kong, Mr Hung has international banking experience in the United Kingdom and in Canada. Mr Hung is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bohai Bank.

Mr Hung is currently a board member of the Hong Kong Airport Authority. He is also a board member and Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Hospital Authority. Mr Hung also sits on the government's Insurance Advisory Committee, Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Risk Management Committee, as well as the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee (EFAC). He is member of the government's Council for Sustainable Development and also a Council Member of the University of Hong Kong. Mr Hung is on the board of the Community Chest and the immediate past Chairman of the Community Business Leadership Team, focusing on promoting corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong.

Mr Hung holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and is married with two children.

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, 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.

Christine Fang is the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). Ms FANG started her social work career as a community worker working with marginalized communities and then became a lecturer in social work in the Hong Kong Polytechnic School of Applied Social Studies. Prior to joining HKCSS, she was the Secretary General of Hong Kong Red Cross, accumulating rich experience in both local and international welfare sectors.

Ms FANG also contributes towards the development and promotion of social welfare by means of participating in various government and NGO's committees. In addition to her involvement in social welfare, Ms FANG sits in various important government policy committees, including Hong Kong Housing Authority, Steering Committee on the Community Care Fund, Commission on Strategic Development, Charities Sub-Committee of the HK Law Reform Commission, Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee, Independent Police Complaints Council and Lump Sum Grant Steering Committee. Ms. FANG also helps in the work of other NGOs, including Hong Kong Press Council, Social Work Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Advisory Committee of Department of Social Work of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Centre for Civil Society and Governance of University of Hong Kong as well as the Hon. Advisor of China Association of Social Workers.

Ms FANG holds a Bachelor of Social Science Honours degree in Social Work from the University of Hong Kong, a Master degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, USA.

Michael Wu is the Chairman and Managing Director of Maxim's Caterers Ltd. Under Mr. Wu's leadership over the past decade, the Group has successfully diversified its operations to offer a variety of food and beverage services comprising Chinese, Asian and European restaurants, fast fFood shops, cake shops, institutional catering, "Genki Sushi" and "Starbucks" Coffee Shops in Hong Kong.

Apart from being a Council Member of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Mr. Wu is also a director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd. and The Community Chest of Hong Kong. Mr. Wu graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Economics.

Dr Eddy Fong received his education in his earlier years in Hong Kong and in the United Kingdom. He graduated from University of Kent with a Bachelor Degree in Social Science and subsequently qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1973. Upon returning to Hong Kong in the seventies, Dr. Fong continued to pursue a career in public accounting. He was a senior audit partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers until his retirement in 2003.

Currently Dr. Fong is the Chairman of the Council of the Open University of Hong Kong. He was the Non-Executive Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission from 2006-2012. His other current public service duties include serving as a Non-Executive Director of the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited and a Member of Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council.

His other past public duties include acting as a director of Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, director of Exchange Fund Investment Limited, member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority and Chairman of the Finance Committee and as Council Member of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Dr. Fong was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1996 and was awarded Gold Bauhinia Star in 2008 by the Government of the HKSAR. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law by the University of Kent in July 1997 and an Honorary Fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2010.

The Hon Anna Wu is a Non-Official Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. She is Chairman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, a Director of the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre Limited, Council Member of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and Chair of the Academic board for Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) of the University of Hong Kong.

Ms Wu became a solicitor in a leading law firm after she received her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Hong Kong in 1974 and her PCLL in 1975. Subsequently, she pursued a distinguished career with an outstanding record of public service. She was a Member of the Legislative Council and initiated the first private member’s bill to protect rights to equal opportunities. She chaired the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Consumer Council, and the Operations Review Committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. She was also a Non-Executive Director of the Securities and Futures Commission.

Ms Wu is a Justice of the Peace, and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2000 and the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2011 in recognition of her outstanding public service and contributions to Hong Kong.

I am honored to be the new President of the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) HKUST Chapter and my congratulations to all the new members. For the past eight years, thanks to the support of eligible candidates, the annual acceptance rate of membership has consistently been over 70%. As a result, we have been recognized as an Exemplary Chapter for eight consecutive years. It is a pleasure to see the local chapter receiving enormous support from its members in the academic and business communities. Earning membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is an honor that provides a lifetime of benefits and recognition. In addition to the recognition of your scholastic achievements, you will also be able to tap into the wider connections of the globally expanding Beta Gamma Sigma network. I would also like to thank Professor Kar Yan Tam, the immediate past Chapter President, for his dedicated service in leading the Chapter in the past two years.

Congratulations to this year’s newly inducted honorees and members. I am delighted that the School is continuing to develop its strong link with international honors societies such as Beta Gamma Sigma, a prestigious association with a long history that recognizes academic excellence and provides excellent opportunities for interaction between students, faculty and professionals. Through connection with Beta Gamma Sigma, the members and honorees are able to tap into an elite network of the world’s top business and management professionals. The School intends to continue to broaden the reach and network of the society to foster exchanges among its members and strengthen its ties with the business community. We welcome all of you as new members and look forward to seeing you in our events in the future.

David L. Cunningham, Jr. is President of Asia Pacific Division of FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company.

In his role, which he assumed in November 1999, Mr. Cunningham heads up the world’s fastest growing region – the Asia Pacific - from its headquarters in Hong Kong. The Asia Pacific Division is sub-divided into three geographic regions: the North Pacific, based in Tokyo; China, based in Shanghai; and the South Pacific, based in Singapore. Managing approximately 14,000 staff he is responsible for developing and executing all corporate strategies and operations in one of the company’s most dynamic operating divisions.

Mr. Cunningham joined FedEx in 1982. Since then, he has performed a variety of roles within the company spanning the US headquarters in Memphis and the Asia Pacific. His appointment before his current role was as the Regional Vice President of FedEx in South Pacific, based in Singapore. He served in that role from 1997 until ascending to his present position in 1999.

Mr. Cunningham has a strong financial background. In 1989, he was appointed manager for international financial planning and control for the Asia Pacific region. In 1992, he assumed the role of Corporate Managing Director of Worldwide Financial Planning in the US and in 1994, Mr. Cunningham served as CFO-Vice President of Finance, Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong.

Mr. Cunningham is active on committees throughout the Asia Pacific, including Chambers of Commerce, the US-ASEAN Business Council, the National Center for APEC, the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, the Pacific Basin Economic Council and the US-China Business Council. Since June 2004 he has been a member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

David L. Cunningham, Jr. holds a Master’s Degree in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science (Finance) from the University of Memphis.

Kai-Yin Lo is not only a world renowned jewelry and accessories designer; she is also a historian, collector and an art and cultural advocate. Recipient of the prestigious “World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer, 2007” award from The Hong Kong Design Centre and the Silver Bauhinia Star from HKSAR Government, she is recognized to be a pioneer for infusing a contemporary Chinese spirit in design and for elevating semi-precious stones into a mainstay in jewelry, initiating a new direction.

Ms. Lo was described by the Publisher of The Wall Street Journal as a “renaissance woman”. She believes that cultivating and understanding in history, culture, and art stimulate creativity and content among young people is key to their development as “complete human beings”. By embracing the values in those areas, people will be able to enrich their lives and make better contribution to society.

Ms. Lo was honoured with an album of stamps featuring her designs by the Chinese Ministry of Construction and the China’s Post Office in 2006, the only jeweler to have been chosen. She was invited to furnish special designs both for Hong Kong’s Return to China in 1997 and also for its Tenth Anniversary of Return to China.

A student of history at Cambridge and London Universities, Ms Lo also attended a senior management programme at Harvard Business School. The annual Kai-Yin Lo Lecture at Asia Society, New York “Asian Arts and Culture – A New Vision” is a significant platform for cultural exchange.

Since 1992, she has organized and curated numerous important international art, cultural, and lifestyle exhibitions and symposia including「吳冠中 - 20世纪中國畫家里程碑式的個人展覽」(Wu Guanzhong, A Twentieth-Century Chinese Painter) at the British Museum. She has edited four well-considered books on Chinese culture and is the curator of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s current exhibition, “Jewelry For Life”, and is also the Hong Kong spokesperson of VISA Infinite card.

Kai-Yin Lo is currently Visiting Professor at the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Member of the Board, Hong Kong Design Centre, Member of the International Council, The Asia Society, New York, Member of Asian Art Acquisitions Committee, Tate, UK and Honorary Court Member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She was Member of the Hong Kong Culture and Heritage Commission (2000-03), Member of the Committee on Museums, HKSAR Government (2004-07) and Member of the Commission on Strategic Development, HKSAR Government (2005-07).