Bernard Charnwut Chan
Bernard Charnwut Chan GBS JP (Chinese: 陳智思; Jyutping: Can4 Zi3 Si1; born 1966), is a Hong Kong politician and businessman, the incumbent Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council.
Bernard Charnwut Chan Charnwut Sophonpanich GBS, JP | |
|---|---|
陳智思 | |
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| Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2017 | |
| Appointed by | Carrie Lam |
| Preceded by | Lam Woon-kwong |
| Non-official Member of the Executive Council | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2012 | |
| Appointed by | Leung Chun-ying Carrie Lam |
| In office 26 October 2004 – 20 January 2009 | |
| Appointed by | Tung Chee-hwa Donald Tsang |
| Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University | |
| Assumed office 22 October 2010 | |
| Deputy | Sophia Kao |
| Delegate to the National People's Congress | |
| Assumed office March 2008 | |
| Chairman | Wu Bangguo Zhang Dejiang Li Zhanshu |
| Constituency | Hong Kong |
| Member of the Legislative Council | |
| In office 1 July 1998 – 30 September 2008 | |
| Succeeded by | Chan Kin-por |
| Constituency | Insurance |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 January 1966 British Hong Kong |
| Spouse(s) | Yeo Peck Leng |
| Relations | Chin Sophonpanich (grandfather) Robin Chan (father) Chatri Sophonpanich (uncle) Chartsiri Sophonpanich (cousin) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Pomona College (BA) |
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Background
Born in 1966 in Hong Kong with family roots in Chaoyang, Canton, also known by his Thai name Charnwut Sophonpanich (Thai: ชาญวุฒิ โสภณพนิช; RTGS: Chanwut Sophonphanit),[1][2] He is the grandson of Chin Sophonpanich, the late Thai Chinese founder of Bangkok Bank.[3] He graduated from The Hill School in 1983 and Pomona College in 1988 with a BA in Studio Art. He is an investor in Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital.[4] He is married to Singaporean Yeo Peck Leng and has two children who inherited Thai and American citizenships.
He is the Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, appointed by Carrie Lam in July 2017. He was a member of the Legislative Council (Legco) from 1998 to 2008, representing the Insurance constituency. He became a Hong Kong Deputy to National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China in 2008.[5] He chairs several government advisory bodies: the Advisory Committee on Revitalizing Historical Buildings, the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Condition of Services and the Hong Kong Council for Sustainable Development. He chaired the Antiquities Advisory Board from 2009–2013 and the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Condition of Services from 2001–2006.[6]
Outside politics, he is President of Asia Financial Holdings and its main subsidiary, Asia Insurance.[7] Among his business successes are the formation in 1999 of Bank Consortium Trust, a joint venture of nine Hong Kong institutions that provides Mandatory Provident Fund services and of which he was founding chairman. He is also Chairman of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Chair of the Hong Kong-Thailand Business Council, Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University and Vice-Chairman of Oxfam Hong Kong; he is also chairman of the annual HK Oxfam Trailwalker event – a fund-raising 100-kilometre race that attracts teams from around the world.[8] He played a part in the creation of Caring Company, a framework that creates partnerships between the business and welfare sectors. Chan has been awarded Commander (third class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand,[9] the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) and Justice of the Peace (JP).
He has previously also held American and Thai citizenship until 2004, when he was appointed member of the Executive Council.[10][11]
Family
In 2011, Chan's wife Yeo Peck Leng founded an "alternative" private primary school, the Almitas Academy, with the couple's two sons as the only pupils. A year later the strongly Christian school, which operates in a commercial building in North Point, had 12 pupils aged from six to 12, about a third of whom have special needs. The academy works closely with parents to nurture their children to their fullest potential. Effective 1 January 2013, the academy changed its status to a not for profit organisation and also took the opportunity to change the English name of the school to Grace Christian Academy.
References
- Second SAR Legislative Council formed
- Yau Lee Holdings Ltd. (0406): Executive Profile
- (in Chinese) 陳智思議員 Archived 6 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "News Digest: Hospital teams up with Cathay Pacific to launch medical tourism". The China. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 2007-12-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (page inaccessible)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- http://www.oxfam.org.hk/fs/view/downloadables/pdf/annual-review/2005AR_35-36.pdf%5B%5D
- Bernard Chan Archived 9 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- 棄美籍10年 或仍要交稅-陳智思啞子食黃連
- 20% of 70 is not 12 Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
External links
| Legislative Council of Hong Kong | ||
|---|---|---|
| New parliament | Member of Legislative Council Representative for Insurance 1998–2008 |
Succeeded by Chan Kin-por |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Lam Woon-kwong |
Convenor of the Executive Council 2017–present |
Incumbent |
| Order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Andrew Leung President of the Legislative Council |
Hong Kong order of precedence Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council |
Succeeded by Laura Cha Non-official member of the Executive Council |