News in Category: 2012

HKTBC Annual General Meeting 2012

HKTBC Annual General Meeting 2012

About 20 members attended the Council's Annual General Meeting. The year 2011 was an eventful one for Thailand and indeed the world, and the Council played its part in keeping members informed about the changing political and economic situation in the Kingdom and the affects of global events on Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Council continued to develop ties with other organizations. Our Chairman, Mr. Bernard Chan, GBS, JP, summarized the past activities of the Council and stressed that the mission in 2013 and beyond was again, to expand the number and range of activities.

Mr. Bernard Chan, GBS, JP, Dr. Harry Lee, Mrs. Katherine Ngan, JP and Mr. Clayton T. Hebbard were re-elected as Directors for the ensuing year. Simultaneously, Ernst & Young was re-appointed the Council's Honorary Auditors. The current Board of Directors consists of 12 directors:

1) Mr. Bernard Chan, GBS, JP, President of Asia Financial Group

2) Mr. William Chao, Managing Director of Wing Wah Limited

3) Mr. Tom V. Chatjaval, Founder and Chairman & CEO of TVC Management Ltd

4) Mr. Kenneth Gaw, President & Managing Principal of Gaw Capital

5) Mr. Horst Geicke, Chairman and Co-Founder of Pacific Alliance Group, VinaCapital Group

6) M. Clayton T. Hebbard, Consultant of Grant Thornton

7) Dr. Harry Lee, SBS, JP, Managing Director of TAL Apparel Limited

8) Mr. Willy Lin, Managing Director of Milo's Knitwear (International) Ltd

9) Mrs. Katherine Ngan, JP, Executive Director of May Cheong Toy Products Fty Ltd

10) Mr. Raphael Tong, Managing Director of Shanghai Mister Softee Food Products Co Limited

11) Mr. Benjamin Lam, Executive Director & Deputy CEO of Pacific Century Premium Development Ltd

12) Mr. Benjamin Cha, Executive Director of HKR International Ltd

We were honored to have a special guest joining us at the luncheon right after our AGM, Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, Ph.D, Former Minister of Commerce, Senator of Thailand and Member of the National Legislative Assembly.

Dr. Narongchai has served as Minister of Commerce, a Senator of Thailand and a Member of the National Legislative Assembly. Among many posts over the years he has also been a Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, a consultant to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and an advisor to many Prime Ministers of Thailand. He retired as chairman of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand at the end of June 2010.

He is currently Honorary Advisor to the Fiscal Policy Research Institute, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MFC Asset Management Plc and Chairman of Brooker Group Plc. Among his many public service positions, he also serves with the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Monetary Policy Committee, the Office of Insurance Commission and the Thailand Development Research Institute.

He received B.Ec. Degree with honors from the University of Western Australia, and M.A. and Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Narongchai's insight into Thai affairs is considerable and highly regarded, and his views of the current economic and the political situations are sure to be of great interest.

Intercham event: Lunch seminar "Scaling for Luxury, with E-commerce and Social Media"

Building a brand in the Internet era is a challenge for any company, but the difficulty is even greater in the luxury category. These issues are even bigger now that digital presence involves interacting with customers through Social Media and transacting with them through e-Commerce. How can we ensure a consistent luxury feel? What superior brand experiences can we offer consumers? Can some consumers become advocates and ambassadors?

Guest speaker Thomas Crampton, the Asia Pacific head of social media at Ogilvy and Mather and Giulia Callegari, ecommerce and luxury consultant at Ogilvy and Mather, shared with us the luxury brand's take on social media and pervasive commerce at the lunch seminar.

Dinner with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand

Dinner with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand

The dinner was hosted by Asia Society of Hong Kong.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand's affection for Chinese people and culture is well-documented. She was voted as one of the top "Best International Friends of China" and the only South East Asian awarded this honor. Besides speaking Chinese, her understanding and knowledge of Chinese culture is extensive and garnered during several official and private visits to China. In addition to her royal duties, HRH is also deeply involved in several philanthropic organizations and foundations like Thai Red Cross Society, Chaipattana Foundation (promoting development and environmental preservation projects), and the Ananda Mahidol Foundation (promoting higher education). HRH has taught the General Education Program at Chulalongkorn University. She joined the Department of Law and Social Sciences at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in 1980, and is currently Director of the Department of History. HRH graduated from Chulalongkorn University, holds MAs from Silpakorn University and Chulalongkorn University, and was awarded a doctoral degree from Srinakharinwirot University.

Intercham event: Indonesia: Overview, Opportunities & Challenges

Indonesia, the 3rd most populous country in Asia with more than 250 million inhabitants spread over more than 17,000 islands has lately become the Asian 'darling' of the international markets. Recent political and economic reforms have resulted in achieving a coveted investment grade rating by Moody's and Fitch. Combined with abundance in natural resources, relatively low wages, beautiful holiday destinations and a growing middle class, it is not surprising that internationally operating companies are becoming more and more interested in Indonesia. Economic growth has been above 6% p.a during the past couple of years but contrary to some other countries in Asia, primarily domestically driven rather than by exports. It is clear that a country with these economic and demographic conditions offers great opportunities as well as challenges to international companies. Theodoor Bakker and Alex Jaminon were the guest speakers at this event.