Responses of HK & Singapore to Changing US-China Relations

Speaker Series: George Yeo,
Current: Chairman, Kerry Logistics Network; Director, Kerry Holdings
Past: Singapore Government Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Trade & Industry; Minister for Health; Minister for Information & the Arts

Lunch, Monday, 5 December 2016, 12:00-14:00 pm, China Club

Event Details:
The Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong is pleased to invite you to a special small-event/limited headcount off-the record lunch and discussion with YEO George Yong-boon (“George Yeo”) discussing “Responses of Hong Kong and Singapore to Changing US-China Relations“.

In light of the recent USA elections and the incoming-administration’s decision to withdraw from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which excluded China), among other anticipated changes in policy, and China’s renewed moves to promote its own alternative RCEP pact (which excludes the USA), this discussion is particularly relevant and timely.

To this topic, Mr. Yeo brings a particularly deep and wide perspective, having served in the Singapore Government, over 23 years, in the widest variety of senior decision-making roles of almost any past or current minister. His briefs have included serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs; as Minister of Trade & Industry; as Minister of Health; and as Minster of Information and the Arts. In this latter role, he played an instrumental role in the re-introduction of local dialect into Singapore’s media, information and arts environment. Mr. Yeo is also a former Brigadier-General and Chief-of-Staff of the Singapore Air Staff.

Here in Hong Kong, where he has been based since 2012, George serves on the HKSAR’s Economic Development Commission, and acts as Chairman of Kerry Logistics Network and as a Director of Kerry Holdings.

The Stanford GSB Chapter of HK could not be more honored to have Mr. Yeo share his insights, experience and wisdom on all of the above. We hope you can join us.

Speaker’s Bio: YEO George Yong-boon

George Yeo joined Kerry Group on 1 Jan 2012. He became Chairman of Kerry Logistics Network on 1 Aug 2012 and a Director of Kerry Holdings on 1 July 2016.

From September 1988 to May 2011, he served 23 years in Government, and was Minister for Information and the Arts, Health, Trade & Industry, and Foreign Affairs.

Mr Yeo studied Engineering at Cambridge University on a President’s Scholarship, graduating with a Double First in 1976, and became a Signals Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. After graduating from the Singapore Command and Staff College in 1979, he was posted to the Republic of Singapore Air Force. He graduated with an MBA (Baker Scholar) from the Harvard Business School in 1985. He was appointed Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff (1985-1986) and Director of Joint Operations and Planning in the Defence Ministry (1985-1988), attaining the rank of Brigadier-General.

Mr Yeo became Chancellor of Nalanda University in July 2015 and also chairs its International Advisory Panel. He is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum, Berggruen Institute on Governance, the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors, the International Advisory Panel of Peking University, the International Advisory Board of IESE Business School, the International Advisory Council of China’s Eco Forum Global Guiyang, the International Advisory Board of Japan’s National Graduate School for International Policy Studies (GRIPS), the International Advisory Committee of Mitsubishi Corporation, the Hong Kong Economic Development Commission and the Board of Governors of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation. Mr Yeo is an Independent Non-Executive Director of AIA Group, a public company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director of Wilmar International, a public company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. He was Chairman of the Singapore Summit from 2011 to 2016.

Mr Yeo served as a Member of the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See from 2013-2014. From February 2014, he became a Member of the Vatican Council for the Economy.

Mr Yeo is Patron of LASALLE College of the Arts and the Eurasian Association, and Advisor to the Sun Yat-Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. He is a Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Founding Patron of its Asian Competitiveness Institute.