Friday, July 3, 2009

Six Degrees of Walter Kwok

郭得勝

Walter Kwok Ping-sheung 郭炳湘

Raymond Kwok Ping-luen


SHKP's Lesser Known Connection to Hang Lung

Thomas Kwok Ping-kong (郭炳江)'s wife Ingrid Leung Kit-kan (梁潔芹) is a powerful figure within the complex as the head of the construction department of SHKP. Ingrid is the daughter of Leung Sek-kwan, a CPA and former chairman of Wing Lee Wo. Her fourth sister Davina Leung Kwok-kan (梁幗芹), the former chief project manager of the Architectural Services Department who was married in December 1978 to her University of Manchester classmate Nelson Yuen Wai-leung (袁偉良) longtime Hang Lung Properties director and CFO and son of Yuen Tui, proprietor of Fook Cheung Jewelry. The Kwoks are also related to Hang Lung's Chan family through the Shanghainese connections.

The Kwongs

The power of the old Mrs. Kwok - Kwong Siu-hing (鄺肖卿) is reiterated after the recent fallout episode where she emerged as the chair of the group.

The property management arm of SHKP, Hong Yip Services and Kai Shing Management are the personal fiefdom of the old Mrs Kwok's brother Kwong Chun (鄺準), who has been managing it since its inception and grew with the residential empire of SHKP. In recent years Chun has passed the baton to his son Alkin Kwong Ching-wai (鄺正煒), who is now CEO of Hong Yip and was a civil engineer working for the government before joining SHKP.

Walter's first wife as Lydia Koo (顧芝蓉), daughter of Koo Lam-hing (顧林慶), a Shanghainese enamelware and construction businessman who was business partner of Nina Wang's father in law. Lydia was a Stanford graduate who was a senior investment manager at HSBC and director of Hsin Chong.

Walter's current wife Wendy Lee Tin-wing (李天穎) runs the hotel operations of SHKP. She hails from a medical family, most notably her younger brother Daniel Lee who is a well known plastic surgeon. Their grandfather Lee Ying-yau was a contemporary of Sun Yat-sen whose younger brother Lee Ying-chuen (MBBS Edinburgh 1917) was also an early Chinese Western doctor.

Their father Lee Shui luen


Helen Lau Po-chi

Lau Wai-chi is married to Hardy Lok Kung-chin, the son of John Lok Hsiao-pei. Hardy serves on the board of the Society for Protection of Harbor organized by Winston Chu and his cousin Christine Loh. Hardy's brother in law is Wing On chairman Karl Kwok Chi-leung which leads to many connections (See Six Degrees of Wing On) Christine Loh is married to Sunday CEO Roger Ehlich and his mother is a grand-daughter of Swire comprador Mok Kon-sang. (see Six Degrees of Mok)

Lena Lau Wai-chi is married to Steven Chan Kwing-kwong, the grandson of Chan Lan-fong, the king of fireworks and proprietor of Kwong Man Lung Fireworks. Lena and Steven's daughter Alanna (陈嘉泰) is married to Oscar Chow Vee-Tsung (周维正), the only son and heir apparent of Chevalier Group chairman and TVB director Chow Yei-ching. Yei-ching and his Japanese wife Michiko is father of Wailee JP (周蕙禮architect whose WDA Group design many of the Chevalier projects; chairs the Fringe Club and sits on HK Tourism Board and HK Ballet), Lily (who runs Chevalier iTech) and Violet (周蕙蕙 who is married to TVB actor Carlo Ng 吳家樂)

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