Mentor list / Mentor bio
Overview
Clement Kwok currently serves as an Executive Director and Advisor to the CEO at Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd following a remarkable 22-year tenure as Managing Director & CEO (2002-2024). He also holds key board roles as Independent Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at Hang Seng Bank Ltd (since 2021), and is a Council Member of the World Travel & Tourism Council, guiding strategy for global luxury hospitality and financial governance
Clement is renowned for transforming the Peninsula Hotels brand into a coveted global luxury icon. Under his leadership, the group expanded from seven to 12 properties—including flagship openings in Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris, London, Istanbul, and the recent Peninsula London Residences—and led major renovations in Hong Kong, Chicago, Beijing, and Manila.
He also prioritised long-term sustainability via the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Committee and led the “WorkPlace 2025” initiative to modernise employee culture and customer experience.
Before his Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels tenure, Clement built his financial and strategic foundations in global banking and infrastructure: he qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, led corporate finance at Barclays de Zoete Wedd UK, and Schroders Asia, and served as Finance Director of MTR Corporation (1996–2002) during its IPO and major bond issuance phases.
He brings deep cross-sector expertise in:
• Luxury hospitality strategy – designing and delivering scaled global asset growth alongside elevated service standards
• Corporate governance & audit oversight – leading audit committees and bolstering governance at public-sector financial institutions
• Crisis resilience in tourism – navigating SARS (2003), financial crash (2008), natural disasters (2011), protests (2019), and COVID-19 with stability and foresight
• Long-term ESG & culture transformation – embedding sustainability, purpose-led workplace reforms and cultural modernisation
A graduate of the London School of Economics (BSc Economics), Clement holds fellowships with ICAEW and Hong Kong’s CPAs. He was honoured as Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2015) for his contributions to Franco–Hong Kong relations.
He is celebrated for his strategic clarity, inclusive leadership, and stewardship of a storied brand during periods of global volatility—qualities that set a benchmark for executives in hospitality, luxury real estate, crisis management, and long-term brand governance.
PDF Profile
download pdf profileMajor Career Roles
Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd
CEO
Hang Seng Bank
Independent Non-Executive Director
Hang Seng Bank
Audit Committee Chair
Swire Pacific
Independent Non-Executive Director
Swire Pacific
Audit Committee Chair
Other Career Highlights
Member of World Travel & Tourism Council
Prize winning chartered accountant
banks and Government
Led major IPOs for HK corporates