A Hong Kong business leader who has been a key driving force in expanding the Cheung Kong Group into one of the biggest multinational conglomerates in the world will receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LL.D.), as The University of Western Ontario celebrates its annual Hong Kong Convocation on May 24.
Victor Tzar-Kuoi Li is Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, the flagship company of the Cheung Kong Group. He is also Deputy Chairman and Executive Director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, Chairman of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited, Executive Director of Hongkong Electric Holdings Limited and a Director of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.
The Cheung Kong Group operates in 54 countries and employs 240,000 staff worldwide. Its diverse array of businesses range from ports, property and hotels, retail, energy and infrastructure to telecommunications and life sciences. Through these businesses, the Cheung Kong Group has established itself as one of the leading container port operators, health and beauty retailers, and mobile telecommunications providers in the world.
The Cheung Kong Group is one of the largest foreign investors in a number of countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Italy.
In Canada, Mr. Li is Co-Chairman of Husky Energy Inc., one of the largest energy companies in the country in which the Li family and Hutchison Whampoa own a majority stake.
Mr. Li is also a Director of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which primarily supports medical and educational causes around the world, with an emphasis on China.
A resident of Hong Kong, Mr. Li completed an engineering degree at Stanford University in 1986. After becoming a Canadian citizen in 1987, Mr. Li moved to Vancouver to oversee Concord Pacific Place, an award-winning waterfront residential-property development.
Carol Stephenson, Dean of the Richard Ivey School of Business said about Mr. Li’s achievements: “Mr. Li has shown himself to be a prudent and straight-forward business leader with a strong business sense that he’s honed from a very young age. He also has a long-standing commitment of giving back.
“Mr. Li is also a director of the Li Kai Shing Foundation, a charitable foundation responsible for more than $1.6 billion in giving since its inception. The Foundation has supported health and educational initiatives. Last year, Stanford University named its state-of-art medical school in his father’s honour, yet another example of the Li family’s commitment to charity. We are privileged to be awarding him this honour.”
Western’s annual Hong Kong convocation is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.