The SHTM is privileged to announce that Dr Ho Kwon Ping, Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd., was inducted into the Gallery of Honour on 22 May 2023, the same day he received the prestigious SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala dinner held in his honour.
At the ceremony, Professor Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, said that Dr Ho is a visionary entrepreneur and innovator in the hospitality industry, a respected industry leader, and a passionate advocate for sustainable tourism. He is a stellar role model for all SHTM students and all hospitality students around the world.
Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, expressed his sincere congratulations to Dr Ho for this honour. Dean Kaye Chon also noted that Dr Ho is a pioneer and an inspirational role model with exemplary accomplishments who has not only played an important role in raising the standard of the regional and
global hospitality industry but has also helped transform it by applying a distinctively Asian focus. As a firm believer in education, Dr Ho is a strong advocate for hospitality and tourism education. He is a long-standing partner of the SHTM and heartily deserves this award.
Dr Ho mentioned that he was deeply honoured and humbled to receive the SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award. Some time ago, during his tenure as Chairman of the SHTM International Advisory Board, he proposed the
creation of the award, to honour hospitality pioneers in Asia. The first awardees were true industry giants and inspired people of his generation. It was therefore an unexpected honour for him to join their ranks.
Praising the School, Dr Ho remarked that under the long-term and visionary leadership of Dean Kaye Chon, the SHTM has inarguably become the most prestigious tertiary hospitality school in Asia and one of the best in the world. An entire generation of Asian hospitality leaders
owe many of their achievements to the education provided by Dean Chon and his colleagues.
Dr Ho is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and Laguna Resorts and Hotels and Executive Chairman of Thai Wah Public Company. These three family-owned companies are listed in Singapore and Thailand. In addition, Dr Ho was the founding Chairman of Singapore Management University and chaired Singapore Power and MediaCorp Singapore. He has also served on the boards of Standard
Chartered Bank, Diageo, Singapore Airlines, and GIC.
Dr Ho has received various awards, such as the London Business School Entrepreneurship Award; the CEO of the Year Award at the Singapore Corporate Awards; the CNBC Travel Business Leader Award; the Distinguished Alumni Award from the National University of Singapore; and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Creativity Association, the China Hotel Investment Summit and the Australia Hotel Investment Summit. He has also been
honoured for his contributions and accomplishments in the hotel industry in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, being the only two-time recipient of Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) awards in its 30-year history: namely HICAP's 2003 Innovation Award and 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
For his services to the country, Dr Ho was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Order from the government of Singapore. Dr Ho has also received honorary doctorates from Johnson & Wales University and PolyU.
The SHTM is proud to be a leading force in research and education in hospitality and tourism. The School's commitment to excellence is well supported by industry heavyweights and visionaries such as Dr Ho Kwon Ping. With the unwavering support of industry partners, the SHTM is committed to nurturing the bright minds who will become the future leaders of this exciting global
industry.
Located in the SHTM lobby, the
Gallery of Honour displays portraits of outstanding SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award recipients – individuals who represent the world's most successful hospitality organisations and recognisable brands. The School created this award to honour those who have made substantial contributions to the development of hospitality and tourism in Hong Kong, the region and the world, as they are the leaders who have helped define the global hospitality landscape and drive the industry
forward.
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