Born to a pioneering hotelier family, Mr Lawrence Chan Man-yiu followed the footsteps of his late father Mr Chan Chak-fu, not only helming a hotel group as a seasoned entrepreneur, but also giving back to society as a devoted philanthropist. Currently the Chairman of Park Lane Capital Holdings Limited, he oversees his family office portfolio of investments. After earning his bachelor’s degree in science in hotel and restaurant management and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Denver in Colorado, he joined his father’s hotel group and spearheaded the development of the iconic Parc55 Hotel in San Francisco from scratch at the age of 26.
Mr Chan has been active in social services since his days in the US, serving on the Presidential Roundtable for business owners, and as a Trustee on the board of the San Francisco Symphony as well as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts. Once the Chairman of the San Francisco State University Business School Advisory Board, a Board Member of the San Francisco State University Foundation Board, and a recipient of the Key to the City of San Francisco, he deeply cared for the betterment of the city.
Mr Chan moved back to Hong Kong in 2007 and decided to devote his time and energy to his philanthropic passions. He founded The Seal of Love Charitable Foundation in 2009 with a mission to help the needy regardless of geographical or ethnic boundaries. Since conception, the Foundation has been filling in service gaps that major charity organisations overlook. So far, Mr Chan himself has made over 30 visits to some of the most marginalized communities in Mainland China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. His Foundation and himself have also been generous in supporting local universities, including donating an endowment known as the Seal of Love Foundation Student Innovative Service Fund at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Mr Chan’s long-standing ties with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) date back to 1980s when his late father, an early champion of the proposal to set up the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), made a donation to the then Hong Kong Polytechnic for a hospitality vocational training programme. In 2017, Mr Chan and his family gave a gift to PolyU’s SHTM. The gift led to the creation of the Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Endowed Professorship in International Tourism, a scholarship fund for student development, and initiatives to advance research in hospitality and tourism. The premises of the SHTM was named Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Building in appreciation of the family’s significant contributions to PolyU’s hospitality and tourism management education. A leader of profound expertise and remarkable insight in the industry, Mr Chan is currently Professor of Practice (Hospitality Asset Management) in SHTM.
Chairman Lam, University Council Members, President Teng and Honoured Guests,
It is my great honour to be counted amongst the University Fellows of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Although I answered the call of duty to my family and built up our family’s real estate business abroad during the most active years in my career, it has always been my heart’s desire to be a part of the academic world, and today more of that wish has come true.
The lure of the university setting lies in the freedom and the untarnished purity of the thinking process, as well as its ability to be a platform that changes one’s life course within a short period of time. I have always believed that access to quality education harnesses the power to be the great equaliser in society, and it is this potential that continues to stir my heart as I dedicate more time than ever to philanthropic endeavours focused around education.
Our first philanthropic collaboration with PolyU was naturally alongside the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, because that is the foundation upon which our family business has flourished. Tourism is also a key growth area for many developing countries in Asia. Hospitality training allows young people to access opportunities that not only improve their livelihoods but also nurture a new and innovative brand of Asian hospitality. With the synergy of rapid growth in technological exchanges across the border, Hong Kong’s unique position within the Greater Bay Area will help transform the region into a hospitality beacon that is in a class of its own.
One of PolyU’s greatest strengths is striking a fine balance between research and application in order to maximise the benefit for mankind. I look forward to seeing more of PolyU’s new initiatives unfold in the trailblazing areas such as digital literacy and innovation, as well as mental health research and Chinese medicine. This University Fellowship allows me to stay connected to all these new transformations and to be part of the change that will help our students, the future of Hong Kong, to be tomorrow’s leaders. Thank you.
