Corporate Governance
|Board Members
KWEK LENG BENG, 66
Chairman
Kwek Leng Beng has been the Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc since its
incorporation. He is the Executive Chairman of the Hong Leong Group of Companies Singapore, and
also City Developments Limited and Hong Leong Finance Limited.
Mr Kwek's achievements have also captured the attention of the academic institutions. He was
conferred:
Doctorate of Business Administration in Hospitality from Johnson & Wales University
(Rhode Island, US), where students have an opportunity to pursue career education in business,
hospitality, culinary arts or technology.
Honorary Doctorate (DUniv) from Oxford Brookes University (UK) where its citation traced how
Mr Kwek, who joined the family business in the early 1960s, had gone on to establish an
international reputation for his leadership of the Hong Leong Group, as well as an active supporter
of higher education in Singapore.
His other involvement in the institutions of higher learning includes serving on the Advisory
Board of the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management. The Institute is a collaboration
between Ivy League member Cornell University in New York City and Singapore' Nanyang Technological
University. Cornell is renowned for its hotel school which is a leader in teaching, research and
industry partnerships.
Mr Kwek also serves as a Member of the INSEAD East Asia Council. France-based INSEAD is one
of the world' leading and largest graduate business schools which brings together people, cultures
and ideas from around the world. He is a Member of the Action Community of Entrepreneurship (ACE),
which involves both the private and public sectors to create a more entrepreneurial environment in
Singapore for small and medium enterprises.
Mr Kwek has distinguished himself in property investment and development, hotel ownership and
management, financial services and industrial enterprises. Today, he sits on the flagship of a
multi-billion empire worth over US$20 billion in diversified premium assets worldwide, with an
annual turnover of US$4.55 billion and stocks traded on seven of the world' stock markets. He
currently heads world-wide staff strength of over 40,000 across a range of businesses in
Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America. This fortune is set to expand further with
his recent success in collaborating with the Las Vegas Sands Corporation in the bid for Singapore'
high profile Integrated Resort project at the Marina Bay.
The Hong Leong flagship of Mr Kwek is a household name in Southeast Asia. Asia Money' latest
issue (September 2006), included Mr Kwek in its augural list of 100 Most Powerful and Influential
People in Business and Finance throughout Asia Pacific.
WONG HONG REN, 55
Interim Group Chief Executive
Wong Hong Ren joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc as a non-executive director at the
flotation of the Group. He is a non-executive director of City e-Solutions Limited and the Group
Investment Manager for the Hong Leong Group in Singapore. Mr Wong was appointed as an Executive
Director of the Company in April 2001.
JOHN ARNETT, 53
Executive Director
John Arnett joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc as Chief Executive Officer of North
America on 14 March 2007, and was appointed an executive director of the Board on 3 May 2007. As
CEO of North American operations, he is responsible for day to day operations as well as the
expansion of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels' North American operations.
He has worked in the hospitality industry for 30 years, most recently as President of the Kor
Hotel Group in Los Angeles, where he led the Group's expansion of its luxury hotels and resorts.
Prior to that, he worked for over 10 years at the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, where as
Senior Vice President, he oversaw the operations and profitability of 37 Kimpton Group properties,
while guiding the transition of new assets into stable operating businesses. Earlier, he served as
Kimpton's Vice President of Acquisitions and Property Transformation, contributing to numerous
acquisitions throughout the US and Canada. His background also includes the management operations
of luxury hotels and resorts including General Manager of the Ritz Carlton Mauna Lani, Hawaii,
where he was the recipient of both the Five Diamond Hotel and Restaurant Award. He also managed the
flagship Ritz Carlton Buckhead in Atlanta; and managed resorts in Minnesota and Arizona. He has a
degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver.
KWEK LENG JOO, 53
Non-Executive Director
Kwek Leng Joo joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc at the fl otation of the Group. He
is the managing director of City Developments Limited. An executive director of Hong Leong Group
Singapore, he also holds directorships in most of the listed companies within the Hong Leong Group,
including City e-Solutions Limited and Hong Leong Finance Limited. The immediate past president of
Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Kwek is also vice chairman of the Singapore
Business Federation and serves in many public and civic institutions.
KWEK LENG PECK, 50
Non-Executive Director
Kwek Leng Peck joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc at the fl otation of the Group.
He serves as an executive director of the Hong Leong Group. He holds directorships on most of the
listed companies within the Hong Leong Group, including City Developments Limited, City e-solutions
Limited, Hong Leong Finance Limited, Hong Leong Asia Limited and Tasek Corporation Berhad.
THE VISCOUNT THURSO, 53
Non-Executive Deputy Chairman, Senior Independent Director and Chairman of the Remuneration
Committee
The Viscount Thurso was appointed to the Board in May 2002. He is a Fellow of the Hotel
Catering International Management Association. He was previously founder general manager of
Cliveden and has held executive positions as chief executive of Granfel Holdings Limited and chief
executive of Fitness & Leisure Holdings Limited. He was also non-executive chairman of Walker
Greenbank plc until 2002. Prior to this he was non-executive director of Savoy Group plc and Royal
Olympic Cruiselines. He is currently Member of Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter
Ross.
CHRISTOPHER SNEATH, 73
Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee
Christopher Sneath joined Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc in March 1999. He is a
Chartered Accountant and, until his retirement in 1994, he was a senior partner of KPMG. He was a
non-executive director of Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc until 2002.
CHRISTOPHER KELJIK OBE, 58
Independent Non-Executive Director
Christopher Keljik was appointed to the Board in May 2006. After a long career with Standard
Chartered plc that commenced in 1976, he retired from his position as Group Executive Director of
Standard Chartered plc in May 2005. During his career with Standard Chartered, he held a number of
senior positions in corporate finance, treasury and general management in the UK, USA and Asia.
Immediately prior to his retirement, his responsibilities at Standard Chartered included its
businesses in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, the UK and the Americas. A Chartered Accountant,
his previous responsibilities have also included risk management, audit, corporate affairs,
investor relations and corporate governance. He currently holds non-executive directorships at
Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust plc and Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc.
CHARLES KIRKWOOD, 71
Independent Non-Executive Director
Charles Kirkwood was appointed to the Board in May 2002. He was formerly managing director of
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, Asia and an Industrial Partner to Ripplewood (Japan). He is currently
the president and director of Shawnee Holding Inc, a private hotel owning company and a director of
Pennsylvania General Energy. He is a member of the Bar of New York, Pennsylvania and the US Supreme
Court.
CONNAL RANKIN, 66
Independent Non-Executive Director
Connal Rankin was appointed to the Board in December 2007. He has had an extensive
career at HSBC Group (“HSBC”) spanning 45 years until his retirement in December 2005. He held a
number of senior positions including a Group General Manager of HSBC in Hong Kong and Chief
Executive of HSBC Singapore for 5 years until 2000.
Between 2000 and 2005, Connal held the senior position of Group General Manager of Human
Resources based in London. His experience gained managing human resources within one of the leading
global banks will be invaluable to Millennium & Copthorne.
He is a director of Neptune Orient Lines Ltd, a publicly quoted company listed on the
Singapore Stock Exchange.
