Faculty Member

Prof. Philip Chen

Job Title

Management and Strategy
Professor of Practice in Management and Strategy

Professor Chen is Non-Executive Director of Hang Lung Properties.

Until his retirement in 2018, Philip was the CEO of Hang Lung Properties (HK Exchange stock code 101) and Hang Lung Group (stock code 10). Hang Lung is a leading real estate developer in commercial properties in Hong Kong and Mainland China. During his time there, the revenue and shareholder equity (etc.) doubled, the gross floor area grew 2.7 times, and the company was entirely transformed in structure and management.

Before that (up to July 2010), Philip had been with the Swire Group for 33 years. He was Chairman of John Swire & Sons (China) Limited, Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (HK Exchange stock code 293) , Chief Executive of Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, Executive Director of Swire Pacific Limited and John Swire & Sons (Hong Kong) Limited. The many achievements include the turnaround of Dragonair, the tremendous growth of Cathay Pacific and the transformation of Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. He was also remembered for the landmark deal of cross shareholding with Air China, and the acquisition of Dragonair in 2006.

Over the years, in Hong Kong as well as overseas, Philip has been actively involved in various trade and community activities in government, education, universities, commerce, aviation, logistics, tourism, theme parks, charities and music etc.

Some current positions:

Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Member of the Hong Kong-Japan Business Co-operation Committee
Founder/ Honorary President of the HK Chamber of Commerce in Beijing
Member of the Court of the University of Hong Kong and Member of the International Advisory Council (IAC)
Honorary Vice-President, Hong Kong University Alumni Association
Professor of Practice (Hospitality and Tourism Strategies), School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Visiting Professor of Faculty of Economics, Sophia University, Tokyo
Member, Business School Advisory Council of Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Member, Advisory Committee on Hotel and Tourism Management of The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Member of the International Advisory Board of Lingnan (University) College, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China.
Member of the Advisory Board of Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong.

Some past appointments:

Chairman of Ocean Park (Responsible for the turnaround of Ocean Park 2000 – 2003)
Director of the Real Estate Developers Association of HK (2010 – 2018)
Board Director of HK International Theme Parks (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Vice Chairman of the Council, HK University of Science and Technology
Member, University Grants Committee (UGC) and Founding Chair of the Quality Assurance Council (QAC)
Member, Advisory Council of the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Member, Advisory Board of the Nanyang Business School of the Nanyang Technological University Singapore
Chairman of Board of Airline Representatives in Hong Kong
Member of the Executive Committee of IATA
Member of the Council of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Director, Standing Committee of the HK Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Chairman, Joint Travel Council of Travel Industry
Member and Audit Committee Chair of HKTB (Hong Kong Tourism Board)
Chairman of Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee of ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption)
Philip has published seven bestsellers of travel stories in Hong Kong, two of which have also been published in Mainland China and Taiwan. The royalties from the book sales have been donated to two charities. His research on air transport has also been published as “Great Cities of the World” by the University of Hong Kong in 2010.

In 2001, the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology named him Honouree of the Beta Gamma Sigma and in 2004, made him an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration. In 2010, he was bestowed Honorary Member of Eta Sigma Delta Chapter by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was admitted to Honorary University Fellowship of the University of Hong Kong in 2013 and bestowed a Beta Gamma Sigma Honouree in 2016.

He has been conferred Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa by Lingnan University in 2014 as well as by the Baptist University of Hong Kong in 2018. He was also awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Aeronautical Society of the UK in 1997, a Fellowship by the HK Management Association in 2004 and Distinguished Alumni Fellowship by University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education in 2009.

In 2000, the Hong Kong Government appointed Philip as Justice of the Peace, and awarded him the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2002. He was further awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2012. He was bestowed the Distinction of Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French Government in 2009. In June 2014, the Ministry of Education, Singapore presented him the Service to Education Award – Silver.

Academic & Professional Qualification
MBA, HKU
BA (Upper Second Class Honour), HKU
Diploma, International Air Transport Association and Universal Federation of Tourists Agents Association
Diploma in Management Studies, HKU
Management Course, INSEAD, Fontainebleau
Summer Programme, Merton College, Oxford
Stanford Executive Program, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University
Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, HKUST
Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, Lingnan University
Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, HKBU
Fellow, HKU
Distinguished Alumni Fellow, HKU SPACE
Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society
Fellow, The Hong Kong Management Association
Honorary Member of Eta Sigma Delta Chapter, CUHK
Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS), The University of Hong Kong Chapter Honoree, HKU

Teaching
Previous:
Lecturer of the MBA Programme Marketing Module, HKU, 1984-88

Visiting Professor of the Institute of Management by the Civil Aviation Administration of China
Adjunct Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Current:
Professor of Practice (Hospitality and Tourism Strategies), School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Visiting Professor of Faculty of Economics, Sophia University, Tokyo

Selected Publications
藍天綠地
寫我遊情
風花說日
雲濤偶拾
獅城畫意
美人美事
Great Cities of the World
中東南北

Awards and Honours
Justice of the Peace, 2000
Silver Bauhinia Star, 2002
Officier d’Ordre National du Mérite, France, 2009
Gold Bauhinia Star, 2012
Service to Education Award – Silver by Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2014

Service to the University/Community
Some current positions:

Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Member of the Hong Kong-Japan Business Co-operation Committee
Founder/ Honorary President of the HK Chamber of Commerce in Beijing
Member of the Court of the University of Hong Kong and Member of the International Advisory Council (IAC)
Honorary Vice-President, Hong Kong University Alumni Association
Professor of Practice (Hospitality and Tourism Strategies), School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Visiting Professor of Faculty of Economics, Sophia University, Tokyo
Member, Business School Advisory Council of Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Member, Advisory Committee on Hotel and Tourism Management of The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Member of the International Advisory Board of Lingnan (University) College, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China.
Member of the Advisory Board of Stanford GSB Chapter of Hong Kong.

Some past appointments:

Chairman of Ocean Park (Responsible for the turnaround of Ocean Park 2000 – 2003)
Director of the Real Estate Developers Association of HK (2010 – 2018)
Board Director of HK International Theme Parks (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Vice Chairman of the Council, HK University of Science and Technology
Member, University Grants Committee (UGC) and Founding Chair of the Quality Assurance Council (QAC)
Member, Advisory Council of the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Member, Advisory Board of the Nanyang Business School of the Nanyang Technological University Singapore
Chairman of Board of Airline Representatives in Hong Kong
Member of the Executive Committee of IATA
Member of the Council of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Director, Standing Committee of the HK Chinese Chamber of Commerce
Chairman, Joint Travel Council of Travel Industry
Member and Audit Committee Chair of HKTB (Hong Kong Tourism Board)
Chairman of Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee of ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption)