The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited announced that Ms Christobelle Yi Ching Liao (Ms Liao) will join the Board as an Executive Director and the Chief Corporate and Governance Officer of the Company with effect from 4 August 2023. Ms Liao is currently the Group Director, Corporate and Legal and Company Secretary of the Company, as well as being a member of the Group Management Board of the Company and a Director of a number of the Group's entities. Prior to joining the Company, she worked for an international law firm in Hong Kong as a solicitor in the corporate department.

She was responsible for mergers and acquisitions, hotel industry transactions, IPOs, joint venture transactions and direct investment/venture capital investments. Ms Liao joined the Group as Company Secretary and General Counsel in 2002. She was appointed to Group Management Board in 2011 and was promoted to Group Director, Corporate and Legal in 2013 while retaining the position of Company Secretary.

Over the years, she has expanded to a much broader role overseeing the Group corporate functions including Group insurances, risk management and corporate governance. She holds additional responsibilities in overseeing the Group's investment in Istanbul and organisational development strategies, such as WorkPlace 2025. With the appointment to the Board as an Executive Director and the Chief Corporate and Governance Officer, Ms Liao will continue to be a strategic leader on the Group Management Board, the Company Secretary for the Company and overseeing the legal function.

With her personal qualities and deep understanding of the Company, she will be given additional responsibilities to oversee the Projects Group and the Group Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability function. Ms Liao is a qualified solicitor in Hong Kong and England & Wales. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

She is 54 years old. Ms Liao has not held any directorships in any listed companies in Hong Kong or overseas in the last three years. As at the date of this announcement, Ms Liao does not have any interest in the shares of the Company within the meaning of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance nor any relationship with any Directors, members of senior management or substantial or controlling shareholders of the Company.