Kadoorie, Sir Michael

( words)

The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie GBS, LLD, Officier dans l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres Commandeur de l'Ordre de Léopold II.

Michael Kadorrie was appointed a director in 1964 and elected chairman in 1985 of the family's second largest listed group, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, owners and operators of the world-renowned Peninsula Hotel Group. Sir Michael is also Chairman of CLP Holdings Limited, a non-executive director of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, a director of Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Limited, as well as holding a number of other directorships. Sir Michael is a member of the Council of the University of Hong Kong, and in addition, acts as a trustee of a number of leading, local charitable institutions.

He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2005.

Andreas Augustin recalls: 'I learnt to appreciate the enormous sense of practicability of Michael Kadoorie. During a site inspection of a new show room at The Pensinula, he suddenly entered a bath tub in his suit, leant back and looked at the ceiling. He pointed at the spotlight overhead and said: 'That is disturbing. It must be changed.'

Michael Kadoorie is the son of Lawrence Baron Kadoorie the brother of Sir Horace. Both were during the 1920s and 1930s working for Victor Sassoon's famous Cathay Hotel, now the Peace Hotel (one of the most famous hotels in the world we have listed in China). They were the corner pillars that carried the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Company through the stormy decades of war and crisis. The two kind gentlemen were still coming to their office on Hong Kong side every day. They recalled the first years of the hotel. In 1993 Lord Kadoorie and Sir Horace, surrounded by their family, attended the topping out of the new Peninsula towers.