The Honourable Bernard Charnwut CHAN, GBM, GBS, JP

A graduate of Pomona College in California, Bernard Charnwut Chan is the Chairman and President of the publicly-listed Asia Financial Holdings and Chairman of Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd.  He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in financial services and is a director of Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company in Thailand.  

Bernard has a long record of public service.  He is Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.  A patron of the arts, he is Chairman of M Plus Museum Ltd. and Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co. Ltd.  He is also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Our Hong Kong Foundation.   

He was a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of The People’s Republic of China (2008-2023) and the previous Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council (2017-2022).  He is a former non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and 2012-2022) and former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008) representing the insurance industry. 

Other past positions including  Council Chair of Lingnan University, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd., Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and Chairman of the two Standing Committees on Disciplined Services and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service.   

He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, Open University of Hong Kong and Savannah College of Art and Design.  He is also a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College. 

Bernard was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004.  In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2020 he received Hong Kong’s highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal.