In her new position, Ms Lau becomes a member of the board of directors and will be involved in formulating the strategic direction of BCT while maintaining her role of overseeing the company's business operations and corporate development.

Li Ying

Senior Chinese law adviser

Jones Day Hong Kong

Li Ying joins the firm from the Hong Kong office of Allen & Overy, where he was a senior associate in the corporate department. His practice focuses primarily on China-related M&A and reorganisations, covering many industries. At Allen & Overy, he advised Compagnie Generale des Eaux on the US$890 million privatisation of the wholly state-owned Shenzhen Water (Group) Company.

Ken Loh

Front office manager

Langham Place Hotel

Mr Loh, who had worked at the Sheraton HK Hotel and Towers, was the revenue manager/assistant front office director of the Regal Airport Hotel prior to joining Langham Place.

Stephen Kenneally

Chief executive, HK

First State Investments (Hong Kong)

Mr Kenneally has responsibility for First State Investments' Hong Kong business as well as the company's new businesses in Indonesia and China, the latter to be established soon. Mr Kenneally moved from Australia to Hong Kong in July 2002.

John Berndt

Vice-president of operations, hotels division

Sun Hung Kai Properties

Mr Berndt will be responsible for enhancing quality and operational efficiency in SHKP hotels. He has 30 years' experience in hotels and was vice-president of operations at Harrah's Hotels and Casino in the US.

David Ling

Director within Asia credit derivatives

Barclays Capital

Mr Ling will be responsible for structuring and trading credit derivatives. He has traded derivatives in London, Zurich, Singapore and Tokyo for the past 10 years. He joins Barclays Capital in Hong Kong from ABN Amro Singapore, where he was a vice-president responsible for building up the structured credit derivatives business. Mr Ling also was previously a director at UBS Warburg.

Damian Coory

Director, Hong Kong

Edelman

Mr Coory will oversee Edelman's expanded crisis, issues management and training capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. He spent three years with Hill and Knowlton as deputy regional head between 1999 and 2002, based in Melbourne and Hong Kong.

Grace Gu

General manager,

Channel [V] China Star

Ms Gu will assume operational responsibility at Channel [V] China, reporting to Jamie Davis, president of Star China.

Sunny Tan

Chief financial officer

Luen Thai Holdings

Mr Tan, previously vice-president for finance, was instrumental in the recent successful listing of Luen Thai Holdings. Prior to joining Luen Thai in October 1999, he worked at Merrill Lynch's investment banking division. He holds a Master of Science degree from Stanford University.

Rocky Chu

Chinese restaurant operations manager, Hoi King Heen

InterContinental Grand Stanford

Mr Chu has previously worked at Jade Restaurant in the Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, and Furama Hotel in Hong Kong.

Bob Yang

Associate

Scott Wilson

Mr Yang joined the firm in 2003 and is now its deputy general manager in Tianjin, where he manages major urban planning and architecture projects.

Xia Hewei

Technical director

Scott Wilson

Mr Xia has extensive experience in the field of transport. He joined Scott Wilson in 1999 as general manager of the firm's China operations.

Lee How-chih

Director within Asia credit derivatives

Barclays Capital

Based in Hong Kong, Mr Lee will be responsible for structuring and trading credit derivatives. He joins from Credit Suisse First Boston, where he was a director of fixed income structuring, charged with developing and pricing credit derivatives and fixed income derivatives.

John Chrisman

Partner

Coudert Brothers

Mr Chrisman has a wealth of experience in international debt and equity offerings, as well as cross-border mergers and acquisitions.