Lincoln Leong to head MTR Corp for next three years

Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen will take the helm of the MTR Corporation for the next three years after he was appointed CEO on Thursday at a "critical" and "challenging" time for the rail giant.

Leong, 54, took over as the acting CEO when his predecessor, Jay Walder, abruptly stood down last August after an internal report criticised his "poor judgment" over the delayed high-speed link to Guangzhou.

After a global search for Walder's replacement, the MTR said Leong will take office from Monday for three years - becoming the first head promoted to the position internally.

MTR chairman Raymond Ch'ien Kuo-fung praised Leong for having a good appreciation of the firm's strengths and where it needs to improve, adding he had the skills to help MTR to progress.

"With his wealth of management experience gained from both in and outside the corporation, the board is confident that he will be able to lead the corporation to achieve greater success," Ch'ien said in a statement.

Leong said he would be focused on how to improve MTR services. "Another priority will be to overcome the complex challenges of the rail projects we are building in Hong Kong," he said.