The ruinous expenditure of the war, and the continual difficulties into which the Civil List had fallen, now roused throughout the country a strong demand for economical reform. The Duke of Richmond introduced the subject into the Upper House by moving, on the 7th of December, that an Address be conveyed to his Majesty representing the distress of the country, the heavy demands upon it for the complicated war, and recommending a reduction of all useless expenses; it also set out that profusion, so far from being strength, was weakness; that it behoved all classes of officials to consent to a curtailment of the lavish salaries; and that it would be a noble example in the Crown to take the lead, which could not fail of enhancing the love of the people, and diffusing an excellent influence throughout every department of the State. His grace represented that the vast military establishment by sea and land could not include less than three hundred thousand men; that, since the beginning of the American war the expenditure had added sixty-three millions of pounds to the Debt, and its interest, eight millions, to our annual payments. The interest of the Debt had now become of itself equal to the whole of our expenditure in years of peace before. He laid much stress on the belief that the example of the king would induce all orders of men to make equal sacrifices to the needs of their country. Richmond declared that he had no wish to curtail the pensions of those who had wasted their fortunes in the service of their country, as the Pelhams, for the Duke of Newcastle was said to have sunk five hundred thousand pounds during the years that he so fondly adhered to office. He gave the Ministers and the aristocracy credit for a disinterestedness which they did not possess. They admitted the vastness of the expenditure, and that there was wastefulness, and that they were desirous of economy; but they could not believe that any reduction of the Civil List would be sensibly felt, whilst it would reflect dishonour on the country, as if it were incapable of maintaining the Crown in due credit. Lord Chancellor Thurlow affected not to believe in the distress, or that any case of public extravagance had been made out. The Duke of Richmond's motion was negatived by seventy-seven votes against thirty-six.We must return from victory abroad to discontent at home. On the 28th of January, 1817, the Prince Regent opened the fifth Session of Parliament. In his speech he expressed indignation at "the attempts which had been made to take advantage of the distresses of the country for the purpose of exciting a spirit of sedition and violence;" and he declared himself determined to put down these attempts by stern measures. The seconder of the Address in the Commons had the good sense to believe that the demagogues and their acts would die of themselves. Certainly, if the demagogues had no cause on which to base their efforts, those efforts must have proved fruitless; and the wisdom of Government consisted in seriously inquiring whether there were such causes. To attempt to insure peace by smothering distress is the old remedy of tyrants, and is like heaping fuel on fire to put it out. Whilst this debate was proceeding, a message arrived from the Lords to announce that the Regent, on his return from the House, had been insulted, and some missile thrown through the windows of his carriage. The House agreed upon an Address to the Regent on this event, and then adjourned.In committee the Opposition endeavoured to introduce some modifying clause. They proposed that the Dissenters should have schools for their own persuasion; and, had the object of the Bill been to prevent them from endangering the Church by educating the children of Churchmen, this would have served the purpose. But this was not the real object; the motive of the Bill was the old tyrannic spirit of the Church, and this most reasonable clause was rejected. They allowed, however, dames or schoolmistresses to teach the children to read; and they removed the conviction of offenders from the justices of peace to the courts of law, and granted a right of appeal to a higher court. Finally, they exempted tutors in noblemen's families, noblemen being supposed incapable of countenancing any other than teachers of Court principles. Stanhope seized on this to extend the privilege to the members of the House of Commons, arguing that, as many members of the Commons were connected with noble families, they must have an equal claim for the education of their children in sound principles. This was an exquisite bit of satire, but it was unavailing. The Hanoverian Tories, headed by Lord Anglesey, moved that the Act should extend to Ireland, where, as the native population was almost wholly Catholic, and therefore schismatic in the eye of the Established Church, the Bill would have almost entirely extinguished education. The Bill was carried on the 10th of June by a majority only of seventy-seven against seventy-two, and would not have been carried at all except for the late creation of Tory peers.
ONE:The Opposition was in ecstasies: it was the first defeat of Ministers on a financial question since the days of Walpole, and in our time the Chancellor would have resigned. The blow seemed to rouse Chatham. Three days after this event, on the 2nd of March, he arrived in town, though swathed in flannel, and scarcely able to move hand or foot. He declared that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and himself could not hold office together. A few days, and Townshend would have been dismissed from office, and the country might have escaped one of its greatest shocks; but, unfortunately, the malady of Chatham returned with redoubled violence, and in a new and more terrible form. He was obliged to refuse seeing any one on State affairs.
ONE:An address, founded on this resolution, was carried to the king, who faithfully kept the word he had given nearly three years before. Chatham had then, through Lord North, sought to get his own pension continued to his second son, William Pitt, afterwards the celebrated Minister. On that occasion, George III. had declared that the conduct of Chatham of late had totally obliterated any sense of gratitude for his former merits; but that, when decrepitude or death should put an end to him as a trumpet of sedition, he would not punish the children for the father's sins, but would place the second son's name where Chatham's had been. He now consented to that; an annuity bill settled four thousand pounds a-year on the heirs of Chatham to whom the title should descend, which received the sanction of Parliament; and the Commons, moreover, voted twenty thousand pounds to pay the deceased Earl's debts. Both these motions passed the House of Commons unanimously; but, in the Upper House, the Duke of Chandos attacked the grants, and condemned severely the custom of loading the country with annuities in perpetuity. The bill was, however, carried by forty-two votes to eleven, though four noble Lords entered a protest against it, namely, Lord Chancellor Bathurst, the Duke of Chandos, Lord Paget, and Markham, Archbishop of York.
Guiding our corporate vision for success
HKBN is steered by a Board of Directors that intermingles a range of expert abilities for visionary thinking. Our board consists of eight Directors, comprising two Executive Directors, three Non-executive Directors and three Independent Non-executive Directors.
Bradley Jay HORWITZ
Chairman and Independent Non-executive Director
Bradley Jay HORWITZ was appointed as the Chairman and an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. In 2005, Mr. Horwitz founded Trilogy International Partners and has served as president and chief executive officer since it was established.
Bradley Jay HORWITZ was appointed as the Chairman and an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. In 2005, Mr. Horwitz founded Trilogy International Partners and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since it was established. Trilogy International Partners was established to acquire wireless international assets in Haiti and Bolivia and to develop additional international wireless assets, primarily in South America and the Caribbean. Prior to establishing Trilogy International Partners, Mr. Horwitz served as President of Western Wireless International, having founded the company in 1995 while also serving as an Executive Vice President of Western Wireless Corporation. Previously, he was a founder and Chief Operating Officer of SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited. Mr. Horwitz graduated from San Diego State University, U.S. with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1978.
Chu Kwong YEUNG (William YEUNG)
Executive Director
Chu Kwong YEUNG is the Executive Vice-chairman of the Group and an Executive Director of the company. Mr. Yeung joined the Group in October 2005 as Chief Operating Officer and became Executive Vice-chairman in September 2018.
Chu Kwong YEUNG is the Executive Vice-chairman of the Group and an Executive Director of the company. Mr. Yeung joined the Group in October 2005 as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing customer engagement, relationship management and network development. In November 2008, he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and became Executive Vice-chairman in September 2018. Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Yeung was Director of Customers Division at SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited, and served as a police inspector with the Hong Kong Police Force. Mr. Yeung holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hong Kong Baptist University, a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Strathclyde, U.K., and a Master of Science Degree in Electronic Commerce and Internet Computing from The University of Hong Kong. Mr. Yeung was recognised as Champion of Human Resources by The Hong Kong HRM Awards 2010. Mr. Yeung is one of our proud Co-Owners.
Ni Quiaque LAI (NiQ LAI)
Executive Director
Ni Quiaque LAI (NiQ LAI) is the Chief Executive Officer of the Group, and an Executive Director of the company. Mr. Lai joined the Group in May 2004. He has rich experience in the telecommunications, research and finance industries, and is passionate about developing HKBN Talents because he believes if you get the people right, the company will do great. Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Lai was an analyst and the Director and Head of Asia Telecom Research for Credit Suisse, where he was involved in numerous global fund raising initiatives for Asian telecom carriers.
Ni Quiaque LAI (NiQ LAI) is the Chief Executive Officer of the Group, and an Executive Director of the company. Mr. Lai joined the Group in May 2004. He has rich experience in the telecommunications, research and finance industries, and is passionate about developing HKBN Talents because he believes if you get the people right, the company will do great. Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Lai was an analyst and the Director and Head of Asia Telecom Research for Credit Suisse, where he was involved in numerous global fund raising initiatives for Asian telecom carriers. Mr. Lai holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Western Australia, and an Executive Master of Business Administration Degree from Kellogg-HKUST, Hong Kong. He is a Fellow member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) and CPA Australia. In March 2016, he was recognised as Best CFO by FinanceAsia Survey of Asia's Best Companies 2016 (Hong Kong). Mr. Lai is one of our proud Co-Owners.
Deborah Keiko ORIDA
Non-executive Director
Deborah Keiko ORIDA was appointed as a Non-executive Director and a member of the Nomination Committee of the Company on 20 November 2015. Ms. Orida is the Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Active Equities at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPPIB”), a substantial shareholder (as defined in Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance) of the Company.
Deborah Keiko ORIDA was appointed as a Non-executive Director and a member of the Nomination Committee of the Company on 20 November 2015. Ms. Orida is the Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Active Equities at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPPIB”), a substantial shareholder (as defined in Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance) of the Company. Ms. Orida joined CPPIB in 2009 in Toronto and has held senior leadership roles, including Managing Director, Head of Relationship Investments International, covering Europe and Asia, and was most recently Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Asia. Ms. Orida is responsible for leading Active Fundamental Equities, Relationship Investments, Thematic Investing, Fundamental Equities Asia and Sustainable Investing. Prior to joining CPPIB, Ms. Orida was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York and Toronto where she advised management teams and boards on mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. Prior to Goldman Sachs & Co., Ms. Orida was a securities lawyer at Blake, Cassels & Graydon in Toronto. Ms. Orida previously served on the Board of Directors of Nord Anglia Education and the Board of Directors of the Investment Committee of the Bridgepoint Health Foundation and was the Chair of the Board of Directors of Vitalhub Corp., a mobile healthcare startup company. Ms. Orida holds a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School and a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University, Canada.
Zubin Jamshed IRANI
Non-executive Director
Zubin Jamshed IRANI was appointed as a Non-executive Director, a member of the Audit Committee and a member of Remuneration Committee of the Company on 30 April 2019. Mr. Irani is a Partner with TPG Capital and leads the Asia Operations Group. He brings over 20 years' experience in building strong teams, driving performance and managing change within businesses.
Zubin Jamshed IRANI was appointed as a Non-executive Director, a member of the Audit Committee and a member of Remuneration Committee of the Company on 30 April 2019. Mr. Irani is a Partner with TPG Capital and leads the Asia Operations Group. He brings over 20 years' experience in building strong teams, driving performance and managing change within businesses. At TPG Capital, Mr. Irani has worked in the consumer, healthcare, financial services, telecom and technology sectors. Prior to TPG Capital, Mr. Irani was with United Technologies Corporation ("UTC") where he led the business in India which included Carrier Air-conditioning and Refrigeration, Otis Elevators and UTC Fire & Security. Mr. Irani started his career at McKinsey & Company and worked in the Cleveland, Detroit, Copenhagen and Mumbai offices, serving several multi-national clients with a focus on automotive, industrial and post merger management. Mr. Irani holds a Masters in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S. and a Bachelor of Technology in Materials Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India.
Teck Chien KONG
Non-executive Director
Teck Chien KONG was appointed as a Non-executive Director and a member of the Nomination Committee of the Company on 30 April 2019. Mr. Kong is a Partner at MBK Partners and is based in Hong Kong. With extensive investment experiences in both the telecommunication and media industries, he has led MBK Partners’ investments in WTT Holding Corp, China Network Systems Co., Ltd. and Gala TV Corp.
Teck Chien KONG was appointed as a Non-executive Director and a member of the Nomination Committee of the Company on 30 April 2019. Mr. Kong is a Partner at MBK Partners and is based in Hong Kong. With extensive investment experiences in both the telecommunication and media industries, he has led MBK Partners’ investments in WTT Holding Corp, China Network Systems Co., Ltd. and Gala TV Corp. Prior to MBK Partners, Mr. Kong spent five years at Carlyle Asia Partners, where he was Vice President and co-head of the Singapore office, and three years in the investment banking division at Salomon Smith Barney in New York and Hong Kong. Mr. Kong currently serves on the Board of Directors of Apex International Corporation, Teamsport Topco Limited and Siyanli Co. Ltd., and has experience serving on Board of Directors of Beijing Bowei Airport Support Limited, China Network Systems Co., Ltd., Gala TV Corp., GSE Investment Corporation, Luye Pharma Group Ltd and WTT HK Limited. Mr. Kong holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Business School, U.S., and has completed an executive management programme at Harvard Business School, U.S..
Stanley CHOW
Independent Non-executive Director
Stanley CHOW was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. Mr. Chow has over 21 years of experience as a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong and Canada, including more than 18 years of expertise in dealing with the Stock Exchange's Listing Rules during his time in private practice and as a senior manager at the Stock Exchange's Listing Division.
Stanley CHOW was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. Mr. Chow has over 21 years of experience as a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong and Canada, including more than 18 years of expertise in dealing with the Stock Exchange's Listing Rules during his time in private practice and as a senior manager at the Stock Exchange's Listing Division. Mr. Chow was a partner in the Hong Kong office of Latham & Watkins, an international law firm, from March 2009 to February 2014. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, Mr. Chow practised law with Allen & Overy, from November 1996 to January 2009 where he was a partner in its Hong Kong office for over 8 years. As a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong, Mr. Chow has advised on a broad range of corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions transactions. Prior to his time in private practice, he was a senior manager in the Stock Exchange's Listing Division from May 1995 to October 1996 and also practised law with Canadian law firms in Hong Kong and Canada. Mr. Chow is a member of The Law Society of Hong Kong's Company Law Committee and was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong in 1995 and in England and Wales in 1994. He was also admitted as a barrister and solicitor in British Columbia, Canada in 1994 and in Ontario, Canada in 1991. Mr. Chow graduated from Queen's University, Canada with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Quinn Yee Kwan LAW, SBS, JP
Independent Non-executive Director
Quinn Yee Kwan LAW, SBS, JP, was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. Mr. Law currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of Professional Conduct Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and is an advisor of the Hong Kong Business Accountants Association.
Quinn Yee Kwan LAW, SBS, JP, was appointed as an Independent Non-executive Director of the Company on 6 February 2015. Mr. Law currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of Professional Conduct Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and is an advisor of the Hong Kong Business Accountants Association which he was previously the Director and the Vice President of such Association. Mr. Law is currently an Independent Nonexecutive Director of Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. (stock code:1578) and ENN Energy Holdings Limited (stock code: 2688), both of which are listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange. From 1 August 2012 to 31 July 2018, Mr. Law was a council member cum Audit Committee Chairman at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. From 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2013, Mr. Law was the Deputy Chairman and the Managing Director of the Urban Renewal Authority, a statutory organisation in Hong Kong. Mr. Law is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He was admitted as an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators on 11 November 1980. In view of Mr. Law’s experience in reviewing or analysing audited financial statements of private and public companies, the Directors believe that Mr. Law has the appropriate accounting or related financial management expertise for the purposes of Rule 3.10 of the Listing Rules.
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A debate which took place shortly afterwards was characterised by a memorable scene. In the month of January, 1843, Mr. Edward Drummond, the private secretary of Sir Robert Peel, had been shot in the street at Charing Cross, by an assassin, named M'Naughten. The unfortunate gentleman died of the wound, and the wildest rumours agitated the town as to the motive which had prompted the deed. Many asserted that it was a political one. M'Naughten had been seen loitering in Whitehall Gardens, and had followed his victim from Sir Robert Peel's residence in that locality. It was at once rumoured that the Prime Minister was the intended victim. M'Naughten had come from Glasgow, and it was said that when the Queen was in Scotland Sir Robert Peel invariably rode in the royal carriage, and Mr. Drummond in Sir Robert's own carriage. If this were true, it was remarked, the assassin's confidence would have been complete when he saw Mr. Drummond actually leave the house of Sir Robert Peel. Although the assassin was afterwards proved to be insane, the fact, coupled with the political excitement of the time, made a painful impression upon the minds of public men.CABINET MEMORANDUM, NOVEMBER 6.The marriage of the Prince of Wales with Mrs. Fitzherbert was notorious; but as it was not openly avowed by the Prince, no steps were taken to dissolve it. But in 1794 the Prince had got a new favourite, the Lady Jersey, already a grandmother, but a young one. For her Mrs. Fitzherbert was dismissed, showing how little the Prince thought of the reality of the marriage with[442] that fair lady, and he now lived openly and ostentatiously with Lady Jersey, Lord Jersey being well contented with the arrangement for the sake of the good things he hoped to gain by it, being at once appointed Master of the Horse to the Prince. But the Prince's extravagance and gambling, by the practice of which, notwithstanding his own losses, he reduced his friends, one after the other, as the Earl of Moira, Sir Wallace Porter, and others, to beggary, had now brought him into extreme difficulties. His debts, after having been more than once paid off by Parliament, now again amounted to six hundred and thirty thousand pounds! Another appeal to Parliament was absolutely necessary, for his creditors were grown excessively clamorous. The king seized the opportunity to induce the Prince to marry a foreign princess, representing it as the only plan by which they could apply to Parliament for such an increase of means as would enable him to liquidate his debts. But instead of allowing the Prince to go abroad and make his own selection, so that there might be possibly some degree of freedom of choice in the matter, the queen was anxious to have her own niece, the Princess Louisa Augusta Amelia of Mecklenburg, selected for him. This Princess, afterwards the popular Queen of Prussia, was a good creature, and might possibly have wrought some favourable change even in so depraved a nature as that of the Prince of Wales. But the king was equally determined to secure the unenviable post for his own niece, Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, the second daughter of the Duke of Brunswick, who was one of the petty princes of Germany. To effect this arrangement, an attachment between the Crown Prince of Prussia and this Princess Caroline had to be rent asunder. The Prince was ready to fall in with any such bargain, on condition that he was liberated from his debts. It was certain that he would please himself as to the lady or ladies with whom he would really live. All obstacles of nature, or of nearness of consanguinity, or of private attachments were overborne by diplomacy, and by the promise of the discharge of the Prince's debts. The Princess Caroline of Brunswick was selecteda young lady of not unpleasing person in her youth, according to the descriptions of the time, but of defective education, and coming to this country with the repugnance of a prior and rudely-sundered attachment. She landed at Greenwich on Sunday, the 5th of April, 1795, and the marriage ceremony was performed at St. James's, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 8th. The Princess had not been ignorant of the dissolute character of her appointed husband, and his mode of receiving her was not calculated to inspire any brilliant hopes of his improvement. He had sent his mistress, the Lady Jersey, to meet her on landing, and he made no disguise of his connection with her before or after the marriage. The Memoirs of the time assert that Lady Jersey omitted no arts to render the Princess ridiculous and even disgusting to the Prince; but what chagrined him far more deeply was the breach of the promises held out to him of the discharge of his debts by a parliamentary grant or grants.
