F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in Application Delivery Networking, today announced the promotion of Mr. Marcos Ong, Sales Director, as the General Manager for HK and Macau, F5 Networks with immediate effect. In his new role, he will be in charge of leading the F5 Networks team in the delivery of corporate strategy, including the development and execution of business plans and projects, establishing and maintaining key high-level relationships and ensuring the delivery of high caliber services to clients in Hong Kong and Macau. His remit is to further strengthen F5’s leadership position in the Application Delivery Networking market and contribute to the rapid growth for the company in Hong Kong. Marcos joined F5 in October 2005 as a Sales Director.

During his appointment as the Sales Director in the Hong Kong office, Marcos oversaw the sales and marketing activities. During this time, a significant growth in sales was recorded, further strengthening F5’s market share in Hong Kong.

“F5 is very committed in growing our business together with our partners,” said Linda Hui, Managing Director of F5 Networks, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “It is our pleasure to have Marcos promoted to General Manager of Hong Kong and Macau. With his extensive experience in sales and his sound technological background, we are confident that he will be able to build on the existing foundation and lead the two offices to achieve our targets.”

Prior to joining F5, Marcos Ong was Sales Manager for Symantec Hong Kong, Cisco Systems Hong Kong and Agilent Technologies.

Marcos holds a Bachelor Degree in Applied Science for Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Toronto.

United Airlines announced today the appointment of Sidney Kwok as director, Greater China. In this role, Mr. Kwok will oversee all of United’s passenger operations and service in both mainland China and Hong Kong. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Kwok was United’s director in mainland China.

Mr. Kwok has more than 30 years of experience in the airline industry. He joined United Airlines in 1998 as business manager and division controller, Pacific South in Hong Kong before he was appointed general manager, China in November 2000. During Mr. Kwok’s tenure as general manager in China, United Airlines was voted the “Best American Airline Serving China” three times by Business Traveller China from 2005 to 2007.

“The Asia-Pacific region has always been key to United’s growth and within this region, mainland China and Hong Kong are two very important markets,” says Mark Schwab, Vice President, Pacific, United Airlines. “Our recent introduction of United’s new, luxurious First Class Suite and Business Class cabin to Hong Kong, and eventually, to China, is testimony to our commitment to listen to what our customers say and give them what they want.”

In his current position, Mr. Kwok will be responsible for devising and implementing strategies to further strengthen United’s position as a leading transpacific carrier in Hong Kong and mainland China. Moreover, he will continue to play an instrumental role in fostering commercial relationships with Star Alliance members in mainland China including Air China and Shanghai Airlines.

“With more services between China and the U.S. than any other U.S. carrier, United has always been a key facilitator of culture and commerce between these two great nations. United also makes possible these exchanges with the U.S. for our southern China passengers through our daily services from Hong Kong to U.S. destinations," said Sidney Kwok, director, Greater China, United Airlines. "We are committed to continue investing in Hong Kong and mainland China to deliver even better products and services to our customers.”

United operates daily nonstop services between Beijing and Washington D.C.; Beijing and Chicago; Beijing and San Francisco, Shanghai and Chicago; Shanghai and San Francisco, Hong Kong and Chicago as well as Hong Kong and San Francisco. From Hong Kong, United operates daily nonstop services between the territory and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as between Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mr. Kwok is a native of Hong Kong and a graduate of the University of Hong Kong.

Ketchum Greater China, the Asia Pacific division of top-ten global public relations agency Ketchum and a member of the Omnicom Group, today announced the appointment of Ross Hughes as General Manager, Ketchum Shanghai. Hughes will immediately take over Ketchum Shanghai’s leadership role from Penny Burgess, who will remain to support Ketchum in a consulting capacity.

Ross Hughes brings to Ketchum over a decade of experience working in public relations in Greater China and Asia. His diverse knowledge and track record cover both in-house public relations roles and consulting for corporate communications, financial PR, public affairs and technology PR. Hughes is also well versed in crisis communications and media training and he will be responsible for providing strategic counsel to clients and driving growth for Ketchum Shanghai.

“Ross’ depth of experience in corporate and technology communications as well as his knowledge of Asian markets will be tremendous asset in helping clients overcome challenges in this highly competitive landscape. He will play a significant role in consolidating Ketchum’s leadership in Greater China,” said Kenneth Chu, Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum Greater China.

Prior to joining Ketchum, Hughes was with The Hoffman Agency as General Manager China. When he was in his role as the Hoffman General Manager Hong Kong, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the business and regional client accounts including Google and Dassault Systems.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Ketchum Greater China family as it’s renowned in the region for its excellent blend of local and international expertise and its ability to deliver sound counsel in China’s increasingly multicultural and multifaceted society,” Hughes said.

Hughes graduated from Griffith University in Brisbane with a BA degree in Modern Asian Studies in 1990. Hughes studied Chinese in Taiwan and is conversant in Mandarin.

Sun Life Hong Kong today announced the appointment of Jeremy Young as Vice President, Independent Sales. In this role, Mr. Young will be responsible for the development of Sun Life Hong Kong’s growing broker/independent financial adviser (IFA) sales. Mr Young will report directly to Roger Steel, CEO of Sun Life Hong Kong Ltd.

“Jeremy brings to us a wealth of experience in broker sales, and will oversee all current and future projects aimed at strengthening our position in this channel,” said Roger Steel, CEO of Sun Life Hong Kong. “These projects will include development of our IFA Fund Platform product, for which Jeremy has assumed immediate responsibility.”

Prior to joining Sun Life Financial, Mr. Young worked for AIG Life New Zealand, where he built sales significantly in his most recent roles as Head of Distribution and National Sales Manager. Prior to joining AIG New Zealand, Mr. Young spent five years as Business Development Manager for Sovereign Assurance, the largest wealth management provider in New Zealand, for which he managed over 100 adviser relationships. Prior to Sovereign Assurance, he was a broker with Summit Financial Group, one of New Zealand’s leading brokerage companies, for three years.

“These are exciting times to be joining Sun Life Hong Kong,” said Mr Young.

“Sun Life has recently made strong progress in developing sales through brokers and independent financial advisers, and I look forward to working with them to realise the full growth potential in this channel,” he added.

Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong is thrilled to announce the appointment of Shaun Campbell as general manager.

Shaun has more than 18 years hospitality experience with extensive management expertise in senior operations, marketing, revenue and food and beverage.

Throughout his career, Shaun has worked with numerous five-star hotel groups including Hyatt International, Marriott International and Mirvac Hotels in Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. Prior to joining Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong he was general manager of Hyatt Regency in Kolkata, India.

“My past experience within strong brands, combined with my marketing background, has reinforced the value of committed hospitality to provide a strong basis for guest satisfaction and loyalty. The success that Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong has enjoyed in the competitive market of Hong Kong is no accident. I am excited about joining a very professional, guest focused team and look forward to continuing to grow the hotel’s success and the Langham Place brand. It already feels like a great fit and I am extremely energized about being back working in Asia in such an exciting young brand,” commented Shaun.

An Australian national, Shaun is a business graduate of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia.

Anita Hou is a director of Forensic and Investigation Services at Grant Thornton. Anita comes with a variety of solid experiences in auditing, listing and investigation work. She handles both local and international enterprises covering a wide spectrum of industries including property investment, manufacturing, trading, retailing, infrastructure and construction. Anita is now specialising in providing services in forensic, investigation and litigation support assignments involving asset tracing and recovery, anti-money laundering investigation and compliance, as well as fraud investigations. She also handles assignments in relation to liquidation, bankruptcy and receivership.

Anita holds an MBA and is a Certified Public Accountant in Hong Kong. She is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Fanny Hsiang is a Partner of Professional Practice of Grant Thornton. She provides advisory services to the Firm's assurance practice and facilitates the proper application of accounting standard requirements.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Fanny has accumulated over 15 years of professional experience in international and major
accounting firms.

Fanny has extensive experience in financial reporting related work and researches on topical accounting issues. She specialises in financial reporting support in relation to Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Hong Kong Companies Ordinance requirements.

Fanny is a Certified Public Accountant (Practicing) in Hong Kong.

Estella Tsui is appointed as the marketing director at Grant Thornton effective 1 Oct 2008.
Estella takes charge of the Firm's marketing department and oversees the Firm's integrated marketing initiatives, including branding, communications, publications, PR, events and website. She is also a member of Grant Thornton International's international brand hub team.
Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2001, Estella has worked with a variety of companies ranging from trading to technology and telecom service to professional service. She has extensive experience in the marketing field especially in the areas of strategic marketing and communications.
Estella holds an MBA degree and majored in Translation in her bachelor degree.

Catherine Fung joined Grant Thornton recently as Director of Corporate Finance.
Catherine has spent over 14 years working in financial and investment advisory services, including extensive experience in the corporate finance sector for private and public listed companies in Hong Kong and China.
Prior to joining Grant Thornton, she served as a director and chief financial officer of a privately-held foreign investment enterprise in Shanghai for several years. Before that, she founded a licensed corporate finance advisory company in Hong Kong and advised on a wide spectrum of corporate finance transactions ranging from IPOs, takeovers, restructuring and asset disposals to mergers and acquisitions. She also held a senior position in an international securities house, and she was trained in Ernst & Young.
Catherine holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from The University of Manchester in England, and she also has a legal background.

Langham Place, Mongkok has appointed David Fung as their new director of sales and marketing.

David has over 20 years hospitality experience in Hong Kong and USA. His past experiences include five years as the director of sales at Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers (until 2007) and four years as the global account director at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, based in Washington DC.

David has also held a variety of senior sales management roles with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and with Hyatt Hotels International.

Throughout his extensive career, David has attained many professional achievements including corporate sales trainer of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Asia Pacific and recipient of sales person of the year with Hyatt Hotels in USA.

Proactive by nature, David was also the president of The Capital Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the USA’s largest meeting and convention association.

In his new role, he will work closely with the management team to ensure that the Hotel continues to maintain its position as a leading five-star property in Hong Kong.

Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS), the global leader in application delivery infrastructure, has appointed Victor Wong as regional director for Hong Kong and Taiwan. In his new role, Victor is responsible for developing the company's business, managing operations, and boosting revenue in these two important markets. Wong reports to Victor Tsao, Citrix's vice president and general manager for Greater China.

"Victor has a tremendous international technology company background plus an in-depth knowledge of the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets," said Tsao. "These factors make him an ideal choice to handle this demanding post and I am confident that he will have a strong impact on our business prospects."

Wong added: "I am very excited to join a market leader like Citrix and feel confident that my broad Asian IT experience will help the company to achieve even greater levels of success."

Before joining Citrix, Wong was senior director for SAP in Taiwan, where he spent two years managing sales, marketing and operations and achieved record performance levels for the company.

Previously, Wong held several regional roles for Business Objects including managing director, Hong Kong/Macau; alliance director Greater China; and managing director, Taiwan. He was responsible for setting up the Business Objects office in Taiwan and developing the company's business from the beginning.


Wong has also worked for Siebel Hong Kong/Taiwan and SAS Hong Kong. In 1994 he was employed by US ERP software vendor, SSA, becoming director with responsibility for leading the sales and presales teams in Hong Kong.

Victor Wong started his career as a programmer in 1989. He graduated from City University of Hong Kong with the major in Computer Studies. He also holds a postgraduate certificate of Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick in the UK.

The Excelsior, Hong Kong announces with great pleasure the appointment of Wendy Lee as Director of Communications.

Wendy joins The Excelsior, Hong Kong from J.V. Fitness Ltd. where she was the Regional Manager, Corporate Affairs, responsible for media relations, internal communications and new club opening events for California Fitness and mYoga.

Prior to her position at J.V. Fitness Ltd, Wendy worked for PR Consultancy Impact Asia Ltd., where she headed up the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group public relations retainer account for four years and was responsible for the pre-opening public relations campaign for The Landmark Mandarin Oriental and the renovation public relations campaign for Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

In her capacity as Director of Communications for The Excelsior, Hong Kong, Wendy will be responsible for the hotel’s overall communications direction and public relations strategy.

Previously Group Director of Corporate Engineering, Mr Suen will continue to lead the engineering function. He will manage and oversee the strategic implementation of the hotel engineering and standards.

Mr Suen has held a number of senior corporate roles. He was previously the Hong Kong-based managing director of The Viking Corporation, general manager of Kidde International and Technical Services Manager of Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels.

Mr Suen first joined the group in 2006 as Director of Engineering - Corporate.

In his new corporate capacity, he will play a vital role in formulating strategic engineering policies in hotel operations and hotel development worldwide. He also oversees new hotel projects to meet LHI’s corporate engineering standards.

Previously Group Director of Projects, Mr Wong will provide strategic guidance for Langham Hotels International’s new projects at a design level.

He will head up project development as LHI expands on a global scale, developing tailored on-brand solutions to deliver cutting edge designs to Langham Place branded hotels and timeless traditional looks which project innovative luxury hospitality for The Langham brand.

Mr Wong joined the Group in 2005.

He has been involved in a wide range of projects related to new hotel developments. He provides a strategic design overview for each new project to ensure integration into the Langham Hotels International portfolio.

Following his promotion to Vice President, Mr Wong will continue to oversee the group’s development of projects to ensure leading edge services and products are incorporated for guests to LHI standards.

TransUnion has named Lawrence Tsong president of its operations in East Asia, a new role he has accepted in addition to maintaining the managing director role for the company’s Hong Kong operations. In this new role effective immediately, Mr. Tsong greatly expands his responsibility for promoting and growing TransUnion's credit information and analytic and decisioning business throughout the region.

Mr. Tsong joined TransUnion in 2007 and has been an integral part of the company’s growth in Hong Kong, managing the day-to-day operations and introducing the use of advanced analytic and decisioning solutions to the financial markets.
“Since Lawrence joined TransUnion, he has made major contributions and built strategic relationships in the credit markets in Hong Kong and throughout the region,” said Andrew Knight, president of TransUnion’s international division. “We are extremely confident that he will continue to be a key figure at TransUnion, leading our efforts in demonstrating the economic benefits an active credit system brings to both businesses and consumers in emerging markets.”

Prior to joining TransUnion, Mr. Tsong was first vice president of United Overseas Bank group where he was responsible for establishing and managing the credit card business. From 1984 to 1998, he held various positions with American Express, the last one being the director of relationship management for the company in East Asia. In this role, he was accountable for long-term strategic card and merchant partnership programs, concentrating in the airline, hotel and retail merchant sectors.
Mr. Tsong holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Hong Kong.
Established in 1982 as Hong Kong’s first centralized credit database, TransUnion now maintains more than 21 million records of 3.8 million individuals and provides risk management services to businesses and direct to consumer credit information. Visit www.transunion.hk to learn more.

Barclays Wealth, the wealth management division of Barclays, has appointed Nitin Birla as Director, Head of Hong Kong Desk, South Asia, in a move to tap into the burgeoning potential of the South Asian high net worth community in North Asia.

In this newly-created role, Mr. Birla’s directive is to drive and execute the strategy for South Asian client acquisition in North Asia. He will report to Sandeep Sharma, Head of South Asia, who is based in Singapore.

Mr. Sharma said, “We are delighted to welcome Nitin to our team. Nitin has an impressive track record in building up similar businesses in his previous employment, and we are confident that he will be able to realize the mandate with his vast experience and in-depth knowledge of the South Asian high net worth community based in North Asia.”

Didier von Daeniken, Chief Executive of Barclays Wealth Asia Pacific said, “Asia Pacific is an important growth region for our private banking business, with North Asia making a strong contribution in terms of assets growth and client base. We are now just one of the few private banks to have coverage of the South Asian high net worth segment based out of Hong Kong, complementing a well-established Hong Kong-based team currently serving the North Asian markets.”

Prior to joining Barclays Wealth, Mr. Birla spent seven years as Executive Vice President at RBS Coutts in Hong Kong, where he instituted its private banking business and implemented the strategy for South Asian client acquisition in the North Asian markets of China, Hong Kong, Korea, Philippines and Taiwan. Before that, Mr. Birla spent six years building up Citibank’s Non-Resident Indian business in Hong Kong, where he successfully established and led a team of relationship managers servicing NRI clients based in North Asia.

Mr. Birla has twenty years of experience in the banking industry, having also held senior roles at Citibank in India, and BNP Paribas in Hong Kong.

Langham Place, Mongkok has announced the appointment of Melissa Tracey as executive assistant manager - rooms.

Prior to joining Langham Place, Melissa was director of rooms and second-in-charge to the general manager at Blue Sydney, A Taj Hotel. With over 10 years hospitality experience in Australia, Melissa has worked for various prestigious five star hotels in Sydney including Sheraton on the Park Sydney, W Hotel Sydney, Star City Hotel and Casino, and Sydney Marriott.

An Australian national, Melissa has two degrees including a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism from the University of South Australia.

Barclays Wealth has appointed Pheabe Chau as Singapore Head of Investment Specialists effective today, in a move that demonstrates its commitment in further strengthening its client servicing and advisory capabilities.

In her role with Barclays Wealth, Ms. Chau will oversee a team of Investment Specialists based in Singapore, and she will report to Thomas Fekete, the Global Head of Investment Specialists and the interim Head of Investment Specialists in Asia.

The Investment Specialist team offers Bankers an invaluable resource in advisory solutions, through adopting a systematic approach to asset allocation and risk management, providing strategic advice in optimizing returns and monitoring portfolios, as well as offering expertise across all asset classes.

Thomas Fekete said, "We are delighted to welcome Pheabe to our team. Under her leadership, we are confident that the team in Singapore will provide best-in-class investment advice and trade ideas across all asset classes to our private banking clients, and ensure that our offering continues to set the industry benchmark."

Didier von Daeniken, Asia Pacific Chief Executive of Barclays Wealth said, "The private banking business continues to thrive in Asia, and we are focused on expanding and building capabilities to further enhance
our range of services to our clients. This new appointment will strengthen our client servicing and advisory expertise, and ensure that we are well-positioned to take advantage of market opportunities."

Ms. Chau was most recently Senior Vice President, Investment Advisory at Coutts Bank von Ernst, responsible for setting up investment advisory services for the bank's private banking joint venture with Bank of China
in Beijing and Shanghai. She also spent three years with Coutts in Singapore, where she managed a team of investment advisors.

Prior to that, Ms. Chau held senior positions in various financial institutions over a 20 year span across Hong Kong and Singapore.

Sun Life Financial Asia today announced the appointment of Michelle Li as Vice-President, Human Resources, Asia.

In this role, Ms. Li will be responsible for all Sun Life Financial Asia’s regional human resources activities, including the development and implementation of strategy and human resources programmes and initiatives.

“Human resources is always a key component for the development of Sun Life Financial Asia. Michelle will play an invaluable role in ensuring we have a strong, motivated team to help drive our growth, and enhance the Sun Life Financial’s brand reputation across Asia.” said Stephan Rajotte, President of Sun Life Financial Asia.

“I am thrilled to be joining Sun Life Financial Asia,” said Ms Li. “I have been privileged to be involved in the rapid growth in the financial services industry across Asia – and look forward to participating in further exciting developments.”

Ms. Li joins Sun Life Financial Asia from Société Générale, where she was Managing Director/Head of Human Resources for the Corporate and Investment Banking area. Based in Hong Kong, she was responsible for the full spectrum of human resources for the Asia-Pacific region including Japan and Australia. Ms. Li has over 20 years’ experience in human resources in Canada and the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, she has worked in various industries including investment banking, insurance, information services and consulting.



Ms. Li holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, and an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa in Canada. She is also a Certified HR Professional (C.H R.P.) from Canada, and a qualified fellow of the Life Insurance Management Institute (FLMI).

Sun Life Financial Asia today announced the appointment of Riza Mantaring as Regional Chief Operations Officer, responsible for Sun Life Financial’s IT and operations across the Asia Pacific. Ms. Mantaring will report directly to Stephan Rajotte, President of Sun Life Financial Asia.

“By combining oversight of these functions under one regional head, we will strengthen our operations, improve efficiencies and aim for operational excellence across all our markets,” said Mr. Rajotte. “This directly supports the growth and customer aspects of our vision and strategy to 2012.”

Ms. Mantaring was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Sun Life Financial in the Philippines. She joined Sun Life Financial in 1992 in the Information Systems department, and has since assumed many different roles of increasing responsibility. In particular, she has held several operational roles over the last nine years, giving her a broad perspective and understanding of the operations of Sun Life Financial across Asia Pacific.

“I am very excited to join Sun Life Financial’s regional senior management team,” said Ms. Mantaring. “This is a challenging role and I am looking forward to helping Sun Life achieve greater success in the Asia Pacific.”

Ms. Mantaring holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines, and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science, from the State University of New York at Albany, USA.

Sun Life Hong Kong today announces the appointment of Belinda Luk as Senior Vice President, Pension and Group Business.

In this role, Ms. Luk will be responsible for Sun Life Financial’s Pension and Group business in Hong Kong, and will lead the third party pension administration business currently known under the name of BestServe Financial. She will report directly to Roger Steel, Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life Hong Kong.

“Sun Life is committed to the pension and group businesses in Hong Kong. Belinda Luk brings considerable experience in the pension and group business sectors. She will be the key driver and champion for advancing our presence in these markets,” said Mr. Steel.

“I am very happy to be joining Sun Life Hong Kong,” said Ms. Luk. “I am very impressed by the caliber and commitment of the senior management team as well as the drive to grow and expand our markets. I look forward to the opportunity to chart this new course in my career.”

Ms. Luk joins Sun Life from Manulife in Hong Kong, where she has held several senior roles in Pension Sales and Services as well as Individual Marketing. Prior to joining Manulife, Belinda held various senior positions in the advertising industry. Belinda holds a Diploma in Communications from Hong Kong Baptist University, and completed the Ivey Consortium Executive Program. She is also a Fellow of the Life Office Management Association (LOMA).

Barclays Wealth has appointed Manpreet Singh Gill as Asia Strategist, effective today. Based in Singapore, Mr. Gill will report to Michael Dicks, Global Head of Research and Investment Strategy. Mr. Gill will be responsible for driving research and providing in-depth analysis of regional markets. He will also focus on interpreting market economics and developing investment strategies for Barclays Wealth Private Banking clients in the region.
“The Barclays Wealth research team is committed to providing world-class research platform and product capabilities that are globally aligned but responsive to local clients' needs. The appointment of Manpreet Singh Gill in Asia will ensure that both local and rest-of-the-world views are delivered to clients and awareness of investment
opportunities is heightened,” said Michael Dicks.
Didier von Daeniken, Asia Pacific Chief Executive of Barclays Wealth added, “We are confident that this appointment will further enhance the ability of Barclays Wealth to service our Private Banking clients in Asia by delivering outstanding investment solutions to them.”
Before joining Barclays Wealth, Mr. Gill had been Economist and Strategist, Global Markets Group at ICICI Bank in India since 2005. There, he was responsible for driving macroeconomic research for Japan and the Eurozone, as well as developing investment strategies for structured products, with a focus on global FX.
Prior to that, Mr. Gill worked on dollar-bloc macroeconomic research at Infosys BPO and risk modelling for a number of markets at an American bank.
Mr. Gill graduated from INSEAD with a Master of Business Administration and holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

Langham Hotels International has appointed Stefan Heintze as General Manager of the luxury operator’s first boutique hotel - The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai which is scheduled to open at the end of 2008.

Stefan was previously the Director of Brand – The Langham Hotels and Resorts where he was responsible for developing and enhancing The Langham brand at a corporate level. He also served as Director of Development – Special Projects for the group.

“We are delighted that Stefan is leading the charge of this new iconic property adjacent to Nanjing Road as we open the first of our many properties in China,” said Nigel Roberts, Senior Vice President – Operations for The Langham Hotels and Resorts. “His corporate brand knowledge combined with his extensive operational experience will be telling as we introduce our enchanting brand footprint into Shanghai and China.”

In this new role, Heintze’s responsibilities will include overseeing the pre-opening and opening of The Langham, Yangtze Boutique located in the heart of Shanghai’s central business district, a stone’s throw from The People’s Square adjacent to Nanjing Road.

It is a boutique luxury hotel originally designed as an iconic masterpiece of art deco and neo-classic architecture by renowned architect Li Pan in the 1930s, and was once named "The Third Largest Hotel in the Far East".

The hotel will reopen as Shanghai’s only internationally-managed five star art deco boutique hotel once the multi-million dollar renovation is complete.

Stefan Heintze, General Manager says: “The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai will re-emerge with the 140-year legendary luxury hotel heritage of The Langham brand whilst reflecting the splendour of history and romance of Old Shanghai. This landmark property will combine yesterday’s charm with today’s amenities.”

The internationally managed boutique luxury hotel will feature 96 exquisite rooms and suites, including Chuan Residences which are directly connected to the hotel’s signature Chuan Spa which will pamper guests on their journey to wellness.

All five restaurants and bars in The Langham, Yangtze Boutique will be designed as destinations to see and be seen in their own right and feature distinctive characteristics.

The Japanese Mado Izakaya Restaurant & Bar will explode with colours, creativity and flavours of Japan, while T’ang Court will create a new dimension of innovation in Cantonese cuisine.

Two Western restaurants will form part of The Langham, Yangtze Boutique experience. Ciao - an Italian all-day-dining restaurant - will serve classic creations of the robust Northern Italian cuisine while Palm Court will offer authentic English afternoon tea in a tranquil setting of one of Shanghai’s true art deco lobbies.

The glamour and style of 1930s Shanghai is recaptured with the rooftop column-free Pearl Room hosting up to 250 guests. This new venue will be a wonderland for society events and magnificent meetings with bespoke Langham service featuring state-of-the-art facilities and classic art deco grandeur.

A seasoned hotelier and graduate of Lausanne Hotel School, Heintze brings a wealth of international experience to his position with a career spanning 18 years with international hotels and leading private clubs. He started his career with Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Centre where he acquired valuable pre-opening experience and food and beverage development. He has also held senior roles at Dusit Group properties as well as pre-opening General Manager of Palmerston Suites Tianjin Hotel, China.

The U.S. Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has appointed Captain Charles You to head the Port of Savannah's sales office in Shanghai. Until recently, Captain You served as the Port of Savannah's agent in Shanghai under an agreement with Wilhelmsen Ships Service Ltd. , formerly Barwil Agencies Ltd. In his new capacity and expanded role with the GPA, Captain You will oversee the Port of Savannah's carrier and sales initiatives in both Shanghai and North China. In addition, Captain You will work with the GPA's Trade Development Team in the United States as part of the GPA's new China-Savannah Initiative in which the GPA is working to grow its brand recognition and service capabilities among China's shippers.

The Port of Savannah, located in the State of Georgia along the U.S. East Coast, is the fastest growing port in the United States. The Port of Savannah ranks as the 4th largest U.S. container port, as well as China's second largest container port on the U.S. East Coast. It provides an array of express services for China's shippers targeting the U.S. Southeast and Midwest, a combined region served by the Port of Savannah that comprises 80% of the U.S. population.

“Having a very strong sales team in China – Teresa Yuen in our Hong Kong and South PRC office and Captain Charles You in Shanghai – allows the Port of Savannah to stay in constant communication with some of our largest customers,” said Georgia Ports Authority director of trade development, John M. Wheeler. “The GPA has enjoyed a long relationship with Captain You. He understands the Port of Savannah and he has an extensive background in the China-U.S. trade. Captain You's appointment to this very important position further illustrates the Port of Savannah's long-term commitment to serving the needs of China's carriers and shippers.”

Prior to joining the Georgia Ports Authority, Captain You served as deputy managing director of Barwil Huayang Shipping Service Co., Ltd for three years, A Wilhelmsen Ship Service joint venture in China. In addition, he served as a vessel captain with COSCO from 1997 to 2003, followed by fleet captain in Huayang Maritime Center for a year.

The GPA owns and operates deepwater terminals in the U.S. ports of Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia, as well as inland port operations in Bainbridge and Columbus, Georgia.

The GPA maintains sales offices in strategic locations around the globe. U.S.A.: Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia and Metuchen, New Jersey; Europe: Oslo; South America: Buenos Aires; Asia: Busan, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo; Indian Subcontinent: Chennai, Mumbai, and New Delhi; Australia / New Zealand: Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

SAS Institute, the global market leader in business intelligence software and services, announced the appointment of Cecil Ko as its general manager for Hong Kong.

Cecil Ko joined SAS in July 2008 with 20 years' management experience in the technology industry, especially in Greater China. In his new role, Ko will be responsible for overseeing the business development of SAS in Hong Kong, developing local strategies and directions which meet the corporate goals, and managing the operations of SAS Hong Kong office, including SAS professional services, and sales and marketing activities in Hong Kong. Prior to joining SAS, Ko was President of Greater China at Business Objects. He had previously held senior positions and gained extensive management experience at Oracle, and IBM China/Hong Kong and Canada.

"Cecil is an information technology visionary, with fruitful exposure to the Hong Kong and mainland China business intelligence markets, especially for the financial services and insurance sectors," said Alex Wong, president of SAS Greater China. "With our Hong Kong market development enhanced through Cecil's leadership, we are confident the SAS Greater China team can help the company to strengthen its position as the market leader for comprehensive business intelligence software and services."

Entering his new role, Cecil Ko said, "I am delighted to take on this new position at SAS, which is renowned for its cutting-edge, powerful business-intelligence solutions. Business intelligence is becoming more and more important in today's business environment. I look forward to leading our focused, dedicated team as we empower businesses in Hong Kong to make the right business decisions and enhance their business performance."

Specialising in Marketing Communications in the Broadcast and Hospitality industries, Ms Shng has over 15 years of working experience covering Singapore, China and Hong Kong.

Ms Shng joined the Group in 2003 as Director of Communications of the Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, Hong Kong and Eaton Hotel Hong Kong.

She became the Group’s Director of Public Relations in 2005 and has been responsible for developing strategic publicity campaign and media relations for the Group.

In her role as VP – Communications, Ms Shng oversees advertising, media and publicity campaigns while managing the Group’s global communications strategies.

Previously Group Director of Information Technology, Mr Lai will continue to manage the information technology services and lead the integration of new hotels into the Langham Hotels systems.

As the group expands on a global scale, he will not only ensure the information technology is unified for cutting edge reporting tools and optimal IT effectiveness, but also introduce technology transparently to wow our guests.

Barclays Wealth has appointed Andreas Kuhnle as Associate Director of Alternative Investments Product Development, effective June 2008. Based in Singapore, Kuhnle will report to Barbara-Ann King, Barclays Wealth Global Head of Alternative Product Development, and locally to Werner Schlossmacher, Head of Private Bank Coverage for Barclays Capital in Asia.

Trends indicate continued opportunities for wealth management firms to tap into growth markets around the world, including Asia. According to Barclays Wealth Insights Volume 5 'Evolving Fortunes', China and India are forecasted to be among the world’s top ten wealthiest countries by 2017 while the density of households with net wealth in excess of US$1 million is expected to reach 40.7 per cent in Singapore and 39.4 per cent in Hong Kong.

“We are delighted to welcome Andreas Kuhnle to the Barclays family. The development and growth of alternative investments and mutual funds is cri