Ms. Ronna CHAO

Chief Executive Officer, Bai Xian Asia Institute

Ms. Ronna CHAO is CEO of Novel Investment Partners Limited, Chairperson of Novetex Textiles Limited, and a Director of Novelpark Investments Limited. Her responsibilities in these various capacities cover investment and portfolio management, property redevelopment, and textile manufacturing.

Prior to joining the Novel Group, she began her career in New York first as a Mergers & Acquisitions financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, and then as an associate in the Licensing Department of the lifestyle and apparel company Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.

Ms. Chao is also CEO of Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI). Initially funded by the Chao family’s Bai Xian Foundation (BXF), and with the support of five founding members, BXAI was established in 2014 to oversee the development and implementation of the AFLSP. Today, BXAI supports up to 100 scholars each year to study away from their home country or region at one of its 8 partner universities.

In addition, Ms. Chao serves as CEO of Bai Xian Foundation (BXF); Council Member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; External Advisory Board Member of the Campus Asia Program at Waseda University; Council Member of the Board of Council, UWC ISAK Japan; Member of the Advisory Board of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE), University of Oxford; Special Counsellor of Our Hong Kong Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors of Mother’s Choice; Ordinary Member and Director of the Yeh Family Philanthropy Limited; Board Trustee of Asia Society Hong Kong Center; Advisory Board Member of GoImpact; and Advisory Council Member of the Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society. She was also a Court Member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2010 to 2016. Ms. Chao is a Standing Committee Member of the 12th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Hong Kong CPPCC.

Ms. Chao has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brown University, and earned her M.B.A. from Stanford University. She also spent a year as an undergraduate at Keio University in Tokyo.

Ms. Agnes YEUNG

Manager, BXAI

Ms. Agnes YEUNG is the Manager at Bai Xian Asia Institute (BXAI) and oversees the development of the Bai Xian community under the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program while also supporting the overall development of BXAI.

Agnes received her master’s degree in non-profit management at The University of Hong Kong and studied abroad as an exchange undergraduate student at The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.  During her time in Sydney, a city known as a mixing pot of global cultures, her passion for intercultural learning was ignited as she made friends with people from all across the world and learned about different customs and cultures.

Since her undergraduate years, Agnes has continued to actively volunteer at an international social work organization to champion capacity building projects in developing countries.  Prior to joining BXAI, Agnes worked in corporate communications advocating corporate social responsibility and youth development.

In her spare time, Agnes enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies, and travelling.  She is an avid supporter of the performing arts and is always keen to explore the best of what Hong Kong has to offer!