The Honourable Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of HSH received the award from the 2009 Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific for his considerable contribution to the hotel industry in the Asia Pacific region and in the world through positive actions and significant contributions.

In accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, Sir Michael opined: "My grandfather, the late Sir Elly Kadoorie, used to say that wealth is a sacred trust to be administered for the good of society. For more than a hundred years, my family has been privileged to be given the responsibility to run several companies, and to use our gifts to offer greater opportunities in life to the disadvantaged.

"In my own time, I have witnessed great changes in the world. Our businesses have evolved and expanded, thanks to the incessant hard work and tremendous dedication from our family of over 6,500 HSH colleagues. I have been fortunate enough to be part of these changes and look forward to continual support from my colleagues and friends in the years to come."

Sir Michael Kadoorie was appointed a Director of HSH in 1964 and was elected Chairman in 1985. Under his leadership, the Company had expanded from its flagship Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, to opening Peninsula Hotels around the world, including Manila (1976), New York (1988), Beverly Hills (1991), Bangkok (1998), Chicago (2001), Tokyo (2007) and Paris (2012). Sir Michael has also led the Company to regain a presence in mainland China through the Peninsula hotel in Beijing (1989) and very soon, returning to one of the Company's two founding roots, Shanghai (2009).

Sir Michael Kadoorie is also Chairman of CLP Holdings Limited, Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited, Metrojet Limited and CLP Research Institute Limited. In addition, he is a Trustee of The Kadoorie Charitable Foundation. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2005 (United Kingdom), holds the Gold Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is an Officier de la Legion d'Honneur, a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and Commandeur de L'Ordre de Leopold II. He holds an honorary LL.D. from the University of Hong Kong and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from The Imperial College, London.