Swire News 2020 Issue 01

Issue 01 / 2020 A flying start HAECO Xiamen’s exciting relocation plans Waste not, want not Shaping the future of energy Eat sustainably The quest for seafood sustainability 1 contents CORPORATE NEWSWIRE ISSUE 01 / 2020 HAECO Xiamen has unveiled plans to relocate its entire operations to a state-of-the-art facility at Xiamen’s new Xiang’an International Airport, due to open in late 2023. More on page 20. 02 18 20 26 33 NEWSWIRE INSIDER CENTRE STAGE PEOPLE 150TH ANNIVERSARY IN HK Editor Cindy Cheung Deputy Editor Charlotte Bleasdale The Swire group is a multinational, multi-disciplined commercial group, with its principal areas of operations in the Asia Pacific region, and centred on the Greater China area. Hong Kong is home to publicly quoted Swire Pacific, whose core businesses are grouped under five operating Design I Production divisions: property, aviation, beverages, marine services, and trading & industrial. John Swire & Sons Barry Chu Limited, headquartered in the UK, is the parent company of the group. In addition to its controlling shareholding in Swire Pacific, John Swire & Sons Limited operates a range of wholly-owned businesses, including deep-sea shipping, cold storage, offshore and road transport logistics services, waste to energy, mining services, and beverage ingredients with main areas of operation in Australia, Papua New Guinea, East Africa, Sri Lanka, the USA and the UK. is published in Hong Kong, by the Swire Group Public Affairs Department. To view the digital version, please go to www.swire.com/swirenews Copyright©2020 ISSUE 01 / 2020 2 3 NEWSWIRE NEWSWIRE James Hughes-Hallett, who died Limited and shipping was to feature deep-sea merchant vessels built by a UK earth, with a disarming propensity to uncle. He was also Deputy Chairman of James on 12th October, aged 70, was Chairman prominently throughout his 40-year shipyard. He took over the Taipan’s role on self-deprecation, James, like Peter, was the Attingham Trust, which runs courses of John Swire & Sons Limited 2005-2015 career with Swire. His depth of knowledge 1st June 1999. an excellent ‘people person’: ‘a great in fine arts and architectural heritage, – becoming the first non-Swire or Scott and experience thus stretched all the mentor to others’, recalled a former a founder of the charity Art History in Wyndham John family member to lead the Swire group. way from the complex partnerships James Hughes-Hallett was born in London colleague. However, his easy affability hid Schools, and a trustee of the renowned Prior to this, he was Chairman of Swire that enabled China Navigation to in 1949. From an early age, he embraced an essentially private man, who possessed Dulwich Picture Gallery. Pacific and Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong effect the transition from conventional life with both hands. Growing up in the a formidable intellect. A true polymath, Hughes-Hallett for five and a half years. His Taipanship cargo handling to containers, to the 1960s on the Oxfordshire country estate he took a life-long pleasure in learning Cutting a slightly eccentric figure as he encompassed a period of unprecedented sophisticated, self-geared multipurpose where his father was land agent, he was for its own sake, reading voraciously and sped around central London between growth of the Mainland Chinese market; vessels that would become its trademark an audacious horseman; in adulthood, he enjoying an almost spiritual connection meetings on his bicycle, James was but also a deepening global recession in the Pacific. transferred his affections to motorbikes, with art – which he once remarked was also a governor of the School of Oriental 1949-2019 in the wake of the ‘dotcom bubble’ and which later cost him a lengthy spell in ‘all about interpreting memory in so many & African Studies and a non-executive 9/11, as well as, closer to home, the SARS James rapidly climbed the corporate hospital, after a nasty accident in Hong different guises’. In Asia, he indulged director of HSBC (2005-2014). On his crisis of 2003 – challenges he met with ladder, with spells in Hong Kong, Taiwan Kong. In his early outport bachelor days, this by building a collection of Chinese retirement from Swire in 2015, he was his habitual good humour, patience and and Japan – including a stint as Cathay he garnered a reputation amongst his and Japanese artworks and pursuing a appointed Chairman of Clarkson’s, the pragmatism. Pacific country manager. In 1989, he was peers as a hard-worker and hard-player scholarly interest in ceramics – to the shipping and services group. posted to Sydney, as Managing Director of – but endeared himself to local staff extent of taking lessons in the craft from Educated at Eton and at Merton College, John Swire & Sons Pty and right-hand to by taking enormous trouble, during his Japanese masters. James was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Oxford, where he read English, James Edward Scott, Chairman of the Australian various postings, to absorb and appreciate Star of Hong Kong in 2004 and was joined Swire in 1976, after first qualifying portfolio, which was then rapidly local culture and customs. He explored Back in London as group Chairman from appointed CMG in 2012. During his lengthy as a Chartered Accountant with the growing its cold storage and agricultural more literally on foot: trekking into the 2005, he devoted considerable energy illness, he continued to give his time – and London firm of Dixon Wilson. In his businesses and which also controlled a hills behind the cities where he worked outside of work to the mission of engaging was also a generous benefactor – to the application, however, he expressed his broad range of interests in Papua New – on one occasion, rescuing the new young people in art. He was Chairman of causes he held dear. hopes of moving away from that discipline, Guinea. He returned to Hong Kong in 1993, MD of Hong Kong port operator, Modern both the Courtauld Institute of Art, (where noting that Swire offered ‘…opportunities when he was appointed Chairman and Terminals, who had collapsed as they he oversaw a period of expansion of the James married first, Betsy Hall, (dissolved) which I think represent the kind of work I Managing Director of the China Navigation hiked the MacLehose Trail. school’s teaching and research roles), and secondly, Katrina Repka, who survive should now like to undertake. I should not Company, overseeing, inter alia, the and of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, him with his daughters. like to work specifically as an accountant arrival into the fleet of the company’s As Taipan, James carried on the open- a charity supporting the arts, as well as for John Swire & Sons…’ Indeed, his first first Capesize bulk carrier, Erradale, one door style of leadership introduced by environmental and social projects that had posting was to Swire Shipping (Agencies) of the largest – and also one of the last – his predecessor, Peter Sutch. Down-to- been established by his maternal great- ISSUE 01 / 2020 ISSUE 01 / 2020 4 5 NEWSWIRE CORPORATE CORPORATE NEWSWIRE Senior management appointments United States Cold Storage Larry Alderfer has been appointed President & CEO of United States Cold Storage with effect from 150th anniversary in HK 1st January 2020. Mr Alderfer This year represents a significant milestone for Swire, replaces David Harlan, who has when we celebrate 150 years of doing business in retired after 40 years of service, Hong Kong. To mark this important occasion, we have but will remain on the Board of commissioned a special logo for 2020 and the theme is Directors. Swire’s commitment to Hong Kong. This is expressed in the subtle graduation of the lines, representing our Swire Pacific and Swire Properties progress and development over time, while the colour gold St.John Flaherty, currently Senior Adviser to John Merlin discusses symbolises the prosperity and opportunities that Swire the group’s Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited, will also assume the group businesses create. Guangzhou responsibilities of Company Secretary for Swire investments with Mr Wen Guohui. Pacific and Swire Properties with effect from 15th Our anniversary will be commemorated by a series of January 2020. events in 2020 and a new book tells the story of the group’s transformation from a China Coast trading firm into the Cathay Pacific global conglomerate it is today. We will also be launching Paul Chow, currently Group General Counsel to an interactive exhibition on our Hong Kong history. A year- Meeting in Guangzhou the Cathay Pacific Group, will also assume the long celebration awaits: keep an eye out for more news on In October, John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited Chairman, China's New Round of Reform and Opening-up”. Prior responsibilities of Company Secretary with effect upcoming events over the next few issues of Swire News. Merlin Swire, attended the fourth Understanding China to the Guangzhou session, foreign delegates met with from 15th January 2020. Let’s make this milestone year a very special one! Conference, held in Guangzhou. Co-hosted by the China President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, Chinese Beijing. People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the 21st Century Council of the During his visit to Guangzhou, Merlin met with the city’s Berggruen Institute, the conference acts as an influential Mayor, Mr Wen Guohui, to brief him on the group’s Empowering young talent platform for disseminating China’s development strategies latest business developments. Mr Wen spoke very On 7th November, a gathering was to the world. Around 600 politicians, strategists, scholars highly of Swire’s investments in Guangzhou and said held to mark the conclusion of 2019’s and business leaders from 17 countries and regions that local government would fully support the group to “Scheme on Corporate Summer took part in the two-day event and there were in-depth expand its investment in the city.

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