Mr George Joseph Ho is Chairman of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company, Limited (Commercial Radio), President of the Hong Kong Red Cross and Chairman of the Jessie and George Ho Charitable Foundation.
Mr Ho holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honour society; a Master’s degree in Law from New York University, and a Doctorate degree in Jurisprudence from Harvard University.
Following his graduation from Harvard, Mr Ho was admitted to the State Bar of California and appointed as Law Clerk to Justice Winslow Christian of the California Court of Appeal. He then engaged in the private practice of law in San Francisco for close to two decades, while serving as Chairman of the Board of Trans National Bank in California (the predecessor of Chinatrust Bank(USA)).
Mr Ho returned to Hong Kong in the early nineties to join businesses founded by his father, the late George Ho OBE, GBS, JP. In 1998, he was elected Chairman of Commercial Radio, whose Channels One and Two are widely regarded as the most popular radio channels in Hong Kong. That same year, he was also appointed as a director of Dairy Farm International. In 2006, the Hong Kong Red Cross awarded him a Medal of Honour and in 2019, elected him President. Mr Ho is also an Honorary Voting Member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
At the University of Hong Kong, the Jessie and George Ho Charitable Foundation has established three Endowed Professorships in the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine in Neuroscience, Spine Surgery and Visual Science respectively, as well as the Jessie Ho Memorial Postgraduate Fellowships and the M W Lo Memorial Scholarships.
Citation delivered by Professor Hualing Fu, Dean of Law
Mr George Joseph Ho is Chairman of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited (Commercial Radio), President of the Hong Kong Red Cross and Chairman of the Jessie and George Ho Charitable Foundation.
Mr Ho holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honour society. He also holds a Master’s degree in Law from New York University and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Harvard University.
After graduating from Harvard, Mr Ho was admitted to the State Bar of California and appointed as Law Clerk to Justice Winslow Christian of the California Court of Appeal. He then entered private practice of law in San Francisco for almost two decades, while serving as Chairman of the Board of Trans National Bank in California, which was the predecessor of Chinatrust Bank (USA).
Mr Ho returned to Hong Kong in the early 1990s to carry on businesses founded by his father, the late George Ho OBE, GBS, JP. In 1998, he was appointed as a director of Dairy Farm International and elected Chairman of Commercial Radio. Channels One and Two of the latter are widely regarded as the city’s most popular radio channels and their programming has been woven into the fabric of the city’s daily life for generations of Hong Kongers.
From a very young age, Mr Ho was profoundly influenced by his parents’ active participation i voluntary social services spearheaded by the Hong Kong Red Cross. His own involvement with the organisation began in 1999 as a member of its Advisory Board. The Hong Kong Red Cross awarded him a Medal of Honour in 2006 and today he leads the organisation after being appointed its President in 2019. His passion for improving the wellbeing of society made him a natural choice for the presidency of the Hong Kong branch of one of the world’s most recognised non-governmental organisations specialising in humanitarian work.
So it should be no surprise that Mr Ho also chairs the Jessie & George Ho Charitable Foundation, which was founded in 2003 by his late father, Mr George Ho. The Foundation’s mission, among other things, is to relieve the financial difficulties of those in need and people affected by natural disasters.
Supporting education through charitable funds, scholarships and bursaries is another key focus of the Foundation’s philanthropic work. It has long been active in the tertiary sector and HKU is grateful to have received the greatest share of the Foundation’s largesse to date.
In particular, the Foundation has established three Endowed Professorships in the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine in Neuroscience, Spine Surgery and Visual Science as well as the Jessie Ho Memorial Postgraduate Fellowships and the M W Lo Memorial Scholarships.
Although widely renowned for his down-to-earth manner and his understated graciousness, there is in Mr Ho a passion, drive and unwavering dedication to public service, philanthropic causes and making a personal difference – which has guided him day by day, year by year, throughout his life – which should serve as inspiration to us all.
Therefore, Mr Pro-Chancellor, it is my great pleasure to present Mr George Joseph Ho for the Honorary University Fellowship in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and academia.
