Honorary University Fellows
Mr Patrick Poon Sun-cheong is Chairman of Harvest SCP Group Company Limited. He has over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, and has served in multinationals such as AIA, Aetna, as the CEO and President of ING Insurance’s Greater China Region and as CEO of the China Pacific Life Insurance Company and the Chairman of its Operations Committee.
Mr Poon received his BSc (Hons) degree from HKU in 1970 and became the first Hong Kong born citizen to obtain full actuarial professional qualifications from the Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in the UK in 1975. He is also a Fellow of the Institutes of Actuaries of Australia, China and Taiwan. He is also an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and was Past President of the HK Actuarial Society.
Mr Poon has been a member of the University’s Court, is an Honorary Patron and a Member of the Board of Directors of the HKU Foundation, and a Member of the Honorary Advisory Board of the BSc (ActuarSc) Programme in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.
He supported the establishment of the Patrick Poon Lecture Series in Actuarial Science in 2003, the Patrick S C Poon Professorship in Statistics and Actuarial Science in 2011, the Patrick S C Poon Scholarship scheme, to be launched in 2011-2012, to support of the development of actuarial science talent in Hong Kong. During the Faculty of Science’s 70th Anniversary celebrations in 2009-2010, Mr Poon was named one of the Faculty’s distinguished alumni for his professional accomplishments and his contributions to society.
Citation delivered by Professor Sun KWOK, Dean of Science
Mr Patrick Poon Sun-cheong is Chairman of Harvest SCP Group Company Limited.
He received his BSc (Hons) degree from HKU in 1970 and became the first Hong Kong born citizen to obtain full actuarial professional qualifications of the Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in the United Kingdom in 1975.
Before joining the life insurance industry as an actuarial trainee at American International Assurance (AIA) in Hong Kong in 1972, Mr Poon worked as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service. He was posted back to AIA Hong Kong as head of the Hong Kong and Macau region in 1983.
In 1987 Mr Poon joined Aetna International. In 2000, he became CEO of Greater China for ING Insurance, and Chairman & President of the ING Life Insurance Company of America.
His compassion and vision led him to announce that all orphaned victims of the Taiwan earthquake of 1999 would receive insurance coverage from ING, which earned him and his company much admiration and respect.
In 2006 Mr Poon joined the China Pacific Life Insurance Company (CPL). As its CEO and Chairman of the Operations Committee, he modernised its corporate governance, management and operational practices.
CPL is the third largest life insurer in China and won the prestigious “The Best Life Insurance Company in Asia” award in 2010. After receiving the award on behalf of the company, Mr Poon retired as CEO last year.
Mr Poon is a Fellow of the Institutes of Actuaries of Australia, China and Taiwan. He is also an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and was Past President of the HK Actuarial Society.
Mr Poon’s books on managerial philosophy, Be Bold and Patrick’s Way, were best sellers in Taiwan in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Be Bold also won the prestigious Golden Tripod Award and was translated into Korean.
Mr Poon has been a member of this University’s Court, the HKU Foundation, and the Honorary Advisory Board of the BSc (ActuarSc) Programme in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.
The Patrick Poon Lecture Series in Actuarial Science was established in 2003, the Patrick S C Poon Professorship in Statistics and Actuarial Science in 2011, the Patrick S C Poon Scholarship scheme in 2011-2012, to support of the development of actuarial science talent in Hong Kong.
At the heart of Mr Poon’s support is a desire to help HKU secure its leadership position in the field of Statistics and Actuarial Science, and also, this personal and touching wish (and I quote):
“May the fine tradition of teaching and research at the University be strengthened and generations of students inspired”.
During the Faculty of Science’s 70th Anniversary celebrations in 2009-2010, Mr Poon was named one of the Faculty’s distinguished alumni for his professional accomplishments and his contributions to society.
It gives me great pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present Mr Patrick Poon Sun-cheong for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and academia.