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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Commission announced today (June 28) that Mr Kenneth Chen has been appointed to succeed Ms Pauline Ng as Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat.
Mr Chen was selected by the Commission through an open-cum-internal recruitment exercise for the post of the Secretary General. He will assume the post of Secretary General (Designate) from August 6 to September 28, 2012, during which he will work together with the incumbent Secretary General Ms Ng to facilitate the smooth implementation of the handover arrangements for the post. Ms Ng will proceed on pre-retirement leave on September 29, from which Mr Chen will formally take up the post of Secretary General.
The President of LegCo, Mr Jasper Tsang, who is also Chairman of the LegCo Commission, said, "The LegCo Commission has high hopes on the appointment of Mr Chen as Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat. Mr Chen has extensive working experience, both in the private sector for 20 years and in the public service, to which he was appointed in 2008 as the Under Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government. Not only does Mr Chen have wide exposure in the management of organisations and staff, he also understands very well the structure and operation of the Government and the work of the Legislature.
"Mr Chen fully understands that the LegCo Secretariat is a highly professional team, with its staff members always remaining impartial and neutral in delivering quality services to LegCo Members and the general public. He has also demonstrated a strong passion for the Secretary General post and meets all the key competencies required for the post. I have every confidence that with his profound administrative and leadership skills and wide-ranging social network, Mr Chen will be able to discharge the duties of the Secretary General efficiently and effectively," added Mr Tsang.
Mr Tsang also extended his gratitude and appreciation to Ms Ng for her dedication and contribution to the Legislature over the past 22 years. He said, "Ms Ng was a civil servant on secondment to the then OMELCO Office from 1990 to 1994, and joined the LegCo Secretariat when it became independent of the Government in 1994. During her four-year tenure as Secretary General, Ms Ng has successfully led the Secretariat to overcome all the challenges and difficulties and served the Council with enthusiasm and professionalism. She also played a pivotal role in steering the relocation of the Council to the LegCo Complex in September 2011. I sincerely wish her a happy retirement after the completion of her work with the Council in late September."
The Secretary General is the chief executive of the Secretariat, providing guidance and direction to the Secretariat's 500 staff in supporting the work of the LegCo and managing the facilities and services provided in the LegCo Complex. The Secretary General is also Clerk to the LegCo and the principal adviser to the President of LegCo on procedural matters. He/she is responsible to the Chairman of the Commission for the effective management of the Secretariat with complete political impartiality. In addition, the Secretary General is the Controlling Officer of public money appropriated for the Commission's performance of its functions, and is responsible for operating a system of remuneration and office expenditure reimbursement for Members of the Council in accordance with the relevant financial regulations that apply.
The LegCo Commission conducted an open-cum-internal recruitment exercise to fill the post of Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat upon the retirement of the incumbent Secretary General Ms Ng in September 2012. To assist in the recruitment exercise, the Commission has appointed an executive search company to identify suitable candidates for the consideration of all the members of the Commission.
A brief biography of Mr Chen is as follows:
Mr Chen, aged 47, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University, a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he worked in a number of major firms as a management consultant and as a private equity investment manager. He served as a part-time Member of the Central Policy Unit of the HKSAR Government between 1998 and 2000. He joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 2000, where he occupied various senior management positions until 2008. Mr Chen was appointed as Under Secretary for Education in July 2008.
Ends/Thursday, June 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:31
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