Ronnie Chan Chi-chung, GBM (born 1949), whose family comes from Shunde in Guangdong, is a Hong Kong businessman and honorary chairman of Hang Lung Group and Hang Lung Properties. His father, Chan Tseng-hsi, founded Hang Lung Group in 1960, making it one of the leading property companies of post-war Hong Kong. Chan was educated in Hong Kong and then in the United States, earning an MBA from the University of Southern California. He joined the family firm in 1972, was appointed to the board in 1986, and in 1991, after his father's death, became chairman of both the listed Hang Lung Group (HKEX: 00010) and Hang Lung Properties (HKEX: 00101). As chairman he turned Hang Lung from a Hong Kong developer into a group spanning property development, investment and management. From 1992 the company expanded aggressively into mainland China, investing in large commercial projects in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Wuxi, Jinan and Dalian, with Shanghai's Plaza 66 and Grand Gateway 66 becoming landmarks of the mainland's upscale retail property and giving Hang Lung a reputation for developing only prime commercial assets. Over a chairmanship lasting thirty-three years he stressed financial prudence and counter-cyclical investing, keeping the group's finances resilient through the Asian financial crisis and repeated property downturns. Beyond business, Chan has been active in public affairs, serving as a vice-president of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, chairman emeritus of the Asia Society and of its Hong Kong Center, and chairman of the executive committee of the Better Hong Kong Foundation, and he has often spoken publicly on the economy, education and Sino-American relations. He was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal in 2017 and, through Hang Lung and the Chan family foundation, has supported education, healthcare and the arts. In January 2024 the company announced his retirement; on 26 April 2024 he stepped down as chairman of both companies and from all board roles, was named honorary chairman, and was succeeded by his son, Adriel Chan.
Taking charge of Hang Lung in 1991, Chan recast it from a Hong Kong developer into an investor in prime mainland commercial property. Shanghai's Plaza 66 and Grand Gateway 66 became benchmarks of upscale retail space, and his emphasis on quality assets and counter-cyclical investing shaped the way Hong Kong developers expanded north.
Achievements
- 1972 · Joined the family-founded Hang Lung Group
- 1991 · Became chairman of Hang Lung Group and Hang Lung Properties
- 1992 · Hang Lung began expanding into mainland China with large commercial projects in Shanghai and elsewhere
- 2024 · Stepped down as chairman and from all board roles, becoming honorary chairman, with Adriel Chan succeeding him