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The State Council, on the nomination and recommendation by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, today (November 20) approved the appointment of Mr Nicholas W Yang as the Secretary for Innovation and Technology.
Mr Leung said, "Mr Nicholas Yang has extensive experience and an international perspective in innovation and technology. Since he took up the posts of Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology and Non-official Member of the Executive Council in March this year, he has provided me and the Government with constructive advice on the development strategy for innovation and technology, with a focus on how Hong Kong can make the best use of our advantages of 'one country' and 'two systems' and how we can strengthen co-ordination between the Government, industry, academia and research sectors. Mr Yang has also been maintaining close contacts actively with members of the Legislative Council and the industry to promote the establishment of the Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB).
"I strongly believe that Mr Yang is well suited for the Secretary post and would lead the bureau in formulating holistic policies and expediting the development of innovation, technology and related industries in Hong Kong."
With the establishment of the ITB, Mr Yang will no longer serve as Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology. He will continue to chair the Advisory Committee on Innovation and Technology.
Following are the biographical notes on Mr Yang:
Aged 60, Mr Nicholas W Yang graduated from the California Institute of Technology in the United States in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, followed by a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University in 1978 and 1982 respectively.
Mr Yang worked as a senior design engineer for Intel Corporation in 1978 and subsequently as a strategic management consultant for Bain & Company. He returned to Hong Kong in 1983 and pursued his career as Executive Director and Deputy Group Managing Director of Shell Electric Mfg (Holdings) Limited. He became senior consultant and director of several venture capital and private equity investment firms in 2002. Mr Yang was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited in 2003. He was Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 2010 to February 2015. He was appointed as Non-official Member of the Executive Council and Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology in March 2015.
Ends/Friday, November 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 08:46
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