Bernard Charnwut Chan is a deputy to the National People’s Congress of China, a non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and from 2012) and (from 2017) the Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council. He is also a former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008). A graduate of Pomona College in California, he is the President of Asia Financial Holdings and Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd. He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in the financial services and manufacturing sectors. He also joined the governing board of the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund in Hong Kong.

Among his public service activities, he is Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd., Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Chairman of The Jockey Club CPS Ltd. Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food and Chairman of the Steering Committee on Restored Landfill Revitalisation Funding Scheme. Past positions include Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Condition of Service as well as Council Chair of Lingnan University. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and a Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government. He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong and the Open University of Hong Kong. He is married and has two children.