Mr Lee Man-tat
Group Chairman, Lee Kum Kee Co Ltd
Nominator
Dr Roy Chung
Vice Chairman & Executive Director, Techtronic Industries Co Ltd
Lee Man-tat was born in Macao in 1929; his family came from Xinhui of Jiangmen City in Guangdong Province. Married to Choi May-ling in 1954, Mr Lee has four sons and one daughter, all of whom work in the Lee Kum Kee Group.
In 1954, Mr Lee joined Lee Kum Kee to assist his father Lee Shiu-nan in managing the business. In assuming the role of Group Chairman in 1972, he resolutely built a renowned brand of ethnic Chinese enterprise, which marked a new chapter of this reputable enterprise.
With endurance and an innovative spirit, Mr Lee is a business leader with foresight. With great aspiration and intelligence, coupled with diligent entrepreneurship, he successfully led Lee Kum Kee to grow and become a household name across the world. Today, Lee Kum Kee is without doubt the most prominent and internationally recognised Hong Kong brand name in the global Chinese sauces market. As an established household name, Lee Kum Kee sells products in over 100 countries and regions, and has become a symbol of quality and trust.
Mr Lee is committed to achieving the two objectives - promoting Chinese cuisine worldwide and modernising and promoting traditional Chinese herbal health products to people around the world. He has lived by the principles of pragmatism, integrity, and diligent entrepreneurship and led the Lee Kum Kee Group to expand continuously for the last three decades, giving it over 120 years of successful history. The prosperous development of its Sauce Products Group and Health Products Group has underscored Lee Kum Kee’s achievement as a role model for ethnic Chinese enterprises.
Mr Lee holds a strong belief in sharing the fruits of success and contributing to the community. He puts his belief into action with donations to educational and medical services; he is particularly supportive of promoting education in mainland China.
Judges' comments
- Role model for Hong Kong industrialists
- Great contribution to society
- Successfully took the Chinese family business to the world
