Stanley Szeto is the Chairman & CEO of Lever Style Inc, a leading apparel manufacturer serving clients such as Armani Collezioni, Banana Republic, Hugo Boss, J Crew, John Varvatos and Paul Smith.

Established in Hong Kong in 1956, Lever Style’s 6,000 staff in four Mainland facilities produce over 10 million garments a year. Its products include men’s and ladies’ woven shirts, blouses, pants, skirts, suits, jackets and outerwear.

Mr Szeto joined Lever Style in 2000 and became CEO in 2001. Since 2000, the company has tripled in size, making it one of the fastest-growing companies in the apparel manufacturing industry. Since 2005, Lever Style has been reengineering the conventional garment manufacturing process to improve speed and flexibility. Hong Kong Trade Development Council and media organisations such as CNN have profiled Mr Szeto’s pioneering efforts in adopting such manufacturing systems.

Mr Szeto has turned Lever Style into a model corporate citizen. Since 2006, the company has been SA8000-certified. Its key customers, such as Gap Inc, have publicly lauded its exemplary labour practices. The company is also widely recognised as a leader in becoming environmentally sustainable. In 2008, the company was selected by the World Wildlife Fund as its first apparel industry partner for its Low Carbon Manufacturing Program.

Mr Szeto graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, triple-majoring in Finance, Entrepreneurial Management and Legal Studies. Prior to joining Lever Style, Mr Szeto worked at JP Morgan’s mergers and acquisitions unit, and later at Prudential Asset Management Asia Ltd. Mr Szeto served on the boards of portfolio companies, focusing on strategy and management issues.

Keenly involved in the industry, Mr Szeto has taken leadership positions in various trade associations such as Hong Kong Textile Council, Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers Association, Federation of Hong Kong Garments Manufacturers and Hong Kong Vocational Training Council.



Judges' Comments

• Committed to the industry
• Boldly accepts challenges
• Steady and determined