Carrie Lam

WHY HER? She became Hong Kong’s first female chief executive last year, the highest office in the region. Carrie first stepped into the public eye in 2007 when she became Secretary for Development.

OUT OF THE OFFICE When she’s not busy running the government, Carrie is a long-term supporter of the creative industries in Hong Kong and enjoys learning about what fashion designers, product designers and architects are up to in the city.

Pansy Ho

WHY HER? Pansy is group executive chairman and managing director of Shun Tak Holdings, which is involved in transportation, property, hospitality and investments, and is co-chairperson and executive director of MGM China Holdings. In early 2018, Pansy opened MGM Cotai, a 35-storey, 1,390-room hotel-casino just off Macau’s Cotai Strip.

OUT OF OFFICE As if she didn’t already have enough on her plate, Pansy is a dedicated philanthropist and is the driving force behind the annual amfAR Gala Hong Kong.  

Bonnie Chan-Woo

WHY HER? Marketing maven Bonnie advises and collaborates with some of the biggest companies in the world. She’s chairperson, CEO and executive director of Icicle Group, a marketing and branding company that has worked with everyone from global financial institutions such as Citibank to luxury brands—La Prairie, Lane Crawford and Salvatore Ferragamo among them. Icicle went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December last year.

SIDE HUSTLE Bonnie recently partnered with American rapper and record producer Lupe Fiasco to launch Studio SV, a Hong Kong-based entertainment studio dedicated to producing TV programmes, digital content and films for a global audience.

Winnie Chiu

WHY HER? Winnie is the president and executive director of hotel group Dorsett Hospitality International, which currently owns and manages 33 hotels in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

In 2017, Winnie announced that Dorsett will be expanding its business in the UK and is developing two new hotels in London, one of which is a 200-plus-bedroom property in London’s Canary Wharf. Winnie recently got engaged to Ho Pin-Tung, a Chinese-Dutch racing driver.

Laura Cha

WHY HER? A member of the Executive Council and chairwoman of the Financial Services Development Council, Laura has recently been appointed to the board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Rumours are swirling that this appointment paves the way for Cha to become the first woman to chair the stock exchange operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing in its 127-year history.

Michelle Ong-Cheung

WHY HER? Founder, director and creative head of Carnet Jewellery, Michelle is also the founder and chairman of the First Initiative Foundation (FIF), which aims to benefit Hong Kong locally and abroad through support of the arts, culture and heritage.

This year’s FIF fundraising ball is set to be the biggest ever. It will be Jurassic World-themed and begin with a dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. We won’t say anything else—we don’t want to ruin the surprises.

Bonnae Gokson

WHY HER? Dubbed the “Queen of Cakes” by the New York Times, Bonnae is the founder of restaurant Sevva, Ms B’s Cakery and C’est La B cafes. Bonnae’s cakes are cult favourites and can regularly be spotted on the Instagram feeds of the city’s most influential.

She’s also the author of the award-winning coffee-table book Butterflies and All Things Sweet. Fans of that tome are in luck, as Bonnae’s next book—about weddings—is scheduled for release this year.  

Cathy Lee   

WHY HER? Cathy is such a force on the charity scene that this year she was honoured by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, for her commitment to fundraising and raising awareness of people affected by HIV/AIDS. Among many other commitments, Cathy is goodwill ambassador of Chi Heng Foundation, patron of Save The Children Hong Kong and chairperson of the Friends of the Hong Kong Arts Centre.