Ambassadors’ Committee
A small circle of committed and highly regarded members of the community, the Ambassadors help to define the strategy of the Fondation de France Asia, reach out to institutional and private partners, and represent the Fondation locally and internationally.
Andrew Yuen
Daryl Ng
Calvin Choi
Ambassadors’ Committee
A small circle of committed and highly regarded members of the community, the Ambassadors help to define the strategy of the Fondation de France Asia, reach out to institutional and private partners, and represent the Fondation locally and internationally.
Dr. Andrew S. Yuen
Dr Andrew Yuen is the deputy managing director of Dayton Group, his family business and one of the world’s leading OEM manufacturers of micro-electronic products such as heart rate monitors, sensors and parts for e-bikes.
A long-term philanthropist, Dr. Yuen is the co-chairman of Hong Kong Cancer Fund, Chairman emeritus of Le French May Arts Festival/Association Culturelle France – Hong Kong Limited, and vice-president of the Society of the Academy for Performing Arts, the Academy’s fundraising arm, and vice-president of Hong Kong Girl Guides Association.
Dr. Yuen is a trustee of the Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and sits on the board of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Society for AIDS Care.
Dr. Yuen was awarded “Knight in the Order of the Arts and Letters”, Knight in the Order of the Merit” and “Night in the Order of the Legion of Honour” by the Ministry of Culture of France.
Mr. Daryl Ng Win-kong, SBS, JP
Mr Daryl Ng Win-kong, SBS, JP, is Deputy Chairman of Sino Group, one of the leading property developers in Hong Kong, and a key player in hotel and hospitality. With the mission of Creating Better Lifescapes, Mr. Ng champions sustainability and drives integration into the Group’s business and operations. He is deeply involved in important schemes such as decarbonisation, carbon neutrality, deployment of renewable energy, plastic reduction, diversity and inclusion.
Mr Ng is a steadfast advocate of a sustainable development of the community. He has been driving and actively participating in youth development, volunteering, green initiatives, innovation, heritage conservation, as well as arts and cultural projects to build a better community.
He is instrumental to the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards launched in 2013 in collaboration with South China Morning Post. To better support the community and worthy causes promoting positivity, he has also founded the Hong Kong Community Foundation.
Mr Daryl Ng has established the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation, an independent platform promoting and deepening ties between Hong Kong and the ASEAN to build a community of shared future to reinforce Hong Kong’s international position and support future growth.
Keen to support Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology hub, Mr Ng has founded the Hong Kong Innovation Foundation, a holistic innovation ecosystem encompassing a wide range of platforms to serve different age groups and sectors.
In 2008, the Ng Family also set up the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation (HCF) to revitalise buildings and promote the appreciation of heritage conservation.
Dr. Calvin Choi
Dr. Calvin Choi is the founder of AMTD IDEA Under Dr. Choi’s leadership, AMTD became the first ever Asian company to become the global owner of top tier fashion and art media companies, such as L’Officiel and The Art Newspaper.
Dr. Choi is currently appointed by the HKSAR Government as a member of HKSAR Prisoners’ Education Trust Fund Investment Advisory Committee, a member of Hong Kong SAR Central and Western District Fire Safety Committee, and a member of HKSAR Brewin Trust Fund Committee.
He is also appointed as the Vice Chairman of China Young Entrepreneurs Association (“CYEA”), an Executive Committee Member of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (“ACFIC”), and serves as Vice Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation and its Chairman of Audit Committee for two consecutive terms since 2019. Dr Choi also serves as the Chief President of the Hong Kong Island Youth United Association, which unites 58 leading youth organizations in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, he serves as a member of the International Advisory Council (China) of Singapore Management University.
Dr. Choi was awarded “Knight in the Order of the Arts and Letters” by the Ministry of Culture of France in 2022.
Advisory Committee
A group of experts in their fields, the Advisors help to source and select relevant philanthropic projects, guide the governance and support the Fondation’s events.
Mr. Francis Belin,
President Asia Pacific, Christie’s
Francis Belin manages Christies Asia Pacific-based teams including the regional offices and is accountable for all the transactions of Asian collectors globally, across live, online, and private sales. Additionally, he oversees globally the Asian and World Art as well as the Luxury divisions.
Francis joined Christie’s in 2016 as Global Managing Director, Asian Art, from his previous role with Swarovski, overseeing their business in Asia Pacific. With 17 years of experience in premium and luxury consumer goods, Francis began his career in Management Consulting at McKinsey & Co in Europe and Asia.
He is a member of the Board of Advisors for Kids Earth Fund in Japan and serves on various boards as non-executive Chairman and Independent Non-executive Director.
He holds a degree in Management from the ESSEC Business School in France and a Diplom Kaufmann from the University of Mannheim in Germany, majoring in Business Administration and Psychology.
Mr. Hervé Guinebert,
Managing Director Hong Kong, Banque Transatlantique
Mr. Guinebet has joined the teams of Banque Transatlantique in October 2004. He ran the Banque Transatlantique’s office in Singapore from 2006 to 2012 and was the director of the subsidiary. Meanwhile, he was a member of the Board of the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and was its treasurer from June 2011 to June 2012.
After relocating to France, he became the deputy-director of employees ’shareholding plans (stock option plans and free shares), before returning to Asia in February 2014 to become the Managing Director of the Hong Kong office for all of North Asia.
He’s also Council member of the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and “Les Lumières de Paris”.
Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro,
Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS)
Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS). CAPS is a research and advisory non-profit organization based in Hong Kong and working throughout Asia. CAPS is committed to producing world-class, evidence-based research to help philanthropists, governments and social delivery organizations maximize the positive impact of private social investment.
Dr. Shapiro is the primary author of Pragmatic Philanthropy: Asian Charity Explained, published by Palgrave Macmillan in January 2018. She is the editor of The Real Problem Solvers, a book about social entrepreneurship in America. She also co-authored the book Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Buildings are Key to Asia’s Future. She has published articles in Nikkei Asia, the South China Morning Post, Alliance and Philanthropy Impact and is a regular speaker on issues related to private social investment in Asia.
Dr. Shapiro founded the Asia Business Council and served as its Executive Director since its inception in 1997 until May 2007. She spent the early part of her professional career in the field of international development. Within this field, she held management positions and built new program areas at the Academy for Educational Development, the Harvard Institute of International Development and Global Outlook. She holds a doctorate from Stanford University and master’s Degrees from Harvard University and George Washington University. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan.
Mr Nicolas Vanderchmitt,
Partner, Head of Hong Kong Office, LPA-CGR Avocats
Nicolas is a partner of the French international law firm, LPA-CGR and has headed the Hong Kong office since 2008. For over 20 years, he has been involved in all areas of business law, in particular mergers & acquisitions, venture capital, private equity and restructuring.
He regularly advises French and international clients on all phases of their set-up and development projects in Hong Kong and mainland China: company formation, legal and tax structuring, acquisition or fund-raising transactions, negotiation of regional joint-venture, consortium/ shareholders' agreements and commercial contracts (distribution/licensing/supply agreements). He also advises Chinese groups on their investments in Europe and Africa.
Nicolas plays a very active role in the French-Hong Kong business community, notably as Secretary General and member of the Executive Committee of the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Nicolas is a member of the Paris Bar and is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong.
Ms. Eva Yu,
President and Managing Director, L’Oréal Hong Kong
Eva Yu is the first Asian woman appointed by the L’Oréal Groupe as President and Managing Director for Hong Kong. During her time with L’Oréal in the last two decades, Eva has had a proven record of spearheading strategic growth, business transformation, people development, corporate reputation and responsibility while leading changes in the retail industry. Eva is devoted to empowering and nurturing her team, providing them with guidance and encouragement in personal growth and career advancement. Being an Asian female leader with many ‘firsts’, Eva sees herself as a keen advocate for gender equality and diversity.
In recognition of her remarkable contributions to fostering the business relationship and culture exchange between Hong Kong and France, Eva was honoured with the insignia of “Knight in the National Order of Merit” by the French government in 2021. Eva was also named the “CEO of the Year” by Hong Kong’s Capital Magazine in 2021 and “JESSICA Most Successful Women” in 2022.
Ms. Yu also currently serves as a Councillor and member of the Executive Committee of the French Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, the Vice Chair of the Asian University for Women Hong Kong Support Foundation, and an advisor for Fondation de France Asia
Hervé Guinebert
Ruth Shapiro
Nicolas Vanderschmitt
Board of Directors
Axelle Davezac spent the first part of her career as Chief Financial Officer at various large industrial groups. She then decided to join the philanthropy sector as managing director of the ARC Foundation for Cancer Research. She was previously treasurer of Comité de la Charte, board director of IDAF and Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire de Strasbourg and served two terms as Vice-President of France Générosités (union of the charity organizations in France), the most recent ending in 2019. Axelle joined Fondation de France in 2016. She currently sits on the board of directors of the French Foundation Center, Fondation Suez and the Board of Alliance Publishing Trust, and she is Vice President of the Management committee of the European Foundation Center (EFC).
Victoria Bjorklund is a Retired Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, an international law firm based in New York, where she founded and led the Exempt Organizations Group. She taught the Law of Nonprofits at Harvard Law School for nine years. In 1989, Victoria helped found Doctors Without Borders USA and today chairs its Board of Advisors. She chairs the Robin Hood COVID-19 Relief Committee, which has rapidly granted over $70 million to more than 575 community-based organizations aiding NYC’s needy, and previously chaired Robin Hood’s Superstorm Sandy and 9/11 relief efforts. She is also a director of Friends of Fondation de France, Robin Hood Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and she co-chairs the Planned Giving Advisory Committee at Princeton University.
Miles Hankin, has been a television news producer, communications consultant, and international peace and security NGO manager and advisor. He has produced public affairs television programming for the Council on Foreign Relations, public television, and NBC and ABC news.
Christopher Harris is a member of the international Management Team of PSJP (Philanthropy for Social Justice & Peace). He worked for a decade as the Senior Program Officer on Philanthropy at the Ford Foundation. Prior to that, he was a Senior Consultant to the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution (NOREF) in Oslo and the Bernard van Leer Foundation in The Hague. He currently serves on the boards of several foundations and nonprofits.
Originally trained as an anesthesiologist, Francis Charhon devoted his professional career to developing and transforming philanthropy in French territories. Francis started his career as President and Managing Director of Médecins Sans Frontières, a position he held for 15 years before undertaking the same responsibilities for Fondation de France for 25 years. He was also president of the European Foundation Center and now serves as member of the board. He created the French Foundation Center, where he served as chairman for 15 years.
Suzanne Siskel is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Asia Foundation based in San Francisco. She formerly worked in leadership positions for over two decades at the Ford Foundation’s Indonesia, Philippines and New York offices. She currently serves on a number of nonprofit and philanthropic boards. Suzanne is an anthropologist with degrees from Harvard and The Johns Hopkins University.