The Honourable
Allan Zeman
GBM GBS JP
Zeman in 2022
Personal details
Born (1949-07-18) 18 July 1949
Regensburg, West Germany
NationalityCanadian (until 2008)
Chinese (Hong Kong) (2008–present)
Political partyNew People's Party (Hong Kong)
SpouseCharmaine Zeman
Children2
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forDeveloping Lan Kwai Fong and running Ocean Park in Hong Kong
Awards2001: Justice of the Peace
2004: Gold Bauhinia Star
2011: Grand Bauhinia Medal
Allan Zeman
Chinese盛智文

Allan Zeman GBM GBS JP (Chinese name: 盛智文; born 18 July 1949) is a Hong Kong business magnate.

Background and personal life

Allan Zeman was born into a Jewish[1] family in Regensburg, Germany, and was raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where his mother worked in a hospital. When Zeman was seven years old, his father died.[2] He started working at the age of ten. He dropped out of college, and by the age of nineteen, while working for a lingerie company, he had earned his first US$1 million.[3]

He made his first fortune by importing clothes from Hong Kong. He frequently travelled to Hong Kong for work in the 1970s, and eventually moved there in 1975.[4] Zeman is married to Charmaine Zeman; they have two children: Jonathan Zeman and Marisa Zeman-McConnell.[5] He speaks English, French and some Cantonese, and is a teetotaler.[6]

Career

in 2009 at Ocean Park Hong Kong

In 1975, Zeman founded Colby International Group to source clothing in China and export it to Canada. In late 2000, by now a much larger and diversified company, Colby was sold to Li & Fung Ltd., a major competitor. In the early 1980s, Zeman felt that Hong Kong had no western restaurant that suited his needs, so in 1983 he opened California Restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong, a narrow street in Central, Hong Kong. He bought the entire block in 1984 and thus launched his career as both an entertainment operator and property developer. In 2000 Zeman sold Colby International for $280 million to Li & Feng.[7]

Through Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Ltd, of which he is chairman, he drove the development of Lan Kwai Fong to be one of the most important bar and night life districts in Hong Kong. He is said to own 65 percent of the district's properties.[4]

Meanwhile, as chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Concepts Holdings Ltd., he controls a number of restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong including California, California Coffee, China Lan Kwai Fong, Indochine, Tokio Joe, Cafe des Artistes, Tutta Luna, Jazz Club, Thai Lemongrass, BACI, BACI Pizza and Luna Di Notte.

In July 2003,[8] Zeman was appointed by the then-Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chee-hwa, to become the chairman of Ocean Park. He managed to raise visitor numbers despite the opening of rival Hong Kong Disneyland. By 2007, Forbes magazine dubbed him “Hong Kong's Mouse Killer”. By 2014, Zeman stepped down from the chairmanship.

Honours

In 2001, he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong, in 2004, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star and in 2011 he was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal.

Other business interests

Film and TV

A noted film producer, Zeman is chairman of Sweetpea Entertainment Inc., a film production company based in Los Angeles. He is also involved with After Dark Films, a movie company.[9]

Fashion

As well as having built and sold off the successful Colby group, Zeman is a director of Algo Group, another fashion business. In February 2007, he was named "Stylemaker of the Year" by Style Magazine (published by the South China Morning Post).

Property development

Zeman is a property developer and built the Andara Resort and Villas in Phuket, Thailand. In 2020 Zeman was working with Richard Li on a villa and golf course development in Phang Nga.[10]

Other

Zeman is chairman of Mesco Shipyard Ltd (shipbuilding) and DKA Ltd (public relations), and a director of Wynn Resorts.[11] He is a non-executive director of Pacific Century Premium Developments Ltd.[12][13]

Political activity

He supported Regina Ip, the former Secretary for Security in the 2007 Legco by-election in the Hong Kong Island constituency. However, she was defeated by Anson Chan.[14]

In 2017, he gave his support to Carrie Lam, who announced on 12 January 2017 that she would run for the Chief Executive role in Hong Kong,[15] which position she gained in March 2017.[16] By mid-2019 he was being cited as an economic adviser to Lam in her Chief Executive role.[17]

In 2019, he supported an independent inquiry into how police clashed with protestors, but has since flipped his position on the inquiry and said the city had moved on.[18] During his 2021 election campaign, his platform supported the safeguarding of national security.[18] Additionally, he commented on universal suffrage, claiming that "I'm not saying never universal suffrage, but if you bring it in too early, it creates divisions."[18]

Zeman ran in the Election Committee constituency of the 2021 Hong Kong legislative election but was not elected.[19]

In October 2022, after several US lawmakers warned US financial executives to not attend the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, Zeman said that "Hong Kong is nothing like what they talked about" and "It just shows how uninformed they are."[20] Zeman also said that Paul Chan, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the Summit, should be granted an exemption by the government to allow him to escape restrictions and attend the Summit, saying "That's the whole point of the financial conference, which is really to show to the world that the city is really opening up."[21]

In November 2022, Zeman said that there was no point to push for dropping of all COVID-19 restrictions, and said that "There is no point in continuing to talk about '0+0'. It’s more important to have targeted measures to make people's lives better."[22] A month later in December 2022, Zeman said that COVID-19 restrictions should be loosened, "I'm hoping that the government will really understand now that China has changed, it's time for Hong Kong to follow. Because the Chinese government is now sending a message to all citizens that Covid-19 is not so serious now."[23] On 22 December 2022, after some restrictions were dropped, Zeman said it was "best Christmas present for everybody."[24]

In February 2023, after tensions rose between the US consul general and the government, Zeman said "This US consul has made some bold statements, forcing the Chinese government to respond and protect itself."[25]

Official positions

Zeman is prominent in government circles, sitting on various committees, boards and advisory bodies. He is a long-standing member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Economic and Employment Council in Hong Kong. He is a board member of the Tourism Strategy Group for the Hong Kong Tourism Commission, the Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Urban Renewal Authority.[13] He is a member of the International Events Fund Steering Committee for the Hong Kong Tourism Board. He was appointed as a member of the Services Promotion Strategy Group, chaired by the Financial Secretary. He is on the Board of the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Hong Kong Community Chest.[13]

Citizenship

Zeman has long held the right of abode in Hong Kong; this entitled him to a Hong Kong permanent identity card. In addition, in September 2008, Zeman renounced his Canadian citizenship and became a naturalised citizen of the People's Republic of China,[26] as he said he has lived and worked in Hong Kong for 38 years and has always considered it to be his home. The Chinese citizenship, combined with his right of abode in Hong Kong, enables him to hold a Home Return Permit for entering mainland China, and a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport for international travel.

References

  1. ↑ Jewish Business News: "Allan Zeman’s Heart Is in Hong Kong" By Alan Gallindoss July 7, 2013
  2. ↑ "Meet 'n' Greet with Allan Zeman: full interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "A Conversation With Allan Zeman: The Father Of Lan Kwai Fong". Forbes. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 King of the hill looks to Hollywood's heights SCMP, 27 March 2006.
  5. ↑ Hong Kong Tatler: "Charmaine Zeman" retrieved April 10, 2017
  6. ↑ Chris Oliver.China’s King of ‘the Fong’ looks westward, 25 November 2010; accessed 17 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "How Lan Kwai Fong Group's Jonathan Zeman Is Navigating The Coronavirus Pandemic". forbes.com. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "法定機構「唐人」勢叮走". Oriental Daily News. 5 April 2012.(in Chinese)
  9. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (28 September 2006). "Lions Gate in Deal With After Dark Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Andara founder Allan Zeman launches golf resort in Phang Nga". thephuketnews.com. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Profile at Wynn Resorts, phx.corporate-ir.net; accessed 17 June 2014.
  12. ↑ Pacific Century Premium Developments Ltd, pcpd.com; accessed 17 June 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Allan Zeman profile, World Services Congress, chamber.org.hk; accessed 17 June 2014.
  14. ↑ Father figure boosts Regina Archived 20 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Standard, 2 October 2007.
  15. ↑ "Zeman backs Carrie Lam in chief executive race". 10 January 2017.
  16. ↑ Carrie Lam Wins Vote to Become Hong Kong’s Next Leader, New York Times: accessed 21 Aug 2019
  17. ↑ China's army may enter Hong Kong to 'quell' pro-democracy protests, adviser to Carrie Lam warns, ABC News; accessed 21 Aug 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 "Hong Kong leader's logic to link low Legco turnout to good governance 'flawed'". South China Morning Post. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  19. ↑ "40 EC lawmakers named, but Zeman, Fung lose". RTHK. 20 December 2021.
  20. ↑ "Hong Kong's finance chief, hit by Covid, aims to attend banking summit in person". South China Morning Post. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  21. ↑ "'Appropriate' plans for Hong Kong banker summit if needed after Chan Covid case". South China Morning Post. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "Don't be fixated on '0+0', Hong Kong leader John Lee says". South China Morning Post. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  23. ↑ "As Beijing eases Covid-19 rules, experts say Hong Kong should follow suit". South China Morning Post. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Easing Covid curbs "best Christmas present" for HK - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "Hong Kong tells US consulate general to stop 'scaremongering' over city's future". South China Morning Post. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  26. ↑ Jiang, Sijia (30 May 2014). "More Hong Kong expats seeking Chinese citizenship, minorities left out in the cold". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.