校友及成功商人 - 施熙德女士專訪 Interview with Ms. Edith Shih, an alumna and a successful business woman

Posted by stephen_admin 14/12/2010 0 Comment(s) The Rosarians,

校友及成功商人施熙德女士專訪

施熙德現為和記黃埔有限公司(「和黃」)的集團法律總監兼公司秘書。她亦是上市公司和黃中國醫藥科技有限公司的非執行董事、上市公司和記港陸有限公司的執行董事、和記企業有限公司的董事,以及和黃集團旗下多家公司的董事及公司秘書。此外,施女士亦是公司法改革常務委員會的成員及香港會計師公會理事會業外成員、香港特許秘書公會的副會長、其教育委員會的主席及香港聯合交易所有限公司上市委員會的會員。施女士持有理學(教育)學士學位、雙文學碩士學位及教育碩士學位。施女士亦是香港、英格蘭與威爾士以及澳洲維多利亞省之執業律師,以及特許秘書及行政人員公會及香港特許秘書公會之資深會員。

 

施女士與玫瑰崗學校的關係要從1964年說起。當時她於聖士提反女子中學附屬小學畢業後,便到玫瑰崗學校升讀中一,直至1969年完成中五後離校。施女士猶記得在玫瑰崗學校渡過的美好時光,期間還結識了許多朋友,直至現在仍會經常見面。她在校內非常活躍,每年都被選為班領袖生,中五時更加入學生會並擔任副主席。

 

離開玫瑰崗學校後,施女士前赴菲律賓國立大學繼續學業。當時菲律賓非常流行修讀牙科,施女士在俢讀過程中經常接觸哥羅芳,經過一段時間,才明白牙科並不適合她。她由於一直都很喜歡音樂,便決定攻讀音樂教育學位。

 

施女士修畢音樂教育課程後,於1974年回到玫瑰崗學校任教,同時撰寫文學碩士學位的論文。施女士是一位非常忙碌的教師,任教中一及中二逾20班的音樂課,以及一班中三的英語課。於七十年代,每班大約有45至50名學生,所以她的學生數以千計。我(採訪者)曾是她的學生,我告訴她,我只在她任教時在學校舞台上唱過一次歌。施女士認為學生必須參與其中,不應只坐在課室中學習,於是她會安排她的音樂學生上台獻唱。

 

施女士在玫瑰崗學校任教一年後,便前往美國繼續進修。她取得英語外語教學碩士學位及應用語言學教育碩士學位。每個人都需要在生命中作出選擇,施女士也不例外。如果她要從事應用語言學方面的工作,便需要完成博士學位,同時這也意味著很可能要在美國繼續她的職業生涯。但她心繫香港,一心想回港發展自己的事業,所以便決定轉行,前往英國攻讀法律並接受相關培訓。

 

1984年,施女士回到香港,於孖士打律師行任職律師五載。於1989年,她加盟和記黃埔/長江實業的公司,曾於由加拿大帝國商業銀行及長江實業合資擁有的金融服務公司CEF Holdings Limited負責企業融資方面的工作,其後調任和黃的策劃及業務發展部門,並於1993年出任和黃集團法律總監。施女士至今已為和黃服務近二十載。

 

施女士對玫瑰崗學校及玫瑰崗舊生會的支持從不間斷。她是玫瑰崗學校智囊團的成員,該委員會旨在幫助學校確立未來發展方向。她提議為學校50週年舉辦大型慶祝活動,並成為籌委會成員。她曾為學校現時的學生舉辦就業講座,最近還有份籌辦謝天仁神父八十歲壽辰晚宴。

 

施女士希望在此與玫瑰崗學校的新一代學生分享一些至理名言:

 

  • 行事要盡力,目光要遠大
  • 不斷學習,裝備自己,永不停步
  • 接受變遷,篤學不倦

 

她時刻緊記蘇格拉底的名言:

「智者有自知之明 — 唯一真正的智慧在於了解自己一無所知」

 

 

文:羅柏達

Interview with Ms. Edith Shih, an alumna and a successful business woman

 

 

Edith Shih is the head group general counsel and company secretary of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (“HWL”). She is also a non-executive director of Hutchison China MediTech Limited, an executive director of Hutchison Harbour Ring Limited, both listed and a director of Hutchison International Limited as well as director and company secretary of various HWL group companies. Edith is a member of the Standing Committee on Company Law Reform and the Council of The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is Vice President of The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Chairman of its Education Committee. She is also a member of the Listing Committee of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, Master of Arts degrees and a Master of Education degree. Edith is a qualified solicitor in Hong Kong, England and Wales and Victoria, Australia and a Fellow of both The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries.

 

Edith's association with Rosaryhill School started after completing primary school in St. Stephen's Girls' Primary School. In 1964, Edith entered Rosaryhill School as a Form 1 student and left after completing Form 5 in 1969. Edith remembers she had a wonderful time in Rosaryhill School, met a lot of friends who are still very good friends today and they still see each other regularly. She was a very active student; she was a class prefect every year and was a member and vice-president of the student council when she was a Form 5 student.

 

After Rosaryhill School, Edith went to the Philippines to continue her schooling at the University of the Philippines. At that time, it is very popular to study dentistry in Philippines. It did take long for Edith with the smell of chloroform to know dentistry is not for her. Then, as Edith has always been interested in Music and so she decided to complete a degree in music education. 

 

After completing her studies in music education, Edith returned to Rosaryhill School as a teacher in 1974, also to complete her dissertation for her Master of Arts degree. Edith was a very busy teacher as she taught music to over 20 classes of Form 1 and From 2 students, she also taught English to a Form 3 class. In the 1970's each class has about 45 to 50 students, so Edith taught a thousand students. I (the interviewer) was one of Edith's students; I told Edith that I only sang on the School's stage once - when she was my music teacher. Edith organised all her music students to sing on the stage, as she believes it is important for the student to participate; not just sitting through class room instruction.

 

After one year teaching in Roasryhill School, Edith went to US to continue her studies. She completed a Master degree in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages and a Master degree in Education in Applied Linguistics. Like everyone us, we all have to make choices in our life.  For Edith to develop her career in applied linguistic, she would need to complete her Doctorate in the area, also it would mean very likely that she would need to continue her professional career in the US. However, her heart is attached to Hong Kong; she would like to return to Hong Kong to develop her career, so Edith decided to change her profession, she completed her legal studies and training  in the UK. 

 

In 1984, Edith returned to Hong Kong, she worked in Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM) as a solicitor for 5 years. In 1989, Edith began her association with Hutchison Whampoa / Cheung Kong's companies. Edith had an opportunity to work in the Corporate Finance area for CEF Holdings Limited, a financial services company owned jointly by CIBC and by Cheung Kong Holdings. Then she worked in Strategic Planning and Business Development of HWLin 1991 became Head Group General Counsel of HWL in 1993. Edith has now worked for HWL for almost 20 years.

 

Edith has always supported Rosaryhill School and RHSOSA, she a member of the Rosaryhill School Think Tank, a committee to help the School to identify its future direction. Edith came up with the idea of organising a big celebration for the School 50th Anniversary and was a member of the celebration organising committee. Edith gave career talks to our present students and recently helped to organise the Father Xavier's 80th Birthday party.

 

Edith would like to share a few wisdoms to the new generation of Rosaryhill School's students; they are:

 

  • Achieve the best and always aim high
  • Learn, improve, always try to do better than yesterday
  • Accept changes and keep learning 

 

Edith holds a famous motto by Socrates close to her heart:

"The wise is the one who knows he knows not - the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" 


Interview: Patrick Rozario