HONG Leong Group Executive Chairman Mr Kwek Leng Beng was awarded the Singapore Tatler Diamond Award (Lifetime Achievement). It was the highest accolade presented at the 36th Anniversary Singapore Tatler Ball 2018 held at Capella Singapore in late October.

The award was in recognition of Mr Kwek's exceptional leadership that led Hong Leong Group to grow into a “globally-diversified giant with strong presence in the property, hotels, finance and trade & industry sectors and key offices across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America.”

In his acceptance speech, Mr Kwek thanked his wife Cecilia, whom he said gave up her professional career as a lawyer to look after the family while he pursued his career; he also thanked his two sons Sherman and Kingston for their understanding and support. Mr Kwek also attributed his success to the loyal and committed staff in the Group's companies both present and past who worked alongside him.

He said that it was a “pleasant surprise” to receive this recognition at his “mature age as a senior citizen”.

This is Mr Kwek's fourth Lifetime Achievement Award in the past four years. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) in 2014, Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in 2015, and Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) in 2017. He also received the “SG50 Oustanding Chinese Business Pioneers Award” by Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) in 2015.

The Singapore Tatler awards honour the most inspirational personalities for Community Service, Business, Society, Style and Culture, and is presented at the Singapore Tatler Ball, an annual black tie society ball. Past winners of the Diamond Award for Lifetime Achievement include Mr Liu Thai Ker, master architect and former Housing Development Board CEO and the late Mr S R Nathan, former President of Singapore.