Ms Dora Wai appointed Secretary General of LegCo Secretariat (with photo)

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council Commission (LCC) announced today (January 15) that Ms Dora Wai, serving Deputy Secretary General of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat, had been appointed to succeed Mr Kenneth Chen as Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat.
 
     The LCC conducted an open cum internal recruitment exercise to fill the post of Secretary General upon the retirement of Mr Chen. The LCC has appointed an executive search company to assist in this exercise. Ms Wai was selected by the LCC for the post of Secretary General. She will assume the post of Secretary General (Designate) from July 1 to 31, 2024, during which she will work together with the incumbent Secretary General, Mr Chen, to facilitate smooth handover. Mr Chen will proceed on pre-retirement leave on August 1, 2024, from which Ms Wai will formally take up the post of Secretary General.
 
     The President of LegCo, Mr Andrew Leung, who also serves as the Chairman of the LCC, said, "Ms Wai has worked in the Secretariat with exemplary performance for a long time and accumulated rich and extensive experience in various aspects of the Secretariat's services. With a comprehensive and profound understanding of LegCo's business, the Rules of Procedure and relevant procedural matters, she has rendered professional advice contributing to the smooth operation of the Council. As the current Deputy Secretary General responsible for overseeing nine divisions within the Secretariat, Ms Wai displays outstanding leadership and management abilities, as well as competence and strong passion for guiding staff towards embracing change and delivering high-quality service to LegCo consistently. The LCC and I consider that she best suits the position of Secretary General, and have complete confidence that she will continue to lead the Secretariat with utmost professionalism to serve LegCo in her new role."
 
     On the retirement of Mr Chen, Mr Leung remarked, "Since assuming the role of Secretary General in 2012, Mr Chen has been leading the Secretariat to overcome many challenges, including those arising from the heightened political tension among Members in the Sixth LegCo, the storming of the LegCo Complex in 2019 and the COVID-19 epidemic from 2020 to 2022, with dedication and professionalism. Throughout his tenure as Secretary General, Mr Chen has made enormous contributions to and played a pivotal role in steering the Secretariat to leverage information technology, re-engineer work processes and redeploy manpower to enhance the operation efficiency of LegCo and the Secretariat. On behalf of the LCC, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Mr Chen for his distinguished service and contribution to the Secretariat over the years, and I wish him a fulfilling and happy retirement after the completion of his service with LegCo in late July."
 
     The Secretary General is the chief executive of the Secretariat, providing guidance and direction to the organisation's over 600 staff members in supporting the work of LegCo and managing the facilities and services in LegCo premises. The Secretary General is also Clerk to LegCo as well as the leader of a professional team advising the President on all matters relating to the procedure of the Council. He/she is responsible to the LCC for the effective management of the Secretariat. In addition, he/she is the Controlling Officer of public money appropriated for LCC's performance of its functions, and is responsible for administering a remuneration and operating expenses reimbursement system for Members of the Council.
 
     A brief biography of Ms Wai is as follows:
 
     Ms Wai joined the LegCo Secretariat in 1993 and advanced to the position of Deputy Secretary General in 2021. She has accumulated diverse and profound knowledge, skills and experience. She has honed her leadership abilities through different roles, including servicing the Council and various committees, organising corporate functions, overseeing the operation of the Public Complaints Office, the Human Resources Office and the Accounts Office. Over the past three years as Deputy Secretary General, she has supervised the work of nine divisions within the Secretariat (covering Council and committee matters, administration, human resources, media and public relations, research, and translation, etc).