The Government announced today (December 27) the following senior appointments:
(a) Miss Charmaine Lee Pui-sze, Director of Social Welfare, will take up the post of Permanent Secretary for Housing/Director of Housing on February 4, 2025;
(b) Mr Edward To Wing-hang, Deputy Secretary for Education, will take up the post of Director of Social Welfare on February 3, 2025; and
(c) Ms Priscilla To Kit-lai, Deputy Secretary for Security, will take up the post of Director of Home Affairs on February 3, 2025, to succeed Mrs Alice Cheung Chiu Hoi-yue who will proceed on pre-retirement leave in end January 2025.
Commenting on the appointment of Miss Lee, Mr To and Ms To, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said, "The appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new capacity."
Turning to Mrs Cheung who will proceed on pre-retirement leave, Mrs Yeung said, "Mrs Cheung has rendered 38 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community of Hong Kong. During her tenure as Director of Home Affairs, she played an instrumental role in rebuilding the community after the COVID-19 pandemic and improving governance at the district level. Under her leadership, the Department successfully implemented the improved district governance system, whereby District Councils were reformed, a high-level district governance structure was instituted, and District Services and Community Care Teams were set up to better serve the needs of the community. I wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement."
Brief biographical notes of the four officers are set out below:
Mrs Alice Cheung Chiu Hoi-yue
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Mrs Cheung joined the Government in May 1986. She served in the Executive Officer Grade before joining the Administrative Service in August 1992, rising to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2023. She has served in various policy bureaux and departments, including the former Civil Service Branch, the former Trade and Industry Branch, the Home Affairs Department, the former Trade Department, the Civil Service Bureau, the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, the former Home Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. She was Deputy Director of Environmental Protection from July 2016 to April 2019, Deputy Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing)/Deputy Director of Housing (Strategy) from April 2019 to April 2022, and has been serving as Director of Home Affairs since April 2022.
Miss Charmaine Lee Pui-sze
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Miss Lee joined the Administrative Service in August 1993 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2023. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Chief Secretary's Office, the former Home Affairs Branch, the Chief Executive's Office, the former Trade Department, the Trade and Industry Department, the former Education and Manpower Bureau (later renamed as the Education Bureau) and the Civil Service Bureau. She was Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs from August 2011 to January 2019; Deputy Head, Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (later renamed as Deputy Head, Policy Address Team, Chief Secretary for Administration's Office) from January 2019 to July 2022, and has been serving as Director of Social Welfare since August 2022.
Mr Edward To Wing-hang
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Mr To joined the Administrative Service in October 1996 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2024. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Security Branch (later renamed as the Security Bureau), the former Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo, the former Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau (later reorganised as the Development Bureau) and the former Transport and Housing Bureau. He was Principal Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology) (later renamed as Principal Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Creative Industries)) from June 2014 to February 2017; Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Creative Industries) from February 2017 to April 2020, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Education since April 2020.
Ms Priscilla To Kit-lai
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Ms To joined the Administrative Service in September 1995, rising to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2024. She has served in various policy bureaux and departments, including the Correctional Services Department, the former Health and Welfare Bureau, the former Information, Technology and Broadcasting Bureau, the former Environment and Food Bureau, the former Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, the former Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (later reorganised as the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau), the Education Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. She was Private Secretary to the Chief Executive-elect from May 2022 to June 2022, Private Secretary to the Chief Executive from July 2022 to February 2023, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Security since June 2023.
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