Mrs. Cathy Lee
Goodwill Ambassador of Chi Heng Foundation
Our Founder, Chung To began his career as an investment banker with Lehman Brothers in 1991, working in corporate finance at its New York headquarters. He later joined the corporate finance/M&A division of UBS New York in 1993 and was later relocated to Hong Kong by the firm, after having lived in the U. S. for 13 years. Subsequently, Chung worked with numerous financial institutions in project and structured finance before he decided to put his investment banking career aside to work with Chi Heng on a full time pro bono basis. Chung received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree from Harvard University.
Chung founded Chi Heng Foundation in 1998 and is currently the Chairman. Since 2002, Chung has worked tirelessly in central China for children orphaned by AIDS, whose parents contracted the virus via unsanitary blood trade in the 1990s. Despite political sensitivity and other difficulties, Chung developed a systematic and sustainable program which currently sponsors the education and psychosocial care of 9,000 children whose parents have died of or are dying of AIDS in eight provinces in China. Viewed by many as a best practice model of its kind, the program has become the largest nongovernmental effort focusing on helping children impacted by AIDS in China. In addition to its direct service programs serving AIDS-impacted children and other vulnerable groups, Chi Heng has also raised significant awareness of AIDS among the public through organizing exhibitions, launching media campaigns and giving talks in universities. Named as “Ten Future Leaders of China” by People Magazine and “Ten Model Citizens in China” by Phoenix TV, Chung has been a visionary leader in the NGO field, contributing to the development of civil society in China through constructive dialogue with government leaders. Chi Heng’s program has been personally visited by supporters like former U.S. President Bill Clinton and NBA basketball star Yao Ming, and has received support from numerous organizations, such as UNESCO, The Global Fund and The Clinton Foundation. In 2006, Chi Heng became the recipient of the inaugural “Public Service Award” from the Asia Society.
In addition to his involvement with Chi Heng, Chung also was a Board member of AIDS Concern, an AIDS NGO in Hong Kong, for four years, including serving as its Chairperson in 2003. Chung has been a member of the Community Forum on AIDS since 1999 and the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS since 2008, both appointed by the Hong Kong Government. Chung was featured as “Ten Anti-AIDS Heroes in China” in 2004 by Southern People Weekly China, and as “Ten Most Touching Persons” in 2005 by China Charitable Foundation. He was a recipient of a “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” award of Hong Kong in 2003 and of the World in 2006. Chung has received numerous other awards, including “AIDS in Hong Kong for 20 years: Ten Most Inspiring Persons Award” (2004), “Rotary Centennial Service Award for Professional Excellence” (2005), the “Ramon Magsaysay Award” (2007), Hong Kong’s First “Humanity Award” (2007), and Hong Kong’s “Leader of the Year Award” (2008).
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