IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Adrian Cheng, JP

Executive vice-chairman and joint general manager of New World Development Company Limited, founder of K11 and K11 Art Foundation, and executive director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, Adrian Cheng is a business entrepreneur and wellknown art patron. He weaved the new brand The Artisanal Movement into New World Group, which integrated a touch of artistry into its products and services.

Having graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) honours degree in East Asian Studies, Adrian Cheng joined New World Group since 2006 with the belief that everyone is an artisan who possesses the ability to appreciate art, design, architecture and every fine detail that elevates life. He introduced the concept into the family business empire by initiating The Artisanal Movement, which becomes the aspiration and driving force to the group’s vision–We Create, We are Artisans.

Cheng was appointed as the joint general manager of New World Development in March 2012, and later appointed as the executive vice chairman and joint general manager in April 2015. He oversees the group’s daily operations and has revamped the brand by introducing and implementing new strategies, policies and corporate culture.

He has successfully created a new hybrid model combining art and commerce through the introduction of K11—a new museum retail concept with high-end lifestyle art malls, offices and residences. These flagship K11 Art Malls were launched in Hong Kong and Shanghai in December 2009 and June 2013. Cheng intends to develop this innovative concept in eight cities across China, including Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenyang, Wuhan, Tianjin, Ningbo, etc. By 2021, 16 K11 projects will be created, providing a total gross floor area of 1.4 million square metres.

He also founded the K11 Art Foundation—the first registered non-profit organisation in China—to groom emerging contemporary Chinese artists and curators, as well as to promote public art education. It provides art education for the public through different forms and channels, including exhibitions, artist seminars, forums, K11 Art Village that started in 2010, etc.

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