Jardines - A Legacy of Change with Dr. Ritchie Bent

Since its establishment in Canton (Guangzhou) in 1832, Jardine Matheson has grown into a global multinational corporation, employing more than 380,000 employees, operating in 50 countries, spanning various businesses including engineering and construction, aviation and shipping, motor vehicle manufacturing and trading, property, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, e-solutions, insurance, and financial services (www.jardines.com). It boasts a history that has been the subject well covered by best-selling novelists, famous historians, and Hollywood films, including “Taipan” and “Nobel House”.

Dr. Ritchie Bent, Group Head of Human Resources for Jardine Matheson Limited, who has just completed a quarter of a century with the firm, will take us on a unique journey, tracing the fascinating history of the Jardine group, from its opium trading days, until now, and one that has played an integral role in the founding and subsequent development of Hong Kong.

Dr. Bent is an historian holding a PhD, M.Sc, and a BA (Hons) History degree from the University of Hong Kong. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at HKU; an Honorary Teaching Fellow at University of Leicester (UK); and Visiting Professor at Edinburgh Napier University Business School (UK). He is also a Chartered FCIPD (UK), Fellow and Council Member of the Hong Kong Management Association, and Chairman of the HRD Committee.

After his talk, Dr. Bent will give us a tour of the 48th and 49th floors of Jardine House, an area that is usually not open to the public. We will view Jardine’s artwork collection – an eclectic mix that ranges from George Chinnery sketches to various oil paintings by different artists.

It will be a morning mingling history, business, and art with Dr. Bent’s humour and wit.