Laura Cha

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Laura Cha Shih May-lung (Chinese: 查史美倫; born 5 December 1949) is a Hong Kong businesswoman and politician who served as the chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) from 2018 to 2024. She was the first woman to hold this position in the exchange's 127-year history. She is also the only woman to chair a Hang Seng Index member company.
She is also an independent non-executive director at HSBC Holdings Plc and a non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council, which advises the city’s head of government, according to her biography.
In November of 2024, Cha was inducted into the Futures Industry Association's Futures Hall of Fame, which was established in 2005 to commemorate outstanding contributions to the global futures and options community. She is a member of the class of 2025.
== Background ==
Born in Shanghai, she left China for the British colony of Hong Kong with her parents when she was two years old.
Cha has had a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors, playing a significant role in the development of Hong Kong and mainland China's financial markets. Cha began her law career at Pillsbury Madison and Sutro, a prominent law firm in San Francisco, California. Around 1994, she moved to Hong Kong and continued practicing law with Coudert Brothers.
She has held various high-profile positions, including vice-chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) from 2001 to 2004, making her the first person outside mainland China to join the central government at the vice-ministerial rank.
She has served as a non-executive director of Unilever and as a senior international adviser at Foundation Assets Management Sweden and a member of Sotheby’s international advisory board.
== Career ==
Cha began her career practicing law in the United States and Hong Kong. She joined Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission in 1991, rising to the position of deputy chairman in 1998. Her tenure at the SFC was marked by efforts to facilitate the listing of mainland Chinese companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
In 2001, Cha made history by becoming the first person outside mainland China to join the central government at the vice-ministerial level when she was appointed vice-chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. She served in this role until 2004, during which time she played a crucial role in the development of China's capital markets.
Cha was previously chairman of Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC), a government advisory body. As chairman of the Financial Services Development Council, she championed the introduction of dual-class shares in the city and was behind efforts to position Hong Kong as an offshore center for trading Chinese yuan.
Cha was appointed chairman of HKEX in 2018, becoming the first woman to lead the organization. During her tenure, she focused on elevating Hong Kong's international standing in the financial world, diversifying market products, and expanding the investor base beyond Asia. She also played a key role in introducing and attracting global talent to the leadership of the Group.
=== Awards and Recognition ===
Cha has received numerous awards for her contributions to the financial sector and public service. These include:
* Silver Bauhinia Star (2001)
* Gold Bauhinia Star (2009)
* Grand Bauhinia Medal (2017) 
* FIA Futures Hall of Fame (Class of 2025)
=== Legacy ===
In recognition of Cha's contributions to the development of capital markets, HKEX established the Laura M Cha Capital Markets Scholarship Programme in partnership with The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School in 2024.
== Education ==
Cha received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Juris Doctor (JD) from Santa Clara University in the United States. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1983.
== References ==	
Category:Hong Kong
Category:Stock Exchanges
Category:Former Regulators
Category:Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing
Category:Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing - Former Employee
Category:China Securities Regulatory Commission
Category:China Securities Regulatory Commission - Former Employee
Category:Securities and Futures Commission
Category:Securities and Futures Commission - Former Employee
Category:Futures Hall of Fame Members