Richard Li Tzar Kai (http://www.RichardLi2006.com)
is chairman of PCCW Limited, the largest provider of
communications services in Hong Kong and one of Asia's
leading innovators in Information and Communications
Technologies (ICT). In the mid to late 1990s, Mr. Li
helped raise awareness of the role of technology in
Hong Kong's economy through the creation of Cyberport
and by working together with the government, tertiary
institutions and the corporate sector to promote the
development and application of IT in the HKSAR. PCCW
itself funded dozens of technology start-ups, and the
company's early research in the delivery of information
over broadband led to its success today with IPTV and
mobile television.
Mr. Li first became interested in the
media and technology industries in 1990 when, in his
early twenties, he foresaw the opportunity for the creative
development of information and home entertainment services
in Asia. The result was STAR TV, Asia's first satellite-delivered
cable-TV service, which by 1993 had a viewer base of
45 million in 38 countries. Mr. Li sold STAR to Rupert
Murdoch's News Corporation and went on to form the Pacific
Century group of companies, including PCCW Limited.
PCCW launched the world's first major
IPTV service, now TV, in
2003; today it is the world's largest commercial deployment,
accounting for a fifth of all IPTV subscribers worldwide.
In 2006, the company launched its 3G service in Hong
Kong and delivered the world's first real-time broadcast
mobile TV service to 3G users. The company's ICT arm,
PCCW Solutions, has successfully established itself
as a leader in innovative and robust ICT solutions and
boasts more than 2,000 staff. The team has contributed
to multiple mission-critical projects for enterprises
and governments. The Smart ID Card System developed
by the unit has won international recognition and awards,
and has been widely accepted by the Hong Kong population.
Mr. Li serves the community as a Council
Member of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is
also fellow of Hong Kong Computer Society. Under the
guidance of Mr. Li, who is the Honorary Leader of PCCW's
corporate volunteers, the strongest team of its kind
in Hong Kong, the volunteers have been annually awarded,
since 2003, the Highest Service Hour Award (Private
Organization Category) by the Steering Committee on
Promotion of Volunteer Service. Mr. Li also sponsored
the annual ¡§IT camp,¡¨ which promotes mutual understanding
between local youths and their counterparts from Guangzhou,
Shanghai, Qingdao and other centers on the mainland,
while promoting the use of information technology and
nurturing tomorrow's IT talent. Under his leadership,
the team, aiming to take the benefits of modern IT to
less privileged sections of the community and strive
for eradication of the ¡§Digital Divide,¡¨ has partnered
with government and non-governmental organizations in
a number of innovative initiatives to meet IT-learning
needs. These included the establishment of a cyber learning
center, and provision of computers and broadband Internet
access service to enable job-seekers and patients to
surf the Internet.
Mr. Li is a member of the Center for
Strategic and International Studies' International Councilors'
Group in Washington, D.C., and the Global Information
Infrastructure Commission. Mr. Li is a U.S. licensed
jet pilot and a licensed dive master.
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