Hong Kong is a city of change, and few have traced its evolution more closely than Christine Loh, co-founder and chief executive of public policy think tank Civic Exchange.

Ms Loh has become an authoritative voice in the public debate on issues ranging from politics to sustainable development on the back of her experience pursuing two previous, successful, careers – as a politician and before that, a businesswoman. She began her business career in 1978 as a commodities dealer for trading houses Philipp Brothers and Phibro Energy – divisions of Salomon, now part of Citigroup – at a time when Hong Kong was beginning its transition from a manufacturing base to a service-oriented economy.