Gregory So
{{Use British English|date=February 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{family name hatnote|So (蘇)|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image=Gregory So (cropped).jpg
|name=Gregory So Kam-leung
|native_name = {{nobold|蘇錦樑}}
|native_name_lang = zh-hk
|birth_date={{birth date and age|df=y|1958|10|12}}
|birth_place= British Hong Kong
|party=Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
|alma_mater=Carleton University
University of Ottawa
|office=Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
|term_start=28 June 2011
|term_end=30 June 2017
Acting from 13 April 2011 – 27 June 2011
|predecessor=Rita Lau
|successor= Edward Yau
|1blankname=Chief Executive
|1namedata=Donald Tsang
Leung Chun-ying
|office1=Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development
|1blankname2 = Chief Executive
|1namedata2 = Sir Donald Tsang
|term_start1=2 June 2008
|term_end1=27 June 2011
|predecessor1= Position Created
|successor1= Vacant
|1blankname1=Secretary
|1namedata1=Rita Lau
}}
Gregory So Kam-leung ({{zh|t=蘇錦樑 |s=苏锦梁 |first=t}}) is the former Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong.
Education
So holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Carleton University and a double degree of Master of business administration and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa.Press release, [http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200805/20/P200805200121.htm "CE appoints Under Secretaries" (with photos)], Government Information Service, 20 May 2008, Retrieved on 21 June 2008.
Early years
So moved to Canada at age 16, returning to Hong Kong in the 1980s. He got married and raised his family in Canada.{{cite web |author=Bonnie Chen |url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=66613&sid=19135873&con_type=3&d_str=20080530&sear_year=2008 |title=Two surrender foreign passports to defuse row |work=The Standard |location=Hong Kong |date=30 May 2008 |access-date=4 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522081408/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=30&art_id=66613&sid=19135873&con_type=3&d_str=20080530&sear_year=2008 |archive-date=22 May 2011 |url-status=dead }} So left Canada in the late 1990s, after working as a lawyer in Ontario, and returned to work in Hong Kong. As a senior government official, So no longer has Canadian citizenship.
Career
= Professional career =
So is the senior partner of a solicitor's firm, member of the Hospital Authority, the Council of the Lingnan University, and the Commission on Strategic Development.
= Political career =
So was the vice chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong when he was appointed as Under Secretary. He resigned as the party's vice chairman then, but still maintain his membership.{{cite news|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_print.asp?art_id=66142&sid=19014731|title=High hopes for appointees|last=Lee|first=Diana|date=21 May 2008|work=The Standard |location=Hong Kong|publisher=The Standard Newspapers Publishing Ltd|pages=08 |access-date=9 April 2009}}
Between 2000 and 2003, So served on the Wong Tai Sin District Council and the Tsz Wan Shan Area Committee.
In 2008 he was nominated Undersecretary for the Commerce and Economic Development under the 2008 Political Appointments System, at the 'cost' of having to renounce his Canadian citizenship.Asia Times. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20090828151915/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JF03Ad02.html Asia Times]." Hong Kong deputies disappoint . Retrieved on 21 June 2008. "It was a tough decision. In doing so, I have also had to give up my legal practice qualification in Canada where I still have friends and relatives," he said
On 28 June 2011, So was appointed to succeed Rita Lau as Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development after she resigned for health reasons in April 2011.
On 6 May 2014, So's office and home received delivery of faeces after he told Hongkongers to tolerate incidents where Mainland visitors freely defecate and urinate on the streets of Hong Kong. So's comment came after a mainlander become violent to bystanders after they allowed their child to urinate in public in Hong Kong. Since receipt of the faeces delivery, So has also announced threats to the people responsible for stating their actions to be "very unwise."
Family
His brother, Kevin So Kam-wai, was sentenced to more than 6 years in jail for money laundering.{{Cite web |last=Standard |first=The |title=Brother of former commerce chief sees jail term extended to six years and three months |url=https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/194387/Brother-of-former-commerce-chief-sees-jail-term-extended-to-six-years-and-three-months |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=The Standard |language=en}}
References
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{{s-ttl|title= Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development|years=2008–2011}}
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{{s-bef|before= Rita Lau}}
{{s-ttl|title= Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development|years=2011–2017}}
{{s-aft|after=Edward Yau}}
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{{Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:So, Gregory}}
Category:Government officials of Hong Kong
Category:Carleton University alumni
Category:University of Ottawa alumni
Category:District councillors of Wong Tai Sin District
Category:Canadian people of Hong Kong descent
Category:Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong politicians