The Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong
The Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong is the officially recognised body to promote Irish business in Hong Kong.
Starting out in a new country can be daunting.
If you’re establishing a business, you must consider issues like legal compliance, human resources management, supply chain management, and financial management.
You also need to find suitable work premises and overcome language barriers and cultural differences.
And if you’re coming to Hong Kong as an individual to work, study or live, you need to find housing and navigate the healthcare and school systems.
You may be looking for a job, trying to build a social network, or hoping for a friendly face in the crowd.
It’s a lot to deal with.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get help from a friendly group of people who’ve already been through all those issues and survived?
As a member of the Irish Chamber of Commerce, you’ll make new friends with years of practical experience in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia.
As a member of the chamber, we can help you with
- Networking Opportunities: Gain access to a network of professionals in various industries and build relationships
- Housing, healthcare, education and other essential services to get you quickly settled in and navigating the city with ease
- Getting involved in the local community to foster a more comprehensive social and business network
- Building a local job-finding network and learning about obtaining work permits or visas
- Finding courses, workshops, seminars, and training programs to help you develop new skills and advance your career
- Making new friends and building a social network
We’ve been there before, and we’ll be there for you.
Contact us, or join us at one of our events to see what we’re about. (At the very least, we can always suggest a few good restaurants.)
From a forum to a chamber
The Irish Chamber has its roots in a group of Irish business leaders who, in 1989, founded the Irish Business Forum: a platform to network and develop opportunities in Hong Kong.
In 2007 the Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.
What the Irish Chamber is for
- Be the connection point for Irish business community in Hong Kong
- Promote cultural and commercial ties between the island of Ireland and Hong Kong.
- Provide value to our members by delivering initiatives and events that satisfy the demographic demands of our members
- Represent the Irish business community on external forums and bodies such as government think tanks, cross chamber events etc.
- Be an efficient and financially viable organization
The Board
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Pádraig has been involved with the Irish Chamber in Hong Kong since 2018, initially as treasurer and vice president, before being elected President in 2023.
Pádraig is a German Rechtsanwalt, English Solicitor and Foreign Registered Lawyer with Boase Cohen & Collins Solicitors & Notaries as well as in-house counsel to Swiss based Asset Manager OLZ AG. He also is founder of Precious Metals Asia, a well established physical bullion trading house in Hong Kong. From 2019 to 2025 he was director and responsible officer of Hong Kong based Asset Manager OLZ (Hong Kong) Limited with an unrestricted type 4 (advising on securities) and type 9 (asset management) license issued by the SFC in Hong Kong.
Before moving to Hong Kong Padraig practiced law with international law firms and lived in Frankfurt am Main, London, New York and Singapore. Coming to Asia in 2008 he was initially based in Singapore, before moving to Hong Kong in 2013. In Hong Kong, starting in 2013, he built a multi-billion dollar physical precious metals trading house with a global client base. He also holds a number of advisory board positions.
Padraig continues to be a fully licensed German attorney and English solicitor, with degrees and research experience at Passau University (Germany), King’s College London (United Kingdom) and St. Anne’s College Oxford (United Kingdom). Outside of work you can find Padraig involved with the Irish community in Hong Kong, playing the occasional round of golf, or spending time on his farm in Southeast Asia.
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Besides being involved with the Irish Chamber for many years, Henry also connects the Irish Chamber to the Intercham Network as well as the EuroCham, where he acts as treasurer on the board.
Henry Au is a serial entrepreneur, experienced board member, lecturer, crypto enthusiast, and advisor with a demonstrated history of senior management role in financial and high-tech industry. Over the years Henry has held various positions within the corporate world e.g. Senior Manager MIS Cathay Pacific, Advanced Development Group at CitiBank, VP New Development at ABN Amro, Regional Director Asia Consumer Group (MSN) and CIO The Carlyle Group
Henry sits on a number of advisory boards, is a Mentor of Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and is a highly sought-after speaker. Henry is currently the Chairman of Trinity College Dublin Alumni, Hong Kong and Macau
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Maria brings over 30 years of international experience in brand strategy, design and go-to-market, spanning both agency and client side. Her career covers a wide range of sectors, consumer lifestyle, yachts, shipping, whisky, furniture, finance, technology and jewellery, building brands from initial brief through to launch across digital and physical touchpoints in both B2B and B2C channels.
Maria helps businesses entering Asia turn strategy and positioning into brands and customer experiences that are meaningful, memorable and commercially effective. She builds tailored, multi-disciplinary teams to match each organisation’s needs, drawing on a vast network of global creative talent.
A storyteller and visualiser, she brings bold, collaborative energy to every engagement, ensuring organisations expanding into Asia don’t just enter the market, but stand out in it.
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Stephen was a commercial barrister in Ireland for a number of years before relocating to Hong Kong in 2015. Stephen was General Counsel for Hong Kong’s first unicorn, focusing on providing a wide range of legal support to a rapid growth technology company. Subsequently, Stephen co-founded Sors Digital Assets in early 2018, a Web 3.0 financial services platform for the digital asset industry. SORS, through its broker-dealer affiliate Black Manta Capital Partners, regulated in Germany, can facilitate the delivery of regulated services including Security Token Offerings. Stephen is passionate about the value that blockchain and DLT can bring to financial markets and believes in the long term growth of this sector.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Trinity College Dublin, a Masters Degree in International Politics from Trinity College Dublin, a Barrister-at-Law Degree from King’s Inns Dublin, a Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation from University College Dublin, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Aircraft Leasing and Finance from the Law Society of Ireland
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Alexander May is the APAC Head of LynxCap Investments AG, a Swiss Fund management company. LynxCap specialises in the acquisition and workout of real estate-backed NPL portfolios originated by commercial banks in Europe. LynxCap’s primary offerings are a Luxembourg-listed high yield investment grade bond and separately a tailored co-investment structure. Alexander was a corporate transactional and commercial lawyer in Asia for over two decades, focusing primarily on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity investments, data acquisitions and privacy, and brand licensing and manufacturing. He was most recently in corporate advisory and the head of data privacy at Hill Dickinson Hong Kong. Alexander has a bachelor’s degree in political science, a tertiary specialization in Chinese foreign policy and a doctorate degree in law. He also holds both CIPM and CIPP/E certifications from the IAPP. Alexander is multilingual and speaks English, French, Mandarin and Spanish.
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Philip has been in recruitment, with a particular focus on finance and technology, for decades. He has been involved with the Irish Chamber similarly long, and has been the bridge between the Irish Chamber and all the other Irish institutions in Hong Kong, such as the St Patrick’s Society, GAA and the Rugby teams.
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Ivan Theodoulou is the founder of Eight Public Relations in Hong Kong, bringing over 30 years of experience in driving brand visibility, integrated communications, and C‑suite advisory across Asia Pacific. He specialises in PR, media relations, thought leadership, and B2B growth strategies, delivering measurable impact for clients across technology, legal, professional and financial services, logistics, and other sectors.
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Mark Cummings is a partner in global law firm Walkers and has particular expertise in investment funds and corporate matters. Mark is originally from Bangor, County Down. He earned his law degree from Trinity College Dublin and his professional legal qualification from Queens University Belfast.
Mark’s career has seen him work in Belfast, London, Dublin, Sydney, the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong, where he has resided now for more than 10 years. Mark has responsibility at the Irish Chamber for partnerships, particularly in relations with Northern Irish Connections and the British Chamber of Commerce.
Mark is a Masters swimmer and an avid (but average) golfer, Mark’s spare time is spent with his family and occasionally in those sporting pursuits. Mark’s wife hails from County Clare and they have four school-age children
Our partner in Ireland
Gracie Seif is now our local partner and based in Ireland!
Gracie’s role is to actively engage, build and foster relationships with Irish companies, networks and Chambers to generate more investment by Irish companies in the Hong Kong market. By building these connections, Gracie acts as an intermediary between companies and the support systems available, connecting our members with each other and to the right networks.
For any Irish company searching for information, support and guidance in their endeavours to expand into Hong Kong, please contact Gracie Seif. Gracie@irishchamber.hk · +353 89 973 2341
Mission to Dublin, May 2026: a networking evening organised by the Ireland - Hong Kong Business Forum at Doheny and Nesbitt’s on Baggot Street.
The Irish in Hong Kong
By Mark O’Neill, a joint venture with former Irish Consul-General David Costello, published by Earnshaw Books.
The book tells the story of how Irish men and women have helped shape Hong Kong’s development over the past two centuries, tracing contributions across public service, finance, law, religion, sport and business.
Irish figures held nine of the city’s 28 governorships.
Available on Amazon and at Bookazine and Kelly & Walsh bookstores.
We’ve been there before, and we’ll be there for you.
The Irish Chamber can help you get settled in and thrive.
Slán go fóill