Please upgrade your web browserYou’re using a browser that we don’t support. To get the best experience using our site, we recommend you upgrade to a newer browser – please see our supported browsers list.

Help and support

View details

Cathay Members’ Choice Awards

Meet the 2025 Cathay Members’ Choice Awards panellists

The industry insiders behind this year’s nominees

In partnership with

A cup and teapot sit on a marble side table alongside an iPad in a lounge, while a man puts a newspaper down at a nearby table.

Welcome back to the second edition of the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards, our annual awards celebrating the very best in travel, dining and lifestyle – as voted for by our tastemaking members.

This year our panel of industry experts, journalists and editors, as well as a select list of Cathay Diamond members, has lent their expertise to identify 100 brands, individuals and experiences in 20 awards across five categories: Dining, Travel & Lifestyle, Hotels, Hong Kong’s Best and World’s Best.

Next, it’s up to you, our 12 million-strong global community of Cathay members, to vote for your favourites. Get to know our panellists before voting opens on 26 May.

Voting in the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards is open to all Cathay members worldwide. Not a member yet? You still have time to sign up before voting opens.

Become a Cathay member

Edward Bell

Cathay insider

As Cathay’s General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Edward oversees all aspects of demand generation and conversion for the Cathay brands globally. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Edward has lived between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland for more than 20 years with previous roles with Adidas, WPP and IPG marketing consultancies. His golden rule? If it is not world-class, it is not good enough.

Andy Cheng

Industry leader

Andy is Regional Head of Dining at Tatler Asia Group. He’s driven the brand’s culinary authority through flagship projects including The Tatler Dining Guide, creating the Tatler Best of Asia Awards, and producing its Off Menu festivals. He is passionate about spotlighting Asia's chefs and restaurateurs, and creating platforms that push the F&B industry forward.

Carmen Chiu

Industry leader

Carmen is the Managing Director of Shanghai Tang in Hong Kong and the Founder of Ennoble, a global brand consulting firm. With nearly 25 years of experience in lifestyle retail brand management, she previously served as Regional Managing Director (APAC) at Fortnum & Mason and Global Communications Director at Godiva Chocolatier. Carmen is a cultural ambassador and philanthropist dedicated to mentoring young women. She sits on the Board of Inspiring Girls and the BritCham Women in Business Committee. The Asia CEO Community named her one of the Top 10 Powerful Business Leaders by The Voice in 2022, promoting confidence and empowerment among future female leaders.  

Austen Chu

Cathay Diamond member

Austen is the founder of global watch platform Wristcheck, backed by Jay-Z and Kylian Mbappé. A global tastemaker, he travels frequently between Hong Kong and the U.S. – logging more than 20 days in the air last year alone – all in pursuit of shaping the watch world of tomorrow.

Hong Kong entrepreneur Lindsay Jang sits on a chair and leans her elbow on her computer desk in a portrait.

Lindsey Jang

Cathay Diamond member

Lindsay is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who co-founded two of Hong Kong’s most celebrated restaurants, Yardbird and Ronin, and the newly opened Always Joy. In addition to her success in hospitality, Lindsay has also co-founded wellness brand Family Form, and collaborated with luxury hotels including The Upper House to curate wellness residencies.

Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia Editor-in-Chief Jennine smiles as she sits in a chair with a skyline behind her through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Jeninne Lee-St. John

Travel editor

Jeninne is Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia’s Editor-in-Chief. She’s especially interested in food with a good backstory, new ways to define luxury, regenerative travel, wellness and weird wine. She worked at Time in New York and London, and she holds a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s from Williams College. Born in Washington DC, she has lived in Southeast Asia since 2009 and is currently based in Bangkok.

Mayao Ma

Cathay Diamond member

Mayao is a leading figure in Hong Kong's fashion and creative industries. He has served as Chairman of the non-profit Fashion Farm Foundation since 2021, which promotes Hong Kong fashion designers in the Chinese Mainland and across the globe. Mayao is the founder of creative studio Fame Glory Production, which specialises in celebrity styling, fashion direction and multimedia production. Beyond fashion, Mayao has expanded into film and large-scale event production, working as Styling Director and Art Director for the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2013 and 2015.

Raul Manzano

Industry leader

Raul is the Editor-in-Chief of luxury lifestyle publication Metro Society. Beyond the pages of the magazine, Raul extends his influence as the charismatic host of EIC on the Move, a luxury lifestyle television show that showcases dream products and destinations. His role takes him on fascinating journeys to some of the world's most stunning locales, where he delves into the culture, history, and beauty that make each destination unique.

Lilit Marcus

Travel producer

Lilit is a Travel Producer for CNN Digital Worldwide. Based in Hong Kong, she is responsible for editing and reporting on travel news and trends in the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining CNN in 2017, she was a senior contributing writer at Condé Nast Traveler in New York City. Her freelance writing has appeared in Vogue, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Elle and Buzzfeed. Lilit is also the author of Save the Assistants: A Guide for Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace (2010).

Dee Poon

Cathay Diamond member

Dee is the President of Brands and Retailing and a Director for Tessellation Group. She also holds board and council positions at several prominent organisations, including the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Hong Kong-Europe Business Council, Harvard University’s Asia Center Advisory Committee and more. Dee is heavily involved in the arts, sitting on the International Council of the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art (New York). She is also a Council Member of the China Arts Foundation and a board member of Asia Art Archive.

Federico “Fed” Tan

Cathay Diamond member

Fed is an entrepreneur and brand strategist with more than 20 years of expertise spanning fashion, media, and cultural sectors. He is the founder of Advisory Council, a marketing and communications agency with a diverse range of clients including Sacai, Acne Studios, LVMH, HSBC, Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami.

Calvin Wang

Cathay Diamond member

Calvin is the co-founder of the modern fine jewellery brand Pen Mané and founder of Fountainhead Projects. He is a seasoned expert in luxury retail strategy, with extensive buying credentials and a keen eye for curating tasteful living. Calvin connects global brands with Asia through insightful strategies and frequent international travels.

Mark Weins

Industry leader

Mark is a full-time food traveller, video maker, TV host, and social media producer. Born in the US, he grew up in DR Congo and Kenya, and is currently based in Thailand with his wife and son. Mark believes that appreciating local food is the ultimate way to connect with people from different cultures. You can find him happily slurping down a spicy bowl of noodles in Bangkok or devouring a taco on a sidewalk in Mexico City, sharing all his food adventures with his audience.

Simon Wilson

Industry leader

Simon is the force behind Fork Lore, a culinary content platform profiling hospitality heroes across Asia. He is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Greater Bay Media Entertainment Limited, best known for producing The Grounds outdoor cinema concept. Prior to founding GBME, Simon launched Taste of Hong Kong in 2016, having previously worked on Taste Festivals in Australia and Gourmet Escape in Margaret River. He is passionate about hospitality and enjoys discovering new openings and cherishing established institutions.

Voyage Editor-in-Chief Zoe Chu smiles in a portrait.

Zoe Qu

Travel editor

Zoe is Editor-in-Chief of Voyage, a travel and lifestyle publication in the Chinese Mainland. She is a seasoned travel journalist who has visited more than 80 countries and regions, and accumulated a wealth of experience across destinations, luxury hotels, airlines, cruises and sustainable travel. She lives in Beijing and loves traditional Chinese culture. 

Jing Zhang

Travel editor

Jing is a journalist, editor, and consultant with over 18 years of experience in fashion, luxury, culture, travel, and Asian markets. She is the founder of travel magazine Luxe/Detour and the cross-cultural consultancy Altas Alter. Previously, she was the Global Editor-in-Chief of Jing Daily, Fashion Editor at the SCMP, Editor-at-Large at Prestige HK, and Managing Editor at WestEast Magazine.

Explore the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards

Membership/Cathay Members’ Choice Awards

Select language and location

China – the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan Region
Hong Kong SAR - English
Chinese Mainland (China) - English
Taiwan China - English
香港特別行政區 - 繁體中文
中国內地 - 简体中文
中國台灣 - 繁體中文

Africa
South Africa - English