Carrie Lam

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor ( Cheng; ; born 13 May 1957) is a Hong Kong retired politician who served as the 4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022, after serving as Chief Secretary for Administration for five years. After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, Lam joined the British Hong Kong civil service in 1980 and served in various government agencies, including as Director of Social Welfare from 2000 to 2004 and Director General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London from 2004 to 2006. She became a key official in 2007 when she was appointed Secretary for Development. During her tenure, she earned the nickname "tough fighter" for her role in the controversial demolition of the Queen's Pier in 2008. Lam became Chief Secretary for Administration under the Leung Chun-ying administration in 2012. From 2013 to 2015 Lam headed the task force on the 2014 electoral reform and held talks with student and opposition leaders during the widespread protests. In the 2017 Chief Executive selection process, Lam obtained 777 votes from the 1,194-member appointed Election Committee as the Beijing-favoured candidate and became the first female Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Lam's administration had been marred with a series of controversies and thus relatively unpopular since inauguration. Her government was also criticised for raising the qualification age for social security, the proposed cross-harbour tunnel toll plan, and the historic ban on the pro-independence National Party, among other policies.