John Cheh (Hong Kong, China)

John Cheh received a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Political Science from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Economics from M.I.T. He joined the Canadian Government in 1974 and worked for the Treasury Board and Privy Council Office.

From 1981 to 1993, he was with Canada's Department of External Affairs and International Trade, and served in Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo in senior diplomatic positions. In 1994, John moved to Hong Kong as the President, Asia, of Bell Canada International, in charge of strategic telecommunications investments. In 2001, he became the President of Bombardier China, until he joined Esquel in 2003.

John was elected Vice Chairman of the China Cotton Textile Association in 2005 and Vice Chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Textile Import and Export in 2009. In 2011, he was appointed a Board Member of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation. In 2012, the University of Western Ontario conferred an Honorary LL.D degree on John in recognition of his expertise in trade and labor issues.

Founded in 1978, the Esquel Group manufactures about 110 million cotton shirts annually for leading brands including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Hugo Boss, Lacoste and Muji through its 59,000 workers in China, Malaysia, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Its vertically-integrated operation includes cotton farming, spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, garment making, accessories & packaging as well as retailing. Esquel has a long-standing commitment in the areas of social responsibility and sustainable development.