Kai – Shek Luey QSM

Kai-Shek graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) degree with First Class Honours in 1965. Thereafter Kai spent over 30 years as an engineer and manager in the electricity supply industry with the NZ Electricity Department and various multinational public companies both in New Zealand and overseas.

For the last 17 years of his corporate employment, Kai was General Manager and Managing Director of various companies within the Morgan Dulmison Group based in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand and also with responsibilities for the operations in India and Malaysia.

During his working career in New Zealand, Kai found that progression in both public and private sectors was very difficult and frustrating for a person of Chinese ethnic origin. He felt he needed to prove to management that his performance, abilities and enthusiasm were far superior to those of his contemporaries to even get the promotions that he gained. Hence, he emigrated with his wife and two children to Sydney, Australia at the age of 38 to advance his career opportunities and was appointed as General Manager of a large company within four years. Thereafter Kai’s executive management career thrived in the international environment until the inevitable corporate takeover of the Group in 1999.

In terms of Kai’s community work, he was heavily involved in Chinese sports especially basketball for many years, and was the founding Secretary for the Wellington Sports & Cultural Centre Inc for six years whilst the complex was conceived and built. Since his return from overseas employment, he became a leader in Chinese community affairs in Auckland including over 11 years as Chairman of NZCA Auckland and also on a national basis including three years as National President of NZCA and six years as a Trustee of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust.

For Kai’s community work he was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the 2005 New Year Honour List.

Current Positions Held:

• Board Member – Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust
• Life Member – New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland Inc
• Honorary Member – New Zealand Chinese Association Inc
• Life Member – Wellington Chinese Sports & Cultural Centre Inc

Words for Later Generations:

Kai’s advice to his two children who are both University graduates and to all other Chinese youth is “be proud of your Chinese heritage and to value education, moral values and family traditions. With the trend towards global economies and the emergence of China as a major world power, the opportunities for your true worth to be developed and recognised has never been better“.