HONG KONG: Community Business founder Shalini Mahtani received from Prince Charles her Member of the Order of the British Empire medal (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her outstanding contribution to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Hong Kong.
“I am honoured to accept this MBE for my contribution to CSR in Hong Kong. I will continue to serve my home, Hong Kong, and will focus my attention on making Hong Kong a more fair and equitable society,” Mahtani said at the Buckingham Palace ceremony on June 28.
Ethnically Indian, Mahtani was born in Hong Kong and her family has lived in the city for four generations.
She founded Community Business as a non-profit organisation in Hong Kong in 2003, at a time when the concept of CSR was not well known or understood. Mahtani established the organisation to advocate responsible business in the city and work with the world’s leading companies along their CSR journey.
Leading and inspiring the discussion in the region, Mahtani has conducted extensive research and has written numerous publications on the subjects on diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, and corporate community investment. She has advised many companies on CSR in Asia, and is a sought-after speaker in Hong Kong and globally.
“We are delighted that [Mahtani] is being recognised for her tremendous contributions to the advocacy of social responsibility in the corporate sector in HK and the region. She has been a tireless advocate for the continuing engagement of business in the social fabric of Hong Kong,” said Kishore Sakhrani, chairman of the board of Community Business.
“On behalf of our team at Community Business, I would like to express our heartfelt congratulations to [Mahtani] on her MBE,” said Community Business CEO Fern Ngai. “Over the years, [she] has devoted herself to the community, leading, inspiring and supporting businesses to improve their positive impact on people, workplaces and communities. Under her leadership, Community Business has established a reputation as a thought leader on diversity and inclusion in Asia. In this year of our 10th anniversary, this good news is a significant encouragement to the organisation.”
Mahtani was awarded the title of “Woman of Influence: Master in Charity, Arts or Culture”, by the American Chamber of Commerce and the South China Morning Post in 2011. She was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a “Global Young Leader” in 2009. In 2007, she was named “Asia 21 Young Leader” by the Asia Society and recognised as one of 35 global women leaders under the age of 35 in the “35 under 35” list by UK-based World Business.
In 2005, Mahtani was awarded the “Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service” by the Hong Kong SAR Government for her contribution to ethnic minorities in the city.
Currently a board director of Community Business, Mahtani also serves on the board of Hong Kong Unison, an NGO that advocates on behalf of ethnic minorities in thecity, and the Careers Advisory Board of the University of Hong Kong. Before Community Business, Mahtani had a career in accounting and banking. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics and is a Certified Public Accountant.
