Christina Ong

Christina Ong (née Fu, born October 1947) is a Singaporean businesswoman who owns the COMO Group conglomerate. As of 2021, Christina and her husband Ong Beng Seng were ranked 25th on Singapore's richest list.[1]

Christina Ong
Born
Christina Fu

October 1947 (age 74)
NationalitySingaporean
OccupationBusinesswoman
Spouse(s)Ong Beng Seng
Children2

Career

Ong opened a clothing store in 1972,[2] prior to founding the COMO Group,[3] which includes Club 21 fashion stores[4] and COMO Hotels and Resorts.[5]

Ong also owns a significant propoertion of Mulberry shares,[6] and a number of properties on Bond Street in London.[2] Her property portfolio includes all Armani outlets in Britain. Ong also holds the franchises for Donna Karen and DKNY.[7]

Ong is a former chairman of Singapore's National Parks Board.[8]

Awards

For her services to the Italian fashion industry, Ong has been awarded the Italian Fashion Hall of Fame Award in 1995 and was conferred the Cavaliere del Lavoro.[9] The Italian Trade Commission said in a press release that the Hall of Fame Award was in recognition of Ong's "accomplishments, her qualities, image and authority in the fashion world. She is a leader and has demonstrated her special gift in the world of elegance and style in the capitals of the world".[10]

In 2013 she received Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal, one of three awarded that year. The others went to the historian Wang Gungwu and Tony Chew, inaugural chairman of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School's governing board.[11]

In 2014, Ong was included in the list of inaugural Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, which described her as a "global fashion entrepreneur and luxury hotelier"[12]

Personal life

Born October 1947,[6][13][14] Ong is the daughter of Peter Fu Yun Siak, an early employer of her husband and founder of Kuo International.[2] She is described as "aloof and chic"[2] and "Singapore's preeminent style icon".[6] Ong is married to Singaporean business magnate and investor Ong Beng Seng.[2][5] They have two children, a daughter, Melissa, and a son, Jonathan.[15]

The Singapore Straits Times have reported Ong to be a very private person who chooses to be unknown in public settings.

Ong is cited as "one of the wealthiest women in the world".[6][4] Together, Ong and her husband have a net worth of $1.9 billion as of January 2016, based on estimates by Forbes. This makes the couple among the richest persons in Singapore.[16]

References
  1. Forbes, "Singapore's 50 Richest: #15 Ong Beng Seng & Christina Ong"
  2. Clarke, Hilary (29 March 1998). "Profile: Beng Seng and Christina Ong: Asian pair sell west, buy east". The Independent.
  3. "About COMO Group". Retrieved 17 August 2021."Singapore: COMO Group acquires organic supermarket". Asia Food Journal. 11 April 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  4. Misiura, Shashi (2012). Heritage Marketing. Routledge. pp. 218–. ISBN 9781136399268.
  5. "Ong Beng Seng, 65, and Christina Ong, 61". AsiaOne. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  6. Roberts, Sophy (November–December 2002). "The World of Christina Ong". Departures.
  7. "The name behind the famous names? Christina Ong". The Independent. 26 January 1997. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  8. Ministry of National Development, "Mr Benny Lim appointed as Chairman of the National Parks Board" (30 July 2018).
  9. Interni 644, September 2014.
  10. "Christina Ong to Get Italian Fashion Hall of Fame Award", Straits Times, 25 August 1995.
  11. Feng Zengkun, "Three honoured with Meritorious Service Medal", Straits Times, 9 August 2013.
  12. "Singapore Women's Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  13. "Christina ONG - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  14. "Guat Hoon (Known As Christina) ONG - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  16. "Ong Beng Seng & Christina Ong". Forbes. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
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