Wilfred S Y Chan

He had a very interesting career. He spent his early career in the oil industry. He worked for both Shell and Esso before becoming Managing Director of the large French construction company, Dragages et Travaux Publics, and a Partner in the British consulting engineering firm, Binnie and Partners. He then set up Wilfred Chan Management Consultants Ltd and worked very successfully for two decades before he took retirement.

He was honoured by Loughborough with the award of the Hon. D. Tech. in 1991 by Sir David Davies, the then Vice-Chancellor.

Wilfred was a past President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers which includes all disciplines of engineering in their membership. He was also a FICE and FIStructE. While the Senior Vice President of the HKIE, Wilfred planned, organised and spearheaded a daring fund raising campaign to raise HK$5 million in 1984 to buy their own premises. If he did not embark on this most ambitious scheme, HKIE would have gone bankrupt! As it is, HKIE now is the only professional body in Hong Kong which owns its own office, a record the members of HKIE are still very proud of.

Besides helping HKIE in solving their premises problem, Wilfred also was one of the contributors to the funds that helped erect the civil engineering building at Loughborough. There is a room named after him.

Wilfred was one of the founding members and former chairman of the University alumni group in Hong Kong, established in 1962. In an interview for the University in 2016 he said: "I sincerely hope that our graduates will not forget their heritage.  Go out and spread the name of our university and make an impact."

Wilfred was a true son of Loughborough. His family still holds the record of having the greatest number of boys studying at Loughborough. He was one of five first cousins with the same grandpa to go to Loughborough from 1951 to 1955. All became Chartered Civil Engineers.

May he rest in Peace.