Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng conferred on Jeffrey Sean Lehman and Jean-Paul Agon the title of 2021 Honorary Citizen of Shanghai and honored ten other expats each with a Magnolia Gold Award at the city hall on Jan. 24, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the city's social and economic development as well as international cooperation.

The ten laureates of the Magnolia Gold Award come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Japan, and are engaged in fields including economics & trade, finance, shipping, science & technology and cultural industries.

　 Marie Kieran Waxman delivered a speech on behalf of the Magnolia Gold Award winners

Marie Kieran Waxman, distinguished professor of Fudan University, has lived in Shanghai with her family for more than ten years. They have witnessed the amazing transformation of the city.

“In my own field of sustainable development, Shanghai has already set down strong foundations in ecological civilization through policies of earlier years. We will continue to work as previously, hand in hand with all of you, to make further contributions to the success of the city and the happiness of the people in Shanghai," she said.

　　Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng and Michael Kruppe (Left)

"I am super excited that the Shanghai Municipal People's Government has recognized the exhibition industry as a very important industry," said Michael Kruppe from Germany, general manager of Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Regarding Shanghai as his second home, Michael has been rooted in Shanghai for more than 30 years, and has experienced the rapid development of Shanghai's exhibition industry along with the great changes in the city.

In his opinion, the exhibition industry will still suffer from the difficulties caused by the pandemic in 2022.“I am very confident, especially here in Shanghai because the government will invest a lot of money and technology in trade and shipping. So people in this industry need to understand and follow up the development. And that's why exhibition is one platform to push this,” said Michael.

In 1989, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government set up the Magnolia Silver and Gold Awards in the name of the city flower, and the title of Honorary Citizen of Shanghai was brought into the series in 1997. As of now, a total of 352 foreigners have won the Magnolia Gold Award.

2021 Shanghai "Magnolia Gold Award" Recipients

1. Ms. Hong Chow, Germany,

Global Executive Vice President,

Merck Healthcare

2. Mr. Mark Gibbs, UK,

Global Executive Vice President,

President Greater China, SAP,

SAP SE.

3. Mr. Christian Lawrence Hogg, UK,

CEO,

Hutchison China MediTech Co., Ltd.

4. Mr. Michael Kruppe, Germany,

General Manager,

Shanghai New International Expo Centre Co., Ltd.

5. Mr. Yiping James Li, USA,

Chairman & CEO,

JW Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

6. Mr. Hiroshi Takahashi, Japan,

Chairman & President,

Sony (China) Co., Ltd.

7. Ms. Marie Kieran Waxman, UK,

Distinguished Professor, Fudan University

Professor, University of Brighton

Honored Professor, University College London

8. Mr. Simon Xiaoming Yang, USA,

President,

Aptiv Asia Pacific

9. Mr. Wen Zhang, US,

Founder & CEO,

Biren Technology Co., Ltd.

10. Mr. Yuhua Zhu, Italy,

President of Scuderia Ferrari Club Shanghai

Photos by Pan Jiangdong