Bill Shurniak receives Honorary Doctor of Laws

Posted May 19, 1998


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 19, 1998
98-05-17-OTHER

Saskatchewan-born financier to receive
honorary degree

Financier and Saskatchewan native, Bill Shurniak, will receive an
honorary Doctor of Laws on May 20, 1998 at the University's spring
convocation.

Shurniak has recently retired after ascending through the ranks of
national and international banking to become the financial advisor of
Li Ka Shing, the Hong Kong real estate magnate and one of the
world's wealthiest men.

Born on the family farm in Limerick, Saskatchewan, Mr. Shurniak did
not attend University after completing high school. Instead, he took
up work as a teller at a Canadian Bank of Commerce branch.

A number of postings to branches in western Canada and Ontario led
to a position at the bank's head office in Toronto.

In 1972 he was made manager of CIBC's operations in Kingston,
Jamaica. In 1974, he was transferred to Hong Kong to head the
bank's operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

This move brought him in contact with Li, who hired Mr. Shurniak into
his organization where, as vice-president, finance, he became Li's
chief financial advisor.

In 1979, he was asked to return to CIBC's head office to take on a
wider set of duties within the bank. While back in Toronto, he
maintained his ties with Hong Kong through periodic travel to the
region, but more or less resigned himself to not living there again.

However, in 1984 Li asked if he would be interested in joining
Hutchinson Whampoa, Li's principal company, which was being
reorganized. He accepted the offer and was soon on his way back to
Hong Kong to join the Group as its finance director.

Shurniak retired in December of 1997, but remains on the board of
Hutchinson-Whampoa. He is also deputy chair of Husky Oil.

Shurniak, who never married, has restored his parents' original
homestead which he uses when he visits Saskatchewan once or
twice a year. He is also interested in establishing an art gallery in his
home town.

For more information, please contact:

Iain MacLean
University Secretary
(306) 966-4632