BANYAN TREE CO-FOUNDER APPOINTED AS FIRST ASIA VICE-CHAIR FOR CAUX ROUND TABLE

[China], April 2010 – Ms. Claire Chiang, Co-founder and Senior Vice President of Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd (“Banyan Tree”) and a Global Governing Board member of the Caux Round Table (CRT), has been elected as the CRT Vice-Chair for Asia, in recognition of her revolutionary efforts in championing sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The first female Vice Chair on the Global Governing Board, Ms. Chiang will be responsible for driving awareness, consideration and implementation of long term sustainability solutions across Asia in this new two-year appointment.

The Caux Round Table is a global network of senior business and thought leaders who work to empower private enterprise and enhance public governance to improve the global community. It was founded in1986 by Frederick Phillips, former President of Philips Electronics and Olivier Giscard d'Estaing, former Vice-Chairman of INSEAD, as a means to reduce escalating global trade tensions. At the urging of Ryuzaburo Kaku, then Chairman of Canon Inc., the CRT began focusing attention on the importance of global corporate responsibility in reducing social and economic threats to world peace and stability. Since February 2008, Ms. Chiang has worked with the Caux Round Table; after her election to the CRT’s Global Governing Board in November 2008, she has taken an even more active role in the network’s mission to influence leaders to marry business practices with ethics, or what is known as ‘moral capitalism’.

In her new role, Ms. Chiang will also chair the subcommittee for the upcoming 25th Annual CRT Global Dialogue in Beijing, China on 22- 24 October 2010. The discussion will address ways to improve the outcomes of the market economy and globalization through ethical conduct and corporate social responsibility.

“I am excited to be a party in leading this global dialogue on moral capitalism,” says Ms. Chiang, “The principles of the Caux Round Table mirror my personal belief that businesses have a responsibility to benefit the greater society through the course of their operations. I look forward to continuing my engagement with the other members of the Caux Round Table to influence positive change in the business environment.”

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In addition to her Vice-Chair appointment, Ms. Chiang also contributed a forward for the Chinese translation of Moral Capitalism: Reconciling Private Interest with the Public Good, a book authored by CRT Global Executive Director Mr. Stephen Young and which will be published in October 2010.

Ms. Chiang is one of the leading advocates of CSR in Singapore, and together with husband Ho Kwon Ping founded Banyan Tree with the core value of driving sustainable development. Since its inception, Banyan Tree has embedded corporate social responsibility as a core value of its business strategy. In addition, as Chairperson of Banyan Tree Global Foundation, Ms. Chiang also has oversight for the CSR arm of the Group which provides strategic planning, governance of funds and consultancy services to Banyan Tree.

Three examples of CSR initiatives overseen by BTGF are:

Banyan Tree’s Greening Communities is a Group wide initiative seeking to raise awareness of the causes of climate change by engaging community members and associates to plant 2000 trees per year per Banyan Tree Group property for 10 years starting in 2007.

Banyan Tree’s Seedlings is another Group wide community support initiative which has enabled Banyan Tree to support capacity building for youths. This three-phase initiative enhances the Group’s ability to be an agent of social and economic development through its associates, engagement, and operations via the three pillars of mentorship, scholarship, and internship

Banyan Tree’s internal CSR Self Audit developed and tailored to help each property improve its operational practices and implement better energy and water conservation practices. To encourage other hospitality operators to begin monitoring and reducing their own business impacts, Banyan Tree presented and shared its environmental portion of the CSR Self Audit at the Pacific Asia Travel Association CEO Challenge in April 2008.

Banyan Tree is also a founding member of the UN Global Compact in Singapore and has been a leading proponent of Corporate Social Responsibility in Singapore.

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Ms. Claire Chiang

BIOGRAPHY

Ms. Claire Chiang, Senior Vice President, Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd, is responsible for the strategic direction, management and operation of Banyan Tree and Angsana Galleries. She started the Group’s retail business in 1996 and has since been at the helm overseeing the opening of over 70 retail outlets in the world.

Ms. Chiang is also the chairperson of Banyan Tree Global Foundation, established in early 2009 by Banyan Tree Holdings. Her role involves directing and guiding the continual process of Banyan Tree Holding’s overall commitment to the CSR journey to “Embrace the Environment, Empower the People”. She also sits on the Global Governing Board of Caux Round Table (CRT), where she is Vice-Chair for Asia. CRT is an international network of principled business leaders working to promote sustainable capitalism.

She co-authored the book “Stepping Out: The Making of Chinese Entrepreneurs” published in 1994 by Simon and Schuster, which was translated into Chinese and Japanese. Besides winning a National Council Book Award for the book, a 30-chapter Chinese drama serial using this book as reference was launched in 1999 by a Singapore TV broadcaster and won five awards.

In the business world, Ms. Chiang is one of the first two women to be elected to serve on the Board of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry – after 89 years of being a male dominated domain. Ms. Chiang was awarded in 1999 “Woman of the Year”, for her contribution to community. She served as a Singapore Nominated Member of Parliament for 2 terms (1997-2001) where she raised many policy issues related to the social service sector, women, family, education and the disadvantaged.

Her government portfolios include Chairing the Employer Alliance, an appointment by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, and co-chairing the Pro-Family Business Council and the Partner Connection Fund under the charge of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

She was also appointed Director and Non-Executive Chairperson of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and Chairperson of Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund. Ms. Chiang, already a Justice of the Peace, has also been appointed to the Board of Visiting Justices.

Ms. Chiang is married to Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd, and is a mother of three children.

About Banyan Tree Holdings Limited

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited (“Banyan Tree” or the “Group”) is a leading manager and developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific, with more than 20 resorts and hotels, over 60 spas, in excess of 70 retail galleries, and two golf courses. The Group manages and/or has ownership interests in niche resorts and hotels. The resorts each typically has between 50 and 100 rooms and commands room rates at the high end of each property’s particular market.

Banyan Tree has seven operating business segments: hotel investment, hotel residence sales, hotel management, spa operations, gallery operations, property sales, design fees and others (design and project management, golf course operations and other businesses).

The Group’s primary business is the management, development and ownership of resorts and hotels. This is centered on two award-winning brands: Banyan Tree and Angsana. Banyan Tree also operates the leading integrated resort in Thailand – Laguna Phuket, through the Group’s subsidiary, Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited.

As a leading operator of spas in Asia, Banyan Tree’s spas are one of the key features in their resorts and hotels. Its retail arm Banyan Tree Gallery complements and reinforce the branding of the resort, hotel and spa operations.

Since the launch of the first Banyan Tree resort, Banyan Tree Phuket, in 1994, Banyan Tree has received over 550 awards and accolades for the resorts, hotels and spas that the Group manages. The Group has also received recognition for its commitment to environmental protection and emphasis on corporate social responsibility.

About Banyan Tree Global Foundation Limited

Established in 2009, Banyan Tree Global Foundation is an associate organisation of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited. As the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the group, Banyan Tree Global Foundation provides in-house CSR consultancy services to Banyan Tree Holdings. By promoting as well as enacting strategies and efforts which consider and seek to enhance the social, environmental and economic well-being of all stakeholders, Banyan Tree Global Foundation seeks to direct and guide the continual process of Banyan Tree Holdings’ overall commitment to the CSR journey.