Christina Ong is the wife of hotel and property magnate Ong Beng Seng. She is an accomplished and highly successful businesswoman in her own right; Ong owns the Como Group, which operates Como Hotels and Resorts, fashion retailer Club 21, holistic wellness brand Como Shambhala and philanthropic organisation Como Foundation.

Ong founded the high-end boutique Club 21 in Singapore in 1972, at the age of 24. Today, it manages close to 400 stores across Asia carrying more than 250 brands, including Alexander Wang, CK Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Rick Owens. Luxury boutique hotel brand Como Hotels and Resorts operates 14 properties in Bhutan, Indonesia, Italy, Australia, Thailand, the Maldives, the UK, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Ong lent her magic touch, too, to Singapore’s Dempsey Hill enclave, reinventing the locale with Como Dempsey. The lifestyle destination incorporates, among others, the Jean‑Georges Vongerichten-backed The Dempsey Cookhouse and Bar, Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant Candlenut, Culina supermarket, Dover Street Market Singapore and luxury children’s fashion boutique Kids 21. In January 2024, Como Dempsey will also welcome Torno Subito, famed chef Massimo Bottura’s casual restaurant that first opened in Dubai.

Recently, Como Hotels and Resorts added Como Orchard to its 16 other properties around the world, becoming the lifestyle destination for fashion, gourmet food and luxury. It boasts renowned pastry chef Cédric Grolet’s first café in Singapore, which has garnered immense popularity for its enchanting trompe l’œil pastries.