Three years after Swire Group appointed Merlin Bingham Swire as chairman of the trading house, the 47-year-old has announced his decision to leave Hong Kong and return to London to run the Swire holding company. 

Merlin Swire, a sixth-generation descendant of the group’s founder, joined the 205-year old company in 1997 and worked across various units in Hong Kong, Sydney, Shanghai, Xiamen and London, according to South China Morning Post. Prior to being appointed chairman of Swire Pacific and Swire Properties in 2018, Swire held the executive director title of Swire Pacific for a decade. 

“After three years in Hong Kong, Merlin Swire will resume his role as chief executive of John Swire & Sons, the parent company of the Swire group, and return to London,” Swire announced in a company statement. “He will remain a Director of Swire Pacific, Swire Properties and Cathay Pacific, and will step down as Chairman of Swire Pacific Limited and Swire Properties Limited on 24th August 2021.” 

As Merlin Swire returns to his role as chief executive and director, Guy Bradley, previously head of Swire’s property business, will be taking over the chair position—indicating the group’s shift in focus on real estate and less on Cathay Pacific Airways, Financial Times reported on June 11. 

The flag carrier of the city has been struggling for survival during the Covid-19 pandemic as travelling has been greatly reduced during this time. In March, Swire Pacific reported its first-ever annual loss of HK$10.99 billion (US$1.42 billion).

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