Wong Tat Keung
About Wong Tat Keung
Wong Tat Keung (Aston) is an independent director of HWH, serving since January 2022, with over 20 years of experience in audit, accounting, taxation, and business advisory; he is a Hong Kong–admitted Certified Public Accountant, ACCA Fellow, and holds an MBA (financial services) from the University of Greenwich . He was age 54 in the 2024 proxy disclosure, and his board tenure at HWH began in 2022 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Wong CPA Limited | Director | Since 2010 | Led audit/tax/advisory practice; cross-border expertise cited as relevant to HWH |
| Aston Wong & Co. (Registered CPA firm) | Director & Sole Proprietor | Jan 2006–Feb 2010 | Built independent practice; internal controls experience |
| Aston Wong, Chan & Co., CPAs | Partner | Jan–Dec 2005 | Partner responsibilities in audit/accounting |
| Gary Cheng & Co., CPAs | Audit Senior | Apr 2003–Dec 2004 | External audit experience |
| Hui Sik Wing & Co., CPAs | Audit Junior → Supervisor | Apr 1993–Dec 1999 | Progressive audit responsibilities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alset Inc. (NASDAQ: AEI) | Director | Since Nov 2020 | HWH-related interlock; Alset Inc. is majority owner of HWH’s parent Alset International |
| Alset International Limited (SGX: 40V) | Independent Non-Executive Director | Since Jan 2017 | Parent/affiliate interlock with HWH |
| Value Exchange International, Inc. (OTCQB) | Director | Since Apr 2022 | External board role |
| Roma Group Limited | Independent Non-Executive Director | Since Mar 2016 | Valuation/technical advisory firm |
| Lerthai Group Limited | Independent Non-Executive Director | Since Dec 2018 | Property investment/management |
| SingHaiyi | Independent Non-Executive Director | Jul 2009–Jul 2013 | Prior public company board |
| ZH Holdings | Independent Non-Executive Director | Dec 2009–Jul 2015 | Prior public company board |
Board Governance
- Committees: Serves on the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee; current composition includes Wong Tat Keung, Wong Shui Yeung, and William Wu .
- Audit Committee Financial Expert: Board determined Wong Tat Keung qualifies as an audit committee financial expert under Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K and Nasdaq financial sophistication guidelines .
- Independence: Board determined he is independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2) and Exchange Act Rule 10A-3 .
- Attendance: The Board met two times in FY ended Nov 30, 2023, and each director attended all Board and committee meetings on which they served .
- Nominating Governance: Company did not have a standing nominating committee (intended to form one) as of FY 2024 disclosures .
- Related-Party Oversight: Audit Committee reviews/approves related-party transactions; directors must disclose conflicts and recuse; smaller reporting company thresholds apply .
- Insider Trading Policy: Adopted March 18, 2025; applies to directors, officers, employees; designed to meet Nasdaq standards .
Fixed Compensation
| Year | Directors’ Fee (Cash) | Committee Fees (Cash) | Meeting Fees | Equity Grants | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2023 | $10,000 one-time lump sum paid in Apr 2024 | Not disclosed; no separate fees indicated | Not disclosed | None; no stock awards plan adopted | $10,000 |
| FY 2024 | $10,000 annual retainer | Not disclosed; no separate fees indicated | Not disclosed | None; “no grants of stock options” through report date; no stock awards plan adopted | $10,000 |
Effective April 2024, each independent director is paid $10,000 per year, in quarterly increments; a $10,000 catch-up was paid for FY 2023 service .
Performance Compensation
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stock awards (RSUs/PSUs) | None; company had not adopted a stock awards plan as of disclosure, intends to do so in future . |
| Option awards | None; “no grants of stock options” through date of report . |
| Bonus/Performance cash | Not disclosed for directors; no bonus reported . |
| Performance metrics (TSR/EBITDA/ESG) | Not disclosed/applicable for director pay . |
| Clawback provisions | Not disclosed in director compensation context . |
| Change-of-control/severance | Not disclosed for directors . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role | Since/Through | Relationship to HWH | Potential Conflict Consideration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alset Inc. | Director | Since Nov 2020 | Majority owner of HWH’s parent Alset International | Interlock with controlling shareholder; requires robust recusal and related-party oversight |
| Alset International Limited | Independent Non-Executive Director | Since Jan 2017 | Parent/affiliate to HWH; significant ownership linkage | Interlock with parent entity; monitor transactions for fairness/conflicts |
| Value Exchange International, Inc. | Director | Since Apr 2022 | No direct relationship disclosed | No conflict noted in filings |
| Roma Group Limited | INED | Since Mar 2016 | No direct relationship disclosed | No conflict noted in filings |
| Lerthai Group Limited | INED | Since Dec 2018 | No direct relationship disclosed | No conflict noted in filings |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Certified Public Accountant (Hong Kong), Fellow of ACCA; Associate Member of HKICPA .
- MBA (financial services), University of Greenwich, London .
- Determined by Board to be an Audit Committee financial expert and financially sophisticated under SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Extensive cross-border financial, accounting, tax, and internal controls experience cited as relevant to HWH’s business .
Equity Ownership
| As-of Date | Shares Beneficially Owned | % Outstanding | Options/Warrants | RSUs/Unvested Shares | Pledged Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 22, 2025 | 0 | 0.00% (based on 6,476,400 shares) | None; “neither the stockholder nor the directors and officers listed below own any stock options or warrants” | None disclosed | Not disclosed; no pledging noted |
Governance Assessment
-
Positives:
- Independent director with audit/accounting depth; formally designated Audit Committee financial expert, strengthening oversight of financial reporting and internal controls .
- Full attendance in FY ended Nov 30, 2023, indicating engagement at Board and committee level .
- Clear related-party review framework requiring disclosure and recusal; Audit Committee empowered to pre-approve/ratify related-party transactions .
-
Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Zero share ownership and no equity-based compensation to date, which weakens alignment and “skin-in-the-game” incentives for an independent director .
- Interlocks with controlling shareholder entities (Alset Inc., Alset International) require heightened vigilance on related-party matters; beneficial ownership concentration (Alset Inc. 78.2%, Alset International 30.8%) underscores potential influence risks .
- No standing nominating/governance committee as of FY 2024 disclosure (intent to form), which may limit independent oversight of board composition and refreshment .
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Additional context:
- Insider trading policy adopted March 18, 2025, aligning with Nasdaq standards; positive for governance discipline .
- No involvement in certain legal proceedings disclosed for directors in past ten years, reducing litigation/credibility risk .