William Louey Lai Kuen is a Hong Kong-based businessman and philanthropist. The grandson of William Sui Tak Louey, the visionary who founded the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (KMB) in 1921, William Louey, while continuing his family’s legacy, has also charted his own path in education, sustainability, and as a creative person.
William’s formative years included trips with his grandmother during her visits to orphanages and care homes, shaping his lifelong commitment to social responsibility and the eventual formation of his educational foundation, the William S.D. Louey Educational Foundation. William Louey studied in the UK, attending Millfield School, and later earned a degree in accounting and financial management from Buckingham University.
William Louey joined the family enterprise in the 1990s, becoming a member of the KMB Board, and continues to serve as Non-Executive Director. Under his guidance, Transport International, KMB’s parent company, began embracing greener technology, fleet modernisation, and enhanced public engagement, carrying more than 2.8 million passengers daily.
In October 2024, KMB launched special “Pet Bus” weekend services, and during the inaugural ride, William Louey and his French bulldog Harold boarded the bus with other pet owners.
In 1995, William Louey established the William S.D. Louey Educational Foundation to provide opportunities for meritorious students from China to pursue degrees at prestigious institutions abroad. In this episode of the Pearl Lam Podcast, William Louey shares with Pearl Lam the inspiration behind the initiative — the trips he would make with his grandmother to elderly homes which shaped his commitment to social responsibility — and the foundation’s impact, where the students, while excelling in their respective fields, champion William’s vision through a “pay-it-forward” model.
Notable alumni include Qi Yan, a Guggenheim Partners finance professional; Shield Dun Xiao, co-founder of a leading EdTech startup on NASDAQ; and Guoquan Liu, now a pharmacology professor at Beijing University — all paying forward the gift of opportunity.
William Louey’s contributions to academia have been formally acknowledged: he served on the committee of China Oxford Scholarships from 1999, was invited into Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Circle in 2011, and received the inaugural Elizabeth Wordsworth Fellowship in 2013.
The William S.D. Louey Educational Foundation recently collaborated with Suicide Prevention Services (SPS) in Hong Kong to address rising mental health issues among young men aged 15–25, exacerbated by academic and parental pressure.
William Louey is also a creative person and merges his passion for travel and photography to nurture his creativity. He has recently initiated the “Growing Young with William Louey” series, where he shares his life lessons on fitness, wellbeing, and creativity — all in all, living a healthy and balanced life.
William Louey is also a contributor for Entrepreneur.com.
In this episode of the Pearl Lam Podcast, William Louey speaks candidly about the legacy of his family’s business, the values that have shaped his leadership style, and how he balances heritage with the demands of modern governance.
