KUALA LUMPUR (March 21): Genting Hong Kong Ltd announced that it has appointed Colin Au as its group president with immediate effect.

The group also appointed Kent Zhu as president of its Genting Cruise Lines, effective May this year.

"With the quantum leap in size of the company, we are pleased to appoint Au as the group president of Genting Hong Kong to provide the leadership moving forward. He will focus his attention on Genting Cruise Lines, MV Werften, the German shipyard group and other assets of the company," Genting Hong Kong chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay said in a statement this afternoon.

Genting Hong Kong added that Lim will continue to hold dual roles in the company, as the chairman of the board and chief executive officer (CEO).

Au has been with the Genting Group for 38 years and served in various capacities in the group in Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Miami and Germany.

He was also the founding president and chief executive of Genting Hong Kong in 1993, and introduced cruising in Asia.

"I look forward to providing leadership in this phase of rapid asset growth and overseeing MV Werften, which will provide the company with the competitive edge in building new large cruise ships, with the first 200,000 gross ton 'Global Class' ships by 2020, without relying on the limited number of European cruise shipyards which currently have a 10-year order-book, a historic high," Au said.

Meanwhile, Genting Hong Kong said Zhu will be leaving his executive vice president position with Wanda Hotels & Resorts to join the company as the president of Genting Cruise Lines, based in Hong Kong.

Zhu, the company said, has 18 years' experience with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts with his last position as the latter's Chief Marketing Officer, based in its global headquarters in Hong Kong.

"With his experience in China, Zhu will immediately focus on developing a nation-wide distribution network in China with strong travel partners to fill our cruise ships in Asia and elsewhere," Genting Group executive director Hui Lim said in a statement.

Genting Cruise Lines is a new division of Genting Hong Kong, and comprises three cruise brands, Star Cruises, Dream Cruises, and Crystal Cruises.