It's smiles all round at the Magnolia Gold Award presentation. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]
Shanghai conferred the 2025 Magnolia Gold Award on 28 foreign nationals and the Honorary Citizen of Shanghai title on two expats on Sept 29 — recognizing their positive contributions to the city's development and international exchanges.
Among the honorees, four were from the Hongqiao International Central Business District.
Simon Lichtenberg, founder of Trayton Group and president of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, was named an Honorary Citizen of Shanghai, the city's highest honor for foreign nationals.
Receiving the Magnolia Gold Award were Christopher John Guzy from the US, chief technology officer at Shanghai REFIRE Group Limited; Anuruddha Rathnide from Singapore, president of Johnson Controls for the Asia-Pacific region; and Andrew Michael Lancaster from the UK, principal of the British International School Shanghai.
The Hongqiao International CBD has been promoting international openness and its ever-improving business environment has attracted top talent from around the world.
The recognition of the four expats is said to highlight Hongqiao CBD's success in becoming an international hub and a center of talent.
The CBD is known to be committed to providing excellent services and a world-class environment for foreign nationals. By working with global partners, the aim is to build a brighter future together.
