Prof. Stevenson was born in Scotland and educated at Hillhead High School Glasgow. He holds a Law degree from Glasgow University, as well as a Masters Law degree from The University of Hong Kong. He is an accountant by profession, a member of the Scottish Institute of Chartered Accountants and President of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 1996.
He was one of the founders of a predecessor firm of Ernst & Young in Hong Kong in 1974; was appointed a partner in 1976; and Managing Partner in 1981, a position he held until his retirement having reached the firm’s mandatory retirement age at the end of 1999.
At the time of his retirement, Ernst & Young’s China practice of which he was Chairman comprised approximately 1,800 personnel with 6 offices in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen with the Headquarters being in the Hong Kong SAR. He was involved in the opening of the then Ernst & Young’s first presence in China in Beijing in 1981 and in Indo-China, Hanoi; Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh in the early 90’s. Since retiring from a full-time professional accounting career, Mr. Stevenson leads what he terms the portfolio life with a mix of commercial, community and sporting appointments.
Prof. Stevenson is an elected Member of the Council of The University of Hong Kong since January 2022 having served as an appointed Member since 2016.
Prof. Stevenson is an Honorary Steward of Hong Kong Jockey Club. He was Chairman of the Club’s Board of Stewards and of its Charities Club from August 2010 to September 2014, having been elected Deputy Chairman in March 2008. He had served as a Steward of the Club since January 1999. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is Hong Kong’s sole licensed gaming operator and largest charity organisation. It is a not-for-profit business with a turnover of close to HK$174 billion on horse racing, football and Mark Six in the 2013/14 season, and in that year, it contributed HK$3.6 billion as charitable donations to the Hong Kong community.
He is a Vice President of the Hong Hong Rugby Union (HKRU). He has been actively involved in rugby as a player and as an administrator since he first came to Hong Kong in the early 70s including involvement with the now iconic Hong Kong International Rugby Sevens. He has served as Honorary Treasurer of the HKRU (previously Hong Kong Rugby Football Union HKRFU) ’76-’80; Deputy Chairman ’84; Chairman ’85-87; Vice-President ’87 to 2001 and since 2016; President 2001-2016.
Prof. Stevenson is also a Vice President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee (SFOC) of Hong Kong, China since 2012 and was President of the Hong Kong Riding for the Disabled Association from 2010-2014.
Among numerous previous appointments in both the private and public sectors, Prof. Stevenson has served as;
i. director of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation; The MTR Corporation; The Securities and Future Commission; Ocean Park; The HK Industrial Estates Corporation; and the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation.
ii. an adviser to the British Telecom Asia Pacific.
iii. a member of the Public Service Commission; of the General Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Chamber’s Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries; and of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Exchange Fund Advisory Committee.
iv. a council member of the Vocational Training Council and of the HK Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Prof. Stevenson was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) in 2018 and the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in 1998 for services to the development and promotion of Hong Kong’s service industries and was appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP) in 2007. In 2011, he received the IOC Trophy – Sport and Social Responsibility from the International Olympic Committee in recognition of his contributions to sport and social responsibility. In December 2015, he was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa, by the Open University of Hong Kong.