John So

Who is John So?

John Chun Sai So, AO JP, is a Hong Kong Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors. He is also the first Lord Mayor of Melbourne of Chinese descent.

First elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2004, So is the longest-serving Lord Mayor of Melbourne, serving for seven-and-a-half years. In 2006, John So won the World Mayor award. On 1 October 2008, John So announced he would not seek re-election for a third term as Lord Mayor.

So currently serves as Chairman of the Global Business Council, an international forum established by the World Chinese Economic Forum in Malaysia aimed at facilitating trade between China, India, ASEAN and Middle East. In December 2013, So was appointed by the Chinese Government as a Special Advisor to the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.