Helmut Sohmen (born 10 December 1939 in Linz, Austria) is an Austrian lawyer and businessman in Hong Kong. He was chairman of BW Group and a former Hong Kong legislator. He was formerly managing director of Dragon Air. In 2010 he was on the Forbes list with an estimated fortune of US$1.4 billion, the fourth-placed Austrian. In 2009 he was listed as the 13th richest person in Hong Kong. Early life On 10 December 1939, Sohmen was born in Linz, Austria. Sohmen grew up in Linz. Education In 1958, Sohmen graduated from the Linz Realschule (Fadingerschule) with distinction. He then studied law at the University of Vienna and Southern Methodist University, and won a Fulbright scholarship to continue the University of Connecticut in the United States, eventually receiving his doctorate in Vienna. Career Sohmen's first job was as a legal adviser to the Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal. Helmut Sohmen later interrupted his professional activity more than once to graduate as Master of Comparative Law (Southern Methodist University) and a Master of Laws. Sir Yue-Kong Pao, Sohmen's father-in-law, owned World-Wide Shipping Group, one of the largest shipping companies in the world. In 1970 Sohmen moved with his family to Hong Kong in order to join the family business. After periods working in Bermuda (1974) and London (1977), in 1981 he finally settled in Hong Kong. With advancing age Pao gradually stepped back from day-to-day management and in 1986 Sohmen was appointed chairman of the World-Wide Shipping Group and Pao's ownership was passed to Sohmen's wife in 1989. In 2003 World-Wide completed the takeover of Norway's Bergesen fleet to become Bergesen Worldwide Ltd., since then renamed BW Group. The group includes 140 tankers and more than 4500 employees (2010). In Nov 2014, Sohmen retired as chairman of BW Group. He is replaced by Andreas Sohmen-Pao, one of his sons. Positions held From 1984 to 1996, he was a board member, and then from 1996 to 2005 Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HSBC. Finally from 1990 to 2007, he was a board member of parent company HSBC Holdings Plc. From 1985 to 1989 he was CEO of Dragon Air Until 1994, he was Director of Development at Harbour Centre Limited (Hong Kong Shipowners' Association), Hong Kong. President of the Baltic and International Maritime Council, Copenhagen. Legislator in the Hong Kong Legislative Council Chairman of the Hong Kong Austrian Association,