Ms Flora Yu Kit-yee is one of Hong Kong’s most illustrious arts administrators and cultural leaders, with an accomplished career spanning the performing arts, corporate communications, strategic development and cultural management. Currently Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF), she is widely recognised for her visionary leadership, commitment to artistic excellence, and dedication to fostering cultural exchange, accessibility and talent development. 

Professionally trained in both the arts and management, Ms Yu has held senior leadership positions in major arts organisations and leading commercial corporations in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Before joining HKAF, she served as Assistant General Manager of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Head of Corporate Communications for the Shui On Group, and Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Xintiandi. She has also advised international cultural institutions and commercial organisations on brand development in the Chinese Mainland. 

Since joining HKAF as Development Director in 2011, Ms Yu has played a pivotal role in strengthening one of Asia’s premier cultural events and enhancing its reputation as a leading international arts festival. She led fundraising and partnership initiatives, consistently exceeding annual targets and establishing long-term strategies, including the creation of HKAF Foundation. Appointed Executive Director in 2022, she assumed responsibility for guiding its artistic and organisational development and maintaining its leadership position in the international performing arts landscape. She is also known for championing "No Limits", the Festival’s pioneering initiative to promote accessibility, inclusivity and diversity in the performing arts. The Festival is also a recipient of the Best Managed Organisations Award – Small Organisations (NGOs) and Special Award – Excellence in Customers and Markets in the 2026 HKMA Quality Award. 

Ms Yu is also the Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association, a board member of the Actors Family musical-theatre company, and a member of the advisory board of Lingnan University’s Master of Science in Arts Technology and Business programme. 

Her commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists and arts leaders extends directly to her engagement with The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Under her leadership, HKAF has provided invaluable opportunities for Academy students and faculty to engage with internationally renowned artists and productions. A notable example came with the 2026 co-production of The Drunkard, a performance commissioned by the Festival and staged by the School of Drama, through which Academy students worked alongside acclaimed German director Sebastian Kaiser, performing on an international festival platform. 

Ms Yu further strengthened the partnership between the Academy and the Festival by facilitating a memorandum of understanding that supports international exchange, professional collaboration and industry engagement. Through student access to Festival performances, artist-led workshops and masterclasses, and her service on the School Advisory Committee of the School of Drama in 2024/25 and 2025/26, she has enriched students’ educational experiences and contributed significantly to the Academy’s development. Through her leadership and advocacy, she has made a lasting impact to both the Academy and the cultural development of Hong Kong and the region.