Loh attended Saint Paul"s Convent School in Causeway Bay, and later Island School in Mid-levels, Hong Kong. She later attended the University of Hull, City University of Hong Kong (Masters of Law in Chinese & Comparative Law) and the University of Hull (Doctor of Law, honoris causa) and was trained as a lawyer but she worked for 12 years as a commodities trader (1980–1991), rising to become managing director and later director of business development.
Until her appointment as Undersecretary for the Environment, Loh was Chief Executive Officer of Civic Exchange, the Hong Kong think tank that she co-founded in 2000. She was named "Woman of the Year for 2006" by Hong Kong Business. She has worked in many areas, including law, business, politics, media and the non-profit sector, but is best known as a leading voice in public policy in Hong Kong, particularly in promoting democracy and environmental protection.
She has long been associated with the campaign to save Hong Kong"s Harbour from excessive land reclamation and overdevelopment.
She then went to Bedford High School in the United Kingdom. Loh spent fourteen years in the commercial world, holding top regional posts in commodities trading at Philipp Brothers and Phibro Energy – the physical commodities trading arms of United States multinational Salomon, Incorporated. (now Citicorp) — before joining a Hong Kong company (the Chartered Institute of Marketinng Company), where she headed the special projects division between 1992 and 1994.
In April 2006, she was elected by shareholders of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) to be a director of the company. Loh was appointed to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 1992.
She co-founded, in 1995, the Society for Protection of the Harbour and was responsible for creating and sponsoring the historic Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.
While part of the democratic camp in LegCo, she took a less confrontational approach than some, preferring to keep open lines of communication with the so-called pro-China camp. She resigned as its chief executive on 11 September 2012 upon her appointment as Undersecretary for the Environment in the administration of CY Leung, taking up her new post the following day. From 1991, Loh hosted a public affairs radio programme and a variety of television programmes.
Chief Executive, Civic Exchange, 2000–present
Chairperson, Hong Kong Observers, 1980s
Chairperson, Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong), 1991–1992.
1993–1994
Chairperson, Citizens Party (Hong Kong), 1997–2000
Chairperson, Society for Protection of the Harbour, 2003-200?
Council Member, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 1999–2005
Honorary Research Fellow, Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong, 2001–2005
Member, Advisory Committee, Securities and Futures Commission, 2001–2005
Board Member, Community Business Advisory Member, International Advisor, Asia Society, United States of America
Company-Chair, Human Rights in China, since 2005.
In 2000, she and Lisa Hopkinson co-founded a Hong Kong-based non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange, and once again entered the political spotlight, but outside of the LegCo. At the same time, she resigned from all her positions in other non-profit organisations, academic affiliations, and non-executive directorships in commercial firms.
