George was born in Burma and finished his high school in Hong Kong. After finishing his matriculation, he went to Switzerland to study hotel management and he graduated in 1990. 

George started his hotel management career as a management trainee with Hyatt Regency, in Macao. He did his time working around different Hyatt Hotels in Southeast Asia. 

For the next several years, George went around Southeast Asia working for various hotels in the food and beverage sector, before coming back to New Zealand in 1997.  

Working for Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore was his career highlight, where they won the best hotel award in Singapore.