How did you get your start at Reed Exhibitions Greater China?
I was recruited from outside. I was intrigued by Reed’s business model. Fortunately, I went through the interview process and got the job. Taking on the role as the leader of China’s leading event organizer is no small task. I’ve been spending my time learning from people in different areas.
How did your past positions prepare you for your new role?
I had the privilege of working with many intelligent and hard-working people with several major corporations and across many functions: finance, supply chain, merchandising and sales. Some of those companies raced to the top of the industry and then fell.
Some of them managed to navigate through the ups and downs of the economic cycles. Some didn’t react quick[ly] enough to the changing industry landscape and had to fight for survival. I was fortunate enough to be there to experience them all and learn from the good and hard times. Now, I have the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned at Reed Exhibitions Greater China [RXGC].
Did your predecessor, Nat Wong, offer any advice or training?
Nat has been tremendously helpful. He has shared many insights. I’m grateful for what Nat has done for RXGC and me personally.
What are you looking forward to at Reed?
I look forward to working with our people to continue to serve customers. We’re in the people business. I will push my teams to have [a] deep understanding of our customers and the industries and how we can serve them better.
I’ll find ways to unleash the power of people. I walked into the office every day and could not help being impressed by the talents around me. We have a very young work force. If everyone is engaged and takes ownership of her/his job, we’ll be successful as a company. To accomplish [a] higher level of employee engagement, I need to take personal responsibility to allow them the leeway to make decisions and create opportunities for them to grow professionally.
What do you hope to achieve as president?
I want to improve services [for] our customers, take care of our people, improve our operational efficiency and invest resources in the right areas. If we’re successful in the above areas, we’ll remain relevant.
