GBA Alumni Series
Aaron Liu (EMBA 2019): In Pursuit of Integration and First-Mover Advantage in Law and Business in GBA
Integration and innovation are among the hottest topics of late in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Aaron Liu (EMBA 2019), the Executive Director/ Head of Structuring of the Structured Finance Department of CMB International Capital Corporation Limited, is intent on flexing his cross-industry, pan-regional advantages to augment his legal and business career and engender greater possibilities.
Special Feature
Beyond Canteen – Business School Alumni Inject Vitality into the Universities’ Eateries
No matter you are an old or new alumnus, you probably have lots of fond memories at the university’s canteens. However, are you aware that the eateries in Shaw and New Asia College look no longer the same today under the management of dedicated fellows from the Business School alumni community? With a genuine spirit of giving back and the passion to serve students of the new generation, they revolutionised the hackneyed image of conventional canteens via human touch and technology, and gradually turned them into open spaces offering unique experience alongside delicacies.
Featured Alumni
Cally Chan (EMBA 2007): Leading Microsoft to Empower All with Technology
Cally Chan (EMBA 2007), General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau, believes that technology can empower infinite possibilities. She has spent around 30 years in the IT industry aspiring to build a brighter future through technological advancements, and her passion for the industry has only intensified with time. “With modern technology percolating into every part of our lives, what once seemed futuristic in movies is gradually becoming a reality,” said Cally. She believes that by combining creativity with technology, anything is possible.
Featured Alumni
Anthony Lin (MBA 1995): Leading Standard Chartered to Chart New Grounds in GBA
Just as industries begin to turn their attention to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and explore its bustling growth opportunities, Anthony Lin (MBA 1995), the Chief Executive Officer, Greater Bay Area of Standard Chartered Bank, is all set for action. He is determined to flex his financial expertise spanning mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and leveraging the bank’s advantages in local markets to capture first-mover opportunities.
Featured Alumni
Eric Hui (BBA 1989, MBA 1999): Finding Home for His Pragmatism in Zurich Insurance
Having served the insurance industry for more than 30 years, Eric Hui (BBA 1989, MBA 1999) gives off a down-to-earth vibe. The CEO of Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) is a shrewd and pragmatic leader. He has led Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) through its 60th anniversary and kept the company firmly on a path of sustainable development and industry leadership.
Alumni World Map
Sandro Kündig (MBA 2019): Managing Family Business in Switzerland with Cultural Sensitivity and Vision
Q1. Could you briefly describe your current job scope or responsibilities?
I am currently the CEO of our 101-year-old family business (Kündig Group), which specialises in trading and producing raw materials in the food sector across Europe and China. As a CEO I am managing the overall operations and resources of my company, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and corporate operations.
Alumni World Map
Jooyoung Yoo (MBA 2017): Riding the Waves of Healthcare Digitalisation in South Korea
Q1. Could you briefly describe your current job scope or responsibilities?
I recently established a company named WEMEDI with former colleagues. It is a medical equipment supplier specialising in imaging diagnosis and medical service consulting. Among my many roles and responsibilities taken up to support the company in its initial phase, my current focus is mainly on business development.
Featured Alumni
Susanna Wong (BBA 1992): A Visionary Call to Boost YATA’s Agility Amid Retail’s Highs and Lows
The retail sector has been among the first ones to bear the brunt of rapid socioeconomic changes in recent years. Wave after wave of unpredictable challenges has tested the resilience of retailers large and small, demanding visionary leadership to help businesses push through. Susanna Wong (BBA 1992) has forged her career in navigating change. Her management experience in FMCG, consultancy, and the public sector has hard-coded agility into her DNA. Since becoming the CEO of YATA in 2016, the forward-looking Susanna has been able to establish a systematic, tech-driven management platform for the company. She has also catalysed her team’s agile transformation, enabling YATA to seize opportunities and even flourish despite relentless challenges from shifting markets.
Featured Alumni
Sunny Chai (EMBA 2007) Gets Hong Kong’s I&T into High Gear for a Voyage of Success
Anyone who has sailed knows that making the best use of the wind, water and weather is crucial to smooth yacht sailing. Being an avid helmsman and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Dr. Sunny Chai (EMBA 2007) has been active in the field of innovation and technology (I&T) for nearly 40 years. This passionate and deft leader is still in his best sailing condition, and he is determined to lead Hong Kong’s I&T development into a boundless sea.
Alumni World Map
Joseph Cirkiel (MiM 2019): Blockchain has a Big Future in the New York City and Around the Globe
Q1. Could you briefly describe your current job scope or responsibilities?
My current job scope is fairly varied within the realm of consulting blockchain projects with their growth and marketing endeavors. I spend a good amount of my time researching the cryptoassets market as a day trader. I am very interested in NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) and am currently working to promote my photography portfolio on an NFT platform like Open Sea or Mintable.
Featured Alumni
Randy Lai (EMBA 2005) Leads McDonald’s to New Frontiers with Innovation and Change
As an integral part of Hong Kong's social fabric for 46 years, McDonald's has always been one of the most beloved fast food brands. Randy Lai (EMBA 2005), CEO of McDonald’s Hong Kong, took the reins in 2011 and continued the vision of Mr Daniel Ng, “Father of McDonald’s Hong Kong”, to integrate Western fast food into the Hong Kong culture and evolve the business with innovation.
Special Feature
Alvin Cheung (IBCE 2016) Wins Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2021
Alvin Cheung (IBCE 2016), co-founder of the HealthTech start-up Zunosaki (HandyRehab), advanced rehabilitation technologies during the past years and boldly rode the digital healthcare wave through COVID-19 as a young entrepreneur. Making onto the list of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2021, however, was a pleasant surprise to him. “I did not hear from Forbes for a couple of months after receiving the nomination,” said Alvin. “Then one morning, I got an email congratulating me on being selected in the Healthcare and Science category, and all of a sudden I was swamped with happy messages from friends around.”
Others
Eva Chu (MBA 2000) Sets Up an AI-driven Education Centre to Promote Happy Learning
Upon graduating with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Eva Chu decided to actualise her love for kids by devoting herself in the education field. She founded iSTEM AI Lab and uses AI, VR and gamification to create an interactive learning environment for children to creatively participate in class, pursue knowledge and truth, stay motivated and learn happily.
Special Feature
Paying Tribute to Alumni Dads who Work Hard and Play Hard!
Maintaining good work-life balance has never been easy for working parents. Many have been feeling the strain in recent years especially as the pandemic and an ever-changing environment gave rise to new challenges. With Father’s Day approaching, we speak to three heroic alumni dads from the CUHK Business School alumni, who, with very different background, strive to achieve a sense of balance with perseverance and raise their kids with wisdom and gentleness.
Special Feature
Celebrating our Alumni Supermums!
The world may be ever-changing in this uncertain age, but the role of a mother will always be a timeless––and ever-challenging––one. The worrying never stops, even after their children become adults, and all they can do is their utmost best as they navigate the twists and turns of modern parenting. Today, whether they choose to work for others or take care of their families full-time, many mothers are choosing to forgo or tweak traditional approaches to create their own styles that are more effective and empathetic instead – driven by what their children truly need. As Mother’s Day approaches, we speak to 3 inspiring super-mums from the CUHK Business School alumni who share their distinct philosophies, lessons and hopes for their kids’ futures.
Alumni World Map
Miranda Lam & Dennis Ng (BBA 2000) gold panning in Dubai’s financial world
Q1. Please briefly describe your current job responsibilities and describe your life in your residing city?
Miranda: I mainly assist in cash flow management for each operating hotel asset. I am also required to prepare the operational planning, corporate strategic planning as well as different merger and acquisition scenarios.
Featured Alumni
Chiang Tung Keung (MBA 1998) Powering Up Hong Kong and Energising the Industry
Chiang Tung Keung’s (MBA 1998) connection with the power industry all stems from his father: “He was an electrical technician. When I was small, I followed him to different sites and watched him perform all kinds of work. I became fascinated by power system equipment.” When Chiang went to university to study engineering in 1985, there were 105 first-year students majoring in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Among them, only 12 were admitted to Power Engineering stream. It is not surprising that Chiang was one of them.
Alumni World Map
John Man (MSc in ITM 2011) stepped out of his comfort zone working overseas
Q1. Could you briefly describe your current job scope or responsibilities?
I'm working at BayWa AG as an internal auditor. My primary task is conducting compliance and process audits at the internal departments in Munich, the offices and warehouses across Germany, and overseas offices. There are different teams in our internal audit department and my team focuses on national and international agricultural trading. In addition, I also perform IT and information security audits for the group.
Featured Alumni
Angel Ng (BBA 1990): Fostering a Human-Centric Financial World
After Angel Ng graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School in 1990, she worked more than six years for a multinational FMCG company. In 1998, her expertise and insights in delivering extraordinary customer experience led her to a new home at Citi. At the time, the global bank’s management was hoping to give its retail banking services a customer-centric makeover, which Angel delivered with flying colours.
Others
Pioneer of Inclusive Education: CU Accounting alumna fingerspells “Equal Opportunities” for deaf students
Anita Ng, majored in Professional Accountancy and minored in Linguistics (Hong Kong Sign Language) at CUHK, once worked as an intern in an accounting firm but found herself uninterested in further development in this field. The “Young Economist Programme” organised by CUHK Business School happened to appear at her crossroads in life. Participating business students were grouped in pairs and every pair was responsible to lead a group of 15 underprivileged high school students. Not only teaching these candidates to master knowledge and test-taking strategies of Economics, the young teachers were also expected to rebuild self-confidence and motivation for learning within these marginalised disadvantaged students. Taking this opportunity, Anita discovered her enthusiasm for teaching people in need and began to rethink her life plan.
Featured Alumni
Peter Hung (BBA 1980): Burnishing Forbes’ Centenary Brand in Hong Kong Style
The name of Forbes often calls to mind its many rich lists. Less known is that this global enterprise is helmed by an executive born and bred in Hong Kong. In this age of industrial upheaval, how is Peter Hung (BBA in Marketing 1980) navigating the hundred-year-old company through ever accelerating change while staying true to its legacy?
Others
Overseas Entrepreneurship? Carol chooses the arduous path to live an extraordinary life
To most people, whether to venture or start up overseas is a decision that calls for prudence. Carol Chan (BBA 2006) has leapt onto the “most arduous path” over and over again since she graduated. She has successfully forged a career in the UK that transformed her life and the lives of many others. As her motto says, Carol has chosen to “Be different to make a difference”.
Alumni World Map
Taiwan alumnus started afresh in a new city
Q1. Please use 3 words to describe your life in your residing city.
Life in Shanghai: Familiar. New. Exciting.
There are similar cultures in Taipei, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but also different ways of life. With a year of study, internships, as well as life experiences in CUHK, I quickly adapted to life in Shanghai.
Alumni World Map
Manuel (MBA 2019): Life as a real estate entrepreneur
Q1. Please use 3 words to describe your life in your residing city.
Opportunities, challenging and comfort.
Spain is full of untapped opportunities. If you are wise enough to see the hidden gems, Spain is full of them. Right now, like the rest of the world, the COVID emergency is challenging but I am pretty sure we will all overcome it. The country has the comforts of any other Western European country but with pluses in climate, food and rich history.
Others
The Ever Spinning Reel – Walden Lam (BBA in IFAA 2009) makes fashion more than sustainable
December 2009. For a little over a week in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, politicians from around the globe were to come together and, before it was too late, reach a deal on tackling what was finally appreciated as a major crisis: climate change. Everyone got eschatological all of a sudden, calling the summit ‘humanity’s last chance’. All eyes were on the hundreds of world leaders packed in the conference hall and how they might turn the tide, and youngsters like myself flocked to Twitter and Facebook with waves of posts heralding the potential dawning of a brighter, cleaner future—