CUBA

Career Series No.1 - Insurance Industry

Interviewer: Shih Leung Leung, So Chun (SC)

Anthony graduated from CUHK in 1977. He has fruitful experience in the insurance industry. He was one of the founding members of MLC and held top management positions in AIG and Marsh before. Now, he is preparing to set up a new company to work on financial planning on his own.

SC: How do you think of the prospect of financial planning in HK?

AY: As a result of MPF promotion, people have better knowledge on funds and securities. There is increasing familiarity of funds. There are over thousands of funds in Hong Kong now. The saving rate of Hong Kong ranks very high among the world. People have idle money on hand and in bank but just no target to invest.

Independent Financial Advisor is growing in the future as the role of wealth management is becoming more and more important.

SC: Could you share with us your successful experience and in particular, the critical success factors you possess?

AY: I don't think I'm successful. I'd rather say I'm quite lucky. Since the booming of economy in 70s, there has not been much failure experienced by me. Maybe it is because I'm an optimistic person with a persistently positive mind.

The main point is, "even when you come across failure, never lose your confidence!"

Achievement is due to capability and persistency in the long run.

Another point is that don't always focus on one's own benefit. Giving is better than receiving. I have participated in many social services and hadn't thought of the return when I did it,

Belief is very important concerning the achievement of a person. My belief is, " Failure only happens if you give up. If you insist to do it, success will celebrate with you at the end." To have persistency, one needs to develop the spirit of exploration and the desire of learning. Also, a positive mind can help one to grasp opportunity and explore the right direction.

SC: What would you suggest our graduates to expedite their road of success?

AY: Every suggestion coming from a person is subjective. For me, I'd say, as long as the job doesn't require you to betray your soul and body, then that's alright. Any job satisfying this condition is okay. Don't be scare of failure. Failure at the beginning is normal. So, just try it and adjust it when you think necessary.

Regarding hit fields now, everybody knows about logistics, finance, insurance, training and education. Bank's role will be a universal sale. It's much different from the role 10 years ago. I believe the first thing to be considered is survival. Obviously, working is the basic of survival. Until one can satisfy his basic living condition, then it'll be meaningful to talk about vision. Moreover, working is a process of gaining experience and confidence. This is a practical view of work.

Some people say that the standard of the graduates nowadays is lower than before. Despite the fact that there are more people entering universities, there are in fact good quality as well as poor quality graduates. If we focus on a few percent of the graduates on the top, they are still elite in the society. However, graduates must develop their analytical skill and realize their own strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, it'll really be a waste of time for the 3 years they spend in the universities.

Interview with Titus Yu (TY)

Interviewer: Shih Leung Leung, So Chun (SC)

SC: Would you give us a brief description of your career path?

TY: Graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a degree in Business Administration in 1983, Titus Yu chose to be an insurance agent of Prudential to tap the enormous opportunities in the insurance industry. 19 years later, Mr. Yu is the leader of a professional team with more than 200 insurance agents in Hong Kong and now he is building a team in China as well. His success is the best evidence of his vision and management talent.

SC: Why did you choose to be an insurance agent?

TY: I made this decision because of several reasons:

First of all, I believed that insurance could help people and everyone needed it.

Also, there were not many university graduates in this industry at that time so that I would have a greater chance to move up to the top. I believed I was capable to do the job.

In addition, there was a great potential in this industry due to the low penetration rate at that time. I would be able to tap the opportunities here.

Finally, this industry has the advantage that the more effort you put, the more you could get.

SC: Did your family object your idea to be an insurance agent?

TY: Yes, but I analyzed the situation and thought this was the right decision to make. Since among the family, I was the only university graduate and had better knowledge about the business environment, I could see the potential in this industry. Then, why should I be convinced by people without solid reasons? Therefore, I decided to go to this profession despite their objections.

SC: What made you become so successful today?

TY: First of all, I chose the right profession. At that time, most of the university graduates would choose to work for the government and banks. In order to move up more quickly, I needed to work in a profession that I could stand out more easily. Insurance industry was definitely one of them since not many university graduates worked at this industry and even less for B.B.A. students.

After entering this industry, I had set some rules for myself: I would not go home if I had not met 4 to 5 people each day. Regarding expansion of my client base, I emphasized referral instead of cold call. Referral is the method that doctors, lawyers and other professionals used to have clients and it should be workable in the insurance industry as well. Moreover, if you just concentrate on marketing people that you know, you will not be able to survive for a long time. Hence, I tried to meet as many people as I could in the first year and asked for their referrals. By doing so, I got the greatest exposure and built a large client base. Furthermore, since I was busy in meeting people, I did not have time to consider too much. I had simply tried my best and left the other things behind. This in return increased my productivity.

After 2 to 3 years, I started building my team. At that time, what I learned from the university proved to be very useful especially time management. This allowed me to work more efficiently.

SC: You are famous in team management. Can you share with us about that?

TY: Sure. Running an agency is just like operating a business. Hence, I hire several staff to help me out. Now, I have an accountant, a recruiting manager, an agency administration manager, an administration manager and a training manager. Also, I have an assistant in helping me in customer service. This is all I need to run a business, to run my own agency and it works very well. In this way, I can arrange my time more freely and efficiently.

Now, I put all my effort in recruiting and coaching agents and help them to become professional and successful insurance agents. In our team, we emphasize the importance of teamwork. We care about each other very much. I believe that the success of our agents lies on the drive of our team's development.

SC: How's future prospect of the insurance industry?

TY: I am very confident of the insurance industry. With the increasing awareness of the public to the investment-linked products, the aging population in Hong Kong and the change of medical system in the foreseeable future, the insurance industry in Hong Kong will continue to grow in the next 10 years. In addition, with the opening up of the insurance industry with China's accession to WTO and the change of the welfare system in China, there will be enormous opportunities in the insurance industry. Hence, it is a right time to join this profession.

SC: What do you think about the competition between the banking and the insurance industries?

TY: Let's take the North America as an example. It is hard for banks to do the personal services since customer services are mainly done by the staff instead of the sales themselves. As a result, each time when a customer goes to the bank, he needs to tell the staff his situation from the beginning and this causes a lot of inconvenience to the customer. Hence, it is hard to build customer relationship for such personal services. In contrast, the insurance companies are running the agency model and this definitely is an advantage in building a close relationship with customers.

SC: Finally, what advice would you give to the recent university graduates in their career development?

TY: It seems to me that this generation has not really experienced any difficulties before. They should be mentally prepared that working is totally different from studying.

In today's business environment, university graduates no longer have any privilege. The market is very competitive. The key to success is the continuous learning. Your supervisor will not be able to teach you everything, you need to take the initiative and keep equipping yourself all the time.

Career Series No.2 - Marketing

Interview with Daisy Ching (1988) Concentration: Marketing

Interviewer: Fion Tin


Fion:	Why did you choose advertising industry as your field of work? How did you enter the industry?

Daisy:	When I was studying in the secondary school, I read some books about advertising and found that the advertising industry is so attractive and wonderful that it is capable of leading the trend. My enthusiasm about advertising drove me to take every opportunity to enrich my knowledge about the industry and pave a way to gain a foothold in it. For example, when studying in the university, I picked Marketing as my major with respect to a chance of learning advertising management. When I was a committee member of BASO, I devoted myself to organizing an advertising workshop with a communication school of 4As. Later when I was graduated, I found 2 job openings from Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather in the appointment service center. I took the chance to apply for those jobs. Luckily, Leo Burnett employed me as an Account Executive. I joined DDB later together with the Account Manager of my team in Leo Burnett.


Fion:	You have been working in Grey Worldwide for nearly 10 years. What factors drive you to leave DDB and what keeps you staying in Grey for so long?

Daisy:	At DDB, I was working on one account only and had little exposure on TV advertising. I started to realize that my learning path was limited. For a better account profile, I made an important decision to leave DDB and join Grey, even with a lower job title and lower salary. However, I believed that I was still young and it was essential to go for a place with an environment that allowing me to learn and grow continuously. At Grey, I could find the opportunities to advance whenever the questions mark "What's next?" appeared in my mind. For example, I gained the opportunity to set up the Shanghai office for the company. After that, I would like to return to HK and the company let me to work on the account - P&G Greater PRC. On this account, it was so great that I could work on some new dimensions and responsibilities while utilize my past experience in PRC. Though staying in the same company for so many years, I was not static but keep going by grasping the opportunities around.


Fion:	You have mentioned two pieces of rewarding experiences in Grey. Can you describe to us in detail?

Daisy:	The first one is the participation in setting up a Shanghai office. After 3-year endeavor, by establishing teams and gaining businesses, the number of staff in Shanghai office expanded from 8 to 60. The other is of handling P&G account. Everything was very tough when I got the account after returning to HK from Shanghai. The problems I needed to overcome included readjustment to the working environment in Hong Kong, restructuring the team, and developing Taiwan market, which was new to me. Worse still, it was the hardest time that P&G was undergoing. However, we turned the account around in 3 years and the businesses augmented significantly.


Fion:	Finally you accomplished these two challenging tasks. What are the critical success factors?

Daisy:	I think the fundamental element of success is the passion of work, which drives me to strive for a higher standard in terms of work quality. The motivation is derived intrinsically but not from the praise of others. Once we have raised our interest in our work, it is not difficult to find out something enjoyable even if you are undergoing a hard time. I will be happy and satisfied if a good headline is developed for a print ad. Furthermore, I found the satisfaction obtained from advertising is substantial since my role of leading the whole advertising campaign from the start to the end involves high involvement and incentives. In addition, the effectiveness of an advertising campaign could be seen in a short period of time, by tracing back the growth of sales. All abovementioned bring into huge satisfaction and enjoyment to me.


Fion:	How do you think of the roles of account servicing in an advertising agency?

Daisy:	Account servicing is an important role in an advertising agency. It has often been remarked that account servicing is a bridge between clients and the creative department. However, I don't agree with this. Account servicing is a leader who knows clearly that what works and what doesn't work for the client. The leader is responsible for leading strategic business direction and providing advice to clients in light of his/her thorough understanding of the brands. Moreover, account servicing takes the onus in making things happen, from planning to execution, with quality control.


Fion:	Do you have any tips on communicating with clients and creative department?

Daisy:	In between clients and the creative department, account servicing should have its own point of view, in terms of strategic business direction and consumer insights. It is the responsibility of account servicing to ensure a mutual understanding among the parties and solve whatever conflicts by having a clear vision for the brand. We should not compromise any party but to find out the best solution to the brand. Of course, it involves a lot of communication skills and knowledge of the brands, e.g. the know-how of markets and consumers. It is always a challenge but important for account servicing to project a team image with the creative department as a whole.


Fion:	What do you think of the prospect of advertising in HK and in PRC respectively?

Daisy:	For sure, it will be tough. In HK, due to the economic downturn and the small size of market, large-scale advertising campaigns and investments could not be affordable to general enterprises. Hence, the market could not keep growing and expanding. Without the critical mass but with an independent market, HK should position itself as part of PRC. In PRC, the competition is keen. There are many local agencies and expertise coming up. As a member of 4As in HK, how could we stay competitive? This question mark has existed for long. To gain a thorough understanding of the PRC market, practical working experience in PRC is essential, especially for advertising those very close to people and their lives. It is never sufficient for us to understand PRC by reading the so-called analysis, data, newspaper clipping and etc.


Fion:	It seems that working experience in PRC is of importance. Could you suggest some ways for our graduates if they would like to work in the PRC advertising industry?

Daisy:	For fresh graduates, it is quite difficult for them to get a job stationing in PRC. The main obstacle is their insufficiency of working experience. In fact, it is too risky for employers to hire them instead of those experienced or local PRC expertise. I suggest they could find some jobs that allow for managing the business of PRC in HK. They could gain some initial exposure of PRC business. After several years, they should start searching jobs to station in PRC. The opportunities of stationing in PRC are diminishing, as the PRC market is being more mature and the local expertise are accumulating invaluable experience. Hence, the window to enter PRC is closing and will be closed soon. To remind the graduates, they should equip themselves with mandarin.


Fion:	Could you give some advises to the recent university graduates in their career development?

Daisy:	As the world would never be the same, I would like to remind the fresh graduates not to compare their salary with that of several years ago. Moreover, the competition is keener than before as we are not only competing with the talents of HK, but also those from PRC. Hence, we should always remind ourselves to learn more.

Interview with Nancy Pang (1979) Concentration: Marketing

Interviewer: Fion Tin

Nancy Pang's Career Path
Executive Assistant – Commercial Radio (1979)
Public Relations Executive – Commercial Radio (1981)
Assistant Public Relations Manager – MTR (1984)
Marketing Communications Manager – MTR (1989)
Head of Marketing & Sales – KMB (1998)
Chief Corporate Marketing Officer – Roadshow Holdings Ltd. (2001)
General Manager, Business Market & Mobile Media – SmarTone (2002)


Fion:	How did you get your first job in Commercial Radio?

Nancy:	There was no shortcut. When I was about to graduate, the commercial radio was in need of an executive assistant. I applied for the post and I was hired shortly. I reported to the post on 1st June. Basically, I started working right after putting my books back on the shelf. As you know, at CU, the final examination in CU was normally held in May. In order to take up the post, I gave up an opportunity for a 3-month job exchange to Japan.


Fion:	Could you briefly describe your job in Commercial Radio?

Nancy:	I have learnt a lot in Commercial Radio and appreciate this company very much. One of my particular achievements was that I have established the PR department for the company. When I left the company, the department was still at its infant stage and was only composed of 3 staffs. Now, the PR department has already attained a remarkable scale. Another thing is that I pioneered a newspaper for CR. I acted as the reporter as well as the editor. Later, the staff even set up a special paper on horse racing. I have also set up the Commercial Radio Production Unit, which was specialized in organizing press events, international concerts and exhibitions.


Fion:	Was there any special reason for you to leave Commercial Radio and join the MTR Corporation?

Nancy:	After working in the Commercial Radio for 5 years, I think it was suitable time to explore a new environment. My first role in the MTR Corporation was the company's spokesman as well as the official translator for the Chairman and senior executives.


Fion:	You shifted from PR to Marketing in the MTR Corporation. Could you share with us details of the turning point?

Nancy:	At that time, there was an opening for an advertising manager and I compete for this post just like other outside candidates did. My experience in the PR department was an advantage in the sense that I have already had hands-on knowledge on lots of events and promotions. For example, I initiated the "Courtesy Campaign" to enhance customers' awareness on the operation and safety of the MTR. My roles covered media relations, internal communications, community relations and I championed the first 'Core Value' party for all employees of MTR, the best project that I was proud of. In the marketing department, I was responsible for recommending brand positioning, corporate identity, brand personality and competitive edge to gain market share and revenue growth. Later, I was promoted to be a Marketing Communications Manager.


Fion:	Could you share with us your successful stories in the MTR Corporation?

Nancy:	I was glad that under my tenure of the Marketing Communications Manager, I had successfully built a unique brand image for MTR. I won the first "Best Advertiser of the Year Award' in 1994 and "Communicator of the Year Award" in 1992 for the MTR Corporation. Moreover, I hit back on the general perception that marketing "burns" money instead of earns money by introducing souvenir ticket as a new direct source of revenue to the corporation.


Fion:	Later you have joined the KMB Co. Ltd. Could you share some more of your successful campaigns with us?

Nancy:	Several advertising campaigns were well accepted by the public, such as the TV Commercial named "Everywhere". The KMB Caption ("Cute KMB") that adopted a personification concept to create a professional and customer-friendly image was also very successful. Introducing the numerous routes of KMB in a light hearted and joyful way refreshed the image of KMB as a market leader. "Leadership" is the common message of all the TVCs developed under my supervision. It can be leadership in the areas of route coverage, customer service quality and image refinement. To me, a good TVC should not only strengthen the brand image but also augment the company's earning. At the same time, it has to be creative and interesting!


Fion:	How do you think of the prospect of corporate marketing in HK?

Nancy:	It is a pity that the importance of marketing is underplayed in Hong Kong. I would consider marketing as the most important part of a business. It is the heart of the whole body. Marketing directs the whole business plan strategically by promoting the corporate self-awareness of its product, customers and corporate competency. That's why marketing usually plays a very important role in those highly competitive industries. I think marketing is really an interesting and challenging subject, as long as you could find a company or boss who is devoted and have a belief in marketing. If the marketing function of a company plays a subsidiary role, the competency of the company will be undermined and it is hard to keep the company growing continuously.


Fion:	Could you give some advises to the recent university graduates?

Nancy:	As marketing is mostly talking about common sense, I would suggest the graduates to read more books and newspaper, including international news. We should not only keep our focus on the mainland as the edge of Hong Kong lies closely with our international sense and awareness. History contains a lot of practical examples on those business skills taught in MBA. Therefore, I would also suggest the graduates to learn more about the complete history of China as well as the two world wars.

Interview with Rosita Ng (1991) Concentration: Accounting

Interviewer: Fion Tin


Fion:	Could you share your career path with us?

Rosita:	I joined the Management Trainee Program of Cathy Pacific after graduating in 1991. In my career with Cathay Pacific, I have been working in many different posts. I was first attached to the Marketing department after going through six months' training on the Aviation Industry. Then I spent my second year with the In-flight Services Department, responsible for managing all the in-flight facilities and in-flight sales. After that, I spent 2 years in Sydney working as the Personal Assistant to the Country Manager of Australia. When I came back to HK, I worked briefly in the Personnel Department before returning to the Marketing Department, looking after all the marketing research for the company, and assisted in product development. Then finally, I was appointed to the Corporate Communication Department three years ago.


Fion:	Along your career path, you have been transferred to many different positions continuously. Isn't that the Management Trainee Program only last for 2 to 5 years?

Rosita:	It is the case of most other companies. However, in Cathay Pacific, we are kept being appointed to different jobs throughout our career. A unique nature of the aviation industry is that it has high costs yet low profit margins. As a result, it is critical that an airline can control costs effectively, which in turn is dependent on mutual cooperation amongst different departments and management understanding the overall operation of the company. As the Management Trainees have been posted to different departments, they have a good understanding of the whole operation of the company, and communicate well with personnel in different departments. When it comes to decision-making, they possess more all round information and can make decisions in the overall interest of the company. Management Trainees being flexible enough to move around different posts, whether in Hong Kong or in overseas, is also a plus to the company.


Fion:	You mentioned you have 5 major areas to look after at your job. I understand that the first two are public affairs and product communication. Can you tell us more about them?

Rosita:	The objective of public affairs and media relations is to strengthen CX's brand name and minimize the damage done from negative issues. Daily work include issuing press releases, handling media enquiries, organising press conferences or briefings, and handling issues, or even crisis e.g. cabin crew recruitment day, CX's applying to fly back to the Mainland, and pilot dispute etc. We also work closely with government officials, academics, business and opinion leaders. Product Communication is about promoting our service and products through the media in addition to the advertising done by the Marketing Department. We conducted what we called ‘familiarization' trip for the media to showcase our new products, e.g. a trip in-flight to test our in-flight internet, a tour to our flight kitchen to try out the Yung Kee food served in the plane, or a visit to our facilities at our airport lounges. The media will then hopefully write something nice about us in the publications.


Fion:	How about the other three areas?

Rosita:	The third area is Public Relationship. We do various projects during the year with an objective to foster the airline's position as the airline of Hong Kong and enhance its good corporate citizen image. One of the famous ones is the "World Biggest Welcome" campaign held early this year. Other regular events include our Junior Pilot Club, which provides an opportunity for primary school students to learn more about the aviation industry, and the Change for Good Programme, which collects spare coins donated by passengers in their return flights. In the area of Outport Communication, we have to make sure that the PR strategies of every of our 60 outports are consistent with those of the head office. We need to monitor and give them guidelines constantly. The last area is Internal Communication. We have 14,000 staffs all over the world. It is important to strengthen staff morale and foster their sense of pride for CX. We need to let staff know of the company's business direction and why we are doing what, especially after the 911 incident and the global aviation downturn. We work closely with the HR department. We have internal communication tools like the company intranet, monthly staff magazines, auditorium briefings/talks etc. A very special one is the CX Carnival, which is usually held once a year and it turns CX City into a fun fair ground where free food, music and entertainment are laid on for staff and their family members.


Fion:	How was your background of management trainee be related to your post in Corporate Communication?

Rosita:	After being a management trainee for 3 years, we will be added to the list of General Management. As said before, having been posted to different departments has given me a solid understanding of the overall business of the company, and established an important network in the company. I have a better understanding of the culture, direction and long-term vision of the company, and all these assist me greatly in my work as a PR professional. It is quite special that I was the first General Management staff being posted to the Corporate Communication Department.


Fion:	Did you encounter any difficulties in your work before? How did you tackle with it?

Rosita:	I am facing challenges every day! I think the key is that you try your best and remain positive even if the outcome is not as good. Having a passion for your job and for good results are also important.


Fion:	How do you think of the prospect of Corporate Communication in HK?

Rosita:	The prospect of Corporate Communication or PR in HK is good. Companies and even the government have come to understand the importance of PR and are doing more of it. The future employment opportunity should be better. PR is a tough job. The working hours are very long and you are basically on stand-by 24/7. To cite issue management as an example, issues might happen any time, anywhere, especially when CX is a global airline. We are always alert and must work at any time and at any place.


Fion:	Could you give some advises to the recent university graduates if they would like to join the PR industry?

Rosita:	The most important thing is passion for the job. That will help you to enjoy your job and your life, and overcome the frustration and toughness of the job. If the graduates have a firm interest and passion, they could join an in-house corporate communication department or a PR agency. Good communication skills, including both written and spoken Chinese (including Mandarin) and English, are a must for the job. Communication skills are central to your ability in giving an appealing speech or key message. Besides, interpersonal skill is also important because the PR is about teamwork. Creativity together with common sense is also important. We have to keep abreast of current issues in Hong Kong as well as globally and see the implications those have on your business.

Interview with Anna Mak (1991) MBA

Interviewer: Fion Tin

Anna Mak's Career Path
Research Executive – ACNielsen (2 years)
Assistant Research Manager – ACNielsen (1 year)
Senior Officer – Hang Seng Bank (1 year)
Manager – Hang Seng Bank (1 year)
Senior Consultant – Asia Market Intelligence (2 years)
Director – Asia Market Intelligence (2 years)
Director – ACNielsen (3 years)


Fion:	Why would you study MBA right after gradated?

Anna:	I had my first degree majoring in English Literature. After graduated, I found that I was lack of knowledge in business context and it hindered me to find jobs. For example, in the last round interview of a post of Management Trainee, I was asked which department I would like to work for. My answer should be "Marketing", however, because I lacked the knowledge of marketing, it turned out I answered "HR"! After the interview, my determination in studying MBA is firmed.


Fion:	Why did you choose to work in the research industry after finishing the MBA course?

Anna:	Market research is an industry that gives me big exposure in different markets. It trained up my quality in terms of common sense, independence, multi-tasking, etc. I could meet many people, even senior staffs, of different industries and my personal growth could be enhanced in a fast pace. My work is exciting by means of the multi-roles I am taking up, including salesman, marketer, trainer as well as management. Everyday is challenging and interesting as there are always new products and markets emerged.


Fion:	There are 3 major areas in market research. Could you tell us more about them?

Anna:	The first one is Media Research, the second one is Retail Audit and the third one is Customized Research. For Customized Research, it is divided into Quantitative Research & Qualitative Research. In universities, Quantitative Research is being more emphasized, like statistics, questionnaire design, SAAS & PSS. However, in real business world, Qualitative Research is important to marketers as it is more sophisticated and it could help us read the mind of customers and explain the psychological thinking behind. Hence, consumer insights could be figured out. The market research industry in HK has been changing in the last several years. It has been evolved from a data collection service provider to be an insight consultant. As HK is not a big market, consumer behavior is relatively easy to be observed. However, the insight behind is not easy to be identified accurately. Hence, the role of market research in finding the consumer insight become much more important than before. For example, for launching a new advertising, in the past, a market research will be conducted for testing a storyboard that has been developed already. Evaluation was the main purpose of researches. In recent years, marketers will conduct researches in an earlier stage even before the storyline has been developed. Exploration becomes the main purpose of researches.


Fion:	Could you share with us your successful experience?

Anna:	The most impressive one would be the team setting up in ACNielsen. The happiness and satisfaction was mainly come from the team working with other team members. Team spirit is especially precious for qualitative researchers. It is always true for a good qualitative researcher to have a strong individuality and good sense of sensitivity. However, the downside is that it will be difficult for qualitative researchers to work in a team. Hence, the turn over rate of researchers is quite high in the industry, especially in a large company such as ACNielsen. However, the turn over rate of the team I set up is kept in a low level and the development of the team is very stable.


Fion:	In particular, what critical success factors do you possess?

Anna:	I was so lucky that I have met some very good bosses throughout my career. This is very important to my career development as I could learn a lot from my bosses. Also, I have been working in a good team, either in ACNielsen or Asia Market Intelligence. Good team members could ensure the smoothness of jobs. For example, a good moderator without good participants in a focus group could not perform at his best. For personal qualities, I think positive thinking and ownership of jobs are important. We should not have a mindset that we are only a doer and a follower. Even we are only junior executives, we should position ourselves as a thinker and suggest better solutions, so that we could keep moving ahead.


Fion:	You have mentioned the team setting in ACNielsen was very impressive to you. Could you introduce the team structure and well as the job coverage to us?

Anna:	To form a complete team, there will be members of operation responsible for finding participants of focus groups. Also, there will be translators, secretary and of course researchers. The existing team is one of the biggest qualitative specialised team in the market having 14 in the team, including 9 experienced qualitative researchers. We've 1 operation team and 2 research teams including Director, Associate Director, Senior Manager, Manager, Assistant Manager and Executives. Besides conducting focus group, our job also includes business getting, project & research methodology design, new product marketing, recommending marketing strategies to clients.


Fion:	How do you think of the prospect of market research in HK?

Anna:	The prospect is excellent. When the local market is becoming more sophisticated, marketing decisions could not be made merely by experience. For example, many marketing decision makers do not closely connect with their target consumers, if they are selling products for youngsters. Hence, there is always a role-play for market research. Also, as the market is becoming more mature, it is much more difficult than before for a new product launched to be successful. However, the success of new products is becoming more critical for the company than before, as the competition are very keen and budgets are always tight. Hence, accurate market information for decision-making is crucial. Again, market research is playing an important role here.


Fion:	Could you give some advice to the recent university graduates in their career development?

Anna:	I think work happy is very important. We should not complain about the hardship of our job, as it is our own decision to quit the job or not. Also, I suggest the graduates could see their job as a personal development, instead of a way to earn a living only. Observation is also important. We could always learn something by observe the working style of our boss, some senior staffs and even colleagues at the same grade. For example, I found that the tea lady in my company has a very high EQ. She shows her professional attitude all the time that we can see her smile on her face always. Besides, I would like to remind the graduates not to compare with others on title and salary, as they don't mean everything. We should always compare with ourselves and see whether we have improvements or not. Last, we should stay in an industry for at least 2-3 years in order to have a clear understanding to that industry and to decide whether the industry is suitable to ourselves or not.