Dispatches from Asia - Hong Kong

Third leg of Asia trip: Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China

 

Wednesday and Thursday,  November 15 and November 16

Hong Kong: a sophisticated city with a long history of excellence in commerce, the city was built as a trading center with its magnificent but shrinking harbor and proximity to close-by world markets. Today, over 7.8 million people occupy this beautiful center of trade. This city is full of high end malls and shopping areas, high rise buildings and walkways to shield the pedestrian from hot or in-climate weather. The populated hilly mountainsides with single residences, condos and commercial space speak of wealth and success. It is a comfortable well-thought-out city design which handles the amazing amount of traffic with relative ease. The airport express traverses airport to city center in minutes. The classy bay area is surrounded by high-rise office buildings, condos, restaurants and shops. The back streets retain the buzz of local life with billboards and signs everywhere for the latest in cell phones, electronics, jewelry and dress (as well as food shops everywhere).

We are hosted by the Wans, parents of Ian Wan, a first-year MBA student at Owen. From racetrack to reception, they exude the hospitality and welcome we feel everywhere.

The firms we visit sound like an investment banking closing list in a major transaction: JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Skadden Arps, Shearman & Sterling…and many more. Todd Miller, Managing Director of Sony Entertainment for Asia ex Japan and a Vanderbilt alum, talks of the vast markets served, distribution systems and channel and content creation and management. It is an exciting place to be, yet life-styles are manageable. Hong Kong lacks the feel of the wild, wild west that is the trademark of Shanghai. It is comfortable and while I would miss some of the explosive growth of the mainland, it is clearly a great place to work.

A reception at the exclusive Hong Kong Club draws Vanderbilt alumni from Owen, Law, Peabody, Engineering, Arts & Science and Medicine as well as friends of the University like the Tynes. Michael Chandler (MBA ’00) of Goldman; Fang Fang , (MBA ’93) of JP Morgan/Chase; Clark Lu (MBA ’99) of HSBC; and Huimin Wu (MBA ’97) of Prime Capital Management have all obtained great success and world perspective working in this interesting and city. They each express a willingness to help those who are prepared to learn the language, work hard and apply their skills and knowledge in the vast Far East. They issue warnings that an MBA is the minimal credential to enter and competition has driven down the expat packages that once existed. For the right Owen grad, this is an excellent place to work and live.

SCENES FROM HONG KONG

Shots of the Hong Kong harbor.

Jen Howe and Tricia Carswell and me with Fang Fang  in his office at JP Morgan/Chase.

Shopping in Hong Kong...from open-air to enclosed mall.

Prayer Hanging baskets at a Hong Kong temple.

Transportation old and new...rickshaw....trolley.....late model cars.

Our hosts, John C. Wan and Sandra Wan and their daughter Eugenia.  Reception attendees.

A shot of an I.M. Pei high-rise on an overcast day.

A reflection of a building in a building, near the Bank of Hong Kong.