Companies that employ staff in China and

other Asian countries need to become more

vigilant than ever before with the imminent

implementation of the UK Bribery Act.

As wi tnessed recent ly f rom events at

al ibaba.com where sales persons were

colluding with corrupt companies to defraud

overseas buyers in exchange for relatively small

amounts of money, the risk of damaging your

company’s brand is insidious and ubiquitous.

The UK Bribery Act will be looking for proof that

a company has implemented adequate due

diligence through suitable procedures should an

investigation take place. What do these types

of procedures look like? Here are some of the

tools that we recommend to our clients who

employ merchandisers and inspectors in China.

1. Tone from the TopThe most important building block is for

senior management to set the highest of

standards and a personal example. You must

create the correct corporate culture and this

message must penetrate into all corners of

the organisation. No form of corruption will be

Against a background of increasing international transparency, the UK’s Bribery Act 2010 is almost certain to come into effectthis year (potentially as early as June), putting significantly more pressure on businesses to disavow bribery and weedout corruption.

Christopher Riley of Sercura analyses how companies andindividuals should prepare themselves for the new legislation.

condoned. The pursuit of profi t is important

but not at the expense of integrity.

2. Code of conduct policy A guidance document must be written which

explains in great detail what is and what is

not acceptable. It should be principle-based

and easy to understand with no grey areas.

For example, in our industry an inspector may

be permitted to have lunch with a factory

because it is often not practical to make other

arrangements. However if the cost of the lunch

exceeds 100 RMB per head then the matter

must be reported in writing. An inspector is

not permitted under any circumstances to ever

go for karaoke or other forms of entertainment

with a factory as the money being spent by

the factory will put the inspector into a position

where he feels obliged to return the favour.

The rules must be absolutely clear and written

in all relevant languages so that nobody is in any

doubt when an employee has crossed the line.

3. Formal training on policy There has to be an active training program

which explains the rules laid down in the

policy. It has to explain the reasons for these

rules and the potential danger to the company

if these rules are broken. The training must

include as many case studies as are available

and the trainer should then lead the employees

in discussions of these case studies to ensure

they understand the concepts. The training

must end in a written exam of some form

which proves understanding and then fi nally a

formal legal document in which the employees

contractually confirm their adherence to the

policy and any disciplinary action that may

result if they are found in violation. We know

of some companies that ask their employees

to swear an oath of fealty to the business

although this may not be suitable for Western-

owned corporations.

4. Independent Integrity Team Having laid down the rules clearly there has

to be some form of enforcement activity. An

independent team which reports directly into

senior management must be set up, along

the lines of the ICAC which was created to

investigate the RHKP. This integrity team

investigates all allegations of corruption, tracks

statistics which might indicate potential issues

(e.g. an inspector who consistently releases

goods from a certain factory) and runs

operations on suspected corrupt individuals

who are placed on a watch-list. When an

employee is under suspicion, management

only wants to know if he is ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’.

There is no half-way house. An example of this

kind of operation would be to arrange for a

How to implement adequate integrity procedures that comply with the UK Bribery Act

By Chris Riley

Scrupulous

PAGE 6Rising Salaries

PAGE 14GETS IT Scheme

PAGE 10Spring Art Wave

PAGE 16Electric Vehicles

In This Issue

(Continued on page 2)

March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

www.britcham.com

Plus• News• New Appointments• Shaken Not Stirred

The Truth Will Out By Sam Powney

Dishonest gains have been coming to light with astonishing rapidity recently. In

the Middle East particularly, the overthrow of old regimes has unearthed evidence

of large scale corruption, prompting the sudden freezing of suspicious funds in

bank accounts across Europe. Tunisians experienced a curious moment of state

television show-and-tell when a hidden safe was discovered in a palace of former

Tunisian President Ben Ali just a few weeks ago. In front of the press cameras,

investigators opened the cavity behind a palace bookcase, and carefully brought

out wads of high denomination banknotes which had been piled up next to boxes

of valuable jewellery.

In China too, corruption is back in the spotlight, with a scandal of astonishing

proportions recently emerging from China’s southwest. An article appeared in

Beijing-based magazine, Caijing (財經, ‘Finance’) in February, detailing the 20-year

career of Li Wei (李薇), a high-level businesswoman from Yunnan province. The

article was deemed so sensitive that it was pulled from the website, and printed

copies were snatched from kiosk shelves. In vain; the story was widely circulated

and has become a sensation in China and beyond. The UK’s Independent did

a roundup of some of the most powerful men with whom Li Wei was allegedly

connected, including a former provincial governor, an ex-chairman of Sinopec,

an ex vice-mayor of Beijing, and a former deputy head of the Supreme Court - all

of whom have since been convicted of corruption and given either life or death

sentences. Though having at one point amassed a vast personal fortune worth

billions of US dollars, Li Wei herself was released early this year after a jail sentence

of less than fi ve years. She is said to have moved to Hong Kong – where, it is

widely hoped, she will publish her diary!

The British Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce Standard Chartered Bank as the title sponsors of:

The British Chamber of Commerce andStandard Chartered Bank Annual Ball 2011

Friday 24th JuneThe Grand Hyatt Hong KongTheme: to be announced soon!

For further information,please contact: becky@britcham.com

Annual Ball

suspected employee to be offered a bribe in a monitored environment. If he accepts the bribe

the implication is that he is ‘dirty’ and will solicit or accept bribes under other circumstances.

The challenge in Asia of course is making sure that the integrity team is not corrupt; one of the

reasons that the members of the ICAC were originally recruited from outside of Hong Kong.

5. Whistleblower provisionsTo provide further checks and balances there must be other means of obtaining information on

corrupt practices. Secure and confi dential hotlines must be made available to all parties involved

in the business process. It is human nature that individuals are reluctant to rat out their colleagues

but if they are suitably motivated by pride in the company and pecuniary rewards this hurdle

can be overcome. We encourage that generous rewards be offered to internal whistleblowers

who provide information on corrupt individuals as well as any insights on how scams are being

perpetrated. The ingenuity of corrupt employees knows no bounds. (We recently heard of

factories paying bribes to junior accounting clerks in order to ensure earlier payment of invoices.

It is not just in the sales and purchasing departments where corruption fl ourishes).

6. Disciplinary recourse Having put all of these measures in place, it is inevitable that corrupt employees will be caught.

Very often they will admit under tearful interrogation that they were only doing it because

everyone else was doing it and they thought they wouldn’t be caught. At this stage you have

to be unrelenting in pursuing other offenders. A zero tolerance approach should be taken that

leads to termination of employment. Unfortunately in China this is where the matter usually

ends because criminal prosecutions are very diffi cult. The best disciplinary techniques we

know are to ensure that the individuals do not easily fi nd employment with your competitors

or customers after being fi red from your organisation for being involved in corruption.

Christopher Riley is the owner of Sercura, a global quality and compliance company

that provides consulting, inspection and audit services to retailers and their suppliers

manufacturing around the Asian region. www.sercura.com

www.br i tcham.com2

COVER STORY

(Continued from cover)

OFFICE REAL ESTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4GLOBAL EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5RISING SALARIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6HIGHER EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8INTERVIEW: BACK AND FORTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9ART WAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10GETS IT SCHEME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

ELECTRIC VEHICLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16ALTERNATIVE ASSETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18HARBOUR GRILL REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19NEW APPOINTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21NEW MEMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22SHAKEN NOT STIRRED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Kevin Taylor

Recently we have been very busy here at the Chamber dealing with a long list of activities, and this month they have mainly focused on

the Government of Hong Kong. I suppose that should not be too surprising as the annual budget was just released at the end of February.

I would like to share with you a bit of detail on these activities. It is important that Chamber members are aware of what your chamber

is doing on a day-to-day basis. Everyone sees the public events, luncheons and speaker activities, but rarely do we glimpse the full

scope of all the behind- the-scenes work undertaken by all the chamber staff and committee members.

These activities affect all of us at the Chamber as they are aimed at creating a business atmosphere for our members that builds an

even more energetic, competitive and connected Hong Kong than we already have today. As great as the business climate is in Hong

Kong, there are a few items that really must be addressed in order to keep our competitive edge.

What we’ve been up to on your behalf in February:

• We drafted a letter regarding the statutory minimum wage rate and sent this to the Chair of the Provisional Minimum Wage Commission.

• We submitted a position regarding the competition bill to the Chair of the Bills Committee urging a series of initiatives to encourage

the future Competition Commission to play the role of regulator of anti-competitive behaviours rather than a promoter of competition.

• We sent a letter to the Secretary of Education urging him to place the issue of the lack of places in international pre-school, primary

and secondary schools at the front of his agenda and made suggestions as to how the problem could be alleviated. This is a major

concern for us at the Chamber as we need to be able to continue attracting talent to Hong Kong.

• The Chamber submitted an eight page position paper to the government on the budget and items that we believe that the

government could undertake to improve Hong Kong. As there was a huge, previously un-forecasted budget surplus, we suggested

several items. These ranged a broad spectrum of issues which included furthering the development of RMB banking services;

recommending airport expansion and a third runway; encouraging sustained investment in the next ten ‘mega’ infrastructure

projects to enhance Hong Kong’s regional superconnectivity; reduction of profi t tax, and several other items.

I was at a business luncheon the day after the budget was announced where Financial Secretary John Tsang spoke. He had some

very diffi cult questions from the fl oor. He said he would review the HKD6,000 injection into each MPF account. This has now been

scrapped and it is good to see he is listening to voiced concerns.

He was also asked about fulfi lling the previously promised tax reduction for corporates in Hong Kong, possibly down to 15% from the

present 16.5%. He said not just yet, but that it would happen when the timing was right. Again, I’m glad to see that he is listening.

For many of us in the Chamber the ability to attract quality hires to Hong Kong by ensuring adequate educational places in international

schools for our children is of utmost importance. On this last note, I hope that the Finance Minister and the entire government are

seriously listening to this request. We have prepared a short online questionnaire on this subject, so I encourage all members to please

take a moment to fi ll it in.

Again I wish to thank Christopher and the entire Chamber staff and volunteers for their efforts in getting these important agenda items

brought to the attention of the relevant offi cials.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Rugby Sevens dinner in the Hong Kong Football Club on March 24th - it promises to be a

fantastic event!

CHAIRMAN’SMESSAGE

EditorsIan CruzSam Powney

DesignBill MoAlan WongKen NgMan Lo

Advertising ContactCharles Zimmerman

Project ManagementVincent Foe

Jointly Published by Speedfl ex Medianet Ltd andThe British Chamber ofCommerce in Hong Kong1/F, Hua Qin International Building340 Queen’s Road Central, Hong KongTel: 2542 2780Fax: 2542 3733Email: info@speedfl ex.com.hkEditorial: Ian@speedfl ex.com.hk sam.powney@speedfl ex.com.hkAdvertising: charles@speedfl ex.com.hk

British Chamber of Commerce Secretariat

Executive DirectorCJA Hammerbeck CB, CBE

General ManagerCynthia Wang

Marketing andCommunications ManagerHilary Thomas

Special Events ManagerBecky Roberts

Events AssistantMandy Cheng

Business Development ManagerDovenia Chow

Membership ExecutiveLucy Jenkins

AccountantMichelle Cheung

Executive AssistantJessie Yip

SecretaryYammie Yuen

Offi ce AssistantSam Chan

Room 1201, Emperor Group Centre, 288 Hennessy Road, WanchaiTel: 2824 2211Fax: 2824 1333Website: www.britcham.com

© All published material is copyright protected. Permission in writing from the Publishers must be obtained for the reproduction of the contents, whole or in part. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the Publishers. The Publishers assume no responsibility for investment or legal advice contained herein.

The Magazine of the BritishChamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

At a Breakfast Briefing on February 9th organised by the Chamber’s Real Estate

Committee, members heard how office space in Hong Kong is becoming increasingly

expensive and hard to fi nd. In this article, the speakers at the event outline the key points

from the briefi ng.

As the global economic recovery fi nally begins to gain traction, considerable attention is

now being focussed on the growth opportunities which are evident here in Asia. Global

GDP recovered sharply in 2010, and whilst there remain concerns about the outlook for the

major western economies, there are now increasing signs that the recovery is becoming

more fi rmly established. Against this positive regional backdrop, the outlook for the Hong

Kong economy is therefore broadly optimistic. As the key gateway city for companies

targeting the lucrative Chinese market, Hong Kong saw a strong rebound in activity during

2010. Government statistics reveal that the number of overseas organisations located in the

territory increased by over 160 last year, reversing the downward trend seen during 2009.

The number of expat visas issued by the Government rose steadily during the year, with the

annual total almost back to the level seen in 2008. Whilst this relates only to new arrivals

rather than the net increase in overseas workers, anecdotal evidence suggests that many

more people are arriving in Hong Kong than are leaving.

This is having some signifi cant impacts on Hong Kong’s property market. A combination

of new companies arriving and expansion of those already here has increased the demand

for offi ce space. The overall vacancy rate for “Grade A” space – of a standard appropriate

for major corporate occupiers – has fallen from over 10% in 2009 to around 5.5% by the

start of this year. Availability is particularly low in some of the key submarkets on Hong

Kong Island, the preferred location for most international companies. The vacancy rate on

the island has fallen below 4%, and in Central stands at just 3%. Amongst the “Grade A1”

buildings at the very top end of the market, vacancy is effectively zero. As a consequence,

offi ce rents across the territory rose by an average of 35% last year, with the best space in

the core submarkets on the Island seeing increases of 40-50%.

Hong Kong is now the most expensive office market in the world for multinational

corporates. In addition to the costs of space, big companies face increasing challenges in

securing the right type of accommodation. They typically want large open fl oorplates, and

to operate on contiguous fl oors within a building under the control of a single landlord. As

vacancy falls, their options are becoming more restricted. To reduce costs and to secure

the type of space they need, a number of large companies have acquired space outside

the core submarkets, either moving eastwards on the Island or over to the Kowloon side of

Victoria Harbour.

So what of the future? Given the low level of vacancy and that we are likely to see at least

healthy demand for space over the next few years, the outlook for rents depends largely

on how much supply will be made available. Over the last fi fteen years, new offi ce demand

and development completions have each averaged around 2 million square feet per year.

Over the next four years to the end of 2014, only around 4 million square feet of new offi ce

space, or an average of 1 million sq.ft. per year, will be built in the Territory. Not only will

new supply be lower than in the past, but it is also being built outside the core locations

where demand has historically been highest. Over two thirds of the new space will be on

the Kowloon side of the market. Only 30% of the total space to be completed over the next

four years has a fl oorplate of over 10,000 sq.ft. and will remain in single ownership – and

only 260,000 sq.ft. of this will be on Hong Kong Island.

For those occupiers facing immediate lease renewals or the need to expand, there is little

option but to pay a higher rent or move location in order to fi nd the space they need. For

the time being, rents appear set to rise further, and large companies will need to undertake

a fundamental review of their location and occupation strategy. Few, if any, will be able

to afford to house all their employees in top quality space within Central. Whilst there are

options available, including newly emerging offi ce hubs on Kowloon, there may be fewer

viable alternatives than one might expect.

It is important to bear in mind that the issues for international companies are not confi ned to

the offi ce market. Residential property prices continue to rise, with quality accommodation

on Hong Kong Island in increasingly short supply. Rents on executive properties have risen

sharply during 2010, and incoming expatriates report increasing difficulty in identifying

adequate housing at an affordable price. Pressure on school places has also increased.

Almost every international school is full and reporting signifi cant waiting lists across most

year groups, particularly for younger children. Many have the desire to expand – but are

limited by a shortage of available sites.

It is an exaggeration to say that these various challenges represent a fundamental threat

to Hong Kong’s viability as a global business location. Equally, Hong Kong has no divine

right to pre-eminence within the Asian business hierarchy – it faces stiff (and signifi cantly

cheaper) competition from Singapore and the newly emerging business centres in China.

If companies cannot fi nd good quality offi ce space at an affordable price, a healthy living

environment and appropriate accommodation and schooling for their staff in Hong Kong,

they will focus their expansion plans elsewhere. The Hong Kong Government needs to give

a clear lead on how it intends to tackle all these issues, and must ensure that corporate

needs are appropriately balanced alongside those of the wider community.

Nick Axford, Head of Asia Pacifi c Research, CB Richard Ellis / Alex Barnes, National Director at Jones Lang LaSalle Markets

Office Occupiers Need To Plan AheadOffi ce Occupiers Need To Plan AheadThe Outlook for Hong Kong’s Office MarketThe Outlook for Hong Kong’s Offi ce Market

With the steep rise in Hong Kong property prices, Nick Axford and Alex Barnes explore the situation for international companies with a base here and the options open to them.

www.br i tcham.com4

BUSINESS

These days when we open a newspaper or switch on the television, we are

exposed to stories and issues from around the globe; the generations preceding us could

never have imagined such access. To be successful in the new globalised world, we need

to be forward-looking and develop a global mindset to prepare our next generation. The

mere fact that more and more employment, business, investment and students’ studies

commonly involve stepping out of our homelands and into the “global village” proves the

transformation our world is undergoing.

An article published in Newsweek magazine in June 2010 focused on the changing world

suddenly requiring a new type of professional;

“As emerging markets take off, soft skills that were previously seen as gloss on the CV – adaptability, foreign language skills, ease in other cultures – have suddenly become part of the core Job Descriptions of top managers. We now need chief offi cers who are diplomats, know how to move across borders without alienating people….Companies now speak of the ideal manager as the perfect combination of East and West.”

Why Global Education?Global education is a word used very often nowadays to promote ‘third culture’ learning

for children who are often not living in their native country; usually synonymous with a

“westernised” approach. However, this attitude runs the risk of losing the benefi ts of

the diverse knowledge and education styles which the world has to offer collectively.

Global education is a process by which we hope to encourage children to gain a greater

understanding of the world around them so that they can easily and effectively adapt

to whichever country they move to. “International” should mean the understanding

of cultures.

Language is the Key to Global SuccessToday more and more schools are realising the value of Chinese language, with English

and Chinese being the two main languages of the world. Research proves that the early

years of a child’s development (from zero to eight years old) are crucial for potential

growth. Various aspects of their lives including personality, intellectual development,

sociabil ity, crit ical thinking and communication depend upon the materials and

opportunities. Through language a young person can swiftly implement social awareness

and understanding too.

Dr. Betty Chan is the daughter of the founding member of Yew Chung International Schools,

who launched their fi rst school in Hong Kong in 1932. She is an educator and her vision

of a changing future, which began in the 1990s, immediately immersed children in a new

global learning environment. She explains her schools’ approach,

“All of our students study two languages, English and Mandarin Chinese. As these are the

two most widely spoken languages in the world it means our graduates can communicate

with the majority of the world’s population. Also our students receive a strong character

education and engage in community service which teaches them to be responsible

world citizens, with a strong moral outlook being able to respect people from all cultures.

Therefore, our students are globally minded, socially aware and have the knowledge and

study skills to reach the top positions in their chosen fi eld.”

Third Culture Kids (TCKs)The term ‘TCK’ was coined in the 1960s, when behavioural scientists began to study

a growing phenomenon of children growing up in more than one culture. It includes

the children of missionaries (‘mis kids’), army personnel serving abroad (’army brats’),

diplomatic staff, and increasingly the children of business families. Children who

attend international schools are usually considered to be TCKs because they grow up

among teachers and other children from a variety of backgrounds. Characterisation

of TCKs can be very broad, but aspects that TCKs commonly share include:

• Cosmopolitan ability to engage people from different cultures. This is sometimes

tempered by ‘cultural jet-lag’ or disconnect with ‘mono-cultured’ people.

• Fluency in more than one language, or fl uency in a major world language without

a marked regional accent.

• Tendency to travel/move home frequently.

• Likelihood of attaining higher education signifi cantly higher than those brought

up in one cultural background. An early 1990s study of US TCKs found that they

were four times as likely to receive a bachelor’s degree as non-TCKs.

Educationfor a newglobalised world

By Cathy Ben David, Head of Parent Relations, Yew Chung International School

5March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

EDUCATION

In mid-February the Chamber held one of the most anticipated events of the year, the

unveiling of the Hays Annual Salary Guide.

Hays is the leading global specialist recruiting group and employs 6,845 staff operating from

270 offi ces in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2010, Hays

placed around 50,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 180,000 people into

temporary assignments.

Hays Salary Guide 2011: Facts and Figures• 79% of employers across Asia would consider employing or

sponsoring a qualifi ed overseas/expatriate candidate in skill

short areas. In Hong Kong that number is 81%.

• Mainland China experienced the greatest salary hike across

the region last year, and is forecast to experience an even

greater one this year.

45% of Hays mainland respondents said they had raised

salaries between 6-10% in 2010, and a further 22% of

employers had raised salaries by more than 10%.

In 2011, 51% of mainland employers are expected to increase

salaries between 6-10%, and a further 33% of employers will

raise salaries by more than 10%.

• This year, 69% of Hong Kong respondents intend to increase

their salaries by 3-6%.

• Skills shortages are becoming more acute. In Hong Kong,

employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find candidates

for sales, accountancy and fi nance, banking, IT, and engineering

roles.

• 22% of employers across the region reported average increases

in overtime of more than 5 hours per week. In more than half of

cases, overtime was unpaid.

• Almost half of the respondents in Hong Kong intend to pay

more than 15% of the salary as a bonus.

Interview with Nigel Heap, Managing Director of Hays Asia Pacifi c

1. It would seem that employment supply and demand is the immediate reason for rising salaries and bonuses here. What do you think are some of main root causes behind that shift?

Very simply, here and elsewhere in Asia, it’s because of strong economic growth. This

requires additional people to be employed. There is a general scarcity of professional

labour in Asia to begin with so, although it’s still early days in Hong Kong, it will begin to

impact on wages here too.

2. How does the question of the ageing workforce affect salary levels?

This is a worldwide issue. In the short-term the solution is to stop ignoring mature-age

workers. In several European countries the government has moved the minimum age of

retirement in order to save money, but in the long-term I think that’s going to have a very

good effect because people will stay in the work-force for longer.

The ageing population is also one of the main reasons for the quite dramatic wage

increases we have recorded in mainland China this year. These are big numbers;

honestly, those fi gures really surprised me.

3. Is there a similar picture across the region? Is Japan also looking at a salary hike over this year?

Across Asia, what’s going on in Japan is probably the most interesting for me. The

pay rises are more modest, but the job-for-life concept is gradually diminishing. That’s

driven by Generation Y; there’s much more propensity to move jobs in the under-

35s. Also, for the first time in any volume, employers in Japan are looking to hire

people from overseas. Just recently a large Japanese retailer that wants to become

dominant world player, has said that every single employee in that business will have

to be able to speak English. The intention is to move the entire company’s language of

communication from Japanese to English; and there are a number of other companies

doing that. This would never have happened ten years ago. With the Japanese

economy going from second to third spot, Japanese companies are beginning to

realise that they must have more modern and more fl exible practices to compete for

labour and to be more competitive generally.

RisingRisingRecompenseRecompense

By Sam Powney

www.br i tcham.com6

EMPLOYMENT

4. You made an interesting point about Singapore in that regard also. People always love to compare Hong Kong with Singapore. In terms of the employment situation in these two cities, which is looking more robust just now?

Yes, about 70% of the people that we place with clients in Singapore are people we

are bringing in from overseas. A certain number are from neighbouring countries,

but the majority are from Australia, India and Europe. Singapore has been the top-

performing economy in Asia over the last twelve months. That was perhaps from a low

starting point following the crisis, but there is undoubtedly a great deal of investment

and construction going on there. Singapore regularly wins the award of being one

of the easiest places in which to do business. But in terms of the ease in bringing in

outside labour, in terms of tax rates and lifestyle - in all these areas Singapore is very

much on a par with Hong Kong.

5. Should bonuses in this region be more performance based?

Undoubtedly. I can understand why a bonus should be tied to the fi rm’s performance

(providing the fi rm performs at the level that’s expected of it), but I also think that part of

the bonus should be tied to the individual’s performance as an incentive. Our advice is:

don’t link bonuses 100% to company performance.

6. Overtimes seem to have risen very appreciably over the last year. What are the main reasons for that?

We are talking about trends in what’s been an extreme economic cycle. So, did that

data show that employees are working more overtime than pre-GFC? I don’t think

so – it’s perhaps simply that the volume of work is returning to pre-GFC levels. What

frequently happens in a time of recovery is that employees are expected to take up

the slack before employers can hire new talent. There should be no surprises that

employees are expected to work harder at the moment. Besides, in the competitive

white-collar labour market that we’ve got at the moment, at the end of the day unpaid

overtime is driven as much by the employee as much as it is by the employer.

7. Just a few months ago we ran an article about the growing phenomenon of increasing staff turnover, part icularly in l ight of the apparent job-hopping tendencies of the post-80s generation. How do you see that trend developing?

It is a growing phenomenon, and it is driven by Generation Y, though Generation X

also started to change jobs more frequently than the baby-boomers. Personally I don’t

recommend that individuals move jobs too frequently – that indicates that perhaps

they can’t advance within a company. Employers don’t like to see a CV with too

many career moves – I say that

as someone who has stayed with

the same employer for 22 years!

We certainly advise our staff and

our candidates: You can move

too qu ick l y. O f course some

sectors are very much project-led,

and the re i t ’s accep ted tha t

employees will be moving quite

frequently.

8. What can employers do about increasing staff turnover?

Firstly, throwing money at this

problem is not the answer. You

need to create something that

a competing company doesn’t have. Training and development, and trying to

promote from within are measures that I would recommend. It all goes back to

culture – you have to create an environment where people want to come to work.

Employees typically want to come to work because they like their boss and they

like the people they work with. If you can create that environment, then when a

competing firm offers your employee more money, that individual will really think

twice about accepting.

Also, it should be said that a certain amount of ‘churn’ (I hate that term!) isn’t

necessarily a negative thing. It can also bring fresh ideas and energy into a company.

However, there is a widespread shift from permanent contracts to short-tem contracts

and even to more self-employed workers. That is enabled by new technologies, and is

fundamentally driven by employees themselves.

ge

7March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

I have had the privilege of spending the second year of my degree at The University of

Hong Kong (HKU) as a British Council Scholar. In keeping with the spirit of the British

Council I have something of an informal duty to promote co-operation and understanding

between Britain and Hong Kong. This article draws on my personal experiences and

observations of the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the higher education systems

in each country and considers prospects for co-operation.

The growing strength and importance of Hong Kong’s higher education institutions, which

Chief Executive Donald Tsang recently proclaimed to be one of the territories’ “six new

industries”, is evidenced by their continued rise through the world rankings. The 2010 Times

Higher Education Supplement placed HKU as the number one university in Asia and 21st in

the world. While the Hong Kong system has a degree of shared heritage with that of Britain

a number of notable differences exist. In particular in Hong Kong there is a very strong

emphasis on student competition. This difference is in part a product of wider culture (The

Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother rings loud enough for the university counselling service to

offer courses in dealing with overbearing parents) but has become institutionalised. Grades

are awarded with reference to a bell curve

meaning only a fi xed proportion of students

achieve A-grades no matter how high the

standard of work.

However, the precision and rigour that

underpins the Hong Kong style of university

education also inhibits it in certain areas.

While marking “against the curve” prevents

grade inflation one of the consequences

of this is that the number of students who

will achieve top marks is an arbitrary and

forgone conclusion- all that is left to do is

for the students to fi ght it out. The intense

focus on competition can interfere with

the principle of personal achievement. An

illustrative example of this is that students

in some faculties must share their grade

point average (GPA) in public with peers. “I

hate it, GPA is a private matter” says Esther,

a South Korean first year business major,

when asked about the practice “You’re

supposed to chal lenge yourse l f , not

compete with your peers”. Furthermore

the course structure is often based on the premise of this is the right answer rather than is

this the right answer? Creative thinking is not as actively encouraged. Of course creativity

need not be encouraged in all fi elds. Overly “creative accounting” for example tends to be

frowned upon, but even in fi elds such as mathematics and natural sciences the freedom to

pursue one’s own interests is essential. I was surprised to fi nd students with little personal

interest in their degree, seeing it instead purely as a career move.

While the admissions policies of many top-fl ight universities have been criticised as elitist,

once admitted, the British University system is still largely experienced as a meritocracy.

For all its faults, an education within a British university enables and encourages students

to pursue their own interests. Herein lies the greatest strength of the British education

system as a number of its students go on to become the next diverse generation

of academics.

The prospects for further co-operation between Britain and Hong Kong are good. The systems

are similar enough to be compatible but different enough to provide new perspectives and, as

a result, produce graduates with a more diverse and transferable skill set. However, universities

must be active in achieving this, relying solely on reputation in a global market is no longer

an option. The British education system must actively promote itself overseas to attract the

best students and to ensure continued funding. “Uncertainty about university funding poses a

signifi cant threat to UK higher education. The increased fees that UK students will soon have

to pay may encourage many of them to study abroad. In return we need to work harder to

attract and understand the aspirations of international students,” said a senior academic from

a leading Russell Group University, who declined to be named. Anecdotal evidence would

suggest that a university’s profi le abroad is not necessarily tied to its ranking. Certain London

colleges do well due to their association with the capital and Manchester enjoys a high level

of recognition due to the presence of a certain sporting team with a penchant for wearing red,

but many Russell Group universities remain less well known despite their comparable rankings.

Hong Kong has a difficult task in promoting itself as a destination for full time European

students. However, if its rise through the global league tables continues this could change.

Furthermore the imminent rise in tuition fees for local British (excluding Scottish) students

makes Hong Kong fi nancially much more competitive. Some of the means by which to achieve

this are fairly simple. Exchange programmes not only have an inherent value but students play

an important part in promoting their home country as a destination for postgraduates. As with

so many other fi elds we are witnessing an increasing internationalisation of education. Hong

Kong must embrace this to secure its place as centre for education while British universities

must do the same to maintain theirs.

Comments and questions welcome, please email RDWilson1@sheffi eld.ac.uk

To A DegreeTo A DegreeBy Rory Wilson

Rory Wilson, a second-year British Council Scholar at the University of Hong Kong looks at the relationship between higher education here and in the UK, arguing that both systems could benefi t by upping the pace of exchange.

www.br i tcham.com8

EDUCATION

Stephen Weatherseed joined Mazars Hong Kong in January 2011, returning after more than 5 years back in the UK. He previously lived and worked in Hong Kong from 1989 to 2005. Britain in Hong Kong caught up with him to ask about his experi-ences of moving between Hong Kong and the UK.

Back and ForthBack and Forth

Interview with Mr. Stephen Weatherseed, Director, Mazars CPA Limited

1. When did you fi rst move to Hong Kong and how did you fi nd the experience of living here at that time?

Very different to now! When I fi rst arrived in 1989 it was to fi ll a regional role, so whilst

I was based in Hong Kong, much of my time was spent on aeroplanes going around

Asia. So, to that extent I didn’t feel that I was ‘practising’ in Hong Kong.

One major difference – I arrived one week after the June 4th Incident, so China was

off-limits commercially to Western businesses, particularly American interests, for

several years afterwards. The major focus from 1989 to 1992 was South East Asia. The

Japanese economy had already started to wane, and it was the turn of the South East

Asian economies to undergo rapid development. Economically speaking, India was also

really ‘off the map’ in those days. In 1991 I met with an American embassy offi cial there,

who refl ected that inward investment into India that year had amounted to a dismal

US $81 million. Of course at that time Pakistan was a good deal more accessible than

today, and I was allowed to go into the Khyber Pass and look into Afghanistan. No

chance of that today!

2. How and when did you take the decision to move back to the UK and what did you do there?

It was a combination of factors - as is always the case I suppose. I was attracted back

to take over as managing partner in one of the UK offi ces, and to contribute to the

growth of the fi rm’s larger corporate client base. I ended up with some very substantial,

and enjoyable, audit clients, the largest of which was the audit of KPMG Europe. I was

also heavily involved in the drive for AiM IPOs as reporting accountant, which largely

dried up when the fi nancial crisis hit. It was a very rewarding experience all round, but

one of the most enjoyable aspects was providing a focus for people within my fi rm who

had an interest in China. China was really in the news there every day, and indeed still is.

The other fulfi lling thing I was involved with at that time was the CBI (Confederation of

British Industry). I was fortunate to be elected to one of the regional CBI councils, and

then appointed Chairman of the South East region of the UK. It was a time when there

was a great deal of political change going on in the UK, and the CBI has been very

active in infl uencing policy over the last 2 years. That policy direction was coming up

through the 13 regional CBI councils around the UK. We were sharing thoughts, views

and ideas with the CBI Executive who would then lobby government on what we felt

was needed to address the economic and social issues. I see the British Chamber of

Commerce here fulfi lling a very similar role to what the CBI does in the UK.

3. Was it at all diffi cult to settle back into life in the UK? My working environment was easy enough to settle back into. I even knew quite a few

of the people working around me already. Plus I was moving to Sussex, which is where I

grew up .

Culturally the UK had changed enormously in the time I’d been away. Behaviours and

attitudes had changed - service attitudes too. Food had changed – for the better!

I felt that state intervention in daily life had changed people’s attitude to work and

entrepreneurship. Coming from Hong Kong where the economy is so much less

regulated, that was a very noticeable difference. Then there were other differences – for

example, the number of university students each year had risen from 10-15% of A-Level

graduates when I left the UK, to over 40% by the time I returned.

It was interesting to see my wife’s observations of Britain. She’s from Hong Kong and

it was her first time to live in the UK, so her reactions and perceptions were a real

eye-opener for me. And to some extent it was the same for me – I did feel, at times, a

foreigner in my own land. I had lived outside the UK for 16 years after all!

4. How did you decide to return to Hong Kong? Again for a number of reasons, personal and work related. Partly, my wife wanted to

come back! But with a generally poor economic outlook in the UK and Europe and

my continuing engagement with Hong Kong/China I started to look at the prospect

of returning here, and I count myself very lucky to have the opportunity to come back

to Hong Kong. I took up a position with Mazars just this year. We’re the only major

international accounting fi rm to have a strategy of fi nancially integrating our businesses

all over the world. That means that there is a real business cohesion holding the many

offi ces together. With 24 offi ces across Asia, while I’m looking at business in the region,

I’m also very aware of the fi rm’s international nature and motivated to ensure the fi rm is

successful throughout the world.

5. What differences have you noticed in the time you’ve been away? If anything it’s that business here is ever closer to China. Companies no longer need to adopt

a ‘China strategy’ – that’s now just assumed. Also, working in the mainland is now very

common for employees, and indeed an aspiration for many people here. That never used to

be the way, but now people like to get some experience of working in mainland China.

But Hong Kong has its own entrepreneurial energy and it certainly feels good to be back.

9March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

INTERVIEW

Hong Kong International Film FestivalMarch 20 - April 5, www.hkiff.org.hkThis year includes over 300 fi lms from more than 56 countries, including 19 world premieres and 35 Asian premieres.

The festival includes screenings, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community. It

attracts many of the greatest names in Chinese cinema and some from further afi eld.

Hong Kong International Literary FestivalMarch 8-18, www.festival.org.hkFeaturing overseas and local authors, this festival offers a ten-day programme of literary events. The Festival has

become an important and signifi cant event on the international arts calendar, with programmes that include winners

of the world’s leading literary prizes. This year speakers will include Xu Xi, Qiu Xiaolong, and Jeffrey Archer.

Hong Kong Arts FestivalFeb 17 - March 27, www.hk.artsfestival.orgFeaturing nearly 1,300 performers and supporting staff, and with almost 100,000 tickets for sale, the 38th Hong Kong

Arts Festival includes ballet, theatre and concert performances as well as both Chinese and Western opera.

Semi-PermanentMarch 11-12, www.semipermanent.comA design festival that has hosted 26 events in 8 cities, Semi-Permanent will bring major designers to Hong Kong for

talks, discussions and exhibits. They come from all the main fi elds design, including graphic design, fi lm, fi ne art,

illustration, web design, interaction design, photography, visual effects, animation, graffiti, motion graphics, stop

motion, architecture, and more.

ArtWalkMarch 16, www.hongkongartwalk.comBetween 5 pm to 12 midnight on Wednesday, 16 March, 65 galleries around OHO, Wan Chai, Sheung Wan, Central,

Aberdeen and Causeway Bay open their doors to Artwalk ticketholders. Snacks and drinks are laid on and many of

the artists mingle among the crowd. It’s also a great opportunity for performance artists to present their work.

Art Wave

Azhanti High Lightening

As if to coincide with the onset of warm weather, it’s around now that Hong Kong’s art world really springs into life. For the next month at least, disparagers of Hong Kong’s art scene will have to eat their words. During March, Hong Kong hosts three major festivals for fi lm, art and literature, plus a host of other art-related events.

www.br i tcham.com10

CULTURE

How and when did you fi rst get involved in art?I’ve been involved in art as long as I can remember: sketching, making things – except

I didn’t think of it as art. As a kid I was into graphic novel artists like Frank Miller and Bill

Sienkiewicz. Even though my parents were artistic, I wasn’t brought up believing anyone

could make a living that way. Then I came to Hong Kong and worked out art could keep

me alive.

At what point did you decide to stay here?I didn’t have a game plan. There was never a moment when I sat down and thought: I’m

staying. It just happened. As Bruce Lee says, ‘be like water.’ I guess I made friends, found

Hong Kong conducive, understood intuitively that being here gave me an original perspective

on the world. Home is where the art is.

When did you feel that you had reached the point of being ‘established’?Never. I think the moment any artist feels ‘established,’ it’s over: that’s the time to pack up.

Innovation requires risk-taking, not complacency. To be creative you need the nerve to trust

your instincts. Having said that, the success I’ve had so far isn’t bad!

There are a great number of exhibitions and auctions here of artists from outside Hong Kong, but what is the local art scene like?I don’t want to generalise, but I do think there are entrenched myths about Hong Kong

that need debunking. I guess, in part, it’s because of Hong Kong’s history as an entrepôt

that many people continue to think of Hong Kong as a fi nancial service hub and a place

of consumption rather than a place of cultural production. Which, of course, is a mistake.

There are thriving art scenes here and a lot of Hong Kong artists are making cool stuff, even

if they lack support and fi nd it diffi cult to show. If you’re passionate enough you fi nd a way.

But I think we’re on the cusp of change, and I’ve always had the opinion: we make our

own destiny.

Which artists do you feel stylistically/emotionally close to?I’ve drawn inspiration from many different artists at different times. I suppose Francis Bacon

has always been a model, particularly the physicality of his work and the technical mastery.

And, of course, early on I was drawn to the cinematic quality of Caravaggio. But there are

many artists I’ve engaged with, who in one way or another have infl uenced my approach to

working, both fi gurative and conceptual.

There has been a fl ood of mainland Chinese artists coming to international attention in the last 15 years or so. Are there any in particular who you take some inspiration from/feel a great affi nity with?A few that I’ve met and worked with over the years: Cang Xin, Li Wei, Huang Rui. I’ve been

inspired by them as people as much as by their work. Cang Xin, in particular.

Where do you exhibit?Increasingly it’s international: Beijing, Tokyo, London, Miami, Los Angeles. In Hong Kong

I’ve shown at 10 Chancery Lane, but I have done quite a few large-scale installations

around town, including HOPE & GLORY last year at the ArisTree in TaiKoo Place. Earlier

this year I founded a company called Future Industries with a group of friends in Hong

Kong: we’re pioneering a new way of exhibiting and representing artists and have some big

projects planned over the next two years.

I hear that you’re working on a project at the moment. Could you tell us a little about it?Several projects: the next eighteen months are going to be busy. HOPE & GLORY goes to

Beijing in April and then I have a show of new paintings in Hong Kong, which opens in May

at the Museum of Medical Sciences and is being presented by Future Industries. I’m also

involved in a project in London and at the end of the year we’re planning a show in LA. Then

there’s a major installation piece I am building here in Hong Kong; it will be very architectural

and large-scale with a multi-media dimension, and poses challenges that are both artistic

and technical. So, yes, you could say that I’ve got my work cut out.

Interview with artist Simon Birch

Simon Birch is a British-born artist who has been based in Hong Kong for the last 14 years. While his work focuses largely on figurative painting, he is known for branching out into other media. He will be speaking at this month’s Semi Permanent design conference.

Meteor

Landspeeder

11March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

What is Troika and how did it start?Troika are Eva Rucki, Sebastien Noel and myself. We met while studying at the Royal

College of Art in London, and subsequently started our London-based studio in 2003.

Troika is widely known for its experiential artworks and our practice is positioned at the

junction where art, architecture, and technical inventions intersect.

In our work we strive for formal simplicity and sense of humour, and our installations and

sculptures engage the viewer in an often playful, sometimes contemplative manner. In our

London based studio we work with craftsmen, engineers, researchers, and scientists and

create multi-layered objects, installations, sculptures and exhibitions.

Coming from various professional backgrounds; engineering, fi lm, photography, graphic &

product design, Troika’s strength is in merging all these disciplines in our everyday studio

practice, it works well for us so it is hard to imagine being restricted to one medium, one

way of thinking or one way of doing something.

Our work fl uctuates according to our interests and although this working method is not

necessarily pragmatic, it does enable us to enjoy what we do. Troika’s language isn’t set

in stone. Our work is multi-layered, departing from different aspects including the use of

space, material, kinetics, light and of course the sculptural form as well as the use and

development of graphic systems and concepts.

Troika had a very visible role in Britain’s exhibit at the Shanghai Expo. How was that experience for you?The Shanghai Expo project all started with a phone call from Thomas Heatherwick. He

wanted to show us the UK pavilion he was designing, and ask if we would like to help on

the content side of things and the exhibitions which would go inside. His vision was ground

breaking. Instead of competing for attention in the crowded environment of the World Expo,

he designed a very contemplative, calm and open space. The seed cathedral idea was

there and he needed the exhibition part to build on this idea and on the theme of “Nature

and the City” chosen for the UK pavilion.

In response, we devised a ser ies of 3 art insta l lat ions. We wanted to create

experiences for the visitors as opposed to overloading them with fact and text. We

thought that if an image can say a thousand word, an experience will carry even more,

in a calm, beautiful way. We started to research on the particularities of British cities

when it comes to the natural world and found a series of amazing facts: not only is the

UK a pioneer when it comes to integrate nature and the built environment (Some of the

oldest public parks can be found here) but even in a modern capital like London, some

40% of the city is occupied by green spaces (this makes London one of the greenest

cities in the world). This led us for instance to create large maps of the 4 UK capitals

in which, to show how abundant green spaces are within them, we just pictured the

green, and erased the city.

For the second installation, we wanted to convey how permeable the typical UK city is to the

natural elements: We created a city fl oating in the sky, open and transparent. We created about

300 typical UK buildings (Victorian terrace houses, apartment mansions, department stores...)

which we casted, in scale 1:75, in clear resin. In situ, these buildings are hung from the canopy

and arranged like in a typical city of the United Kingdom. To complete this installation, we also

created some small lighting devices which projects rain drops of light onto the fl oor. They are

analog devices, very simple, which create beautiful rainbows of light. With 300 of them, the

whole fl oor becomes animated and the animation evolves during the evenings.

The 3rd installation was placed after the pavilion, the Seed Cathedral a jewel-like building that was

constructed of 60,000 acrylic rods, each of them carrying a real seed. The 3rd installation that we

called ‘Plant Fact and Plant Fiction’ was a showcase of numerous plants which were displayed

to explain the direct benefi ts we can draw from plants for the urban environment. The displayed

plant species were selected in collaboration with scientists from Kew Gardens in London, the

Shanghai Botanical Gardens and ‘Greenspace’, a Shanghai based Landscape Company.

Among these real plants we displayed a series of hand-crafted models of imaginary, ‘future’ plants,

which were based on existing scientific research. In these near-future scenarios we imagined

plants that would self-decompose to produce biofuels, plants that excrete unique pigments to be

implemented in security devices, creepers that can sense air-borne viruses and plants that reclaim

gold from electronic circuits found in landfi lls, thus evoking prospective scenarios while uncovering

our often short-sighted and utilitarian view on nature and mankind’s relationship to it.

Working on the UK pavilion was a great experience for us. It is very challenging to be asked

to portray a country. It was very exciting to get the chance to work in China and experience

an amazing culture. We had the chance to work with great minds on this project. Especially

while working on this last installation we had the great opportunity to meet many scientists

working with plants in a different ways. We came to talk to researchers and botanists, both

in the UK and in China whose work was immensely inspiring.

What are some projects that Troika is involved with at the moment?Our work ‘Plant Fiction’, developed further from the Pavilion installation at the Expo, was

purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago and is now exhibited at ‘Hyperlinks’ a major

exhibition highlighting recent developments that have resulted from the intersection of

architecture and design, on view until July 2011. We are part of a group exhibition, curated

by the Victoria & Albert Museum London, entitled ‘Decode’ in Moscow at the moment,

and are preparing a piece for the Chengdu Biennale in September this year. We are also in

the midst of creating new work for a solo show coming up during the Brussels Art Fair this

coming April and are working on installation projects in Miami and London.

For more details please visit Troika’s website: http://troika.uk.com

Interview with Conny Freyer Co-founder of Troika art and design studio

Founded in 2003 in London, Troika has become an influential studio creating experiential artwork. Besides exhibiting with the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the British Council and MoMA New York, Troika also created three art installations for the UK Pavilion at the World Expo Shanghai. Conny Freyer will be speaking at the Semi Permanent design conference in Hong Kong this month.

www.br i tcham.com12

CULTURE

The Graduate Enhancement Trainee Scheme for IT programme is a young talent

development programme, organised by The British Chamber of Commerce IT Committee and

the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) of the Vocational Training Council (VTC).

The Programme started in August 2010 with the objectives of nurturing young talent and

supporting the growth of business for participating members of The British Chamber

of Commerce. During the programme, selected IVE graduates from higher diploma

programmes of the IT disciplines have been arranged to work as a trainee in the IT offi ce of

four Britcham Corporate Members who are participating in this programme. Each student

works in each of these four participating organisations, namely Atos Origins, BT, CLP and

HSBC, for a period of six months, thus making up the two years programme.

According to the feedback from the participating employers, the IVE curriculum stressed

practical training and the outcome-based teaching approach cultivated students with the

necessary knowledge and skills which helped them to fi t-in to their assignments quickly and

contribute to the participating organisations effi ciently.

The programme not only enables students to gain practical knowledge through hands-on

experience in the participating organisations, but promote the organisations as well as the British

Chamber of Commerce to potential candidates; attracts new talent into their companies and in

return addresses the manpower need of the companies in the short as well as the long term.

The scheme allows trainees to learn the pace and work involved in a professional IT business

environment, and exposes them to working with colleagues from different nations and working

cultures, thus forming a solid foundation for progressing their career further in the IT industry.

The trainees have recently finished their first traineeship assignment and begun their

second. We interviewed three of the chosen candidates in the current GETS IT programme

to refl ect on their experiences so far.

Cheung King Fai graduated from the HD in Software Engineering in 2010, and his fi rst GETS IT assignment was as a User Support Trainee with the HSBC.

How has your experience been working with the fi rst company in the GETS-IT scheme?I have had a great experience of the work with my fi rst traineeship employer, HSBC.

My supervisor was very considerate and arranged my job duties fl exibly, allowing me to

apply the knowledge and skills which I have learnt from school to my job. This offered

me great encouragement as a newcomer in the IT industry. Besides this, my office

environment was great; it was equipped with all necessary facilities which enabled me to

perform in my job.

What differences were there from what you expected before you started?I thought I would be assigned to handle the first-tier customer enquiries and to

provide technical support to computer related issues. I did do that, but on top of this

my employer offered me much more challenging duties which allowed me to utilise

the knowledge I learned from IVE. Their trust and empowerment offered me great

flexibility to perform on this job and also allowed me to develop a strong sense of

job satisfaction.

What aspects of the traineeship did you have to learn about / study around?I have had to learn how to handle customer’s issues with some end-user software, e.g.

Lotus Notes, SharePoint, Excel etc. which I had limited experience in before. However, with

my education background and the guidance from my supervisors, I have picked up the

skills and could soon deliver the work effi ciently.

GETS ITGETS ITTraining Young ProfessionalsTraining Young Professionals

www.br i tcham.com14

EMPLOYMENT

Tsui Po Wing graduated from IVE with a Higher Diploma in Telecommunications and Networking last year. His fi rst assignment was as Network Support Trainee with CLP.

What differences were there from what you expected before you started?Prior to the programme, I thought my employer would only assign minor duties for

me. However, after my first rotation, I now have opportunities in taking up higher level

management tasks. These opportunities have not only allowed me to practise the

management, problem solving and communication skills I learnt from school, but have also

inspired me to consider my career in a different light.

Which traineeship company are you headed for next?After my traineeship with HSBC I will be working in Atos and then BT.

What do you think is the most useful thing you’ve learnt from the traineeship so far?This program not only offered me precious work experience but also enabled me to

understand in depth the work in the IT industry and see its bright career path. It inspired

me to think and design my career development plan, e.g. what type of education or

vocational skills I still need to acquire, what type of experience will be more related to my

targeted jobs etc. Because of this program, I can now design and craft my career step by

step in an easy way.

Lau Ngok Ming graduated from IVE with a Higher Diploma in Information Technology for Business (Web Design & Development). His fi rst traineeship assignment was as a Network Support Trainee with Atos Origins.

What are some of the key skills that you brought to the company when you started?I am so proud of being a graduate from VTC. The “think and do” approach of VTC

had equipped us with in-depth knowledge and practical skills. During the traineeship

programme, I have applied my computer programming skills and designed some software

programs to facilitate the collaborative work of my colleagues. Besides this, I have applied

the problem solving and communication skills which I gained through the VTC Student

Development Programme to handle the challenges that arise in my work. I can say that

these skills had prepared me with a positive and energetic mindset to overcome the

diffi culties in my career life.

Did you fi nd the use of language much different from what you used in the HK IVE?My work in Atos involved a lot of communications with internal and external customers.

This offered a lot of opportunities for me to practise my business communication skills. In

addition to this, over one third of my colleagues in BT were foreigners, this provided me

with good opportunities to practise my English communication skills. Even though I have

learnt English for so many years, this was the fi rst time that I needed to communicate

with people who carried different accents. I enjoyed this valuable learning process a great

deal, and am confi dent that with assistance from my past learning - the dynamic English

and Communication programme from VTC, I should adapt to this work environment easily

and quickly.

What kind of differences do you expect in the next company?I observed that the corporate culture of my traineeship employers varies according to their

industry and staff background. In this programme, I have already gained the experience of

working with two employers who have quite different styles. This experience has helped

me to practise my adaptation skill and refi ned my abilities in working with people from very

diverse backgrounds.

15March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

In 2010 Hong Kong saw the worst roadside pollution levels in its history – a sobering

indication that drastic action is needed fast. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been a topic of

conversation for decades now. But in a city where 50% of people drive less than 40km per

day, Hong Kong seems to be an ideal candidate for adopting electric technologies to solve

roadside pollution problems. The intent from the government and other organisations is clear,

and the wheels have begun turning on EV initiatives in the hope that by 2020, 30% of private

cars and 15% of heavy goods vehicles will be making use of EV or hybrid technologies.

Having already identifi ed which sectors create the most pollution, emphasis needs to be put

on targeting public transport, which consumes 75% of energy in the transport sector, and

the biggest roadside polluters such as buses, heavy goods vehicles and commercial diesel

vehicles. Non-road mobile sources should also not be forgotten.

In the government’s attempts to further engage the private sector, Katharine Choi stated

that the government’s Pilot Green Transport Fund provides those in the sector with a much

needed opportunity to familiarise themselves with the technology if they are considering

adopting it for their business fl eet. Meanwhile their Steering Committee, headed by Financial

Secretary John Tsang, has been coordinating members across different sectors to promote

and collaborate on EV efforts. Moreover, fi nancial incentives have also been offered, waiving

the First Registration Tax on EVs and accelerating tax deductions for capital expenditure on

EVs. In Hong Kong, power companies CLP and HK Electric have already led the charge for

private companies, utilising EVs and Hybrid’s in their corporate fl eets. CM Mak detailed CLP’

s involvement, having fi rst adopted the Bedford e-van in 1984. Since then, EVs have become

a staple part of their fl eet, most recently introducing ten Mitsubishi iMiEVs. As one of the early

adopters of EVs, CLP has taken the lead as an advocate for EVs in the private sector, having

gathered over 100,000km of EV driving data for research and trial initiatives.

Through these early efforts, there are currently roughly 100 EVs on Hong Kong roads and

over 260 charging stations across the territory for public use. A variety of EVs such as the

Mitsubishi iMiEV, the Tesla Roadster, and various Smith EVs are already available in Hong

Kong. Moreover, as Andrew Young pointed out, the technology for EVs is still young and

various improvements are being developed to further improve the vehicles’ performance

and regenerative power such as direct drive, AC motors, range extenders, more lightweight

materials, and more powerful lithium. Though this may seem a good start, it is still a long way

from making a signifi cant reduction in roadside pollution levels. The panel brought to light a

number of issues which still need to be addressed in order for EVs to truly take off in our city.

One elementary problem is the severe lack of EV producers who are currently producing EVs

which accommodate right hand drive. Another big detriment is the intrinsically complicated

relationship between those involved in Hong Kong’s EV initiatives. As detailed by Joanne

Ooi, this is evident when addressing the adoption of EV buses in the transportation sector.

Coordinated effort has been lacking between the government departments involved - namely

the Transport Department and Environmental Protection Department. Then there are multiple

private bus companies, each with their own modes of operation, and it would be hard to

expect one to bear the brunt the investment costs if they choose to adopt EVs when other

bus companies will not. An effi cient and cost effective solution therefore involves investment

being implemented system wide, and without a more open dialogue and coordination

between these entities, it is unlikely this will be achieved.

At the same time, Bill Barron cautioned that we may be exhibiting the same mentality that

existed in the seventies, when it was predicted that hundreds of electric cars would be

on roads by the mid eighties. He argued that today, as it was then, our need for EVs has

been driven by our hopes and fears, as opposed to the technology being readily available.

For example, other forms of new technology (notebooks, smart phones, tablets etc.) have

seamlessly blended into our everyday lives because the infrastructures and technology were

there, and they were immediately viable. For EVs on the other hand, advocates have been

throwing money at the problem to try and fi nd a solution through technology for decades,

believing a viable solution will eventually present itself. However, considering that we are still

very much in the early stages of really understanding how to best use this technology, perhaps

we should be investing in other options as well.

The fact is that the lithium batteries in which EVs rely on, is in itself a limited resource, and

since it is not as heavily sought after as other resources such as oil, industries are still unsure

about how abundant lithium reserves truly are. In addition, there have been many glib

assumptions that the recycling effi ciencies of lithium are extremely high, but in reality, lithium is

currently not being recycled at a signifi cant level and so industries have no real experience of it

or its recycling effi ciencies.

There is a need for far more comprehensive and critical ways of thinking about reducing

roadside pollution, with a more holistic approach to transport policy. EVs are defi nitely a good

jumping off point here Hong Kong, and getting the public sector’s involvement will be critical.

However, we should be just as open to looking into a combination of alternate transport

modes and initiatives such more pedestrianisation. For EVs, battery technologies and their

different supply potentials (ie. lithium, nickel, zinc, etc.) and investigating further into their

potentials for recycling and how energy intensive it really is will be critical. We may even look

beyond free wheeling battery electric vehicles to options such as tethered electric transport

like trolleybuses – which today is the only real viable prospect for heavy vehicles. EVs are just

one option for Hong Kong and our future does not have to be entirely electric to achieve a

safer environment. As long as the momentum continues, no matter which direction it takes,

this is an impetus which could bring real benefits for Hong Kong’s people, environment,

and businesses.

Early last month, an expert panel discussed the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Hong Kong. With each member bringing their own expertise and point of view, the panel included: CM Mak, Head of Electric Mobility Development for CLP; Professor Bill Barron, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Division of Environment; Joanne Ooi, Chief Executive Offi cer, Clean Air Network; Dr Andrew Young, Director of Partnership Development, Institute for Enterprise Polytechnic University; and Katharine Choi, Principal Assistant Secretary (Energy), Environment Bureau, HKSAR Government.

By Ian Cruz

www.br i tcham.com16

ENVIRONMENT

You have been hearing a lot of buzz about Electric Vehicles (EVs) over the years; do

you know the advantages of EVs over petrol-driven vehicles in environmental performance

and energy saving performance? Is there any difference in driving EVs and the conventional

petrol-driven vehicles? Now, here comes the chance for you to make EVs part of your daily

life and to gain fi rst-hand driving experience of this new energy vehicle.

Many people understand that EVs are more environmentally friendly than petrol-driven

vehicles, in the sense that they produce no emissions at street level, thus signifi cantly

alleviating the road-side emissions that plague Hong Kong. The data collected by CLP

on environmental performance and energy saving performance of EVs over petrol-driven

vehicles shows that the cost of fueling a petrol-driven vehicle to run a designated route

once can supply an EV to cover the same route 9 times, illustrating the much lower

energy cost for EVs. Furthermore, EVs also demonstrate higher fuel effi ciency and lower

carbon footprint when compared to petrol vehicles. EVs can convert over 80% of their

input energy to kinetic energy versus petrol vehicles that only convert 15-20%. Lastly, EVs

produce only one third the carbon footprint of petrol-driven vehicles.

As a pioneer and active advocate of the development of

EVs, CLP announced the inauguration of the partnerships

for its EV Leasing Scheme with fi ve organisations on 20

January this year, making the EV rental service available

to corporations and public individuals.

At the initial stage of the EV Leasing Scheme, the five

green-conscious corporations and organisations that

have signed up as partners are; the Hong Kong Science

and Technology Parks Corporation, Hong Kong Housing

Authority & China State Construction Engineering (Hong

Kong) Limited, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Kerry

Properties Limited and GT-7 Car Rental, all of which have

comprehensive plans to further support the development

of EVs in the local market.

These leasing partners will make the EVs available to their stakeholders for various

uses. This will include in the construction site of the old Kai Tak Airport, for EV charging

infrastructure research, in supporting business operations, for residents’ daily use at a

residential development in Tsuen Wan. For short-term needs ranging from daily to one

week, the EV rental service will be available to the general public.

EVs will be leased to these partners at a monthly fee of HK$7,500 per vehicle for a period of

one year, and the partners will have an option to purchase their leased EVs after the rental

period at a reduced price net of the leasing fee paid.

The EV Leasing Scheme aims to step up the popularity of EVs in the local community,

bringing it closer to peoples’ daily lives, and is one of CLP’s many initiatives to help support

the Hong Kong SAR Government in promoting wider adoption of EVs in HK. In the past

few years, CLP has contributed its efforts to the development of EV charging infrastructure,

has been amongst the fi rst to introduce EVs into its corporate fl eet for actual adoption, and

has conducted public education campaigns such as launching HK’s largest EV Parade and

Exhibition, to help raise public awareness, thus paving the way for wider adoption of EVs.

Through the EV Leasing Scheme, the HK community will

be able to appreciate the environmental and economic

benefi ts, performance attributes and user-friendliness of

EVs and better understand how low-carbon living can be

taken beyond the confi nes of homes and onto the road.

Mr. Paul Poon, Chief Operating Officer of CLP Power

Hong Kong Limited, said during the EV Leasing

Partnership Inauguration Ceremony on 20 January 2011,

“We are very pleased to be supporting the Government

with the EV Leasing Scheme, which will help promote

the wider adoption of EVs yielding cleaner air as our

partners are making full use of these leased EVs in their

green initiatives.”

“EVs have been available for trial in the past, but most of us have not had many chances to

adopt EV as part of our daily lives. With the public rental programme, drivers will be able to

gain practical experience in driving and charging EVs, and appreciate the many benefi ts of

low-carbon driving.”

“We are confident that the Scheme will give further impetus for Hong Kong to move

towards low-carbon driving. CLP will continue to roll out more initiatives, including research

into more convenient EV charging facilities, in order to support the growth of EVs in Hong

Kong,” added Mr. Poon.

To further encourage commuters to experience and enjoy the benefi ts of EV charging, CLP

has offered free EV charging at all its 26 standard charging stations which will last until the

end of 2011.

For enquiries on the EV Leasing Scheme of CLP, please contact Wing Cheung at 2678 7847.

Electric Vehicle Leasing SchemeElectric Vehicle Leasing Scheme Available in TownAvailable in Town

All 5 EVs of the fi rst phase of EV leasing scheme have been leased out. All leasing partners will further promote EVs to wider audience via their comprehensive plans. The car rental company will offer EV rental service to the general public.

Mr. Paul Poon, Chief Operating Offi cer of CLP Power (fourth right), Ms. Vivian Lau, Deputy Secretary for the Environment (fourth left) joining hands together with 5 EV leasing partnering corporations to give further impetus for Hong Kong to move towards roadside zero-emission and low-carbon living.

To further encourage commuters to experience and enjoy the benefi ts of EV

charging, CLP has also extended free EV charging at all its charging stations until the

end of 2011. (This photo shows Hong Kong’sfi rst Quick Charger installed at a public car

park at Hong Kong Science Park)

Initiative Expands CLP’s Support ofEVs Adoption in Hong Kong

By Mr. L M Chow, Director of Marketing and Customer Services, CLP Power Hong Kong

17March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

ENVIRONMENT

It may be considered that the US University Endowment Funds of Harvard and Yale were

the pioneers in multi-asset and alternative asset class investing. These institutions have

been investing into alternative assets for over two decades, and have been rewarded with

double-digit annual returns over the long term, with low risk and only moderate drawdowns.

The top 5 US Universities by size: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton and Texas, each with

assets greater than US $10bn, today manage innovative portfolios with an average of 57%

allocated to hedge funds, private equity, commodities and real estate. These ‘alternative’

assets provide attractive diversifi cation benefi ts by reducing the overall risk of the portfolio

and are a key driver for the superior long-term performance of these funds.

While the USA has been leading the way in terms of allocating their assets in this manner,

evidence suggests that European and Asian institutions are following close on their heels.

According to the annual Watson Wyatt Global Alternatives Survey 2010, a survey of global

pension fund investors, allocations to alternative assets have now grown to an average of

17% of portfolios, up from just 6% ten years ago. This suggests a growing emphasis on

multi-asset diversifi cation that looks set to continue.

Within the range of alternative assets, real estate, commodities and even private equity

to some extent is reasonably well understood. Investors understand the concept behind

investing into property, or oil and gold, as they are tangible assets. Even when considering

private equity investing, in general terms investing into a company and then taking it into

private ownership is reasonably straightforward for an investor to understand.

Hedge funds are somewhat harder for investors to grasp. There is no precise defi nition of

what constitutes a hedge fund and this has helped create a number of misconceptions

about them. One defi nition of hedge funds is: “funds that manage a portfolio of securities

and derivatives, can invest both ‘long’ and ‘short’, and charge a performance fee”.

The common misconception is that all hedge funds are high risk investments. There are in

fact many types of hedge funds defi ned by different investment strategies, each with distinct

risk and return characteristics. When considering hedge funds as an asset class and using

the HFR Fund of Funds Index as a proxy, there is a relatively low level of volatility exhibited,

especially when compared to equities.

Managed futures, technically a subset of the hedge funds asset class, have such distinct

risk and return characteristics that it deserves to be considered on its own merits.

Managed futures funds target ‘absolute returns’ by trading futures contracts on currencies,

fi nancial assets and commodities in over 150 different markets. A futures contract sets out

the future price and date that two parties have contracted to buy or sell an asset to each

other. As a result of this diverse coverage, managed futures have a low level of correlation

to most other asset classes such as equities, bonds, real estate, commodities and even

other types of hedge fund strategies. Managed futures have tended to deliver positive

returns during equity bear markets, making it an extremely attractive asset class to hold to

offset portfolio downside.

Mention should be made of returns during the sub-prime crisis in 2008. While the

withdrawal of liquidity caused most asset prices to fall, hedge funds provided some

downside protection but were not immune to investor withdrawals. In contrast, managed

futures delivered strong positive performance in 2008 with the main CISDM CTA Index

generating a 17% return as main equity markets dropped between 30% and 60%.

As more institutional investors appreciate the rationale of investing into hedge funds and

managed futures they are likely to increase their allocation to these alternative assets. In

response to this demand, it is expected that the global hedge fund industry will become

more ‘institutionalised’ in their approach, with more formal procedures, effective risk

controls, and a greater level of transparency; a benefi t for all investors.

Retail investors too can benefit from including an allocation to hedge funds in their

portfolios. A fund of Hedge Funds can provide a well diversifi ed portfolio of hedge funds

with a relatively low minimum investment.

Alternatively, investors may want to consider ‘outsourcing’ to a specialist. The Frontier

Multi Asset Platform Funds takes inspiration from the US University Endowments’ asset

allocation process, includes an exposure to alternative assets alongside traditional equities

and bonds, and is able to provide the investor with a one-stop-shop investment solution.

With steady adoption across different types of investors, hedge funds and managed futures

may not be so ‘alternative’.

If you would like to discuss this article, or would like to learn more about Frontier Investment

Management please visit www.FrontierIM.com, email jo.nhan@frontierim.com or call

+852 6297 2645.

Alternative InvestmentsAlternative Investments Not so alternative?

There has been signifi cant investor interest in alternative investments over recent years, with institutional investors such as endowment plans and pension funds overtaking high net worth individuals as the biggest source of capital for the global hedge fund industry.

By Jo Nhan, Investment Consultant, Hong Kong & Asia, Frontier Investment Management

www.br i tcham.com18

BUSINESS

Foodies have a strong kinship when it comes to grilling meat. As someone

who likes to eat, I’m really not that great a cook. Concocting that perfect blend of various

ingredients is just something that is not innate in me. However, ask me to man a grill, and

I can proudly say that I execute a pretty darn good steak. Though seemingly elementary,

grilling a piece of meat or fi sh to absolute perfection can be just as masterful a skill as any

other in one’s culinary arsenal.

Located in the Harbour Grand Hotel Kowloon in Hung Hom, The Harbour Grill focuses on fi ne

Western cuisine - more specifi cally, on a wide variety of grilled meats and seafood. Scanning

the menu, you’ll fi nd the usual prime cuts of meat being served from the grill as well as a

number of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Being a hotel restaurant, the décor in itself is

simple, elegant and seemingly nondescript. However, what truly makes the restaurant’s

ambience is the view. The Harbour Grill benefi ts from their large windows

that surround the restaurant offering a panoramic view across

Victoria Harbour as you tuck in to your meal.

Despite the appetisers including some enticing

classics such as seared fois gras and Balik

sa lmon wi th b i l in is , the co ld weather

prompted me to begin the meal with a soup

course. I started with the lobster bisque

with rouille sauce. The soup delightfully

struck that fi ne balance between light and

rich, as any lobster bisque done properly

should do, while the rouille sauce added

a dash of creaminess that seamlessly

blended into the rest of the soup.

My first main was one of Harbour Grill’s

signature dishes, the Wagyu beef cheek

braised in red wine. The presentation was

excellent, with the beef cheek presented with ravioli with snails, shallots and garlic puree

and glazed baby vegetables. Using Australian wagyu beef, the braising of the meat made it

absolutely tender, while the fat from the beef offered a pleasant melt-in-your-mouth texture

with every bite I took. This was followed by another signature dish and a French cuisine

classic, Lobster Thermidor. Baked on the half shell, the cheese cream sauce was rich without

being overpowering, so the dish didn’t lose the fl avour of the sweet tasting lobster meat.

Having had my fi ll of beef and seafood, for my fi nal main, I opted

for the lamb rack. Consisting of four generously sized Australian

lamb chops, the rack was grilled medium rare to perfection,

lightly charred on the outside, and pink and tender on the inside.

The natural fl avours of the meat itself really came through, and

I found myself ignoring the side of sauces that accompanied it.

This was most defi nitely the highlight of my meal.

For dessert I ordered the soft centered chocolate cake with

poached orange and cream. The proof in the pudding for

this dessert is cutting through the cake. The cake was

moist on the outside and the second I saw the molten

chocolate slowly dripping out from the centre, I knew

this one would be a winner. Defi nitely a great version

of a dessert staple.

The Harbour Grill is a great example of a restaurant

knowing exactly what it does best and doing it well.

At the Harbour Grill, they do it to perfection.

Harbour Grill

Address: G/F, Harbour Grand Kowloon,

20 Tak Fung Street, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

Tel: 852 2996 8433

The Harbour Grill

By Ian Cruz

19March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

LIFESTYLE

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong is pleased to announce the appointment of Chef David

Campbell as the chef de cuisine of Grand Hyatt Steakhouse.

Chef David graduated from George Brown College, Toronto with a degree in

culinary management in 2000 and commenced his career with Hyatt as kitchen

supervisor at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in April 2000. During 2001 and 2002, Chef David

was a pre-opening chef de partie at Spendido, regarded as one of Canada’s top

restaurants. He joined Grand Hyatt Manchester San Diego, as chef de cuisine in

2002. In 2005, he was appointed the executive chef of Po Pazzo Bar & Grille, an

upmarket steakhouse in San Diego. Before joining Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Chef

David was the executive sous-chef at Grand Hyatt Kauai, Hawaii.

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is delighted to announce the

appointment of Sherona Lau as Director of Sales & Marketing.

Sherona holds an Associate Degree from Domino Carlton Tivoli University Centre

in Switzerland, earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Florida International

University, and completed a Group Professional Development Program in Cornell

University. She previously served as Director of Sales and Marketing for The Ritz-

Carlton Sanya, where she successfully opened the resort in mainland China.

Sherona spent eight years with The Peninsula Hotels in various positions in Sales

and Marketing at the regional offi ce and The Peninsula Bangkok. Committed and

dedicated to her profession, Sherona has worked in North America, Europe, and

Asia, where she developed strong international sales and marketing skills, as well as hands-on experience in the

resort, luxury, and business segments.

Accountancy firm BDO is pleased to announce the appointment of several new

partners, including, Fanny Hsiang and Paul Chow.

Paul Chow has over 29 years experience in taxation. He is a specialist in Hong

Kong, China & international tax. He provides Hong Kong / China and international

taxation planning and compliance services for a wide range of clients. His in-depth

understanding of the operations of manufacturing industries has enabled him to

design strategies that help clients meet their commercial objectives.

Paul's expertise is often called upon to provide advice with investigations and

tax audits, acting for multinational corporations and private and public limited

companies. He also provides advice to numerous clients on selecting and setting up appropriate structures for

carrying out business in China.

Paul was the ex-President of the previous China Tax Society and is regularly interviewed by media on the topic of Hong

Kong and China taxation. He is a Fellow of both the Hong Kong Institute of Certifi ed Public Accountants (Practising) and

the Association of Chartered Certifi ed Accountants.

Fanny Hsiang provides advisory services to the Firm's assurance practice and facilitates the proper application of

fi nancial reporting standard requirements.

Fanny has extensive experience in fi nancial reporting related work and researches on

topical accounting issues. She specialises in fi nancial reporting support in relation to

Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS), International Financial Reporting

Standards (IFRS) and Hong Kong Companies Ordinance requirements.

Fanny is a Certifi ed Public Accountant (Practicing) in Hong Kong. She is a member of

the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Sherona Lau

David Campbell

Paul Chow

Fanny Hsiang

www.br i tcham.com20

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Green Logistics SeminarA seminar on Green Logistics will be taking place on Saturday,

March 19 at the Hong Kong Logistics Association. Mark Millar of

M Power Associates and Tony Wines of Turnkey Consulting will

be speaking on the themes: ‘The What, Why, Where & Who of

Green Logistics - and How You can make a difference!’

The event starts at 10 am and runs until 12 noon. All delegates will

receive a complimentary pdf copy of the industry white paper “Creating

a Green Port Culture”. Tickets cost - HK$100 for HKLA members

and HK$200 for non-members. For enquiries please call 2777 9656.

Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2011Create New Tales of the Silk RoadPPP Company Limited (P3) presents the Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2011(HKYWA 2011), an annual

competition for young writers to fl ex their creative muscles in fi ction, non-fi ction, and poetry writing. The most

creative and imaginative literary talent will be showcased in an offi cial anthology. The competition this year has

expanded the age group and has attracted young writers from 81 local schools.

In 2011, New Tales of the Silk Road is the source of inspiration for Hong Kong young writers. This new topic for

the HKYWA evokes the epic cultural and trade history of the Middle Kingdom.

A panel of seven judges drawn from educational institutions, sponsors and published authors will select the

winning entries. The HKYWA is to be chaired by Nury Vittachi for the second year. Winners will be announced in

an awards ceremony to be held at the Wei Hing Theatre at City University of Hong Kong in May.

The event is sponsored by the British Council, the Financial Times, Go Gourmet and the City University of Hong Kong.

For more information on the competition, please visit www.hkywa.com.

One-stop Electronic Incorporation and Business RegistrationNew electronic services for one-stop company incorporation and business registration, and submission

of notifications of changes of company names for local companies are now available at the e-Registry.

This follows the launch of Companies Registry’s new e-service portal, e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk),

in January.

Registered users of the e-Registry can complete incorporation procedures online and may download the

electronic Certifi cates of Incorporation and Business Registration Certifi cates in straightforward cases in less than

one day.

To fi nd out more about the e-Registry and the new e-Incorporation and business registration service, please

refer to the step-by step demonstrations (in English) in the “e-Services User Guides” and the “Frequently Asked

Questions” sections at the e-Registry. The Help Desk Support Service Team stands ready to provide assistance to

customers at +852 8201 8273 or via email at cr.helpdesk@pccw.com.

Britcham Survey on International School PlacesThe Chamber is growing increasingly concerned at the lack of

international school places in Hong Kong and the impact this is

having on business in the region. We have heard from a number of

sources that there is a severe lack of places which results in long

waiting lists and problems getting children placed in a school. For

businesses this can cause major diffi culties when trying to recruit

and retain key personnel and we have heard of companies having

to relocate senior executives overseas as a result.

The Chamber is following up on work on this matter from 2010

as it appears that the situations has worsened signifi cantly and

we need to have a clearer idea of the problems faced by our

members. We will be putting a case to the government to ask

them to take action to address this issue. In order to strengthen

our case, we have collated information on how a lack of places

is affecting business in Hong Kong. Thank you to all who

contributed to this survey.

MEMBER DISCOUNTS

To enjoy exclusive member discounts please log onto www.britcham.com,log in and click on membership discounts. If you have forgotten your login details

please email info@britcham.com to request them.

Accor British Airways Le Meridien Cyberport

AGS Four WindsInternational Movers Ltd Compass Offi ces The Mira Hong Kong

Alfi e’s Dot CodRenaissanceHarbour View HotelHong Kong

Andara Grand Hyatt Virgin Atlantic

B&W Group AsiaLimited Hyatt Regency VisitBritain

Berry Bros & Rudd

For up to date event listings and information, check out www.britcham.com

21March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

NEWS

Business Policy UnitTim Peirson-SmithExecutive Counsel

ChinaDavid WattDTZ

ConstructionDerek SmythGammon Construction

EducationStephen EnoBaker & McKenzie

EnvironmentAnne KerrMott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited

Financial ServicesInterest GroupDebbie AnnellsAzure Tax Consulting

HR Advisory GroupBrian RenwickBoyden Search Global Executive

ICTCraig ArmstrongStandard Chartered

Marketing & CommunicationsAdam O’ConorOgilvy & Mather Group

Real Estate Jeremy SheldonJones Lang LaSalle

Scottish Business GroupDr. Jim WalkerAsianomics Limited

LogisticsMark MillarM Power Associates

Small & Medium EnterprisesKate Kelly

Women in BusinessLisa BowmanDG3 Asia Limited

YNetworkFiona Foxon

Business Angel ProgrammeNeil OrvayAsia Spa & Wellness Limited

Tim Hay-EdiePilot Simple Software

Chairs of Specialist Committees

CORPORATEGHK (Hong Kong) LtdJonathan Beard

Managing Director

Tel 2829 6444

Fax 2530 4302

beardj@ghkint.com.hk

Unit F, 23/F, Neich Tower

128 Gloucester Road, Wanchai

Hong Kong

Consultancy

Kay-El (Hong Kong) LtdHeny Mahtani

CEO

Tel 2350 7860

Mobile 9411 0629

angelchan@kayelgroup.com

717 Concordia Plaza, 7/F North Tower

1 Science Museum Road, TST East

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Trading

ADDITIONALBarclays CapitalKenneth Ackroyd

Director

Tel 2903 4075

Fax 2903 2275

ken.ackroyd@barcap.com

41/F, Cheung Kong Center

Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong

Banking

China Resources Property LimitedAmber Marie Beard

Project Architect

Tel 2828 5676

amber@crc.com.hk

Room 4206-10, 42/F

China Resources Building

26 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Property / Real Estate Services

Clyde & CoIan Cocking

Partner, Head of Construction, HK & China

Tel 2878 8600

Fax 2522 5907

ian.cocking@clydeco.com

18/F, CITIC Tower, 1 Tim Mei Avenue

Central, Hong Kong

Legal

Imagination LtdLouise Clegg

Client Services Director

Tel 3513 1300

Fax 3513 1388

louise.clegg@imagination.com

32/F, Cambridge House, Taikoo Place

979 King's Road, Island East, Hong Kong

PR & Marketing

Mace LimitedRuth Bailey

Project Manager

Tel 2147 3505

Fax 2868 9720

ruth.bailey@macegroup.com

Room 2203, 22/F, Tower 1

Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Hong Kong

Consultancy

YNETWORKPricewaterhouseCoopersAdelide Yeung

Senior Manager

Tel 2289 2983

adelide.wy.yeung@hk.pwc.com

22/F, Prince’s Building, Chater Road

Central, Hong Kong

Accounting

OVERSEASEA Consulting GroupSteve Robson

Executive Chairman

Tel +44 7767 690 590

Fax +44 2088 980 735

steve.robson@eacg.co.uk

Parkshot House, 5 Kew Road

Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2PR

United Kingdom

Management Consultants

Frontier InvestmentManagement LLPJo Nhan

Investment Consultant, HK & Asia

Tel 6297 2645

jo.nhan@frontierim.com

Berkeley Square House, 8/F

Berkeley Square, London, Mayfair

W1J 6DB, United Kingdom

Consultancy

START-UPElite Capital Solutions HK LtdBenjamin Lester

Director

Tel 2251 1785

Fax 2251 1818

blester@elitecapitalsolutions.com

19/F, Two IFC, 8 Finance Street, Central

Hong Kong

Financial Services

Executive Homes Hong Kong Ltd Maureen Mills

Managing Director

Tel 2537 7714

Fax 3914 9919

maureen@executivehomeshk.com

1602 Universal Trade Centre

3 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong

Property / Real Estate Services

The Hong Kong Trust Company LtdCarolyn Butler

CEO

Tel 3746 9080

Fax 3746 9081

atlas.lo@hongkongtrustco.com

Suite 5502, Central Plaza

18 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Financial Services

MWA LimitedMartin Webster

Director

Tel 6050 4477

Fax 2286 0864

martinwebster@mwa-asia.com

22/F, Hing Yip Commercial Centre

280 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

Construction

PMC Treasury International LimitedMark Bobek

Managing Director

Tel 3746 9085

mark.bobek@pmctreasury.com

Suite 5502, Central Plaza

18 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Financial Services

Steve Vickers & Associates LimitedSteve Vickers

CEO

Tel 2528 1230

Fax 2528 1271

svickers@stevevickersassociates.com

20/F, Effectual Building

14-16 Hennessy Road, Wanchai

Hong Kong

Consultancy

Zenlinks LimitedIan Radley

Managing Director

Tel 2525 7277

Fax 2525 7269

ian@zenlinksprism.com

Suite 1302, 13/F Universal Trade Center

3-5 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong

Consultancy

www.br i tcham.com22

NEW MEMBERS

Shaken Not Stirred February 2011Pizza Express, SOHO21 Lyndhurst Terrace

David Lambert (DSC Properties

Developers), Nicklas Jonow (Pacifi c

Consulting Group)

Angela Cummins (Holistic Central), Cynthia Wang (The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong), Judy Newgreen (Priority One Training)

Patricia Suen (Publicity MGMT), Charles Zimmerman (Speedfl ex Medianet), Lay-Hui Lim (Catlin), Ijeoma Anyalewechi (HSBC)

Alfredo Giustiniani, Winnie Hung (Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers)

Dominic Masterton-Smith (Human Communications), Elise von Stolk (Santa Fe Relocation Services), Michael Haynes (Lambert Brother Insurance Brokers)

Xylia Leung(X Label Design), Ivy Lui (APLMA)

Jessica Tsui (Giles Publications), Freya Simpson Giles (Giles Publications), Stuart Northrop (Widnell Sweett)

Simon Ho (The Fry Group), James Sutton (The Fry Group)

Sheldon James (S.J. Consulting Group), Paul Kidman (Headstrong)

Jessica Tsui (Giles Publications), Christopher Wilkinson (AGS Four Winds)

Jo Nhan (Frontier Investment Management), Frank van Bemmel (Regus)

Stephen Delgado (Pacifi c Man Ltd), Susan Jamieson (Holistic Central)

Stephen Delgado (Pacifi c Man Ltd), Tina Tucker (Vantage Asia), Jeff Smith (Karma Technologies)

23March 2011 • Vol 26 • No 3

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED