SHKP Quarterly

‘Quality over quantity’ best sums up the Group’s achievements in Shanghai. That tenants continue to see Shanghai IFC, Shanghai ICC and the earlier Shanghai Central Plaza and Arcadia projects as their preferred addresses illustrates this success. Ted explained: “The projects had naturally high development potential given their locations at public transport nodes, and the Group added to that by combining its successful experience in Hong Kong with adaptations to local needs and tastes offering premium products and service that fit the market well.” Nevertheless, he says that quality standards of other developers keep rising too, so the Group is constantly seeking to innovate and improve to maintain its advantage. Xujiahui Centre project to boost brand image Ted has been with the Group since 2005. His most vivid impression from the decade was watching the development of Pudong as an alternate economic core to Puxi. He said: “When I was involved in Shanghai IFC, complexes of that scale were extremely rare in the city. I remember seeing many street hawkers in the early stages of development – not at all the prosperity we see today.” Ted expects the Xujiahui Centre project under development to bring even more changes to Shanghai while giving the Group’s brand a further push. “The Shanghainese have a particular affection for the Xujiahui area. This project is being built on a huge piece of land at the junction of three metro lines – set to become the largest integrated development in Shanghai. Considering it will be enhanced by the Group’s quality design and service, I have great confidence in its potential.” Bridging cultural differences to bring out synergy One of Ted’s challenges at work is to build a hybrid team of mainland and Hong Kong staff, but he shrugs off saying that having spent most of his career in Shanghai plus five years in Taiwan he has enough cross-cultural exposure to understand how to communicate with people of different origins. Ted noted the great changes in his mainland colleagues over the years and he is very pleased with the chemistry in the team: “The team keeps maturing with increasingly international perspectives and the ongoing influence of the Group’s corporate culture.” Opinions are bound to clash sometimes, Ted admits, but the most important thing is to respect others and let colleagues find satisfaction from work to keep them motivated. Ted stresses that the Group’s mainland business is not merely an extension of its achievements in Hong Kong. The point is to create a locally integrated team that can grasp what the local market needs. Comparing mainland and Hong Kong office developments, he said that customer expectations for quality are generally the same, while differences in lifestyle mean that some adjustments are needed. He said: “People on the mainland are very keen on karaoke, for instance, so we reserve some space for tenants to do that. This would be unusual in Hong Kong, but it’s how we build homes with heart by adapting our service to the habits of our tenants.” Well-founded systems offer resilience Ted has been appointed to open up the Group’s mainland businesses for over a decade now and he certainly has an appetite for adventure and exploration. He loves sailing and does a lot to be at one with the vast ocean. A close brush with death in sea gave him valuable inspiration for work: “A storm hit us crossing the Taiwan Strait. Water flooded in and we had to abandon ship,” he recalled, saying that the urgent need for quick action forced the crew to follow their survival training without thinking. Things worked out in the end. Ted said: “A company is like a boat at sea. Sudden challenges are inevitable, but if you have a well thought out system, keep calm and follow procedures you’ll overcome the worst dangers.” Ted thinks building a team with mutual trust, comprehensive governance and an insistence on premium quality are all that are needed to overcome challenges and seize opportunities at sea or at work. Ted and colleagues take part in charitable events bringing the Building Homes with Heart spirit to the mainland 鄧維聰與同事積極參與公益活動，將“以心建家”的精神延伸至內地 21