Focus

Election and Inauguration Ceremony of the CMA’s 39th General Committee

The Association elected its 39th General Committee on 17 October 2011.  Subsequently on 24 October, members of the 39th CMA General Committee elected Mr Irons Sze as President.  An election was held again on 3 November to elect Vice Presidents and Executive Committee members of the Association. The 9 newly-elected Vice Presidents are Ms Shirley Chan, Dr Eddy Li, Mrs Katherine Ngan, Mr Jimmy Ng, Dr Edward Tsui, Mr Johnny Yeung, Mr Marvin Hsu, Mr Ng Ching Wun and Dr Dennis Ng.  After months of preparation, the CMA 39th General Committee Inauguration Ceremony was finally held at the Convention Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 5 January 2012.  Hon. Stephen Lam, Acting Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Li Lu, Vice-Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; and Mr Shen Chong, Director General of the Co-ordination Department were invited to attend as Guests-of-honour to share the joy together with about 800 prominent guests from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan.

 Election of CMA President

Speaking after the election of the new President held on 24 October, Chairman of the Election Committee of the 39th CMA General Committee Dr David Wong said having served on the General Committee of the CMA for 10 years, Mr Irons Sze had a deep passion for the Association and had been actively involved in the association affairs.

“Throughout the years, Mr Sze has taken up many key positions in the Association.  Apart from being Vice President of the CMA since 2006, Mr Sze has also served as Chairman of the General Affairs Standing Committee; Chairman of the Business Services Development Standing Committee; and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CMA Exhibition Services Ltd, helping to open new horizons for the CMA.  Led by Mr Sze, the CMA Exhibition Services Ltd has succeeded not only in staging the Hong Kong Brands & Products Expo (HKBPE) in Hong Kong with record-breaking attendance, but also in helping Hong Kong enterprises to tap into the vast Mainland domestic market by organizing the Expo in major Mainland cities,” Dr Wong said. “Mr Sze is highly acclaimed by members of the CMA General and Executive Committees for his dedication and remarkable achievements. Under his able leadership, we can expect to see an even brighter future for the CMA,” added Dr Wong.

Mr Irons Sze graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He has rich experience in manufacturing, trading and management, and is currently Executive Director of Hang Tung Resources Holding Limited.

Mr Sze actively participates in community and education services in Hong Kong and Mainland China.  He is currently a member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; a member of the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council; a member of the Labour Advisory Board of HKSAR; a member of the ICAC Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations; a member of Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation Investment Advisory Committee; a member of the Tourism Commission for Tourism Strategy Group; a member of the Council and Court of Lingnan University; and Vice-Chairman of Hong Kong CPPCC (Provincial) Members Association.  He is also an executive member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Vice Chairman of Hunan Youth Federation; and Director of China Overseas Friendship Association. In recognition of his meritorious community service, Mr Sze was appointed a non-official Justice of the Peace by the Chief Executive earlier last year.

The term of office of the 39th CMA President lasts for 3 years, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2014.

Inauguration Ceremony

The CMA 39th General Committee Inauguration Ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 5 January, which was attended by Hon. Stephen Lam, Acting Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Li Lu, Vice-Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; and Mr Shen Chong, Director General of the Co-ordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, as Guests-of-honour. About 800 prominent guests from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan witnessed the handover ceremony of CMA’s 38th and 39th Presidents, presentation of Certificates of Appointments by the Guests-of-honour, and the address by CMA President Mr Irons Sze. A gala dinner was held after the ceremony, at which CMA key office-bearers; and members of CMA Ladies’ Committee and Youth Committee staged a series of fabulous singing and dance performances.  The event was hosted by CMA Youth Committee Vice Chairman Mr C K Lo; Members Ms Jennifer Tsui and Ms Celia Wong, and was concluded with a grand lucky draw and a karaoke session.

Addressing the ceremony, CMA President Mr Irons Sze said, “The 39th term will see us celebrate our 80th anniversary. Over the years, we have come a long, tortuous way, often difficult and invariably challenging. But through their tremendous hard work, wisdom and courage, our predecessors have made our legendary Hong Kong industry not only possible but have done Hong Kong proud. ”

“I wish to express on behalf of CMA and myself our profound gratitude to all of our past presidents, in particular the Immediate Past President, Dr David Y K Wong, JP. That he has made an immeasurable contribution to the CMA is undoubtedly an understatement, and we will not soon forget it,” added Mr Sze.

Mr Sze continued to say, “Within our Association itself, we have changed our constitution to provide for an enlarged directorship, from 96 to 100 General Committee members, and for a longer tenure of office, from two years to three years. This will allow us to take on board more well-qualified people, and give ourselves more adequate time for planning and execution. With the orchestrated effort of the new line-up, we are confident that the CMA will scale new heights.”  

Guests attending the Inauguration Ceremony included CMA President Mr Irons Sze; Permanent Honorary Presidents; Vice Presidents; Honorary Presidents; Executive Committee Members; General Committee Members; Honorary General Committee Members; and Chairmen of Industrial Committees. Also joining the celebration were Mr Matthew Cheung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment; Ms Eva Cheng, Secretary for Transport and Housing; Mr Yau Sing-mu, Under Secretary for Transport and Housing; Mrs Cherry Tse Ling, Permanent Secretary for Education; Ms Maria Kwan, Director-General of Trade and Industry; Mr Warner Cheuk, Commissioner for Labour; Mr Sin Yat-kin, Commissioner of Correctional Services; Mr Michael Wong, Director of Information Services; Ms Ada Chung, Registrar of Companies, Companies Registry; Mr Willy Lin, Advisory Board Chairman, The Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation; Mr Clement Chen, Chairman, Hong Kong Productivity Council; Hong Kong deputies to the National People’s Congress; members of the Legislative Council; representatives from commercial and industrial bodies from Hong Kong and across the Straits, consulates, political parties, universities, charitable organizations and the media.

 Profile

Rosanna Wong　Executive Director, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

Not only are young people the dominant surfers and users of YouTube, Facebook and Google, but they are also the inventors, brains and creators of these and many other popular websites.  It seems that in the 21^st Century, all over the world, the Internet is the target of every young entrepreneur looking for success and riches. 

In today’s increasingly volatile banking, finance and industry related economy, the concern of many young people is how to make a living for the future. Rosanna Wong, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, thinks that starting a business is one possibility. “Of course, I don’t mean every young person should start a business,” she said, “however, it is a good option for some. Entrepreneurship not only provides the room for creativity and innovation, but it also offers the chance to work for oneself, rather than for someone else.” As Rosanna continued, “Being one’s own boss does not guarantee immediate riches or profit, but the passion that one has opens up the world for learning and responsibility and this is the key to entrepreneurship.”

Successful entrepreneurship is a collective effort and is not just about an individual or team of individuals running their own company. First, budding entrepreneurs need seed money. “While HK$100,000 may not seem like a large amount, for those trying to make their ideas a reality, it is a substantial amount,” said Rosanna. “Very often,” she continued, “this money is borrowed from family or friends, or even organizations. This means that young people have to be both responsible and accountable to those who have put their trust in the entrepreneur. A life lesson like this only creates a strong foundation in the young person’s life.” 

Furthermore, this sense of responsibility is a very good counter balance to the usual charge against young people these days: that they are over protected and immature. The challenges of trying to develop a business provide a sharp learning curve and, according to Rosanna, “when given the trust and support, young people will surprise you with their deep commitment to behaving in a responsible manner. 

Rosanna also believes that because the business ideas is very often something that the young entrepreneur has come up on his/her own, the passion and determination to see the business succeed creates a driving force of hard work and dedication. “This discipline and work ethic is extremely important, not just in business, but in one’s personal life as well,” she said. 

“I think what young people particularly appreciate is the support and guidance of mentors. From my experience, young people have a very open attitude towards learning from those who have experience. Learning to rely on the wisdom of an older generation is an important part of entrepreneurship development.”

Given the positive aspects of entrepreneurship, why is it that Hong Kong lags behind the United States and Europe in youth entrepreneurship? “This has a lot to do with our own attitudes,” analyses Rosanna. “I find that the government is not willing to invest sufficient resources to enhance this form of employability. Without government support, it becomes very difficult to help young entrepreneurs.”

The government has studied this issue for years, but until now there is no practical conclusion. “Recently, the government advocated the development of six advantageous industries. All these industries, in my opinion, touch upon the strengths of young people: innovation, technology, culture and creativity. What I suggest,” said Rosanna, “is the government to take a proactive role in supporting young entrepreneurs, in order to encourage the development of new industries. And because a number of non-governmental youth groups have the experience and network, the government could consider working through these organisations. But I think it is important to remember that it is not just about financial support alone. Rather, information, training and mentoring must be included.” 

As Rosanna has said, entrepreneurship is a collective effort which requires the support of the government, the community and also the family. “Encouraging young people to start a business is just like teaching children to swim. At first, you need to let them go into the water and then teach them stroke by stroke. Of course, you need to give them a buoy. After practice, you may take away the buoy and let them swim. If you want your children to succeed, you should neither stop them from swimming nor ignore them at first.”

Rosanna believes that starting a business is sometimes more important than just seeing the results. She thinks that parents and young people nowadays are too concerned with winning and losing. As a result, young people do not dare to try because of the fear of failure. Instead, according to Rosanna, they should open their mind to face challenges and believe that even if they lose, they could gain some valuable experience.  What is most important is how the young person can grow and develop into maturity by learning, thinking and searching continually. 

While many argue that Hong Kong has a rich history of entrepreneurship and somehow this spirit must be cultivated again for the 21^st Century, Rosanna does not believe that we can make comparisons or judgements. “Young people nowadays face fierce competition and university degrees are no longer an automatic entry into the world of work. Add to this the reality of increased rents and cost of living and you see how difficult it is to start a business. But we should never give up and what always impresses me is how creative and positive young people remain, in spite of the hardships. This is what we must cultivate and nurture, trusting young people to become entrepreneurial, without fear of failure, in order to create a new and better world.”