Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2002

statesmanship w i t h wh i ch he was to rule his immense business empire so effectively in the years to come. Shortly after the Second World War Mr. L ui was assisting his uncle in a car spare parts dealership. He soon acquired a t h o r o u gh knowledge of the business and, w i t h great diligence and excellent interpersonal skills, he took advantage of a timely o p p o r t u n i ty for an i mp o r t a nt breakthrough in his career. It was the early 1950s, and he had learnt by chance t h at the Am e r i c a ns h ad l e ft i n Okinawa a large quantity of military supplies f r om the Korean War. By dint of courage and tact, Mr. Lui successfully negotiated for these materials and, w h e n he r e t u r ned to H o n g Kong, had w i t h h i m a ship fully loaded w i t h heavy military construction machinery. From then on i n H o n g Kong, ma n u al q u a r r y i ng gave way to excavation by heavy machinery. Dr. L ui Che Woo has an uncanny ability to d i s c e rn the e x t r a o r d i n a ry am i d st the o r d i n a r y, a nd to recognize business opportunities w h i c h others do not recognize. Wh at are rocks and stones to others are, to h i m , p r e c i o us r e s ou r c es f or u r b a n development. He founded the K. Wah Company i n 1955, specializing i n q u a r r y i ng and the production of stone blocks, concrete and other construction materials. In those years of rapid u r b an expansion, as large scale b u i l d i ng programmes took place to f o rm the splendid conurbation that we k n ow today, M r . Lui's group of companies made the most significant contributions. The K. Wah Group has come a long wa y since its foundation over four decades ago. It is n ow an international conglomerate w i t h business interests in H o ng Kong, mainland China, the Asia-Pacific region as we ll as major cities in N o r th America. Dr. L ui Che Woo is the chairman of the K. Wah Group in H o ng Kong, as we ll as subsidiary enterprises such as K. Wah International Holdings Limited, K. Wah Construction Materials Limited, K. Wah Properties (Holdings) Limited and Stanford Hotels International. The K. Wah G r o up is actively i n v o l v ed in construction materials, real estate and hotel businesses, w i t h close to 10,000 employees engaged in more than 200 companies all over the wo r l d. This enormous business empire is diversified in its activities a nd y et w e l l - k n it a nd u n i t ed u n d er the c o mm a n d of D r . L u i i n the p u r s u i t of efficiency and excellence, thus ensuring its leadership position w i t h i n the industry. A b r i ef e x am i n a t i on of D r. L u i 's business philosophy and management concepts w i l l shed light on how this has come about. Despite the vast scope and diversity of his enterprises, Dr. L ui believes i n strategic, global p l a n n i ng and keeping all data and i n f o rma t i on at his fingertips, so that he can s t r i ke w h e n o p p o r t u n i ty calls. He also believes that all actions mu st stem f r om interest, and that nothing is impossible where interest is supported by the w i l l to achieve, and by a fair amount of self-confidence. Dr. L u i is also k n o w n for his c r e a t i v i ty a nd entrepreneurial spirit, wh i ch have helped h i m t o p r o g r e ss w i t h t he t i m e , s e e k i n g diversification and ma k i ng v i t al decisions amidst the myriad rapid mutations of modern s o c i e t y. D r. L u i has b e en r e m a r k a b ly successful in integrating the clearly defined management principles of the West w i t h the traditional concept of loyalty mu ch admired i n the East. He chooses his employees wisely and delegates w i t h trust. This fusion of the management philosophies of the East and the West has served h i m well. To Dr. Lui, business management is both a science and an art, and those w h o practise advanced management must have cultural knowledge, the capacity to a c c ommo d a te v a l i d s u g g e s t i o ns a nd proposals, and the willingness to constantly seek progress and renewal. In half a century of business achievements Dr. L ui has applied these theories in the building of his immense emp i r e, f r o m the e s t a b l i s hme nt of the quarrying business in the 1950s, through the practice of real estate since the 1960s, to investment ventures in the mainland and the United States and the launch of American real estate and hotel projects i n the 1980s, and investments in Macau f r om the 21st century The University's 58th Congregation 47