Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2003

Citation Dr . Raymond Kwok P i ng Luen, MA, MBA, DBA B l e n d i ng o l d and n ew, b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r timeless Chinese wisdom and the latest Western know-how, Dr. Raymond Kw o k is one of Hong Kong's most respected a nd s u c c e s s f ul p r o p e r t y developers. Dr. Kwok is vice- c h a i r m an a nd m a n a g i ng d i r e c t or of Sun H u n g Kai Properties (SHKP) and has played a significant pa rt i n t r a n s f o r m i ng H o n g K o ng i n to an international centre of finance and commerce. From his father, the late Kw o k Tak-seng, Dr. K w o k learned p r o f ound Chinese values: the importance of hum i l i ty and hard wo r k, of being inquisitive, of never ceasing to learn and to improve. A t the University of Cambridge he read mathematics and l aw and saw the importance, for a Ho ng Kong businessman, of understanding society's legal framework. L a w t a u g ht h i m to t h i n k l o g i c a l ly a nd analytically; to focus on solving problems. His Ha r v a rd M B A exposed h i m to the culture of the world's leading business nation, w i t h its f l a i r f o r m a r k e t i ng and i n n o v a t i o n. A t Harvard he learned the importance of w r i t i ng and communication. He came to understand the value of human resources, of k now i ng the macro-economic context and h ow to look at a balance sheet and to analyze it critically. The M B A case s t u dy me t h od kept r a i s i ng the q u e s t i o n: if y o u we re t he C EO of t h at c omp a n y, w h a t w o u l d y o u d o? He was challenged, for the first time, to t h i nk as a business leader. A l t h o u gh he trained as a solicitor, D r. Kwok was destined for the family business. I n the late 1970s, when he began to play his part alongside his father and his two elder brothers, SHKP was mainly focused on its core business of property development. Dr. Kwok helped the company enhance its culture of innovation and d e d i c a t i on to h i g h q u a l i ty and customer service, w h i c h has w o n SHKP n ume r o us i n t e r n a t i o n al a w a r ds i n c l u d i n g b e i n g r e p e a t e d ly n amed A s i a 's best p r o p e r ty company. Innovations include concepts such as large-scale residential developments w i t h f u ll commun i ty facilities such as clubhouses and integrated shopp i ng centres. Dr. K w o k was also part of the SHKP management team that led the w a y i n o p e n i ng u p the N e w Territories for our g r ow i ng popu l a t i on and created ma ny of H o n g Kong 's l andma r k s, including New Town Plaza in Shatin and what is n ow our tallest bu i l d i ng, Two IFC on the Central waterfront. Under his leadership the Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 2003 36