http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0222_china_companies/index_01.htm (from Business Week - Slide Show ) a very informative & interesting online interactive library:
Ten Chinese Companies You Should Know
Whether they're catering to the growing middle class or expanding overseas, these Chinese companies are making an impact:
1. March of the Penguin - Tencent Holdings
2. Beyond Big Blue - Lenovo Holdings
3. Worldwide Connections - ZTE
4. Big Oil, Chinese Style - PetroChina
5. Worldwide Wireless Champ - China Mobile
6. Top Banker - Industrial & Commercial Bank of China
7. Electronics Retailer - Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings
8. The Google Killer - Baidu.com
9. Attention Grabber - Focus Media Holdings
10. Serious Fun - Shanda Interactive Entertainment
Ten Indian Companies to Watch http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/02/0211_indiacompanies/index_01.htm
The corporate high-achievers driving India’s hot economy aren’t yet immediately recognizable global brands. Here are 10 that could change that:
1. $2,260 Compact - Tata Motor
2. SUV King - Mahindra & Mahindra
3. Global Ambitions - Bharat Forge
4. India’s Global Site - Rediff.com
5. Software Powerhouse - Infosys Technologies
6. Acquisition Machine - Wipro
7. India Pharma - Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
8. Wireless Wonder - Bharti Airtel
9. Energy Champ - Reliance Industries
10. Money Spinner - ICICI Bank
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
The Power of Network - Online vs. Offline
116 days ago, BBC Gaza Correspondent Alan Johnston was abducted by a group called the Army of Islam on his way home. Since then, BBC World Service has started a worldwide campaign for this courageous journalist, both via radio & on the internet. Over the last 16 weeks, more than 200,000 of BBC listeners have signed the online petition, thousands more have added their comments to our Have Your Say website. This kind of support had inspired Alan both mentally and emotionally."The knowledge that so many people were showing their solidarity made Alan feel a duty to get through it to show their support was not misplaced. Typical Alan!" - BBC's world news editor Jon Williams shared about his colleague. Indeed, "for 14 of his 16 weeks in captivity, Alan had access to the BBC World Service. The messages from the listeners were an enormous source of strength - particularly those from former hostages like Terry Waite, John McCarthy and Brian Keenan."
After his release on early morining July 4, Alan was handed over to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza City. Britain said the group had played a key role in his release. Now people see the synergy of both the online & real world networking powers. Missing either one, it could be a totally different scenario. Alan's first word was "just unimaginably good to be free" after 114 days in captivity in Gaza. For us "who have not been a prisoner of some kind, for some time, it's a bit difficult to understand how good it is just to be able to do the basic things that freedom allows." A big relief to see the nightmare ends and an eventful day for Mr. Graham Johnston, Alan's father, as he waved to cheers and applause from the audience and he picked up the radio journalism award on his son's behalf from Amnesty International , recognising excellence in human rights reporting.
Now the discussion continues as people started to question the motive & hidden agenda of Hamas group which will carry on for some time. Looking at the power of network, both online & offline, I can't help thinking of our gathering this week where 17 future Chinse MBA students or partners in Singapore met up to share with one another. We will go all over the place, Chicago, Michigan, UCLA, INSEAD, Cheung Kong, MIT, etc. How could this happen? Some of us were met on the forum http://www.chasedream.com/, some were invited by friends. Another example of the synergy of online & offline networkings. Blend them well, have a good balance, you can achieve the maximized power of network!
Monday, July 02, 2007
1997 - 2007: Tales of 2 Alumni
Talking about 1997 to 2007, what can you think of?
Ten years ago, I started my college in that hot summer day near the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, China and am now busy preparing for my new study at the shore of charming Lac Léman, Switzerland soon.
At the same year, Mr. Tony Blair walked into 10 Downing Street & reigned for a decade. But long before he was there, his pre-predecessor Mdm. Margaret Thatcher had already negotiated a deal with Beijing for the big day to come on that summer. I remember watching the ceremony of Hong Kong's transfer a few days before taking national entrance exam for university. After I got the results, Princess Diana passed away dramatically.
10 years on, Mr. Blair left for the Middle East envoy, Hong Kong is growing fast under "One Country, Two Systems" and people still remember England's Rose. What has all this to do with me, time will tell. For now, I want to introduce two IMD MBA alumni (though one of them still has 5 more months to go until graduation) who are featured on the website. They have a gap of exactly 10 years.
MBA 1997 Alumnus - Soren Skou, focusing on HR & value-added leadership at Maersk：
"It had been 10 years since Danishman Soren Skou was last on campus – he graduated from the IMD MBA in 1997. Then in June this year he returned for his 10 year Class Reunion...
While Soren hadn’t physically returned to campus since his graduation, he has still played an active role, by sponsoring two of his executives for the EMBA program and a couple of MBA ICP projects, “I wanted to support the school if I possibly could, and in doing so the company has also been able to benefit.”
From a personal point of view, Soren believes that the three most important things he got out of his MBA were: an updated tool box, a sharpened analytical ability and improved communications skills. “It was marketed as a tough program, and it was. But it was also an inspiring year and I had the time of my life.”
MBA Class of 2007 - Serena Shamash: a long-term dream：
...“I came to IMD for the leadership focus and the practical and global approach of the program. What I didn’t realize was how much I would enjoy being part of a smaller business school. I now understand the benefits of belonging to a tight-knit community where I can get personalized feedback and training. Additionally, the relationships and networks I’m developing are much deeper than I ever expected.”
...Following IMD, Serena plans to continue building her management skills in an international environment, working towards her long-term dream of consulting for start-ups in developing countries. “Entrepreneurship is like painting – you start with a blank piece of paper and create something out of a vision and a passion. With an enhanced self-awareness and refined leadership skills, I hope to be able to guide and inspire potential entrepreneurs in the future.”
Ten years ago, I started my college in that hot summer day near the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, China and am now busy preparing for my new study at the shore of charming Lac Léman, Switzerland soon.
At the same year, Mr. Tony Blair walked into 10 Downing Street & reigned for a decade. But long before he was there, his pre-predecessor Mdm. Margaret Thatcher had already negotiated a deal with Beijing for the big day to come on that summer. I remember watching the ceremony of Hong Kong's transfer a few days before taking national entrance exam for university. After I got the results, Princess Diana passed away dramatically.
10 years on, Mr. Blair left for the Middle East envoy, Hong Kong is growing fast under "One Country, Two Systems" and people still remember England's Rose. What has all this to do with me, time will tell. For now, I want to introduce two IMD MBA alumni (though one of them still has 5 more months to go until graduation) who are featured on the website. They have a gap of exactly 10 years.
MBA 1997 Alumnus - Soren Skou, focusing on HR & value-added leadership at Maersk：
"It had been 10 years since Danishman Soren Skou was last on campus – he graduated from the IMD MBA in 1997. Then in June this year he returned for his 10 year Class Reunion...
While Soren hadn’t physically returned to campus since his graduation, he has still played an active role, by sponsoring two of his executives for the EMBA program and a couple of MBA ICP projects, “I wanted to support the school if I possibly could, and in doing so the company has also been able to benefit.”
From a personal point of view, Soren believes that the three most important things he got out of his MBA were: an updated tool box, a sharpened analytical ability and improved communications skills. “It was marketed as a tough program, and it was. But it was also an inspiring year and I had the time of my life.”
MBA Class of 2007 - Serena Shamash: a long-term dream：
...“I came to IMD for the leadership focus and the practical and global approach of the program. What I didn’t realize was how much I would enjoy being part of a smaller business school. I now understand the benefits of belonging to a tight-knit community where I can get personalized feedback and training. Additionally, the relationships and networks I’m developing are much deeper than I ever expected.”
...Following IMD, Serena plans to continue building her management skills in an international environment, working towards her long-term dream of consulting for start-ups in developing countries. “Entrepreneurship is like painting – you start with a blank piece of paper and create something out of a vision and a passion. With an enhanced self-awareness and refined leadership skills, I hope to be able to guide and inspire potential entrepreneurs in the future.”
Friday, June 29, 2007
Food 4 Thoughts, Music 4 Souls
Harry's @ Boat Quay again, but this time round as an insider of the circle, albeit a bit premature. Thanks to Aaron's effort, the 3 of us newly admits have also been invited for this monthly alumni gathering at the upstairs (shown in the right).3 from class 2006, 3 different nationalities, 3 from class 2008, similar mix. That's just a glimpse of the composition of our future colleagues. It's like a gene in IMD, not only the diversity, but also the teamwork spirit, which have been passed on from one class to the next. As Aaron recalled, two years ago, K.K. & him were in the exactly same situation, listening to the sharing of alumni from class 2004, preparing for the year in Lausanne.
Well, being Asian or being human, we all like to talk about food. That actually could be a selling point of IMD, although people don't go there for food. The daily 3-course lunch buffet is said to be very effective in helping students put on weight, if we don't control our intake, especially on the highly-acclaimed desserts which are prepared by the best chef trained in the top culinary school in Lausanne. People just love it & seemingly it's not easy to be disciplined while gazing upon those sumptuous sweeties:-)
Another surprise will be the ice cream from Mövenpick provided throughout summer season, all these are included in our program fee which has not been increased for a few years! Of course, they also remember the 1 CHF breakfast croissant group delivered to the class every morning as well as the Monday pizza. Ok, so much about food and I am just comforted to know the school is really taking care of us as a whole person.
Recalled one of my favorite movies from Hong Kong director / comedian Stephen Chow, God of Cookery (1996). As a celebrity chef in the film, he told all the apprentices, "the most important thing in cooking is not what you're preparing, but whom you're preparing it for. If you are cooking it with love/passion, the diner will taste your love/passion in the dish...". In a real world where many people are only results-oriented, it's quite heartening to have someone teaching you from his/her own heart. I guess & hope that's partly how IMD prepares those delicious foods (both in class & in canteen) for our thoughts, from their hearts.
An alumnus from class 1999 joined later and he can still recall most of his classmates after so many years, not to mention those who're in Singapore. Interesting to know 10/80 are now in Singapore, a trend of the job market shifting towards Asia Pacific in recent years. According to Jacques, 1999 was & still is his best year in life because at the end of 1999, he got a degree and met his soul mate from the same class - unforgettable double-happiness 雙囍臨門!
One funny episode was when KK's colleagues from Shell - 2 INSEADers dropped by to say hello. The girl immediately found out, "hey, you guys have a problem with the female/male ratio, where have the flowers gone (the 2nd half added by me:-)?" We don't know, but we hope more ladies will join the class. But never mind, if half of the class are married or attached, then it's quite balanced.
As we called the night off and walked downstairs, the live band just started playing not long ago. The night is still young & the music is for the souls:
"There You'll Be" from Pearl Harbor
When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I'll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me
……
Bon Weekend:-)
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Invisible CEO - Chief Emotional Officer (by K@W)
An interesting article from Wharton @ Knowledge about the worldwide family business citing an example of a Malaysian entreprise:
Published: June 27, 2007 in Knowledge@Wharton This article has been read 1,655 Times
When your family business involves an extended network of 52 family shareholders, as it does for Bukit Kiara Properties, a leading Malaysian real estate development firm, simply pulling everyone together for family dinner can be hard work. But N.K. Tong, who co-founded Bukit Kiara with his father and is now group managing director, says there's just one person to call: "My auntie."
"When she picks up the phone, everyone comes running," says Tong. Her effectiveness at bringing people together was essential in the late 1990s when Tong and his father, Alan Tong Kok Mau, sold one family business and started Bukit Kiara. "My dad asked her to find out which family members wanted to join us, and over a single weekend she raised a fair sum of money from over 20 [of them]."
Tong's aunt plays a role some scholars describe as a family business's "chief emotional officer," an informal function usually filled by a family member or close advisor. But the topic is not as warm and fuzzy as it sounds: Not only can the emotional officer job be stressful and go unrecognized, it can also fall dangerously by the wayside as businesses are passed on to succeeding generations.
Nevertheless, nearly all family businesses have a person who plays the chief emotional officer role, according to Raphael "Raffi" Amit, a Wharton professor of entrepreneurship who studies family businesses. "Having worked with numerous families around the world, I have found there is always a confidant, either the patriarch of the family, a trusted lawyer or other friend of the family," says Amit, who chairs the executive committee of Wharton's Global Family Alliance, a private forum that brings global family business leaders together with researchers.
Family firms make up anywhere from 80% to 90% of business enterprises in North America, according to a 2003 research article in the journal Family Business Review, although other studies put the number much lower, closer to 50%. A 2000 study of East Asian firms, however, found that more than two-thirds were controlled by families or individuals...
For full article, please refer to http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1760
Published: June 27, 2007 in Knowledge@Wharton This article has been read 1,655 Times
When your family business involves an extended network of 52 family shareholders, as it does for Bukit Kiara Properties, a leading Malaysian real estate development firm, simply pulling everyone together for family dinner can be hard work. But N.K. Tong, who co-founded Bukit Kiara with his father and is now group managing director, says there's just one person to call: "My auntie."
"When she picks up the phone, everyone comes running," says Tong. Her effectiveness at bringing people together was essential in the late 1990s when Tong and his father, Alan Tong Kok Mau, sold one family business and started Bukit Kiara. "My dad asked her to find out which family members wanted to join us, and over a single weekend she raised a fair sum of money from over 20 [of them]."
Tong's aunt plays a role some scholars describe as a family business's "chief emotional officer," an informal function usually filled by a family member or close advisor. But the topic is not as warm and fuzzy as it sounds: Not only can the emotional officer job be stressful and go unrecognized, it can also fall dangerously by the wayside as businesses are passed on to succeeding generations.
Nevertheless, nearly all family businesses have a person who plays the chief emotional officer role, according to Raphael "Raffi" Amit, a Wharton professor of entrepreneurship who studies family businesses. "Having worked with numerous families around the world, I have found there is always a confidant, either the patriarch of the family, a trusted lawyer or other friend of the family," says Amit, who chairs the executive committee of Wharton's Global Family Alliance, a private forum that brings global family business leaders together with researchers.
Family firms make up anywhere from 80% to 90% of business enterprises in North America, according to a 2003 research article in the journal Family Business Review, although other studies put the number much lower, closer to 50%. A 2000 study of East Asian firms, however, found that more than two-thirds were controlled by families or individuals...
For full article, please refer to http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1760
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