'We must make our presence felt on the global stage'

Joseph Yuen, board chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce (HKFEC), believes Hong Kong has a role to play in the global e-commerce industry.

"My goal is for the HKFEC to help Hong Kong retailers gain their place in the world e-commerce market. We don't necessarily have to be one of the largest markets, but it should be an important market."

Yuen hopes that, in future, Japanese and Korean e-commerce retailers will come to Hong Kong to find a proper sales channel, while T-mall and JD can also set up their regional headquarters here to secure better access to international buyers.

The HKFEC launched a "Hong Kong Trust Mark" last month to raise awareness of IP (intellectual property) rights and genuine goods from online merchants and Yuen hopes the SAR could eventually become the authentication center for global online retailers.

Yuen studied in Europe during his childhood before proceeding to RMIT University in Australia - a leading international institution of technology, design and enterprise - where he majored in electronics and communication engineering.

Before graduating, he had already started working for Nortel Networks.

"My job was to help Nortel sell their technologies and products to Asian markets, so I need to understand the technology first and match it with the demands of Asian markets," he says, adding that he was like a middleman between Western technology and the Eastern market.

Yuen believes his job at Nortel gave him a distinct sense for business opportunities, which is also why, later in his career, he chose to join China Post at a time when everyone thought that telecom would be the future and post would be the past.

In August 2008, China Post allowed him to start China Post Trade Development Co where he remains managing director to this day.

As an employer, Yuen believes that Hong Kong youngsters should prepare themselves to be quick learners. "Youngsters should be able to learn fast because employers want them to be quick learners as the world and e-commerce are ever changing."

He suggests that young people take the initiative at work, and don't just do whatever they're asked to. They must be ambitious, don't sit on their laurels and keep prodding themselves into facing the challenges ahead.

Hong Kong youngsters, he says, may think they're pursuing an easy life, but they shouldn't.

"Youngsters should dream big, they should work hard and be very ambitious. They should go look for business opportunities, feel and predict the future trend in the world and start their own business."

sophiehe@chinadailyhk.com

(China Daily USA 09/23/2016 page5)