GARY LIU
CEO, South China Morning Post
What does your company do?
For over 110 years, the South China Morning Post has reported on China and Asia with global impact. We gather and publish news 24/7, with a team of world-class journalists, editors, visual artists, photographers and videographers.
What sort of brands and products are associated with your company?
The SCMP is the most awarded newspaper in Hong Kong. Along with this flagship publication, we also publish Hong Kong’s premium lifestyle and fashion titles, including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and The Peak. We are also home to Classified Post and cpjobs.com, a data-powered job search platform.
What activities do you have planned for your shadows?
They are going to attend company events and meetings, and interact with business leaders and department heads across our entire organisation to have a much deeper understanding of the SCMP – from editorial to products to marketing to our COO, as well as to me.
What do you hope your shadows will get out of the experience?
I hope our guests will be inspired by our company. It is one that has a long history and has seen many changes. We also want to passionately participate in that change to make this world a better place.
They will meet our business leaders who are not only the best at what they do in the industry but also good at leadership.
What leadership skills are you personally hoping to impart?
I think a leader needs to be a curious person who has a constant desire to learn and understand how important it is to gain new knowledge. Be curious, know how to listen well and ask the right questions.
What skills and experience are you looking for in applicants?
Certainly, we are looking for applicants who have a strong interest in and passion for media. It does not have to be traditional newspapers. It could be digital media. One thing that we care about the most at the SCMP is to tell the story of China to the rest of the world. So applicants who have a deep interest in that mission would fit in.
Did you ever benefit at the start of your career from the guidance of a mentor?
Of course. I have been very fortunate to have a string of great leaders and managers who helped me learn, not only about the industries but also develop my hard and soft skill sets. They really helped me develop as an individual and a leader.
What is the job market like for graduates in your industry?
It is not an easy time for journalism. When you look around our industry, most news organisations seem to be contracting and hiring fewer journalists. It is unfortunate, as the world actually needs more quality journalism.
Thankfully at the SCMP, we are growing as a company, especially in our newsroom. I believe that graduates who can explain the changing world and have the discipline to create quality journalism and who have strong experience in digital storytelling will have plenty of opportunities.
