Helping students get to grips with the company’s business philosophy and corporate culture and learning about global supply chain management were the chief aims for Fung Group in the Shadow a CEO programme, according to Susanna Chiu, director and group chief representative, Eastern China. “The shadows also got the chance to see how the business was executed, which made them realise that ideas are good only with proper execution,” she says.
The programme also included a tour of the Fung Group innovation facility, The Explorium, which, says Chiu, demonstrates how the business has managed to transform continuously and reinvent itself every three years.
As one of the speakers at the International Coach Federation conference on innovation and start-ups, Chiu brought her two shadows along, which enabled them to get up to speed on the start-up scene in China.
Chiu also took her shadows for a lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at Disney Town Shanghai to meet the restaurant chain’s general manager, who gave them an insight into the sector. “This was a very good opportunity for the shadows to gain an understanding of the F&B industry in China and hear about operating experience from an insider’s perspective. Though the industry is different from consumer goods, it’s also within the same framework of supply chains,” she says.
Chiu found the shadows smart, trustworthy, willing to learn, and ready to participate in the activities planned for them. “All the management who interacted with the shadows provided positive feedback on their performance, as they were able to complete the tasks that we set and make useful suggestions,” she says.
For shadow Dittie Wong, the highlight of the shadowing programme was gaining a greater understanding of the commercial world after majoring in HR and marketing. She also appreciated the opportunity to travel to Shanghai. “Being educated in an international environment shapes you into thinking that if you want to achieve something big, you should work for international companies and stay in Western countries. But this programme made me realise that there are opportunities for youngsters like us in China too,” she says.
Having lunch with the general manager of the Cheesecake Factory in Shanghai was a highlight for Wong. “It was a bonus to meet another senior management member of a successful F&B company and learn from his experience. Both gave us career advice that made me more confident for my future development,” she says.
Chiu’s other shadow, Charles Wong, says visiting the RISO concept shop was one of his standout moments, as he was able to familiarise himself with how online platforms are reaching out to more customers by opening physical stores. However, the social aspect of the programme was a little nerve-racking, Wong admits.
“It can be stressful to shadow a CEO sometimes, as we understand that we somehow represent the company in such a situation. Going to social events meant that we would likely be asked to introduce ourselves and discuss topics relevant to the context.”
