If Vivian Lau Sio-kuan had to pick the one quality that has served her best during a high-flying career, it would be the ability to multitask. Specifically, it enables her to juggle two contrasting roles, as chief executive of Hong Kong Petrochemical Company and the charitable organisation Junior Achievement Hong Kong, making a conspicuous success of both.
Ms Lau describes her approach as 'hedging', meaning that when one job becomes taxing and time is needed to think things through, she turns to the other.
'They call for different skills, different attitudes and different parts of my mind,' she said, not seeking to disguise the fact that bearing responsibility for two large organisations could be demanding and stressful, particularly in recent times.
However, Ms Lau characterised herself as an optimist and believed this attitude has served her well in the 20 or so years since she graduated from university in Texas.
'It has helped me to get through some of the challenges,' she said. 'Truly, the last quarter has been one of the most challenging of my life, but I don't always focus on the here and now. I think 'what more can I do tomorrow'?'
To cope with the pressures, she has devised a system to keep herself balanced and able to deal with a taxing schedule. This includes making time to write a journal, meditate, and 'get in touch with myself'.