Appointing a CEO for the West Kowloon Cultural District is perhaps the most important responsibility its authority members will undertake in their term of office. For the success of the cultural district, and for Hong Kong, choosing the right person is foundational.
Trustworthiness, confidence and enthusiasm are imperatives, as are the chosen person's abilities and experience to lead a project of this complexity, to balance relationships between government, business, community, and local and international arts and cultural organisations.
But the determinate coup for the district's definitive realisation and sustainability will be vision and the ability to espouse, articulate and communicate that to stakeholders near and far.
The cultural district is more than a sizeable challenge, although size really does matter in terms of influencing its success. Obviously the way partners work together will have an impact on its success. Yet, perhaps paradoxically, an arms-length relationship between the CEO, the authorities and partners will have a bearing on the district's creative and innovative capacity. There will also need to be clear recognition of the value of a healthy interdependence among all partners, especially among cultural providers.
The formula for success may be far from straightforward. The spectre of numerous partners with varying agendas driven by different corporate structures brought together in the cultural district may be truly frightening when trying to reach a consensus. We might wonder: will it all be worth it? You bet it will be.
Few people, and few projects, have the potential to influence so many lives, not just today but in tomorrow's generations.