When CEOs retire, they usually choose to lead a relaxing, luxurious lifestyle and enjoy a break after years of hard work. However, it is a different story for Francis Gouten, founder of Gouten Consulting.
Following Gouten's retirement from Richemont Asia-Pacific in 2006, he started his own company, Gouten Consulting, to do marketing and strategic development for local and overseas luxury brands.
'I don't like sitting around and doing nothing, and Hong Kong is a bubbling city where business opportunities are everywhere,' Gouten says.
Running one's own business is not an easy task, according to Gouten. But he enjoys being able to make all the decisions himself.
'While working for big brands, there were internal factors to deal with and the final decision isn't going to be made by yourself. Working for yourself requires a lot more work, but you get to make your own decisions.'
After four years, Gouten has already transformed his company into a roaring success with clients such as La Maison du Chocolat and Hongkong Land. Upcoming projects include marketing shopping malls on the mainland and Taipei.
The founder says that success doesn't come easy, and having good staff and excellent time management are the indispensable factors required to succeed.
