Relative values

Family operations have long been a cornerstone of business in Asia - even when they have grown into sprawling, listed conglomerates with interests across the globe. For women born into such families, the bonds of kinship can be a burden as much as a blessing. They are often expected to contribute to their families' legacies but face pressure to prove themselves to doubting elders. And what do they do when such responsibilities comes at the expense of personal aspirations? Two women from prominent Hong Kong families describe the paths they took. CANDY CHUANG By training and inclination, it seems like a natural progression for Candy Chuang Ka-wai to become the chairwoman of Treasure Auctioneer, the online venture that her family set up 10 years ago. Taking responsibility for their investments on the mainland, though, was a clear decision to do her part for her father's business empire, Chuang's Consortium International. The only daughter of property tycoon Alan Chuang Shaw-swee, she was always interested in fine art and her parents supported her interest, allowing her to study art in Boston instead of pursuing finance or other business-related subjects. 'I had great teachers, and in an atmosphere of people who were pursuing the love of art,' the 29-year-old recalls. 'So there I was, spending hours in the studio with 10 people who were very good at what they do, painting still lifes and portraits. 'I knew I wouldn't get this chance again because you can't stay in the studio for 10 hours and then go back to the office.' Even after graduation, her father encouraged her to become a painter. But in the end, she decided to join the family firm. Alan Chuang and his wife have a close-knit home life and raised their four children with a strong sense of family. That may be why all four siblings feel they should contribute to the family business. Elder brother Albert Chuang Ka-pun is executive director of Chuang's Consortium International, the holding company, and Candy runs their mainland arm, Chuang's China Investments. One of her two younger brothers has started an internship at the family firm after finishing university this year, while the other brother is apprenticed in an architectural firm. Both are expected to join the family business. 'The four of us always spend time together ... We are very close and often do things together,' says Candy Chuang. 'My parents have always emphasised family values ... We are so used to it that whenever weekends come around, we start thinking about getting together. It is so natural.' Contrary to common assumption, there was no pampering for the Chuangs' only daughter. 'People usually think that since I am the only girl in the family, I should be really spoiled. But this is not true,' she says. 'My mother is very hands-on - she will literally sit beside you when you do your work and tell you when it's not OK. She is very strict with me. 'When I was young, I was not even allowed to have a television set in my own room because my parents think watching TV is something a family should do together. My parents are very traditional. Even now they don't want me to move out and live on my own.' Candy Chuang may have inherited the interest in art from her father, who collected paintings and ceramics. 'When I was in college, my dad used to take me along to auctions and have me placing the bids,' she says, gesturing to the art pieces that decorate the walls of Chuang's Consortium's head office in Central. 'It's quite an experience because you are surrounded by people in their 50s and 60s. They were all looking and probably all thinking: 'Who is this young girl?'' The auction visits evolved 10 years ago into Treasure Auctioneer, an online auction house that allows buyers to place real-time bids without being present at the sales. Now as chairwoman, Chuang works with art experts to gather market information and directs their contacts with buyers. At the China investment arm, which focuses mainly on property, she oversees development projects from nearby Guangdong to Hunan and Liaoning in the north. That doesn't leave much time for painting, though she still tries to squeeze some brushwork into her schedule sometimes. 'The mentality is very different,' she concedes. 'You reflect a lot of emotions in your painting. After all the hectic work and travel, sometimes you just want to be a bum at the weekend and just sit around doing nothing. 'When I do paint, completing it is a hurdle. It is very difficult to pick up next week from where you left off because one week you may be happy, and the next week you feel differently.' Her initiation into the Chuang empire began at Midas, its printing house on the mainland. After two years, she joined Chuang's China Investment in 2005 as an intern in the marketing department. The following year, she became the executive director. Taking a prominent role in the family business makes for complicated dynamics with other employees, siblings who are fellow managers and a dad who is also the boss. As someone whose only previous work experience was a summer internship with Christie's, Chuang admits it was a challenge. She worked hard to earn the trust and respect of fellow workers, painstakingly going through reports before talking to executives in their legal, architectural and accounting departments. She readily admits having limited technical expertise, but makes up for it by being a keen observer and being open to feedback and new ideas. 'It is very difficult sometimes. I try to be genuine with people, listen to them and tell them what I agree or disagree with.' This accessibility means many see her as a way to get the boss' ear. 'Sometimes my colleagues will tell me such and such, and ask me to talk to my father because they are comfortable with me.' Chuang is happy to act as a bridge facilitating communications between staff and her father, while her elder brother deals with overall business strategy and management. 'But you can't be a puppet and just listen to what people tell you. You also have to be discerning. With the bigger title you have greater responsibility.' Although her father is still the primary decision maker, Chuang says she and her elder brother have gradually won him over and persuaded him to initiate changes like switching the company to a five-day week. 'It's a big thing because Chuang's is a very Chinese business and we used to work five and a half days,' says Chuang a little ruefully. 'But you need to give your staff time to rest and spend time with their families or else they will have problems at home, and eventually that will affect their work.' Whenever they discuss work, she jokes, dad quickly lets her know one way or the other whether they are in 'father-daughter' or 'boss-colleague' mode. 'Honestly, there are things you can tell your father but not your boss,' she says. But there are times when she finds herself at loggerheads with her brother or dad in the office, and Chuang says it's been tough learning how to let go. 'There are pros and cons [working in the family business]. The cons are you always bring business home. I never feel like I am really off work. You will talk about work over the dinner table, when you spend time with the family,' she says. 'And it is quite difficult because you tend to be less rational when you are working with siblings ... and when you go home you can't immediately be like 'OK we are cool now' and get together again. It takes a while to adjust.' Yet Chuang says she would never consider working for another company. 'There is no satisfaction like getting the approval and support from your family; it's a lot more than a random boss,' says Chuang. 'You get to learn about the business from every aspect, and you have the flexibility to make changes. You also know that you are building something which is to last. 'Besides, the business has been expanding so quickly. My dad is in his 60s and he is the only son in his family. But if the four of us help the business - the more people we have, the stronger we are.' JANE CHAO Jane Chao's life has been busier than ever since she quit Wah Kwong Shipping, the conglomerate founded by her grandfather T.Y. Chao 58 years ago. But she's not complaining. The daughter of Wah Kwong chairman George Chao Sze-kwong has waited 11 years to free herself from the burden of family obligations. 'These days I am so busy preparing the opening of my gallery I get so little sleep,' says Chao, smiling as she pulls earrings, a necklace and a brooch from her handbag to wear for her photo shoot. 'But I feel very excited. Art has always been my passion.' The 34-year-old is finally realising that passion with Gallery Huit, which will be an elegant art space on St Francis Street in Wan Chai. Like her siblings, she had been expected to help in the family business. So after completing her training in architecture in London and art in California, she dutifully devoted herself to the task. She first spent eight years working with her mother, former actress Lily Ho, building their restaurant business in Shanghai (Club Shanghai, which operates two fine-dining restaurants, with Chez Lily serving Cantonese dim sum, and Soahc serving Yangzhou and Sichuan cuisine). Another couple of years followed, representing her father in his property investments here and on the mainland. It was invaluable experience. Through her parents, she got a comprehensive grasp of running a business from accounting to sourcing, purchasing and inventory and handling public relations. Working for mum was no cakewalk: her mother, Chao says with a hint of a grin, is one of the world's toughest bosses. When they started in the restaurant business in 1999, Shanghai was not as modernised and prosperous as now, and they had to do a lot of groundwork - from venue design to sourcing and managing staff with very different mindsets. And mum taught her to be hands-on because if one of her staff makes a mistake, it's her mistake, too. Some might expect Ho to resist her daughter's departure after years of grooming her in the business, but Chao says it was mum who first encouraged her to start her gallery five years ago. Noticing that Chao would spend weekends painting in her studio in Shanghai instead of networking at parties, Ho realised that her daughter's true calling lay in art - no matter how tirelessly she worked for the family business. At the time, Chao herself was uncertain about the direction she should take. But marriage - or to be more accurate, her new husband - proved to be the tipping point. About a year and a half ago, she married Dominique Lee, co-chairman of garment manufacturer M. Magtague, and her husband's unreserved support set her mind about starting her own gallery. With her decision made, Chao broached the subject of leaving Wah Kwong at a family dinner and was delighted that her father immediately gave the new endeavour his blessing. 'A few years ago I probably wouldn't have had enough courage to start my own business. After working for my family for a few years, I have accumulated enough experience and I have the confidence to do it. 'I could have continued working [in Wah Kwong] quite comfortably for the next 10, 20 years because it's the family business; it is very stable. But I thought if I were to start something, it's now or never, she says. 'After turning 40, I will be too old to start anything. At 34, I've matured a bit, I am married and but don't have plans for children yet, so it is perfect timing.' Wah Kwong's strength also removes any guilt about the effect her departure would have. 'The family business is so big, and there are many good people working for them anyway,' Chao says. 'And there are so many of us in it.' (Her twin, Joan, now helps their mother to run the restaurants instead. Elder sister Sabrina helps manage Wah Kwong's finances and younger brother Hing also recently joined the family firm.) This means she will also have more time for Changing Young Lives, a charity she supports, and Chao hopes to have a more hands-on role, organising art classes for youngsters and reading sessions with book authors. If working in Wah Kwong was an extension of her role as a daughter, the gallery reflects her new horizons as a married woman. She talks enthusiastically about sourcing work that catches her eye from around the world, meeting interesting artists and sharing her discoveries at the gallery. On some evenings, friends join Chao and her husband at the art space after work to check on her finds and unwind with a bottle of champagne in the gallery's little garden at the back. 'As long as it's a good piece of art, I don't really have a preference for any kind of style,' she says. 'Whether it is a more traditional painting or pop art, it does not really matter as long as it is done well. 'It is a new chapter in my life because I have always worked for my family, so it's really the first time I've worked on my own business,' Chao says. 'I definitely feel a lot more pressure and sometimes lose sleep over it. Maybe I'll lose a bit of weight too. 'With family business, it was like a nine-to-five job, but now I think about the gallery all the time, even after going home, because it's my own business. If it does not go well, I will have to suffer. 'But I am very happy and excited. Every morning I wake up and think about what I need to do today. I feel very motivated.'