Pull together to overcome crisis, new MTR Corp boss tells staff at Hong Kong’s subway operator
- Jacob Kam, who took over as CEO on Monday, said a concerted effort was required to restore the company’s reputation
- The rail giant has been embroiled in controversy, most recently a crash which caused an unprecedented disruption to services last month
On his first day heading the embattled MTR Corporation, Jacob Kam Chak-pui has called for a concerted effort from the company’s 48,000-strong global team to ride out a confidence crisis. Kam has vowed to restore the rail giant’s reputation, which has been tarnished by scandal and controversy.
In an email to all staff on Monday, Kam, who has ascended to CEO from his previous position of managing director, called for continued professionalism as he admitted that the once proud reputation of the MTR Corp had been tainted by a series of safety scandals and mishaps over the past year.
His predecessor Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen was forced to take early retirement following the allegations of shoddy work last year on the HK$97.1 billion (US$12.3 billion) Sha Tin-Central rail link, Hong Kong’s most expensive rail project.
The 57-year-old, a 24-year veteran of the firm, noted his mixed feelings, stating: “On the one hand, I feel genuinely delighted to continue working with all of you.
“On the other hand, I am also deeply aware of the difficulties that we have been dealing with during the past several months. The issues in the civil construction work managed by us and in our new signalling system tests, have aroused much concern among the public and tarnished our once proud reputation.”