BOY! What a tough climb to the top
China-born developer, the Businessman of the Year, recalls long, hard struggle
By Gabriel Chen
A BEAMING Mr Zhong Sheng Jian, the founder of leading Chinese property developer Yanlord Land, last night recalled his tough climb to the top as he accepted a major Singapore business award.
Yanlord, which is listed on the Singapore Exchange, has developed a potent brand name that is now synonymous with high-end fully fitted apartments in the booming mainland market.
Last night, the 53-year old China-born entrepreneur, who became a Singapore citizen in the early 1990s, bagged the Businessman of the Year Award at this year's Singapore Business Awards.
'When I was informed about this award, many memories welled up in my mind,' said the father of five in his acceptance speech at the glitzy dinner event at Resorts World Sentosa. 'Visions of the past flashed across my eyes, memories of constantly being on the road, of the numerous destinations, of the different modes of transport, of the uncounted number of hotels I stayed in.'
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also received good news yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said at the ceremony that SMEs will enjoy higher funding rates - 20 per cent more - for the productivity training programmes the Workforce Development Agency is developing with various industry associations.
For the winners last night, the awards - jointly organised by The Business Times and DHL Worldwide Express - affirmed their hard work on the long and often rough road to success.
Mr Zhong said an entrepreneur must be adaptable to succeed in the ever-changing market environment.
He should know what it means to seize opportunities, having capitalised on China's rapid urbanisation to venture into property development 17 years ago.
The Guangdong native launched the venture with funds he had accumulated from other business activities such as importing and trading in raw materials and paper, and from printing and paper-making businesses.
In his successful drive to build homes in China, Mr Zhong was inspired by the advanced property development concepts found in the Singapore property sector.
Instead of churning out the small, empty concrete boxes that passed for flats in China at the time, he decided to offer increasingly affluent city dwellers something better. So in 1993, the newly established Yanlord rolled out one of China's first high-end residential developments in Shanghai.
Mr Zhong played down his achievements, saying: 'Without the rapid reformation of the Chinese economy, I would not be able to achieve what I have today regardless of my personal ability.'
Another Singaporean honoured yesterday was Mr Phupinder Gill, president of the Chicago-based CME Group, the world's largest diverse futures market, who clinched the Outstanding Chief Executive (Overseas) of the Year award.
Mr Gill, 49, is a former relief teacher at Queenstown Secondary School.
He went to Washington State University in the 1980s to pursue a degree in finance and a Master of Business Administration degree. After graduation, he joined CME in 1988 as a clerk. 'I was paid US$5 an hour. This wasn't a lot,' he said.
He worked his way up the organisation, from operations specialist to senior risk analyst and then options manager, and later as president of the clearing house in 1998.
'The best advice I can give is that if you are in the workforce, think big, act big. Work at a company as if you own the firm,' he said.
Also honoured this year were Cerebos Pacific president Eiji Koike, who won the Outstanding Chief Executive award, and International SOS, which won the Enterprise award. The group provides medical assistance, international health care and security services.
gabrielc@sph.com.sg
THE WINNERS (From left) Outstanding Overseas CEO Phupinder Gill; Businessman of the Year Zhong Sheng Jian of Yanlord Land; Enterprise award winners Dr Pascal Rey-Herme, co-founder and group medical director, and Mr Arnaud Vaissie, co-founder, chairman and CEO of International SOS; and CEO of the Year Eiji Koike from Cerebos. -- ST PHOTO:MALCOLM KOH
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