K. Wah News &
Feature Stories

“Staff morale is the key to success, ” says Dr Lui Che-woo, Chairman of K. Wah Group, who has always followed this golden rule in management. Since its incorporation, K. Wah Group has grown into a multinational corporation under the leadership of Dr Lui, with the support of a great team of dedicated staff, who have contributed to the Group’s outstanding achievements in the property, entertainment, hospitality and construction material sectors.

Over the span of 66 years, a host of outstanding and loyal staff have grown together with the Group. In this issue, we interviewed the colleagues who received the Staff Excellence Award and Long Service Award in 2019, as they reminisce their deep affection for the Group and passion for their jobs, and how they are thankful for having worked with a great team, the K. Wah family, along the way.

Properties— Shanghai Properties

Gong Xin Ge, Larry
- KWIH Interior Decoration Design Manager

As Interior Decoration Design Manger at the Architectural Design Department, Larry reviews all design schemes with meticulous care, down to the smallest detail, in line with the Group spirit of prudence and innovation. “Design adds value for the Company as it is giving character to a project,” he explained.

Song Yi Fan, Evan
- KWIH Civil Engineer

Evan now serves as the Civil Engineer of the Lujiazhui Project, having been involved in numerous projects of KWIH over his 7 years with the Company. “I spend most of my day inspecting the construction sites, dealing with the main contractors and sometimes the sub-contractors as well, working with my colleagues to make sure that each K. Wah product is superbly crafted, bearing in mind always K. Wah’s persistence in quality and value,” said Evan.

Yan Xiao Qiong, Sinky
- KWIH Deputy Leasing Officer

Sinky, Deputy Leasing Officer at Jia Hui Da, started with the job with little knowledge of the business, but with the careful coaching of her supervisors and a team of dedicated and supportive colleagues, she is now committed to constant self-improvement, as she realises personal growth while making contributions to the business growth of K. Wan Centre with a rising occupancy rate. “K. Wah has offered me not just a job, but also a platform for growth, where you will be rewarded beyond your expectations if you are willing to take on the challenge and work with commitment,” shared Sinky.

Properties— Hong Kong Properties

Kwok Ka Kin, Penny
- KWIH (Hong Kong Properties) — Senior Sales Officer

Penny Kwok, recipient of the “Staff Excellence Award”, is a member of Sales & Marketing Department at KWIH responsible for the sales of residential properties in Hong Kong. He describes the company as full of energy and cohesion: Mr. Alexander Lui, Executive Director of KWIH, adopts an action-oriented approach to all matters along with unique insight; Tony Wan, Director, Sales & Marketing (Hong Kong Properties), maintains an astute grasp on movements in the property market. “They always encourage innovative propositions from the team and give guidance from a professional perspective. With their leadership, trust, and support, we have achieved strong sales of our new projects,” said Penny.

“Property sales is about teamwork. Each colleague is responsible for a particular aspect that leverages his or her expertise, so our talents are inherently complementary,” Penny explained. What makes the sales and marketing team formidable and proud, though, our “Can Do Spirit” and “Willingness to act boldly” demonstrated by each member. “We’ve built up a solid foundation of trust within the team. Much like a family, we stay positive and cheer each other on, and we all share the common goal of achieving even better results for the company,” he concluded.

Penny Kwok gives customers a detailed introduction to KWIH’s supreme-quality projects.

Cheng Siu Keung, Steve
- KWIH (Hong Kong Properties) — Head of Construction

Steve, another recipient of the “Staff Excellence Award” from the Project Department, shared with us some of his most remarkable experiences. An owner, who was keen to move in as soon as possible, had requested the Company to complete the defects rectification ahead of the original schedule. Sensing the urgency of the request, the project team inspected the flat at once with the contractor and arranged for expedited repairs. In the end, the owner was so pleased by the early delivery that he wrote a letter of commendation and sent in refreshment treats. This act of appreciation served as a recognition of the collective effort, sincerity, and proactivity by Steve and the team.

“Construction involves many stakeholders, so it is critical that we maintain communication, whether with contractors or our own colleagues. I believe ongoing improvements to project quality and timely completion of work are possible only with constant feedback and validation. I hope that our service as a professional team will contribute to the further enhancement of the brand and image of KWIH,” he expressed. While the common perception for contractors is to serve strictly in a contractual capacity, Steve pointed out that KWIH views contractors as partners that operate on mutual trust and respect. “When complications happen, having the rapport enables us to work towards a solution together. Since our expectations are aligned, this common effort gives us a win-win situation we want,” remarked Steve.

Steve Cheng of the Project Department maintains an attitude of seriousness and professionalism in every project.

Hospitality

Fung Wing Kei, Dickson
- Assistant Chief Concierge, InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong

Over the past decades, the hotels of K. Wah Group have groomed many outstanding staff, such as Dickon, Assistant Chief Concierge at InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong (ICGS), who joined the hotel in 1997 as a bell boy. In 2015, he became a member of the privileged Les Clefs d’Or upon the recommendation of his supervisor and the General Manager, this is an important recognition for his success which will surely further his career development.

While thanking the Company for the career opportunity, Dickson also attributes his performance which has brought him the Staff Excellence Award to team support: “The operation of the concierge is very much dependent on teamwork. Travel itineraries for guests cannot be drawn up by just one colleague. Thanks to the shrewd instruction of our supervisor, our team cooperation has always been a pleasant experience and one which has made customer satisfied. We help each other out like family do, and this strong support has sustained me for the past 23 years.”

Dickson insists that hospitality must always be the prime concern of any hotel operations. “I always try to solve the problems of guests as if they were my own. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to help our guests. We must try our best to give the guests what they need, or if it’s really beyond our reach, we must then offer an alternative suggestion that would make him or her happy. Never say no, make it happen,” Dickson remarked.

Tai Man Ting, Mandy
- Assistant Director of Human Resources, InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong

Mandy has been through thick and thin after 9 years at Human Resources in ICGS. She responded to the difficulties badgering Hong Kong over the past year by remaining committed to her job and duties, hoping to send a positive message to her colleagues and support their needs. “HR is here to facilitate communication between colleagues and the management, delivering management messages to other staff while also ensuring the views of staff are heard by the management,” she explained.

Tang Pak Kei, Tony
- Stanford Hillview Hotel Assistant Manager

Tony got his first full-time job in 2005 with Stanford Hillview Hotel, and has worked here for 15 years since then. During this time, he studied a part-time hotel management course at Hong Kong Polytechnic University under the sponsorship of the Company. Splitting time between work and study has not been easy, but he graduated nonetheless with the support of the Company and his colleagues. “Thanks to the support of my colleagues and the management who kindly consented to accommodate my study timetable, I was able to finish the course. I am grateful to the Company for its longstanding support,” he said.

Asked if he had ever thought of leaving, he responded:“I am a sentimental person and have developed a deep affection for this place. This is like home, so I have never thought of leaving.”

Construction Materials

Chui Wing Chuen, Gary
- KWCM— Tax Coordinator

Tax Coordinator Gary at KWCM is also recipient of the 30 years’ Long Service Award. Gary has worked for accounting, credit control and PRC taxation. Taxation matters are a way complex and complicated but he is always committed to solving any difficulties. “The most important thing is commitment. First of all, you must be committed to the work. Second, you must have the determination to achieve, that is, to complete the task at hand. If you are committed, then you have determination and drive,” he explained.

Gary was posted to Kunming, Yunnan in 2013 to serve as Financial Controller on a temporary basis. He had never been to Yunnan before the appointment and knew very little about the work culture in the Mainland. “One of the difficulties was dealing with cultural differences while fulfilling the requirements of the Hong Kong headquarters. Fortunately, with the support of the management which assigned a native Yunnan personnel as my advisor and built connections for me, I was able to solve the problems and obtained tax concessions successfully,” he recalled.

Gary treasures every opportunity that the Company gives him: “The Company has given me the opportunity, so I want to do my best. I have been rewarded with a sense of achievement, which the Company has been able to save costs or even secure new deals. So it’s really a win-win.”

Wu Kwok Leung
- KWCM— Senior Mechanical Supervisor

At KWCM, you can see veteran staff everywhere. Hui Nai Sin, Forklift Driver, and Wu Kwok Leung, Senior Mechanical Supervisor, are both KWCM faithful employees with 30 years of service on their books. Both in their fifties, their typical day starts at 5 o’clock in the morning with the sun barely beaming when they arrive at the site. Every day is packed and busy, but they are not tired at all.

Frontline staff contribute their hard work and effort for the profit of the Company, and the Company in return takes care to ensure their welfare, sharing their moments as they go through different stages of life. “Thanks to the Company, with a stable income I have fulfilled my responsibilities to my family and my three children, and am now a grandfather. Having passed the halfway mark of my life journey, I am happy and contented with what I have gained working for K. Wah over the years,” said Mr. Wu.

Hui Nai Sin
- KWCM— Forklift Driver

Mr. Hui, the Forklift Driver, said: “Though I’m only a forklift driver, I don’t feel bored. On the contrary, I feel contented and fulfilled. Our colleagues would learn from one another and teach one another, as we completed our assigned tasks with commitment and responsibility.”

The timelines on their faces did not dent the proud smiles they gave away when we turned to the subject of their work. “I have done my share contributing to Hong Kong’s development over the decades. Look at Hong Kong today and look no further than Anderson Road Quarry. It used to be a barren hill site, but now a new district has been built. I have also made contributions to our home, and I am very proud of it,” insisted Mr. Hui.

Entertainment & Leisure

Francis Lui, Vice Chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group
Recipient of the 40 Years of Long Service Award