series two
TYCOON TALK & THE NEXT GENERATION
Episode 1: Mr. Goodwin Gaw
Chairman & Managing Principal of Gaw Capital
Sean hits the road on two wheels with keen cyclist Goodwin Gaw, a Stanford-, Wharton-graduate who blazed his own trail after college by turning around the loss-making Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Gaw acts as Chairman of GAW Capital Partners, a fast-rising global private equity firm that specialises in taking on older developments, revitalising them, and giving them a new lease on life. His company now manages over 9 billion US dollars worth of assets across the globe, and recently one of Hong Kong’s most iconic hotel properties.
Episode 2: Mr. Aron Harilela
PhD JP, Chairman & CEO of Harilela Hotels Ltd
Sean hitches a ride with the scion of Hong Kong’s most well-known Indian family, Dr. Aron Harilela. Born into a life of wealth and luxury as the only son of Hong Kong’s most successful Indian businessman, Dr. Harilela enjoys the trappings of a luxury lifestyle, with a passion for fast cars and playing polo. However, Aron proves to be very much the modern businessman, working hard to build and expand his father’s legacy, the flagship of which is the iconic Holiday Inn Golden Mile on Nathan Road.
Episode 3: Ms. Bonnae Gokson
Founder & Owner of SEVVA, Ms B's CAKERY and C'est La B
Sean heads up to one of Hong Kong’s favorite rooftop bars – Sevva – to catch Bonnae Gokson, a fourth-generation Kwok whose grandfather founded the Wing On Department Stores. Recognized among China’s Top 100 Outstanding Women by the China Association of Women Entrepreneurs as well as one of the Women of Our Time by the South China Morning Post, Bonnae has carved out her own niche in the Hong Kong market as the founder, owner and creative force behind Sevva, Ms B’s Cakery and the C’est La B cafe-bars.
Episode 4: Mr. Paulo Pong
Group Founder and Managing Director of Altaya Group
Sean puts his swirling skills to the test with wine mogul Paulo Pong, co-founder of Michelin star hotspots The Principal and Duddell’s. Aside from co-founding the Press Room Group’s restaurants with Alan Lo and Arnold Wong, he also founded Altaya Group of Altaya Wines, Etc Wine Shops, and Rare and Fine Wines. Paulo was nominated for Wine Intelligence’s 10 for 10 Business Awards in 2012, and was ranked among the world’s top 50 people in wine on the Decanter Power List in 2013. He was also recently bestowed the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Mérite by The Consul General of France in Hong Kong & Macau.
Episode 5: Ms. Pearl Lam
Founder and owner of Pearl Lam Galleries
Sean meets with “the Queen of Asian Art”: Pearl Lam who runs her eponymous gallery on Pedder Street. Pearl is the heiress of the Lai Sun Group as the daughter of Lim Por-yen, a Hong Kong real-estate tycoon. However, she has forged her own success story in a different field, that of Chinese contemporary art. Today Pearl is one of the most recognisable and influential women in the art world.
Episode 6: Mr. Henry Tan
BBS, JP, Chief Executive Officer of Luen Thai Holdings Ltd
Sean travels to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, the bastion of Henry Tan’s family, heirs to Luen Thai Holdings. Henry’s father Tan Siu Lin first laid the foundations of his business empire with a small garment factory on the Pacific island of Saipan in 1983. Today, Luen Thai is Hong Kong’s largest listed garment firm with more than 34,000 employees and revenues of around US $1.2 billion. It is also an exclusive retail distributor of Skechers in China, besides its businesses in hospitality, aviation, fisheries, etc. Henry recalls the transition of Luen Thai from a family-owned company to a publicly-traded and family-controlled company, as well as passing on the family business to the third generation.
Episode 7: Mr. Bryant Lu
Vice Chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners
Sean tries to keep up with architect-turned-triathlete (and avid heli-skiing!) Bryant Lu, as he goes about his everyday routine swimming and running in Repulse Bay. Bryant Lu, son of Ronald Lu, is Vice-Chair of one of Hong Kong’s leading architectural firms, Ronald Lu & Partners (RLP). Bryant has blazed his own trail at his father’s firm, opening up key markets in China, and expanding the practice to over 650 employees. While RLP is known for the design of large projects, such as the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, and the upcoming Xiqu Centre (part of the West Kowloon Cultural District), Bryant discusses with Sean his passion for smaller civic projects, such as the new Ko Shan Theatre, the Pak Tsz Lane Park and the Healthy Life Centre – projects which have a direct impact on communities and people.
Episode 8: Dr. Cecil Chao and Ms. Gigi Chao
Founder and Executive Chairman of Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd. and Founder of Faith in Love Foundation
In the finale of the season, Sean takes on father-daughter tandem Cecil and Gigi Chao of real estate empire Cheuk Nang Holdings Ltd. The billionaire Dr. Chao – awarded 2004’s World Outstanding Chinese, a Hong Kong registered architect and member of the Royal Institute of British Architects – last year launched a succession plan allowing his daughter Gigi to take the helm of the family property company. Gigi, while transitioning from Executive Director of the company, also keeps herself busy as the founder of Faith in Love Foundation, a charitable organisation supporting underprivileged youths. She is also a celebrated LGBT activist in Hong Kong and one of the founding members of the local gay-rights group, BigLove Alliance.