HKUST Business School Magazine

Challenge Curiosity Commitment Connectivity Creativity Biz@HKUST Biz@HKUST 10 11 // Cover // Thought Leader today’s trade dispute and other current issues. But the challenges will make the city stronger, he says. Businesses need to “look beyond this fourth crisis” and battle with the challenges brought on by the trade war, social unrest, and COVID-19. “My confidence comes from our attitude, the attitude of the people. Hong Kong people are survivors,” he says. Ma’s confidence is not rooted in blind faith but in the strength of Hong Kong itself. “When you look at why people choose to go and live in a place, they’re looking for peace, security, rule of law, freedom of speech and travel, and stability,” he says. “As a consequence of all these, capital will flow in and opportunities will appear.” Another reason why Ma believes Hong Kong will continue as a great city for commerce and finance is because it has accumulated a great deal of wealth, and has therefore secured some staying power. “Our government doesn’t have to go and borrow a lot of money or print a lot of money, it can just spend whatever it has accumulated, and this is our greatest privilege,” he says. Acquire the best talent Ma says that the “only problem” now is that China and the US are in a conflict which has a remarkable similarity to that in Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations. Ma believes in focusing more on China for now. “My aim is to look at how to transform my company in a way so that we have the sustainability to be the last company standing,” he says. Ma is no stranger to this approach, having reinvented brands within the company several times. He tapped into something a bit different from ear piercing, and his venture MaBelle has become the leading ear-piercing service in the city. Ma believes that the best way to ensure a company’s survival is to make sure that it retains and acquires the very best talents for its business. A company should also engage with its customers, he adds. “They are the people who pay my bills,” he jokes. Ma advises companies to adopt a strategy that is flexible, and employ competent people who can adapt to any situation. “When people have doubts, you have to understand and convince them to take a step in a different direction. I think that is very important. No business will survive the next 20 years if they are still doing what they did 20 years ago,” he says. Max Ma believes that innovation is the key to staying ahead, and businesses should focus on the “5Cs”: How to Stay Ahead Creativity. With creativity, we can come up with innovative solutions to address the disruptive challenges of today. Connectivity. How do you connect things that don’t seem to connect? Curiosity. Always ask why and find out why things are the way they are. Retain an attitude of Commitment. This means having a strong resolve towards solving a problem. Identify and understand your Challenge. Every business has a different challenge in a new environment.