Cream of the Crop This is the fifth article in a 10-part series acknowledging the achievements of Hong Kong's most esteemed female entrepreneurs Challenging typical patriarchal expectations Top executive Alexa Chow relied on integrity, diligence and hard work to crash through the gender barrier, Sophie Leung reports It was two decades ago that Alexa Chow, currently managing director, Centaline Human Resources Consultants Limited, dismissed an advice to work in an air-conditioned office rather than pursue higher education. Not to be outdone by her siblings, Ms Alexa considered her excellent academic results, threw caution to the wind and travelled abroad to study for a master's degree in 1989. Back then, she doubted whether she had made the right move but then reminded herself that her mission was twofold: to work her way up the career ladder and convince her family of female competency. Later in her professional life she found this lesson in tenacity invaluable as she fought to win industry-wide recognition of Centaline Human Resources Consultants Limited as a profitable, noteworthy human resources company. She describes the start up of the consultancy firm as a great challenge. "Everybody viewed Centaline as a property specialist rather than a human resources consultant. I went to great lengths to establish the firm's individual identity and distinguish us from the human resources department within our parent company," she says. Perseverance pays Back in 1994, Centaline purchased a human resources company and started to offer human resources consultancy services. Allowing gradual changes to its logo and image, Ms Chow has focused on enhancing the service quality of the company's core business in both executive search and general recruitment. Her rationale was to build a specific brand for Centaline Human Resources Consultants Limited and step outside the shadow of the dominant parent company in the process. Acknowledging the superlative level of support from the group's top management, she notes, "It took us three years to fully transform the business from its nascent stages to becoming one of the major players in the field." Travel experiences boost physical and mental capacities Photos: Courtesy of Alexa Chow Prior to her endeavours in recruitment consultancy, Ms Chow worked for Centaline Property in the corporate affairs department. She volunteered for the consulting and general management position because she considered the new venture exciting and stimulating. "Doubts were voiced as to my ability to handle the consultancy and general management position when I first took it on," says Ms Chow. However, by channelling her talent as a successful corporate affairs manager, she was able to transfer industry know-how and skills. "Property and recruitment services are in essence, similar," she notes. In spite of different products, her team acts as a middleman between the buyer and seller in both markets. A winner of the "China Top 100 Women Entrepreneur Award", Ms Chow prides herself on her balanced capabilities in different arenas. She explains, "A good general manager should be able to offer advice to both frontline sales staff and back office financial analysts." In her view, a successful entrepreneur is someone who welcomes challenges and explores new business opportunities as second nature. Ms Chow is still aware of a degree of antipathy towards women when it comes to managerial capability. In this regard, she sees herself as a pioneer with a mission to lead by example and overcome any residual bias linked to female competency. Her goal is to transform the way working women are perceived. To this end she reveals, "I never gossip with colleagues and I stick to fair practices when managing staff." She adheres to the same high standards when dealing with both junior and seasoned staff and ensures they receive fair treatment based on an objective performance review not subjective sympathy. The ability to balance diverse business discourses an entrepreneurial prerequisite Female touch Far from moulding herself to fit into a man's realm, Ms Chow values her female identity as she can harness gender strength and put it to effective use in the workplace. She notes, "Women are generally detail-minded and patient enough to conduct discourse in depth. This thorough approach is an advantage for female leaders because critical details are revealed and the authenticity of feedback is maximised." Regarding the downs as well as the ups, Ms Chow managed to survive the 2003 SARS outbreak but draws an interesting analogy: "It was like having a flood at your front door and a fire at the back." The stock market had taken a downturn and was well into recession and in addition, Ms Chow was unable to manage the newly established Shanghai branch office due to the quarantine restrictions on travel out of Hong Kong. "At the time, it was easier for me to quit than to overcome the difficulties but I stayed put, shouldered the responsibility and kept the company together through the crisis," recalls Ms Chow. Her advice for young people on the cusp of their professional life is to retain concise career objectives. She adds, "Master the ability to handle adversity and fine tune your awareness of the fierce competition from mainland cities." She reminds the ambitious young not to overestimate themselves and flit from job to job too often. In her view, frequent job-hoppers show no determination to overcome difficulties or pursue professional advancement as they have a tendency to quit easily at the smallest hurdle. For relaxation and reflection Ms Chow finds travel her greatest ally. "I learn to think outside the box on my trips. Travel abroad refreshes my mind and promotes both physical and emotional health," she concludes. Taken from Career Times 29 August 2008, p. C8 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]