MBA Alumni Story: Rosetta Fong (MBA 2002)
Running with a New Corporate Mind-set
This was a big year for Rosetta Fong (MBA 2002). She achieved a career breakthrough in the beginning of the year when she became group vice chairman at Convoy Financial Holdings Limited. Her participation in the 250-kilometre ‘Hell’s Marathon’ in the Sahara Desert was another milestone in her life. Who would have thought that this financial woman of steel initially had no clue about the finance sector and, what’s more, disliked exercise since childhood? How exactly did she and other top management execs fuse fitness training with corporate management to come up with the distinct corporate image for which Convoy is known?
Seize the Opportunity to Switch Careers, Opening up a New World
Upon completing secondary school in Macau, where she was born, Rosetta came to Hong Kong to study building technology and management. She went on to complete her architectural degree in London, finally returning to Hong Kong in the early 1990s to work in marketing for construction materials. One fateful day, while chatting with a friend who was a financial consultant, she became immediately enamoured of the financial market. “At the time, many Hong Kong people only understood speculation in property and stocks; very few knew much about financial planning for retirement. In my view however, early planning for retirement is crucial, so it’s wise to put aside some money each month.”
And so Rosetta switched to the financial consultant sector. In 1997, she cofounded an agency with several friends, which they reformed into Convoy in 1998. Her determination to switch careers was driven primarily by her foresight. “At the time, my employer raised my salary in an attempt to keep me, but I stayed the course, since what mattered to me was not my salary, but the prospects in the sector. There were huge opportunities for expansion, since financial consultancies were still small and sparse.”
Though she had never before studied finance, Rosetta learned on the job after setting up the company. “I believe that as long as one is willing, there is nothing that cannot be learned. The key isn’t having the relevant academic background, but having the correct mind-set.” Over time, Convoy gradually won the confidence of its clients based on its market positioning as an independent financial consultant.
Push For Every New Career Peak
Not long thereafter, Rosetta, who liked to plan, withdrew from the frontlines to take charge of the company’s operations. She enrolled in an MBA program at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Aside from gaining the knowledge she needed, through the MBA program she made many friends and expanded her personal network. “I had classmates from all walks of life. Through them, I came to understand different viewpoints on various matters. This multi-faceted mind-set has served me well through the years.”
In her 17 years at Convoy, Rosetta has worn many different hats, though being market director was what left the deepest impression. Apart from managing Convoy’s roster of several hundred consultants at the time, she also dealt with unforeseen matters from the frontlines. “Fortunately, many of our frontline colleagues had more experience than myself! As their supervisor, I was able to simplify processes, bringing their talents into play and providing suitable guidance and affirmation.”
Through the efforts of the entire company, Convoy was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2010, with the number of consultants in the Greater China region reaching 4,000. Rosetta also earned the title of ‘Most Extraordinary Woman in Finance 2009’ from ‘Benchmark’ magazine, as well as the ‘Excellence in Achievement of World Chinese Young Entrepreneurs 2014’ award from ‘Yazhou Zhoukan’ magazine and the World Federation of Chinese Entrepreneurs Organisation.
A Steel Will to Conquer the Sahara
Aside from the immense strides made in her career at Convoy, Rosetta found herself developing an intense interest in sports. “I hadn’t done any running in my childhood, since it made my diaphragm hurt. But a lot of people in the company were into fitness training. With so many colleagues on exercise regimens, it quickly became part of our corporate culture.”
Rosetta caught the fitness bug quickly and began running with a trainer for seven months, before she took on a marathon. Within the space of two years, she had completed five marathons, two Trailwalkers, and one Sahara race. Even she was caught by surprise. “The most difficult part was taking the first step. Afterwards, it became a lot easier. I was used to setting targets for myself and then gradually achieving them. Having a clear target made it harder to give up.” Such is the conscientious planner who leaves nothing to chance!
With all her training in long distance running, Rosetta’s body became stronger. She saw this as a kind of mental training in persistence. During the Sahara race, which took place in the middle of the year, Rosetta recalled showing signs of heatstroke during the course of the 7-day race. Her body suffered, and she asked herself at one point why she was inflicting such pain on herself. Remembering that she took up the race to strengthen her spirit, she finished the race on sheer willpower.
An Innovative Image to Drive Corporate Culture
Fitness training became not only a personal interest for Rosetta, but also an important element in Convoy’s corporate culture. One of Rosetta’s tasks on becoming group vice chairman was to further strengthen the company’s corporate culture and brand image. “Corporate culture and brand image complement each other, which the former targeting inward and the latter targeting outward. Our colleagues are young and full of vitality, and they like to play and innovate. Fitness training draws out these qualities to the fullest. With such a distinct image, Convoy is able to attract talent with similar values.”
Of course, corporate culture and brand image are not built in a single day. In recent years, Convoy has actively sponsored sports events such as the ‘Convoy Totem Run’ and ‘HK100’. It also organised activities for staff including volunteering events as well as internal sports clubs, such as the new runner club. Just at the end of August, the Convoy family filled up 27 boats for a cruise out at sea. These activities were planned by staff in their spare time, who worked with a self-formed committee to draft annual activity plans. These committee members take their self-imposed duties seriously, which Rosetta appreciates immensely. “Apart from building team spirit, these activities help Convoy colleagues achieve good work-life balance, enabling them to maintain a good work dynamic.”
