【Alumni Hall of Records】An Intrepid Soul: Joseph Man (BBA 1966, MBA 1968) from the First Cohorts Charting the Uncharted Territories

2023 is a jubilant year for CUHK Business School as it celebrates 60 years of achievement in grooming generations of future leaders. In this special series entitled “Alumni Hall of Records”, we are going to profile alumni who have made records at various ends. The first instalment stars Joseph Man (BBA 1966, MBA 1968) from the earliest MBA class and the first-ever MBA programme in Hong Kong. Spurred by his inner adventurer, Joseph’s story is one of daring and determination; he has scaled new heights and charted new paths throughout the course of his career development.

The trailblazer does not look like an octogenarian, with sparkling eyes and the stentorian voice of a man in his prime. “The BBA was an ‘accident’ – I was to study history but thought better of it when a senior of mine suggested that I go for the BBA programme, with the prospect of learning accountancy and bank-related knowledge,” said Joseph recalling the vivid memories of the past. Unlike today, BBA was far from popular back in the 60s – there were only six students in Joseph’s class.

 

Joseph (4th from the right) went on a trip to Macau with fellow classmates from the United College in 1965

Joseph (1st from the left) represented CUHK at a conference held by The International Students Association in Japan in 1964

In 1966, CUHK established The Lingnan Institute of Business Administration under the auspices of the Trustees of the Lingnan University in New York, followed by the first full-time MBA programme in Hong Kong, whose inaugural class was composed of solely BBA graduates from the Chung Chi College, United College and New Asia College. “Dr. Choh-Ming Li (founding Vice-Chancellor of CUHK) asked if I was interested in the programme,” Joseph recalled.

 

Joseph (2nd from the left, back row) from the class of 1968 is among the first MBA graduates in Hong Kong

Back then, the average wages in Hong Kong were several hundred per month. It was the norm for young children to enter the labour market at an early age, with a view to easing the financial burden for their families. Joseph was no exception. “It was lucky for me that the programme was entitled to tuition waivers in the first few years. I was even able to support my family with the $5,000 awarded to me under the annual scholarship scheme. That was a great opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss, not to mention the good career prospect the programme entailed.” Joseph took the chance to become one of the six “trailblazers” in the inaugural class of the MBA programme.

The first CUHK MBA class was taught by a cohort of eminent scholars from American academia; they included Prof. Maurice Moonitz, Prof. W.S Boutell, and Prof. Lee E Preston. Joseph benefited a lot from their tuition: under the guidance of Prof. Moonitz, he broadened his horizons in the field of business by participating in a study on social and corporate governance, using annual reports of listed companies as research materials. As regards Prof Boutell and Prof Preston, they initiated Joseph into the world of technology, from binary computing to game simulation contests. Since then, he has developed a lasting interest in computer science.

 

Joseph (2nd from the left, back row) has established close rapport with his MBA tutors and classmates; they get together regularly after graduation

Thanks to the recommendation from his teachers, Joseph landed three job offers from a bank, a gas company, and IBM after graduation. He chose IBM out of his love for computer science as well as his adventurous disposition. During his tenure as a sales representative, Joseph picked up skills in coding, data analysis and more. He is, therefore, among the first ones to be initiated into artificial intelligence and big data in the 70s – a trend which he saw way ahead of time.

 

Joseph (middle) is enlightened about technology during his MBA studies at CUHK

After three years, Joseph’s audacious spirit led him on a completely different course as he moved from information technology to the tobacco industry, putting on the marketing hat at British American Tobacco as the head of marketing research and product development.

 

Spurred by his audacious spirit, Joseph (3rd from the left, front row) leaved IBM for British American Tobacco to work in the field of marketing research and product development. (Pictured: He and his colleagues at British American Tobacco)

It was a time when tobacco companies splashed out on advertising, Joseph said. Having learned that the majority of local smokers aspired to become a home and car owner in a massive probe into their consumer behaviour, Joseph proposed a lucky draw campaign that brought together three flats and three cars as prizes. “Why not choose a brand with the opportunity to win a prize if you would smoke anyway?”, Joseph commented. The campaign was an unprecedented success.

Some ten years later, the same intrepid urge dictated another change of course in Joseph’s career life. He was appointed to an executive role at A.S. Watson Group. His first mission was to drive a twofold increase in the number of ParknShop outlets, from 50 to 100, across the city. “Every morning at 7 o’clock, we had meetings with the management and ad agency representatives to discuss promotional strategies and how to outperform our competitors, including small-scale supermarkets and wet markets.” Those were hectic but satisfying days, Joseph added.

When asked how his life would be different if he hadn’t pursued an MBA, the senior alumnus candidly admitted that his career path might have been more challenging, with fewer opportunities available. He is grateful for the MBA programme, which provided him with skills in mathematical analysis and data application, enabling him to view data from a broader perspective and develop innovative solutions through systematic planning and implementation, all while fostering resilience.

Reflecting on his decades-long career, he advised his juniors at CUHK Business School to stay true to CUHK’s motto, “Through learning and temperance to virtue,” and fo not be afraid of initial setbacks in career. “You might experience some losses at first, but it will definitely pay off in the long run,” he encouraged.

 

Skipping Classes: Not Just a Modern Day Thing

Many believe that there are “five essential university experiences”: academics, joining a student union, working part-time, living in dorms, and dating. Some even suggest that skipping classes should be considered the sixth item on this list. Is this a modern phenomenon exclusive to today’s youth? Joseph playfully revealed that it’s not. “I’ve skipped classes too!” he admitted with a grin.

During his undergraduate BBA studies, Joseph had to take both English and Chinese language courses in addition to his core subjects. “I never skipped core classes because I wouldn’t be able to complete the homework. However, I occasionally skipped English lessons and more frequently missed Chinese classes,” he shared.

Joseph fondly recalled that his Chinese classes were taught by Yao Ke, a renowned translator and playwright known for the movie ” Sorrows of the Forbidden City.” Yao would always wear a traditional long gown and mandarin jacket during lectures, using “Wen Xuan,” a literary anthology compiled by Xiao Tong — the son and heir apparent of Emperor Wu of Liang, as the teaching material. “At that time, he would have students from the Chinese department explain the content while he sat in the classroom, eating candies and attentively listening. He would only give his comments at the end,” Joseph shared. As a result, he would check the topic of the day’s lecture beforehand and decide to attend based on his interest in the subject matter.

 

First published in the CUHK Business School Alumni Website on 10 August 2023, this article was republished with permission from the School’s Alumni Affairs and Development Office.