Hosted by Patrick Tsang, episode 11 of Season 2 presents Rex Auyeung, Chairman of MTR Corporation. Auyeung has been actively serving the public in the fields of education, charity, financial and insurance. He had a successful career in the insurance industry in Canada and Hong Kong for over 40 years.
Auyeung attributes the success of MTR to over 40 years of experience accumulated by its dedicated staff and great work ethics; its unique “Rail plus Property” development model which has been identified as one of the successful models for rail operators worldwide; and its well-developed policy procedures that all its employees can follow diligently. “For example, to maintain MTR’s world-class service, our colleagues are upgrading our maintenance schedule on a day-to-day basis, and are making sure that all trains are being run on time. In fact, we pride ourselves in this 99.9 per cent punctuality rate,” he adds.

Auyeung also shared MTR’s Corporate Strategy, including one of the pillars relating to new technology. Auyeung says technology at MTR has advanced to a stage that it can help his colleagues do a better job in a shorter period of time. “The current environment where we do business may be what we are good at. However, the environment is changing very quickly. The message we send to all our colleagues is, while you do your job, don’t stop thinking about what you can do better by leveraging new technology.”

With its good track record locally, MTR has expanded its businesses to Mainland China, Australia, Sweden, and the UK, including the operation of the new Elizabeth line in London. Auyeung says apart from providing quality rail service in those markets, MTR also helps promote Hong Kong’s brand globally. “Hong Kong is an international financial centre which requires a lot of good supporting facilities. Luckily, we have a very good airport system which can connect the city to many places around the world. At the same time, we also have facilities like convention and exhibition centres and excellent telecommunication networks. So when you put these all together, truly Hong Kong is a place for business,” says Auyeung.

Auyeung welcomes the government’s recent policy address as it strengthens the connectivity between the Mainland and Hong Kong, particularly in the northern metropolis area. “We will see a lot more new infrastructure to be built and with the purpose of supporting economic growth. We strongly believe the Greater Bay Area is one way that Hong Kong plays a very vital part in the overall development. So from MTR’s perspective, we highly support this new policy address.”

In the program, Auyeung shares with audiences a roly-poly toy which he says truly symbolises the Lion Rock Spirit, particularly to the young generation. A gift given by his friend, the toy has been sitting on his desk since then. It will tilt back upright no matter what you do with it.

“This is something I highly encourage our young generation to think about, because whether it’s your personal life or your career, everybody will run into problems. And yet, when you are faced with an issue or a problem, it doesn’t mean you give up. Face it, deal with it and eventually better times will come,” says Auyeung, “During my 40-plus-year career, I have bumped into many problems. But that doesn’t mean I give up. I always look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do better tomorrow?’”

Commenting on the future of Hong Kong, Auyeung says one thing that is constant in his mind is “change”. “Change will be the word we see all the time. But at the same time, when we flip to the other side of the formula, change means opportunity. So again, leveraging my positive attitude; there will be difficulties and challenges, but as long as we take a positive frame of mind and deal with it, there will be opportunities that you can create for yourself.”

“My advice to the young generation, again, is don’t give up, think positive and think of alternatives. Because I’m sure that as you sit down and walk through your own thinking, there will be solutions that you can come up with that can help you tackle the problem,” says Auyeung. He highly recommends the young generation to consider joining the MTR if they are interested in serving the public, hardworking and not too worried about working night-shifts. “Most people see MTR just as a train that comes to the station and leaves, but there’s a lot of hard work behind the scene and a lot of engineering requirements. All these things create an environment in which young people can come and do a good job, but at the same time continue to learn new things.”

To watch the video, visit Friday Everyday YouTube Channel – Friday Beyond Spotlights Season 2 Episode 11 l Rex Auyeung

Episode 11: https://youtu.be/4uqmFpghe8Y