Rachel Lau, a student of City University of Hong Kong, was named overall champion at the final round of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce’s Pitch Perfect Programme on 22 May.
Five winners competed for the chance to be crowned champion and win HKGCC Student Membership for one year and a pass to join a variety of Chamber events.
They were each awarded a cash prize of HK$8,000, while Lau received an additional HK$10,000, the title of Chamber Student Ambassador, and the opportunity to meet with a distinguished business leader to gain valuable knowledge about the corporate environment.
Organized by the Young Executives Club, the programme ran for three months over four stages, with more than 80 students from 10 local universities taking part in training courses, company visits, internships and mentorships, which helped them develop essential workplace skills.
The competition culminated in the gruelling semi-final and final rounds, where students underwent tough hypothetical job interviews with representatives from the sponsor companies and the Chamber leadership. The judging panel for the final round comprised Chamber CEO George Leung, LegCo Representative Jeffrey Lam, General Committee Member Eric Fok, and YEC Chairman Oliva Kung.
Speaking after the awards ceremony, a visibly thrilled Lau said she was surprised to be named the winner of the contest, and attributed her success to the mentors and judges: “The mentors trained me in interview skills and techniques on answering questions, and the feedback from the judges has been positive right through the competition, which motivated me to keep improving.”
Lau added that the programme leaders and Chamber management were friendly and patient. “They were willing to spend time trying to understand the younger generation, which I had not expected,” she said. “They were very open-minded and happy to share their expertise and opinions, and the students greatly benefited from this.”
She hoped that the Chamber would continue to organize such programmes to help Hong Kong youths learn more about the corporate world and the city’s business community.
Congratulating Lau and the winners, Fok said that the judges were impressed by the performance of all the students throughout the contest’s various elimination rounds. “I hope that the advice from the judging panel was not only helpful during the competition, but that it would also be useful when they venture out into the world.”
Kung reiterated that every participant should be proud of their achievements. “All the effort that you have put into this programme has already become part of your success in the future,” she said.
The second edition of the Pitch Perfect Programme was launched on 1 March 2023, and sponsored by seven companies: Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited; Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited; Chevalier Group; MTR Corporation Limited; Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited; Lan Kwai Fong Group; and NEC Hong Kong Limited – with support from the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau.
Pitch Perfect Programme Overall Champion:
- Lau Pui Ying, Rachel, City University of Hong Kong
Pitch Perfect Programme Winners:
- Fung Sze Wan, Sylvia, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Lau Pui Ying, Rachel, City University of Hong Kong
- Li Tsz Ching, Yvonne, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
- Wu Man Hung, Roman, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
- Wu Zhan Kang, Stephen, University of Hong Kong