Eric Ma, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of New World Development Company Limited, shared words of inspiration in our Dialogue with the General Committee Series, emphasizing that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.
Ma trained as a civil engineer before embarking on a successful career in land development and planning. In a captivating talk with Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung, he revealed that his interest in science and engineering was triggered by a construction site near his school when he was a child in a band 5 school.
During his tenure as HKSAR Secretary for Development, he was involved in policy-making to sustain Hong Kong’s growth as a modern city, with quality living space and desirable workplaces for the population through effective land use planning, urban renewal, greening and heritage conservation.
Going from an engineer to an urban planner involved learning on the job. “I discovered that urban planning is about meeting the needs of various stakeholders and making balance and compromise,” Ma explained. “There is no perfect plan. The aim is to provide citizens with a better environment where they can live and work in peace and contentment.”
Sought after for his rich experience in land development, he was later appointed as the Acting CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, where he oversaw the planning and design of the master layout blueprint.
Ma also shared his experiences spearheading various projects, notably Hong Kong International Airport 2030, from assembling the team and establishing a new department to hiring overseas experts and creating the master plan.
Explaining that the success of any project depended on good leadership and communication, Ma said a purposeful leader must ask questions, listen to their team, communicate well to recognize the needs and risks, and set realistic goals.
With the modern-day corporate world emphasizing community engagement, New World Group has launched the Creating Shared Value (CSV) initiative that brings together the company, its stakeholders and the community. Ma said schemes to enhance the social mobility of underprivileged groups have also been introduced. For example, Build for Good is a not-for-profit social housing enterprise that has invited industry experts to explore sustainable housing models. It aims to conduct research and lead future pilot programmes to seek solutions and strategies to help alleviate Hong Kong’s housing problems.
Ma, who serves as an adjunct professor at three Hong Kong universities, is committed to sharing knowledge and engaging with young people.
He offered valuable advice for students embarking on their careers: pursue your passion and focus on developing both hard and soft skills as they are essential for achieving success in the professional world.