If you were given the opportunity to have a heart to heart chat over lunch with the one (living) business person you admire most in the world, who would it be? And why?
Left to right: Li Ka-shing, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet
>> Li Ka-shing
Sam Yap SG
Executive Chairman
Cherie Hearts Group
AMONG the many successful businessmen in the world today, the one whom I respect most is Li Ka-shing, arguably the richest and most influential investor in Asia.
His rags-to-riches background speaks volumes about his intellect, drive and, above all, his never-say-die attitude and determination, qualities which are as relevant now as they were when he was building his business.
His philanthropy is also admirable. Notably, his unwavering support for educational causes, exemplified by his $100 million donation to the LKY School of Public Policy. It sets a wonderful example for Asian businessmen. I would love to meet my legendary hero and learn from the man himself!
Palani Pillai
Managing Director
Crush Advertising
IT would have to be Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing. They say that for every dollar spent in Hong Kong, five cents goes to Li Ka-shing. Whether you shop at Watsons, browse around at Park 'N Shop or buy an electronic gadget at Fortress, the elusive billionaire's influence is all-pervasive in everyday life there.
For someone who started out selling plastic flowers, Li Ka-shing is living proof of what you can achieve with hard work, ambition and drive. And achieve it, he did. Today, no one can talk about Asian entrepreneurs without mentioning Mr Li.
He not only epitomises entrepreneurial excellence but also reflects strong values of an Asian gentleman. He has never been seen to flaunt his wealth or status. In fact, he uses his influence to help benefit society at large. He is a great philanthropist with a focus on education.
He was once quoted as saying: 'You can build a person, a family and a future with education.' His gift of a university in Shantou and his many generous contributions to universities in the region demonstrate his commitment to a better future through higher learning.
There are many things one can learn from meeting Li Ka-shing but none more important than learning to be humble and grounded in the face of mounting wealth.
Tan Kok Leong
Principal
TKL Consulting
THE heroes that are likely to be admired most in this region are probably Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, Singapore's Wee Cho Yaw of UOB and Lee Seng Wee of OCBC for their stakes in the market, experience and performance record.
>> Steve Jobs
Wee Piew
CEO
HG Metal Manufacturing Ltd
THAT person for me is Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc. I think he is a remarkable man for having started Apple and even more remarkable for returning to the company and making it an even greater success than it was the first time round.
Mr Jobs is a marketing genius. While Apple may not be a first mover in terms of technology, it is always ahead when it comes to knowing what the consumer wants. Mr Jobs seems to have this ability to predict the next trend and be there before the rest of the competition.
Bill Padfield
CEO
Datacraft Asia Ltd
IT would have to be Steve Jobs of Apple. He's one of the most creative and inspiring leaders in the technology business - not only smart enough to co-create Apple, NeXT and Pixar - but also to have survived being ousted from Apple to later return and take it to new heights of innovation and success.
Charles M Ormiston
Director
Bain & Company
MY choice is Steve Jobs, who has founded three large companies (Apple, Pixar and NeXT) and turned around Apple on a second tour of duty. His successful start-ups were all in extremely competitive sectors that require brilliant strategies with significant adaptation.
The innovations Apple is undertaking in product design across a broad range of categories, technology retail and the delivery of services over the Internet would all be exemplary stand-alones. Pixar was a truly disruptive and visionary company (now owned by Disney) - adding yet another industry sector to his kudos. All of this while he was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
>> Warren Buffett
Lim Soon Hock
Managing Director
Plan-B ICAG
MY choice is Warren Buffett.
The first time I met him was over dinner in 1994 at the State Guest House in China with my former boss, Eckhard Pfieffer, who was then president and CEO of Compaq Computer, and Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. I was impressed by Mr Buffett's attentiveness and profound humility, which came across vividly in his demeanour throughout the dinner. It was his first visit to China, and he was keen to know more about the sleeping economic giant.
Mr Buffett's investment prowess is legendary. If I had the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart chat with him over lunch, I would like to understand what drives this selfless man to be such a great philanthropist, dedicating almost all his hard-earned wealth to charity. For many people of his stature, it would be a difficult decision, but he made it seem so simple and easy.
I would also like to know what he thinks of Singapore and our future, global challenges relating to the environment and what can be done to protect it. If there is time to discuss business or economic issues, I would like to know his views on the US dollar.
Even though I have only met him once, my admiration for him has increased over the years. He is a highly successful investor with a big heart, which is very rare in today's materialistic world. For this, it would be foolhardy not to be guided by his thoughts and wisdom.
Ng Kong Yeam
Group Executive Chairman
Sino-America Tours Corporation
I HAVE read all the quotations of Warren Buffett. He is indeed the wisest and greatest businessman in the world. But many businessmen I personally know and admire are also worth talking to, although they aren't quoted nor do they give advice the way Warren Buffett does. Hence, I am not in a position to pick just one person for a heart-to-heart chat.
Left to right: Bill Gates, Norio Ohga, Paul Allen
>> Bill Gates
Dora Hoan
Group CEO
Best World International Ltd
THAT will be Bill Gates of Microsoft. There are many things to learn from him. I would like to know how he is able to develop and maintain Microsoft's brand name, how he is able to keep the organisation competitive and consistently maintain top position. It would be good to hear from him how he manages a global operation and expansion, his vision for the next 30 years and how he aims to achieve it.
Robert V Chandran
Executive Chairman and CEO
Chemoil Energy Ltd
I GREATLY admire Bill Gates. In three decades, he transformed Microsoft into a global powerhouse. His wealth creation is astounding. Imagine this: Taking his US$55 billion estimated wealth over the last 30 years, working 14 hours each business day, he created over US$504,000 of wealth per hour, US$140 per second! Plus, he has an equally extraordinary charitable spirit: he's the single largest giver to the community with a US$33 billion endowment. I'd love to hear his story, how it was like to build Microsoft, and later to give it all up to focus on charitable activities.
>> Norio Ohga
Charles Reed
CEO
InterTouch
IF there is one person I would be most eager to lunch with, it would be Norio Ohga, honorary chairman and ex-chairman of Sony Corporation.
It is impossible to overlook the achievements of Mr Ohga during his career at Sony. His ability to convert his passion for music into products has changed the way the world listens to music and has resulted in the phenomenal success of the company. The Sony Walkman, as a prime example, was inspired by Mr Ohga's desire to listen to music while walking, and this revolutionary product has not only enriched people's lives, but also become one of the world's most recognisable and distinguished brands.
As a visionary, he demonstrated remarkable foresight in supporting the appointment of Howard Stringer, a Welshman, as Sony's new chairman, in his determination to internationalise the Japanese Sony. This also demonstrated his dedication to Sony.
On top of his ingenuity and foresight, Mr Ohga has demonstrated the resilience and determination that every business person who wants to achieve success should emulate. It would be the utmost honour to have a heart-to-heart chat over lunch with him.
>> Others
Susan Soh
Managing Director
Schroders Singapore
IT would be a great opportunity to have a chat with Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. The lesser-known of the two, Mr Allen made a fortune from the great Microsoft success story, but continues to make waves even after leaving the company. Channelling energy into a new portfolio of investments spanning technology, communications, entertainment and sporting ventures, Mr Allen is now dedicated to improving people's lives.
The motivation for his investments is driven by more than just returns, and that is truly admirable. I quote Paul Allen in a recent Discover magazine interview: 'In life, you need to pick your spots.' Having clearly chosen the road less travelled, this billionaire and philanthropist strives to continue investing in enriching the world with more than just dollars and cents.
Fong Loo Fern
Managing Director
CYC The Custom Shop
PATAGONIA is a successful 35-year-old outdoor clothing and equipment company located in California. Its founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a businessman who has his priorities and perspective completely out of sync with typical business practices. Mr Chouinard puts the environment first. He questions growth, ignores fashion, makes goods that do not break or wear out, tells his customers to buy less and gives away chunks of earnings. He is against endless consumption and discarding stuff.
This company had a revenue of US$270 million in 2006 and has attracted potential buyers. But he feels that going public is not an option as it would destroy everything that he believes in. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters in 1995 and was recently offered a fellowship to teach courses merging business with environmental studies.
Now that we are all aware of the need to preserve the environment, I think we need more champions like Mr Chouinard to teach us how to run businesses that do not destroy our environment.
Joey Chang
CEO/Founder
AXS InfoComm Pte Ltd
IF Lee Kuan Yew can be considered as a 'business person', I would choose him, simply for the things he has achieved. The chance to get to know how he thinks, in a casual setting over lunch - on non political matters, of course - that would be a dream lunch meeting.
If not the Minister Mentor, I would choose Greg Norman. A conversation with him over lunch would move from golf to the numerous businesses he has started. I strongly admired the way he brought about the success of his clothing line with Reebok, creating his own brand and expanding his business empire in golf equipment, winery, luxury boats, golf course designs and many others. That would be cool.
