CWHK: There's a lot of debate right now in Hong Kong on finding the right skill sets for IT, how will you ensure your staff possess the right skills for the job?

SL: I believe the Jockey Club is among the best-equipped organizations in Hong Kong when it comes to IT. I'm pleased to have inherited such a capable team but the Jockey Club also faces quite a few new challenges. It's not enough to just have technically competent staff, a reliable system and good customer service. We have to keep expanding our skill sets. We need to be a 'value partner' that adds value in generating turnover and reducing costs and risks and also making things easier for our users.

In the last two months with the help of HR, we have sent a total of 60 IT personnel in stages to train and work as frontline staff in various business departments. To be the 'value partner' of our business we need to have first hand experience to fully understand the requirements of being "out in the field."

CWHK: Is there much different is serving a board of stewards/governors rather than a conventional board from a listed firm?

SL: We face a board of governors just like any other modern company. We have strong governance guidelines, the stewards are extremely knowledgeable and they devote the necessary time to plan strategy and core operations.