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October, 2005  

President's View I News and Views I The Interview

  
 
 
 
 

President's View

The brochure for our November conference, "TransForM : Change is the only constant", should have landed on your desk. Registrations are now coming in thick and fast. Whilst the early bird registration offer has closed, I would like to remind you that a discount is available for groups of 5 or more.

I encourage you to send us your registration form as soon as possible in order to secure your place at this exciting event.

Members of the Chapter who hold a CFM designation have also been invited to a special pre-conference breakfast which will have Philip Lo, one of the Chapter's founding Members, talk about the history of the Chapter and where he sees FM in Hong Kong heading. Be sure to register for this exclusive event.

The Hong Kong Chapter has a solid reputation for organizing first class conferences and this years Conference Organization Committee have worked extremely hard in their spare time to plan the conference and workshops. I am sure this will rate as one of the best conferences we have held.

The Chapter's Professional Development Committee has also been very busy organizing events. The lunch that took place in September, on radon emissions, was extremely informative and they have also organized a breakfast event that will take place this month. Further events are planned for the remaining part of the year, details of which are contained within this newsletter. Alternatively, you may check out our website at www.ifma.org.hk for further information.

Also working hard are the Members of the Communications Committee and I hope you agree with me that the quality of our communications have improved. Please feel free to let me know if you consider you receive too many e-mails from the Hong Kong Chapter, or indeed too few.

Finally, many of you will have heard or seen the weather reports from the US about Hurricane Rita which forced the closure of the headquarters office. I have written to our colleagues in Houston on behalf of the Chapter expressing our support and hoping that all staff and their families are safe and sound. It would appear from the correspondence I have received so far that IFMA's contingency planning served them well.

Brian Crockford MRICS, CFM
President
hk-ifma.president@ifma.org.hk

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News and Views
Hurricane Rita Spares IFMA Headquarters

Staff at IFMA, Houston were lucky that Rita changed course at the last minute. Luck in this case is relative, as they still had to endure a mass evacuation and subsequent re-immigration. Immediately after the storm Brian Crockford sent a message of support to Headquarters and the email exchange is copied below for your information:

Subject: Hurricane Rita

Dear All,
On behalf of the Hong Kong Chapter, I would like to convey our message of support following Hurricane Rita. We trust all IFMA colleagues and their families are safe and damage to personal property has been limited.

With kind regards.

Brian Crockford

Subject: RE: Hurricane Rita

Brian thanks to all of you for expressing concern for us. We were indeed fortunate that the storm took a jog to the north and spared the significant damage and destruction that was predicted. Most of us have been impacted by inconveniences but no significant damages. There are more horror stories of problems with the evacuation but can you even imagine 2.7 million people hitting the roadways out of town. I think all in all we were even lucky with that situation.

Linda Beverly

Subject: RE: Hurricane Rita

Brian:
We're all fine here in Houston . A few staff members experienced minor property damage but nothing significant. The outpouring of support from our members over the last week has been nothing less than exceptional. It's a great time to be part of the "IFMA Family".

Dave Brady

Successful IFMA Application for City University

The City University of Hong Kong has successfully completed the application process to become an IFMA Approved Provider. This means that City University can proudly display, advertise and market the Continuing Education Diploma in Facility Management as a program approved by the International Facility Management Association. Students who earn this two-year diploma are eligible for IFMA's FMP credential.

The Professional Depelopment Committee, through Arnald Ng and more recently Natina Wong, have been actively helping them with the development of the programme since Day 1 and we will be monitoring the quality of the course on a continuous basis.

Request for Assistance

One of our members is looking for people to participate in his research project on the building maintenance processes in sports and leisure facilities annexed to residential complexes in Hong Kong . Any member who is managing such facilities and is interested in providing data and information should contact Hackman Lee.

email: hackman_lee@hkfc.com
Telephone: 28309580

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The Interview

This month we are starting a series of interviews with people within the FM industry. The people interviewed will vary from senior and well-known members of the industry to graduates just starting in the industry.

The intention is to provide information on a cross-section of the industry covering how they first became involved in the industry, what they do, how they relax etc.

The interviews will be conducted and reported by Santa Raymond for the Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA.

This month we interview Gary K.M. Yau MICA FHKIE, who is Head of Property at the The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Q. What do you consider describes the job you do?
A.

My responsibilities include three key areas - Facilities, Projects and Estates. Facilities involves operating and maintaining 8M.sq.ft of space, comprising 2 race courses, 3 club houses and 110 off-course betting centres, plus residential accommodation. Race nights require around 30 staff tasked with handling as many as 300 calls (with zero defects).

Under property my remit includes project master planning, designing (or commissioning designers), monitoring the whole process, and thoroughly testing the project before handover. The financial success and worldwide image of the Jockey Club is critical. Projects such as the Sha Tin racecourse, with its retractable roof, and the new public golf course, enhance this.

Estates work relates mainly to the Jockey Club's core business. We now own of 50% of all our betting centres. Much of my role in this is dealing with the politics of Government and local interest groups.

Q. What is your background?
A.

I was born and brought up in Hong Kong but educated in the UK , obtaining O and A levels and a degree in civil engineering there. More recently I took and passed an MBA, which relates more to the management role I do now.

My initial employment was with a consulting engineering firm, constructing tunnels in the New Territories . Whilst working for this company I received a scholarship and returned to the UK to study. Whilst there I also worked on site building roads for a contactor.

Q. Why did you apply for your current job?
A.

Having learnt about engineering from a consultant and contracting from a contractor, applying for a project management job with the Jockey Club seemed a logical progression.

My experience gives me the ability to communicate with different parties and build up trust. As I understand how the different parties are thinking, I can co-ordinate the most complex situations.

Q. What are your current key projects?
A.
With the agreement of the Olympic Committee to stage the equestrian events for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Hong Kong , the projects we are doing to accommodate this are a key challenge. There are very different contracting practices here and on the mainland, as well as numerous political demands.

Q. What do you see as the future for FM?
A.

Automation is key to a successful future for FM both in HK and PRC, but it must spring from the needs of the business. FMs must really appreciate this, and carefully research which software programme best fits specific demands.

Employing the best people is obviously essential, and training them must be a top priority. By employing people who really know their jobs we have increased the remit and efficiency of our staff, and reduced the numbers over four years from 300 to 185.

Q. What do you do to relax?
A.

As you can see from my ornament ( Gary has in his office a large glass bowl flowing over with golf balls) I enjoy golf. However I rarely have time to indulge at the moment. I also enjoy sketching and painting (he has some highly skilled sketches and paintings on the wall of his office). I still find time to sketch at home of an evening, and this is a hobby I can take with me when travelling also. I also like to listen to good music, such as Simon and Garfunkle.


Q. If you weren't in FM, what else would you like to do?
A.

If I was not an engineer I might have been an architect, as this subject interests me. When I retire from the Jockey Club I hope to follow my childhood ambition to combine art, with singing and playing my guitar.


Santa Raymond RIBA.
www.santaraymond.com

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