Life of Guangzhou - Do Duc Cuong: Government'S Openness and Local's friendly-touch Impress Me

lifeofguangzhou.com: What impressed you most during the working period in Guangzhou ?

During my time with Citibank, I used speedboat from Hongkong to GuangZhou almost every week since 1984. My impressions filling up every day by witnessing the city transforming, the people attitude and the young generation working hard for their future.

The most impressed me is the openness level from City Government when dealing with the foreigners, the friendly-touch by local people interacting with foreigners, the business atmospheres providing to foreigner companies.

lifeofguangzhou.com: Are there any touching stories happened during your working time in Guangzhou ?

Around 1997, the first ATM “Made-in China ” has been transfer to GaungZhou from Hongkong. As Citibank Officer responsible for this creation, I have no idea to WHERE this ATM will be housed and WHO I will work with? When I arrived GuangZhou and facing two soldiers with AK47 in their hand checking my passport and let me enter the army compound, I knew the serious level of Government taking for this initiative. I had a room inside this army compound to stay, the next morning I wake-up at 6:00AM, walk to another building to checkout this ATM, surprisingly to me, the group of technical staffs is waiting for me there. During 3 weeks of training, they send me a full list of improvement and prototype manufacture plans. Every day, I ran training seminar and seeing number of my students is growing every day. They come with notebook, they stay until the last minute of seminar, they surround me for question at anytime, any where they see me. Some of them still work for GRG until now.

lifeofguangzhou.com: As a foreign expert in Guangzhou , do you think what the biggest achievement you have got? What made you feel proudest?

The successful of GRG Banking is big story need to tell and make it as example of how Chinese company can be establish a global position and emerge to the global market on the high-tech sector.

From State-owned organization, specializing in the army communication devices, GRG Banking established to move GuangZhou Radio Group into the mainstream financial business just-on-time to support China financing Industrial coping with very competitiveness on the WTO landscape.

Under leadership of Mr. Mark Yip, I have another chance to be his advisor and my momentum to him is very challenging: change GRG Banking from Hardware company to Software company. Change company from device sales to System Integration sales. Restructure company to an open-environmental organization. Comply with all International Standard Requirement of Financial Security on both Hardware/Software and System archetectures.

The award for this result is GRG Banking now is listing company on China Stock market, they start growing heavily within domestic market and make great expansion on the global market.

I am very proud to be a contributor on this achievement!

lifeofguangzhou.com: Are there any difficulties when working with your Chinese staff? How did you deal with it? For example, some culture difference...

As an American-Vietnamese person, I still keep my personality as Vietnamese, therefore no culture conflicting between me and Chinese staffs at all. The difficulties facing between us is on my part, I pushed them too hard into a Western-thinking-mindset. Luckily, we can overcome these difficulties by a right-attitudes, a common-scene of pride-of-ownership and the good-intention from GRG leadership.

lifeofguangzhou.com: Why did you come to work in Guangzhou ?

I have been with Citicorp for long time, my responsibility is to support the global business expansion and China is a big market under our radar screen. My intention is select an organization for technologies transfer with the hope can be use the products for regional Citibank needs, instead we make it in California and ship to Asian Pacific Rim. The ATM and system technology easily to fit in GuangZhou than somewhere else in China because it closer to Shengzen Industrial area, it closer to Hongkong to build technical staffs.

lifeofguangzhou.com: How long do you plan to work in Guangzhou ?

I am now retired from Citibank, but my involvement with Guangzhou seem to me the endless efforts since I had so many friends here. I have a feeling tht GuangZhou is my second homeland and GRG is my second family!

lifeofguangzhou.com: What's your suggestion to Guangzhou city?

The Guangzhou city had the best infrastructures for business to grow. The special business sector such as financing and securities still in favor to buy it from Europe or American made. I suggest the local Government should do more promoting of the local company such as GRG Banking to be use. The products price maybe not much different, but the support level are more convenient and cost-saving to the institution in the long term.