Women With Impact #28 - Marjorie Yang
Happy new year!
Welcome back to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
Thank you for being an avid reader in 2023, I hope you feel inspired by the incredible women we’ve portrayed and took action to create a positive impact. If you would like to review who’ve we had on Women With Impact, please have a look here and here. I am wishing you all the best for 2024!
For this 28th edition, I interviewed Marjorie Yang, Chairman of Esquel Group, a knowledge-based innovation company in textile and apparel industry headquartered in Hong Kong. She is educated at MIT and Harvard Business School and is on the boards of Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited and Meituan. Marjorie became the first woman to represent Hong Kong at the APEC Business Advisory Council in 2017. She has been named among Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen by Forbes in 2012 and multiple times among Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune Magazine.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I am Marjorie Yang. I am both a daughter and a mother. My mother is 97 and still very active. She is an inspiration for me in many ways. Because she is still able to travel, we try to plan trips and think of things we can do together. My daughter is also an inspiration because she allows me to see how tough it is to be a woman trying to build a career while trying to have a social life as well as not give up on culture and other beautiful things in life.
I am Chairman of Esquel Group and blessed with a wonderful team which turns a crisis into an opportunity to transform and thrive.
What do you think is most important in creating positive change?
A positive mindset especially when you are the leader.
What is a recent success you are proud of?
Recent successes have all been achieved by my young colleagues so I guess I am proud to be a coach now.
The Lessons
What has been the most rewarding experience on your journey?
The ability to provide quality jobs for people turns out to be the most rewarding experience. At Esquel, we have set two goals for ourselves – fighting climate change and closing the wealth gap. We are able to reduce energy and water consumption with our knowledge, however, the impact is more abstract and long term. Providing quality jobs for people and seeing happy faces when I walk through the workshop floor is immediate gratification.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
I get tired and stop listening. For years I have practiced Tai Chi, yoga and now breath work to help focus and be a better listener. I am not a natural listener, I rush to solve problems so it is a learnt skill to listen and let others solve the problem at hand.
What is the best advice you have been given recently?
I have been reading Daniel Goleman’s book “Focus - The hidden driver of excellence” and there are many good advice from it. However, I always find good advice from books as well as conversations with friends and even strangers if you listen hard enough.
The Inspiration
What resource do you think more people should take use of?
I think we should all learn to slow down and enjoy silence.
Who inspires you?
Great industrialists such as Morris Chang of TSMC.
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