This month’s interview – the final one in the NextGen series – is with Sam Lo ACG HKACG(PE), Company Secretarial Manager, China Overseas Grand Oceans Group Ltd.

What is your current role and what was your career path to this role?

‘I majored in accounting and I have now worked as a company secretary for 11 years. When I started out, I was in charge of small and medium-sized enterprises in a local accounting firm, as well as being involved in share transfers and liquidation projects. I later joined a listed company as part of the company secretarial team, after which I was employed by a company secretarial firm and was responsible for listed company and SME clients from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Europe and Africa. I subsequently joined China Overseas Grand Oceans Group and have been here for nearly three years now.’

When did you first hear the terms ‘company secretary’ and ‘governance’, and what was your impression of those terms?

‘When I was in my second year of university, I saw a newspaper article about company secretaries and the Institute. I learnt that a company secretary is not a secretary in the ordinary sense of the word, but instead holds an important position that requires accounting, finance, law, compliance and other knowledge. I then did some research using online forums and found many practitioners who were sharing their career development. In particular, I discovered that listed companies rely heavily on company secretaries. I realised that this industry had a bright future and offered stable prospects, so I began to develop a keen interest in this role.’

What was your chosen route to complete the Institute’s qualifying programme and why did you choose that route?

‘I chose to take the exams independently, rather than take an Institute-accredited master’s degree. At that time, under the previous International Qualifying Scheme, you usually needed to pass all eight modules, but because of my accounting background, I was exempted from four. We had the option of either enrolling for a master’s degree or taking the exams on your own, but because there were then not so many accredited master’s degree courses to choose from, and considering my financial situation, I opted to prepare for the exams myself.’

What qualities do you think are needed to be a successful governance professional? And what advice would you give to people who are considering qualifying as a Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional?

‘To become a successful company secretary, you must first have a good understanding of the duties involved – What do private companies do? What do listed companies do? – as well as of your own career goals and what you want to achieve in your profession. In addition to doing your job well, a company secretary must also establish good relationships with different departments in the company. Good communication skills will therefore go a long way to helping you solve problems.’

As a member of the younger generation, how do you think governance will evolve in the future and would you recommend a career in governance to others?

‘During my 11 years as a company secretary, the most obvious change has been the greater focus on ESG. Company secretaries are not only responsible for compliance work, but are also required to think about how to promote the company’s approach to sustainability, and how to enhance its governance and diversity. I think more companies will come to Hong Kong to list in the future and, as the world pays increasing attention to ESG, the demand for company secretaries will only grow.’

这个月我们采访了中国海外宏洋集团有限公司公司秘书经理罗柱荣先生 ACG HKACG(PE)，这是新一代治理系列的最后一篇文章。

请问您目前的职位是什么？能告诉我们您的职业发展经历吗？

‘我本身是主修会计的，从事公司秘书工作已经11年。一开始我在本地的会计师楼负责中小企业，以及转股、清盘的项目；后来加入上市公司的公司秘书团队，然后再进入公司秘书服务公司，负责来自内地、香港、欧洲及非洲的上市公司和中小企业客户的工作。接着加入中国海外宏洋集团，到现在已经近三年了。’

您第一次听到‘公司秘书’或‘公司治理’是什么时候？ 您当时对这些专业名词有什么印象？

‘我在大学第二年的时候看到报纸上关于公司秘书和公会的报道，了解到公司秘书不是普通的秘书，而是公司里一个重要的职位，需要具备会计、金融、法律、合规和其他专业知识。后来我在网上讨论区做功课，见到许多前辈分享自己的职涯发展，特别是上市公司极度依赖公司秘书，觉得这个行业很有发展前景，也很稳定，便开始对这一行产生兴趣。’

您完成公会的资格计划的路径是怎样的？为什么选择这路径？

‘我是自行参加考试取得资格的，没有报读公会认可的硕士课程。按当时的国际专业知识评审考试，需要考八科，但因为我的会计背景，可以豁免四个科目考试。我们可以选择攻读硕士学位或自己参加考试，但由于以前没有那么多相应的认可硕士课程可以选择，读书也有经济上的考量，所以我选择自己准备考试。’

您认为成为一名成功的治理专业人士需要具备哪些素质？对于那些有想去成为特许秘书和公司治理师的人，您有什么建议？

‘要成为成功的公司秘书，首先要很了解这个行业的职责，私人公司要做什么，上市公司要做什么，还要认清自己的职涯目标，想在工作中取得什么成绩。除了做好自己的工作，公司秘书也要跟公司里的不同部门打好关系，所以良好的沟通技巧对解决问题会有很大帮助。’

作为年轻一代的一员，您认为‘治理’将来会如何发展？你会推荐其他人从事治理方面的工作吗？

‘在我作为公司秘书的11年间，最明显的改变是大家对ESG更加关注了。公司秘书不仅要负责合规工作，还要思考如何促进公司的可持续发展，提升公司的治理，增加公司的多元性。 我相信接下来会有更多公司来香港上市，加上世界对ESG更加关注，未来对公司秘书的需求只会增加。’