In this month’s NextGen series, CGj interviews Tommy Law, Former Team Hong Kong, China, Professional Track Cyclist, and Acting Senior Sports Programme Officer – China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee.

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

‘After I retired as a full-time elite athlete on 1 January 2022, I joined The Football Association of Hong Kong, China, through the Retired Athletes Transformation Programme, and became a member of their secretariat. At that time, my duties included helping to organise AGMs, drafting meeting minutes, compiling company registration forms and assisting with annual reports. Because I then had little relevant experience, I searched online to gain knowledge about company registration and different company types. I also read a lot of news. I developed an interest in the work of company secretaries, who are licensed professionals. So I boldly signed up for one of the Institute’s accredited master’s degree programmes and enrolled with Hong Kong Baptist University. I also now work with the China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee for the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.’

What are your thoughts on governance in the sports industry and what role do you hope to play?

‘Some members of the public might have a negative impression of the sports industry because of certain news reports that have suggested insufficient transparency or a lack of awareness of governance issues in the field. As a former athlete, this concerns me greatly. Do we need a dedicated body to regulate the industry? There is no regulator, like HKEX or the SFC in the corporate world, to monitor its governance issues, so many sports organisations only voluntarily comply with the most basic requirements and only make improvements if they are reported for infringements. My vision is to become a governance specialist so that in the future I can help the sports industry and sports associations.’

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

‘After Hong Kong athletes retire, the government provides a grant to support our studies, so I chose to take the part-time master’s degree. This has enabled me to make many friends in the business world. Within my group, there are three company secretaries, three certified public accountants and one legal specialist. They have been incredibly helpful and I would not have had this opportunity had I chosen to take the exams independently.’

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

‘First, you have to love words because company secretaries will be exposed to many English-language regulations. Second, you need to have a forward-looking mindset. For example, a few months before an AGM, you need to start contacting members and to obtain the consent of the committee. All this requires advance planning. You also need to keep learning and not give up easily. It is difficult to change the existing system, nevertheless, for those interested in this profession, I would recommend nurturing your passion to promote the improvement of governance.’

As a member of the younger generation, how do you think governance will evolve in the future?

‘I believe governance is only going to become increasingly important, including in the sports industry, which offers great potential. It can cooperate with different parties and go way beyond Hong Kong. To achieve that, we require governance talent. The corporate governance systems of listed companies are worth learning from. At the end of this year, Hong Kong will add a new code for sports governance. New Zealand and the UK already have similar regulations – for example, if you don’t comply with the governance standards, you might not receive funding. I believe this is a positive development.’

在本月的新一代治理系列中，CGj采访了前中国香港场地自行车代表队运动员，中国香港残疾人奥委会执行高级体育项目主任罗子骏先生。

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？ 

‘我在2022年1月1日退役后，透过退役运动员转型计划， 加入中国香港足球总会，成为秘书处的一员。当时，我的职责包括帮忙安排周年大会、草拟会议记录、填写公司注册表格，帮忙处理年度报告等事务。因为以前没有相关经验，在工作的过程中，我常常上网查阅有关公司注册和公司类型的知识，也阅读很多新闻，对公司秘书的工作产生兴趣，也发现原来公司秘书是有牌照的，是一个专业范畴。于是我大胆地报读了公会认可的硕士课程，进入香港浸会大学就读。现在我在中国香港残疾人奥委会工作，筹备即将举行的巴黎2024残疾人奥运会。’

您对体育行业的治理有什么看法？您希望发挥什么作用？

‘有些公众人士对体育界可能有负面印象，原因是有些新闻报道暗示这行业透明度不足，又或者欠缺治理的意识。 作为前运动员，我十分关心这现象 。有需要设立专门机构监管体育界吗？企业受港交所或证监会监管，体育界却没有监管机构监察管治事宜，所以很多行业组织都是自发地做最基本的要求，直到被揭露有治理问题后才会有所改善。所以我想成为治理方面的专家，将来帮助体育界和运动行业组织。’

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？

‘香港运动员退役之后，政府可提供教育资助，所以我选择攻读公会认可的非全日制硕士学位。继续进修也让我认识到很多商界的朋友，现在我的同组同学中有三个公司秘书，三个执业会计师，一个法务专员，他们给我的帮助很大。如果我选择考试，便没有机会认识他们。’

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？

‘首先，你要喜欢文字，因为公司秘书会接触到许多英文条例。第二是前瞻性的视野，例如，在周年大会前的几个月，你已经需要开始联络会员，并取得委员会的同意，这些都需要预先规划。再者，你也需要不断学习，不轻言放弃。改变既有的制度很困难，但我会建议对这一行有兴趣的朋友们，要保持热诚，推动提升治理水平。’

作为年轻一代的一员，您认为‘治理’将来会如何发展？

‘我相信治理只会变得越来越重要，包括在潜力巨大的体育界。体育界能跟不同的单位合作，冲出香港，要好好地发展需要治理人才。上市公司的公司治理制度值得我们学习。今年年底，香港会新增一个体育治理守则。新西兰和英国也有类似的规范，例如不符合治理准则就未必拿到拨款，我觉得这是正面的发展。’