Our Synergy | Legendary business genius Allan Zeman: "Look East, not West"

"Why did you run in the Legislative Council election?" When asked this question, Allan Zeman chuckled and said, "I've done so much for Hong Kong, and maybe I can have a seat in the revamped LegCo."

After taking root in Hong Kong in his early adulthood, Zeman has managed to build his business empire, which gave him the name as "Father of Lan Kwai Fong." Hong Kong has witnessed his entrepreneurial journey, while he has also borne witness to the vast vicissitudes and changes in the financial hub.

According to Zeman, the LegCo in the past was not working after 1997 due to all the arguing and filibusters in the legislature. After the Central Government improved the electoral system of HK, 40 seats are returned by the Election Committee constituency.

Zeman said, it was indeed an honor itself to be able to stand for the election, as one of the 51 nominees in his constituency. "It's a blessing in disguise that I didn't get elected this time, because I can continue to do what I've been doing for HK behind the scenes."

First encounter: HK heaven for business with low tax and can-do spirit

Born in Germany and raised in Canada, Zeman started to work at a very young age after his father passed away when he was 7. He once worked as a newspaper delivery boy, a steakhouse busboy, and a clothing salesman, among others. At the age of 19, Zeman was determined to start his own company. "The entrepreneurial spirit is in my blood. And I always thought, if others can do it, why can't I?"

It was this decision that brought Zeman to Hong Kong, which was then the world's factory. After the first year of business, Zeman made his first fortune of $1 million. However, Canada's income tax rate of nearly 50% simply cast a damp on the young man's ambition. When he learned about the much lower income tax rate in HK at that time, as he described, a bright light just went off in his head. "I figured I'd move to HK."

Changing HK: Someplace like LKF is much needed here

As time went by, Zeman found that HK under British rule lacked a casual place for entertainment, as there were buyers and backpackers from all over the world here in the city. So, he chose a site, renovated it, bought up some of the property, and built what is now the iconic Lan Kwai Fong, being a symbol of HK's bustling nightlife.

Less known is the interesting fact that our "father of LKF" is actually a teetotaler. "Although I know very little about alcohol, I just need to hire people who know about alcohol, and they know what to sell. And as long as the customers like it, I'm happy," he said.

"Mouse Killer" Zeman gave Ocean Park a second life

Zeman once served as the Chairman of the Board of Ocean Park, which is another well-known role of his. During his 13 years in office, he not only revitalized the local theme park, but also brought its annual profit to a record-breaking HK$204 million in 2008. Recalling this experience, Zeman admitted that he knew nothing about theme park operations before. "However, Mr. Tung, the then CE, called me six times for this, and finally I thought I needed to give him face, and I said, I'll go and have a look." Ocean Park was already in a state of disrepair when Zeman first set foot in the park, but he was keenly aware that the special location and surroundings were the park's unique advantage.

He also recalled a press conference at Ocean Park where four girls were wearing jellyfish suits for promotion. At the time, he thought to himself that it would be too boring to wear a suit and tie, so he decided to also put on a jellyfish suit costume. "When I showed up, everyone burst out laughing, and his photo occupied the front pages of all the major media in HK the next day, which had a great publicity effect," he said. Since then, Zeman got "free advertising" through various creative looks. Under his leadership, Ocean Park beat Disney to win the Applause Award, which is like the Academy Awards in theme parks, becoming the only local theme park to receive this honor. Zeman was then called the "Mouse Killer" by Forbes magazine.

Look East, Not West

In 2008, Zeman chose to give up his Canadian citizenship and became a Chinese citizen and got his HKSAR passport. He said, "I wanted to be Chinese, and I wanted to be a local, and I wanted to feel like I belong here."

In Zeman's eyes, the root cause of Hong Kong's downturn over the years is the lack of national education. As an example, he said that when he was a child in Canada, people would salute the British flag, and in the United States, people would put their hands on their chests and pledge allegiance to the flag. "Young people in HK are not required to do that. Teachers can teach them whatever they want. So they don't have a sense of national identity."

He stressed that HK is now an indispensable component of the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," and with the support of the National 14th Five-Year Plan, HK has embraced a turnaround in the past chaos and is overwhelmed by immense opportunities. As a super-connector between the East and the West, HK has to rely on the development of the country to forge ahead in the development of technology and education.

When asked about his advice to young people in this new era, Zeman said in an unhurried way, "Look East, not West." Young people should visit the Mainland more often if they could, focus on technologies, look into what they have passion for and proactively pursue their dreams, said Zeman." I want to tell young people that if you think outside the box, you can do what others can do, and way more than that," he said.