Dr. Thomas Fung 馮永發博士: Spirit of Enterprise 提升加國華人生活品質的企業精神
Written and translated by Jennifer J. Lau
interviewed and edited by Deborah Lau-Yu
AS FEATURED IN EDITION NO. 5 OF FETE CHINOISE MAGAZINE: Language of legacy
Fairchild TV not only sourced materials from abroad, but also created their own local programs such as Miss Chinese Vancouver and Toronto Pageants, and New Talent Singing Contest, which changed the fate of many Chinese Canadians forever. Actresses such as Linda Chung, Eliza Sam, Bernice Liu, Leanne Li, Monica Lo, Candy Chang, and Christine Kuo were all winners of Miss Chinese Vancouver or Toronto before making it to top tier acting roles in the Hong Kong media industry. New Talent winners Denise Ho, Elva Hsiao, Jade Kwan, Jason Chan (Ivan Chan), and Phil Lam also went on to become prominent singers and composers in Asia. Though at the helm of leadership, Thomas humbly responded that producing these contests were a viable business, and took no credit for the success of these stars even though he was the one who made these transnational opportunities a possibility. Even today, in the Fairchild Headquarters at Aberdeen Centre (Richmond, BC) there is a wall of fame with past winners of these pageants and contests – a visual celebration of the legacies he helped create.
對於在90年代後的許多第二代加拿大華人來說，新時代（Fairchild）是一個與香港文化交流的渠道之一。新時代電視將亞洲不同地區的劇集和電影帶到加拿大，成功縮短亞洲與多倫多之間的差距，為移民及其子女服務了三十多年。新時代電視不僅轉播亞洲的電視劇和電影，還自己製作加拿大本地節目。
透過溫哥華和多倫多華裔小姐競賽以及新秀歌唱比賽，改寫了許多加國華人的一生。鐘嘉欣、岑麗香、廖碧兒、李亞男、盧淑儀、張慧雯和苟芸慧等女演員都是先參加過溫哥華或多倫多華裔小姐競選，然後才成為香港娛樂圈的一分子。新秀出身的何韻詩、蕭亞軒、關心妍、陳柏宇、和林奕匡也成為了香港台灣著名的歌手和作曲家。雖然馮博士製作了那麼好的跨國機會給年輕人追尋夢想，但他卻謙卑地說，這些比賽是只是一項可行的投資，這些藝人的成功不能歸功於博士自己。現在位於時代坊（Aberdeen Centre）的新時代集團總部也有一幅掛著競選與比賽的得獎者的照片的牆 — 這或許是馮博士透過本地節目幫了一代海外華人改寫人生的小小紀念吧。
Fête Chinoise met with Dr. Thomas Fung on a warm summer morning to learn more about his language of legacy: the art of business. As a successful entrepreneur and business tycoon, he brought Asian media, cuisine, and goods to Canadians since 1984. Thomas was very willing to share his journey from Hong Kong to Toronto, back to Hong Kong, followed by New York, and now Vancouver, which he calls home.
While Thomas loves reading non-fiction material (economics, fashion, new technology), he revealed his true passion for art, film, and media production. He was once part of the biggest advertising company in Hong Kong in the 1980s, and had gone to study film and video production at NYU in New York. Producing “Wild Geese,” and “Paper Moon Affair” – a long feature loosely inspired by Summer of ’42 – in 2005 was a personal interest and passion. It is no coincidence that this interest overlaps with his long-standing desire to bridge Chinese media industry to Canadians.
馮博士非常願意分享他從香港到多倫多，回歸香港，然後到紐約進修，到現在定居於溫哥華的旅程。雖然博士喜歡閱讀有關經濟學、時尚、新技術等的資訊，但他也對藝術、電影和媒體製作有強烈的興趣和熱誠。他曾在80年代在香港最大的廣告公司上班，並曾在紐約大學修過電影製作。受到《Summer of ’42》的啟發，馮博士自己製作了兩個短片叫《Wild Geese》和《Paper Moon Affair》。馮博士長期以來將海外媒體帶到加拿大，也許是他對媒體這興趣的熱愛和認真的一種體現。
Legacy in the Spirit of Enterprise 文化遺產與企業精神
Thomas shared how his father came from China and taught him invaluable lessons on how to do business. He said: “The reason I named my company Fairchild is because he taught me to treat everyone fairly; from friends to family to our staff at work. Currently many of my team members have been working with Fairchild for decades.” And it’s interesting that the Chinese and English name of the company are not literal translations of one another (The Chinese means “new era”). Perhaps this can be credited to Dr. Fung’s sensitivity to his audience in moving between two cultures in his conversations and in business.
作為一名成功的企業家和商業大亨，馮博士自1984年以來一直將亞洲媒體，美食和商品帶到加拿大。馮博士的商業藝術是從他父親身上學到的。從國內移民到香港的父親，從小到大教他該如何對待人接物。他說道：「我之所以將我的公司命名為 Fairchild，是因為爸爸教我要公平對待每個人。不管是朋友、家人或員工。目前，我的團隊已經在新時代集團工作了數十年。」有趣的是，該公司的中英文名稱並非中文名字的直譯。（集團的中文是「新時代」，英文的則是「公平」與「小孩」的意思。）這個差異可能出於馮博士在各國累積人生經歷與商業經驗後，建立的獨特觸覺和小心謹慎，所下的判斷吧。
Fairchild Group has brought Japanese fashion, household products and food items, Taiwanese beef noodles, Hong Kong film and entertainment to Canada. The group also helped export Canadian values such as education, new technology incubation, flight training, and foods to China and the United States. Fairchild has made a huge impact on creating jobs and stimulating the economy on the West Coast. Most memorable perhaps is the only 100 Yen store – a popular Japanese dollar store – in Canada, located at the Aberdeen Centre. New locations are opening across the country in 2018; the Aberdeen store is one of the top locations for the brand globally. Other important partnerships Fairchild Group manages are with Air Canada on promotional events and most recently with Japan Air on food and beverage development. The group has also been actively involved with philanthropy and fundraising campaigns in Ontario and British Columbia throughout the years.
sponsored by Ferris Wheels Press.
馮博士將“The Spirit of Enterprise”（企業的精神）視為自己的座右銘。當時他覺得做企業家需要膽子。對他而言，通過教育獲得的知識是不足夠的。一個人也必須適應不同環境，要靈活地面對在書本上找不到答案的事情。他聘請的員工不一定學歷高，但如果他能夠盡力發揮，敢面對挑戰，和接受並啟發創新的思想，那麼這個人就有巨大的潛力。同樣，馮博士鼓勵年輕有為的領導者參加更多社會活動或當義工。他認為，「想幫助不同機構或社會時，出力還是比給金錢更重要。」
Thomas’s motto is “The Spirit of Enterprise” – established in 1984 when he felt one needed to be daring and open to enterprise. To him, it is never enough to possess knowledge through schooling; one must also be aware and be “street smart.” Those hired into his company may not have high education, but if he believes in their ability to perform, to dare, and to be open to new ideas then there is huge potential. Likewise, Thomas encourages young and aspiring leaders to participate in more mainstream events or volunteer. He believes that “efforts can often be more important than money when it comes to championing a cause or community.”
新時代集團除了把日本時裝、家居用品和食品，甚至台灣牛肉麵，帶到加拿大之外，它也向中國和美國推廣加拿大對教育、科技和食品等的良好價值觀。另外，新時代集團對創造就業機會和西岸經濟的增長有了巨大的影響，最令人難忘的也許是它在加拿大投資唯一一家日式百元店。這個品牌在日本非常受歡迎，而位於時代坊的分店是這個品牌在全球最暢銷的分店之一。2018年，它將在加拿大不同城市開設更多分店。新時代集團還有一些鮮為人知的項目，譬如，管理加拿大航空公司的促銷活動、發展日本航空公司的飲食產品，等等。這幾十年間，新時代集團也熱衷貢獻慈善項目，為幾間分別為於卑詩省及安省的慈善機構籌款和提供各種支持。
Dr. Thomas Fung has educated and integrated many newcomer families through his company, building a legacy that transcends borders. His language of legacy is one of fairness in business and relations. We look forward to hearing more about the new frontiers he will discover and bring to Canada in the coming decades with his entrepreneurial spirit with businesses in Japan and mainland China. His enterprise opens two new businesses in Toronto in Fall of 2018, expanding new possibilities for the younger generation to be inspired by.
馮永發博士透過他的集團幫助了許多新移民家庭適應加國生活，同時建立了跨越國界的文化遺產。無論在商業上，還是在待人接物上，都堅守著公平、童童叟無欺」這個概念。問及新時代集團未來有些甚麼發展計劃，馮博士表示集團在日本和中國大陸都發展良好，在未來會嘗試開拓的新領域，2018年秋會在多倫多開設了兩家新企業，繼續給下一代心得靈感與思想。多倫多的讀者可以拭目以待。
sponsored by Ferris Wheels Press.
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