Joseph Fung: Investing in the Future 馮尚賢：活出使命
ENGLISH 英 : Beverly Cheng | CHINESE 中 : Ophelie C.
Location: West Vancouver · Interviewer & Art Direction: Deborah Lau-Yu · Photographer: Gina Chong, Butter Studios · Videographer: Erik Richard Anderson · MAKEUP & HAIR: Catherine Li
As the grandson of legendary Hong Kong trader Fung King Hey, one of the three founders of Sun Hung Kai & Co., Joseph San Inn Fung comes from a lineage of successful, self-made businessmen. His father, the prominent media mogul and philanthropist Thomas Fung, immigrated to Canada in 1967, later setting up his own successful chain of Chinese mega malls in Vancouver and nearby Richmond, B.C. Also under his ownership is Fairchild Group, the largest Chinese media company in Canada, which includes a diversified portfolio of real estate, restaurants, and Chinese-language TV stations in Canada.
Growing up in Vancouver, Fung had a privileged upbringing. But he never took it for granted. Early on, he knew that he wanted to chart his own path, to work for the benefit of others, and eventually contribute something of his own to the family business. Although not official, resilience and enterprise are what come to mind as family mottos; personal resilience being his own core principle. After earning an economics degree from Cornell University and working in finance at Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and information and technology company PCCW (founded by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li), he settled on becoming an investor focused on life sciences, a fast-growing sector providing groundbreaking research that can improve people’s lives.
成功，往往始於對⽣命的熱誠。這份熱誠可讓我們找到屬於⾃⼰的⾓⾊和使命，⽬光不再局限於 ⾃⾝，⽽是放眼世界。風險投資公司Saltagen Ventures創辦⼈及執行合夥人馮尚賢（Joseph Fung）憑着對家族的感恩、對社會的熱誠，帶領公司專注投資醫療科技、生物科技及⼈⼯智能等領域的初創公司，多年來成為無數初創的伯樂。
作為新鴻基創辦⼈馮景禧家族第三代後⼈，Joseph對於⾃⼰⽣在富裕之家常懷感恩之⼼，在加拿⼤成長的他，受訪時盡顯誠懇和平易近⼈的性格：「回饋社會的想法始於⾼中時期，當時發現很多⼈未必擁有我所擁有的機遇。我會視⾃⼰為推動者，與那些有熱誠為社會帶來正⾯影響及比我更厲害的⼈合作。我們家族的成功，背後依靠眾⼈的輔助；沒有⼀班充滿熱誠的跟我⼀起奮⾾的話，憑個⼈的⼒量也改變不了甚麼。」
“In high school, I realized there were many communities that were not given the opportunities I had been given,” Fung says. “I see myself as an enabler, one that works with people better than myself who have a passion for making a positive difference in the world,” Fung says. “Just like how our family would not have been granted success without a community of supporters, I cannot make a difference without a community of passionate and driven people.”
Today, at the age of 41, Fung is the principal director of Fairchild Capital Management Ltd., and managing partner of Saltagen Ventures, his own Hong Kong-based venture capital firm that works with some of the region’s largest hospitals and clinical researchers to provide early-stage investments in science and technology. Since its founding in 2017, Saltagen has invested more than $18 million across 20 startups globally in such countries as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark and the U.S. The company is committed to supporting innovative companies, especially those driving new developments in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medtech and other related industries.
Fung has other professional commitments. In 2021, he was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to represent Canada in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), with the support of the Minister of Trade and Global Affairs Canada. Fung initially advised in the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council (ABLAC), a Canadian advisory think tank overseeing business opportunities in Asia, mostly comprised of pension funds and banks with Canadian or Asian interests. Fung is also a faculty adviser at the University of British Columbia, along with being a committee board member of China’s Maritime Silk Road trade initiative.
訪問期間，Joseph多次提及「跟比我更厲害的⼈合作」，彷如⼝頭禪。這份謙卑讓他與業界精英合作無間，因此其創立的Saltagen Ventures早着先機，在生物科技及⼈⼯智能領域成為⾦融巿場趨之若鶩的投資⽅向之前，已在初創領域穩佔⼀席，共同為⼈類未來謀福祉。當中堅持嚴謹、專業的態度非常重要，他解釋：「⽣物科技是將來改變每個⼈⽣活、發展最迅速的⾏業之⼀，這需要嚴格規管，也需要專業經驗。我們的⼤部分⼯作依賴⽇新⽉異的技術⽀援⼤量臨床驗證和監管許可。」
When asked what he would love to do to give back in Vancouver, he shares his heart for philanthropy through education, specifically in the early years of a child’s learning journey. He has already built two schools in Hong Kong since 2014, which integrate his areas of passion: research and innovation. He hopes to do the same in Canada as he continues to collaborate with many notable schools and institutions locally such as Simon Fraser University and The Bishop Strachan School.
Describing himself as a “Canadian in Hong Kong,” Fung is very grateful for his upbringing and has become a trusted representative on both sides. “What is clear to me,” he says, “is that identity and culture change according to perspective. What it means to be a Canadian or Hong Konger is different for each person. To me, Canada is not perfect, but it has shaped me the most and has allowed me to integrate the multifaceted nature of who I am, and embrace the fact that I was born in Hong Kong, my family was from Hong Kong. But I spent my formative years in Canada, and that is all okay.”
總部設於香港，Saltagen Ventures投資遍及北美與亞太地區如中國、新加坡、韓國和澳洲，積極 為初創鋪橋搭路。Joseph⽬前為香港加拿⼤商會執行委員會成員，早前更獲加拿⼤總理杜魯多任命代表加拿⼤出席亞太經濟合作會議(APEC)，他認為⾃⼰的⽂化優勢很適合為東⻄⽅擔起橋樑⾓⾊，「我最初在加拿⼤的智庫組織 (ABLAC) 當顧問，裏⾯主要是養老基⾦和銀⾏業負責⼈，⼤多數只是代表加拿⼤的利益，或是代表各⾃的亞洲領⼟利益。我則在雙⽅之間架起橋樑，聯繫各國問題以及地區風險與機遇。」
聊起與杜魯多共事點滴，他形容對⽅「充滿激情、幹勁⼗⾜，能夠同時解決許多難題」。⾯對中加關係近期冰封的⼤環境，他承認營商會更困難，但有危亦有機，他有信⼼公司獨具慧眼，成為潛⼒無限的初創伯樂。他坦⾔，在⽣物科技及深度科技領域，熱錢過盛時讓⼈蜂擁盲⽬以⾼估值投資，當前環境反⽽更考驗基⾦的投資眼光和功⼒。
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Despite his busy schedule, Fung finds time to invest in the thing he values most — family. He married former fashion model and current lawyer Michelle Tam in a lavish wedding held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in 2014. Together they are now raising their daughters in Hong Kong and will have welcomed a third child by the time this article is published. Fung notes that his wife is his rock and credits her for building a firm foundation together and keeping his mental health and overall life balance in good shape, which is very important. “I’m surprisingly introverted and have hobbies such as fixing vintage hospital terminal keyboards and building simple mechanical watches, which enable me to delve deep and recharge. But being a good father and husband are my short- and long-term goal priorities,” Fung says. “It might sound like a cliché, but the family really does centre me and ensures that I think beyond myself.”
Joseph⾝兼多項公職，問他最喜歡⾃⼰那⼀個⾓⾊，他坦⾔「時刻在變」，他着重⽣活的平衡，並分享了⼀個個⼈⼩秘密：「我其實出奇地內向，有些興趣例如修理舊式鍵盤和製作簡單的機械錶，能讓我專注其中，好好充電。」然⽽，私⼈時間、家庭、⼯作與慈善事業之間，他決不犧牲家庭，百忙中仍堅持做個好兒⼦、好爸爸和好丈夫。
Though he has many competing priorities — both personal and professional — Fung is determined to keep pushing himself forward. He gets momentum by collaborating with motivated people, and by wanting to make the world a better place for his children. His hope is that they will grow up to develop their own reservoirs of resilience while staying humble, in spite of all the advantages afforded them by their upbringing. When asked whether he might one day encourage his children to follow him in the family business, Fung simply says, “That’s for them to decide. I aim not to impose a legacy on them.”
How he would encourage both his kids and any young person building their future is to “In the face of the unknown, don’t try to find a shortcut. Put your head down and put in the work. Don’t seek recognition or rewards. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from. Be resilient. Work hard towards your goals and dreams and the progress will come to anyone who invests in the future.”
「我會嘗試與⼦女講廣東話，通常談食的詞彙特別豐富。Joseph透露⼀家⼈也喜歡⽤食物維繫感情，他會跟媽媽⼀起煮飯，並跟爸爸⼀起吃飯。遇上壞天氣，他更會化⾝家中的⼤廚，從設計餐單、買餸、準備、烹煮到洗碗，都⼀⼿包辦。家，始終是他的根，他⼼之所歸。
Joseph雖然沒計劃全心參與家族事業，也從未想過要完全⾃立⾨⼾，反⽽是善⽤作為⼤企業家族後⼈的優勢，積極發展⾃⼰的⽅向和⼈脈，將祖業給他的祝福回饋整個社會，將來也希望⼦女可以憑個⼈的創意和毅⼒，綻放最⼤光芒。
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