After 34 years with the group in various management roles around the world, Guy Bradley took over the helm of Swire Pacific in August 2021. In an interview with Swire News, he outlines his personal leadership style and his priorities for the future.
Recently appointed Chairman, Guy Bradley, reveals how he intends to keep Swire Pacific at the top of its game.
I just don’t want to sit still and I want us all to be at the top of our game.
Guy competing at the Northern California Championship Final in 1989.
As Chairman, what sort of leadership style should we expect?
I am just highly competitive. My younger days playing international level squash taught me a lot about teams, about people and about winning (Bradley was once ranked No. 2 in the USA and also represented Japan whilst posted there in 1989). It was a great foundation for me and has driven my leadership style ever since.
I push people hard but I listen too. I just don't want to sit still and I want us all to be at the top of our game. That's what drives me and makes me want to encourage others to excel.
What about your priorities now you are in the top job?
The strategy is very clear which is always a good thing when setting priorities. We know what we want to do: build out the pipeline in property, add scale to the beverage business, reposition and re-structure in aviation and get ready for a post-COVID take-off. Then there's healthcare which I suspect will take up lots of my time over the next few years.
Any room for improvements?
One thing I do want to speed up on, is digital. We are not as digitally advanced as we need to be across all our operating companies. We need to recognise that. We are not trying to become a tech company but we need to drive value where technology can do that. Data analytics is huge and that applies to loyalty programmes at Cathay Pacific and CRM programmes for retail customers in our shopping malls at Swire Properties and Swire Resources. My job is to focus everyone on getting better in the digital space and that's what we'll do.
Where do you see the big opportunities for Swire Pacific?
The story I'm excited about is Hong Kong within the Greater Bay Area ("GBA"). Just as you read about Tokyo Bay or the San Francisco Bay Area, we now have the scale factor to add to all the things that make Hong Kong successful. From a development point of view, this is where the future lies for us. We have started well in Guangzhou where we have a strong position, but we need to do more in Shenzhen. Given that we want to invest more in the GBA, we could not be better placed here in Hong Kong, in the middle of it all.
How do you see Swire’s position in the Chinese Mainland?
I think we are quite well positioned in the Chinese Mainland. We have very strong relationships with communities from district government down to the local neighbourhoods. Given our track record, we are seen as a trusted member of those communities – that's really important. For example, in Taikoo Li Sanlitun, in Chaoyang District, in Beijing, we created an exciting lifestyle destination. Over the last ten years, we have built such a good model for community development and investment that we were offered more opportunities to participate in new projects in the district. Similarly in Chengdu, we have established a good reputation and a huge amount of trust. In 2020, during the lock down in Wuhan, Swire Coca-Cola supported the Wuhan municipal government in its relief effort and our bottling plant rapidly resumed production to support the normal functioning of the city once the pandemic eased. This is another strong example of how we build trust in the community.
The story I’m excited about is Hong Kong within the Greater Bay Area. From a development point of view, this is where the future lies for us.
What about Hong Kong – will that become less important with new opportunities in the Chinese Mainland and elsewhere in Asia?
It's really important to say that opportunities elsewhere do not mean we are reducing our investment or our confidence in Hong Kong. This is our home. The vast majority of our assets are based here. What is happening at Taikoo Place is huge in terms of confidence in the future of the city. We call it a global business hub and that's what it's become. It's really exciting. Pacific Place is our flagship asset and the fundamental advantages that Admiralty has, with new transportation lines coming in, will only get stronger. Away from property, look at Cathay Pacific. It is Hong Kong's carrier and now we have an exciting opportunity for growth with Hong Kong Express. We want Hong Kong to be the major aviation hub for southern China.
How hard has the impact of the pandemic been on the business?
All of our businesses have faced enormous challenges as a result of the pandemic and our aviation business has been the hardest hit. Cathay Pacific now has the dual tasks of dealing with the near-term challenges brought about by COVID and getting ready for the future. HAECO’s portfolio has also been severely impacted, particularly the line maintenance business in Hong Kong. While the short term outlook is somewhat volatile, the team is busy with many projects that help reshape the business in all its markets.
What about the staff and their morale?
It’s been a hugely difficult time for our staff. It has been hard for them to take proper holidays and many of them were separated from their families for a long time because of the restrictions on travel. Not forgetting that prior to COVID, in Hong Kong, we also had a year of social disruption, so it’s two to three years now that our people have gone above and beyond what they are normally required to do. They have really stepped up. If we didn’t have such a strong people culture, we would not have weathered the last three years so well. A huge amount of credit must go to the people we have. It’s very heart-warming for me to see them meet those challenges.
At the Community Ambassadors' Books for Love charity sale in 2016.
At the Swire Properties' annual staff dinner 2017.
Are people an important part of your job?
The first and most important decision is putting the right person in the right role. Swire at a senior level does this all the time – we all invest a tremendous amount of time on this. Managing people, moving people into different key roles, people selection, people motivation – for me it's almost half my job. If I get those things right, good things tend to follow. Swire has a culture which is very people-focused.
Enjoying yoga in his spare time.
On a lighter note, how do you relax away from work during stressful times?
I stopped playing squash. After 25 years, that was enough. I still golf, run and hike. I also enjoy yoga. I haven’t got into the meditation side yet but the flexibility it brings as you get older is very important.
Looking back, any favourite posting during your 34 years with the company?
I don't really have a favourite but the variety was what interested me the most. My first job was in Papua New Guinea and my second was in Japan – such very different places! If you ask me where I call home – it's here in Hong Kong. It's efficient, pragmatic, dynamic and culturally layered. It's such a world class city.
