Abstract
Industrialization has brought about progress and prosperity across the globe. It lifted billions of people out of poverty, enabling them to live a better life. For decades, countries have been focusing on industrialization and economic growth as the main driver of development. However, such recipe is reaching its limits and is taking a toll on people, society and the environment. Moreover, unbalanced economic expansion has widened the polarization of the rich and the poor, and the tension is tearing the fabric of society apart.
The textile and apparel industry is often the backbone in the early stage of industrialization, providing employment opportunities and economic progression to a large number of people. The industry plays a key role in helping workers through raising their income and sharing the benefits of economic growth. It is now facing the opportunity and also the challenge to deliver more than just a traditional safety net, but to create positive impacts on the communities and environments where it operates. Ms. Yang will share her passion, vision and journey on how a traditional industry could become a catalyst for societal change to some of the world’s most serious issues, through adopting technology, creativity, modern management and non-traditional business philosophies.
About the Speaker
Ms Marjorie Yang is Chairman of Esquel Group, a leading Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer with operations throughout the world, annually producing 100 million cotton shirts for internationally well-acclaimed brands. She was recently listed on Forbes Asia’s 50 Power Business Women and she was named on FORTUNE as among the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2009, 2005, 2004 and 2000.
Ms Yang has an interest in education especially in finding ways to improve our ability to teach better whether in rural or urban areas. She served on the MIT Corporation for ten years from 2001 to 2011, and has been an Honorary Member of the Court of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology since 2008. In 2010, she was appointed as Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She is currently a member of various advisory boards at Harvard, Harvard Business School, MIT, and Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. Equally important, she has placed huge emphasis on a corporate culture that embraces cultural diversity and gender equality, promotes ethical business practices, social and environmental responsibility and cares for the employees and their families.
Ms Yang is currently a Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Apart from public and community service, she also serves on the boards of Novartis, Swire Pacific Limited, and The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC).
Ms Yang has a Bachelor of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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