Kerry Chan

Tell us about your experience with Visottica Group.

I joined Visottica Group in 2007. At that time, the name of the Hong Kong office was ‘Ottica Far East’. The company was not big, and it had a small factory (OTM) in China. After the merger with Comotec, it grew in size. This gave me the opportunity to have greater exposure to the optical industry, both in terms of product knowledge and interpersonal skills. Growing up with the Company along the way – it now counts a workforce of approximately 1000 people – today I am very proud that the Group has become a leader in the optical components sector and in other related sectors.

What is your role in Visottica Group China and what are your main responsibilities?

I am a salesman taking care of the customers with optical factories in the southern part of China, and in nearby countries, like Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Korea, and Japan. I find my job satisfaction by meeting my customers’ requests: design, timeline, and quality standards. Being a middleman between the customers and the factory, I learn to always filter their requests according to what they exactly need, and then relay the information to the departments in charge. In addition to the sales activities, I also work to promote the image of the company and to increase the awareness in all Southeast Asian countries.

What do you love most about your job and about the company?

At work, I am most impressed by the Company’s family culture. Everyone works as a team, dealing with various matters: from technical solutions to production planning to quality assurance. Our team spirit is an important added value for the company’s success. I also appreciate that I can have full autonomy for side activities, and this extends my duties beyond the office, making me feel more accomplished. For instance, I have been a committee member of the HKOMA (Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association) for over 10 years. Within the association, I carry forward the Company mission to assist the members in the optical industry, helping to promote the Association, organizing events, both for leisure and to exchange and share information.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job nowadays?

During the Covid outbreak, when everyone faced lockdown, we tackled this problem with online meetings and telephone calls. I must thank my colleagues and customers for their patience and understanding while dealing with our daily issues via the internet, when meeting up face-to-face became unfeasible. Now, under the complex political uncertainties and scarcity of natural resources, we must take further steps to explore opportunities for new project developments with customers and factories. We are grateful that our R&D and technical departments are always very helpful in continuously finding new ideas and solutions. This helps the customers develop new collections for their next launches.

What skills are fundamental to your role?

I believe business is about relationships with people. My greatest interest is to find ways to help my clients and colleagues. Visottica Group is a place where I can constantly improve my interpersonal skills and my technical skills.

What do you think about the multicultural aspect of Visottica Group?

Visottica Group is truly a multi-cultural company. We have colleagues of various nationalities and coming from different backgrounds. Visottica Group is one big family. No wonder many of our colleagues have been with the company for a very long time. I hope the company slogan “Italian roots, multinational vision” will reach every corner of the optical industry worldwide.