ALUMNI
Paul Su
’86, Hong Kong
BY KIWI, GRADE 12
Paul Su joined Albert College in Grade 9 after it was recommended by family friends. The decision to study abroad was a family choice. He explains, “My parents hoped that I could receive a Western education, as they admire that it places less emphasis on exam-oriented learning and focuses more on developing students’ well-roundedness.” After graduating in 1986, Paul pursued further education at the University of Western Ontario, where he studied math and statistics, and later obtained an accounting certificate from Wilfrid Laurier University. He then worked in Toronto for four years. In 1995, Paul moved to Hong Kong, where he worked in an American company and took on responsibilities related to manufacturing, merchandise and international exports. Moving to Hong Kong also allowed him to live closer to his parents. In 2000, Paul started his own entrepreneurial journey. His business involves the manufacturing and merchandise of products like home decorations and collectible figurines. Notably, his business has established partnerships with renowned brands like Disney and DC Comics. Paul’s passion for product development is fuelled by the strong sense of accomplishment he derives from seeing initial design concepts come to life, transformed into tangible figures that are on store shelves. This process drives his motivation to continue creating and delivering high-quality merchandise to his customers. During his time at Albert College, the structured schedule for boarders was the most memorable and impactful aspect of his experience. For instance, Paul recalls a time when he was campused after missing the daily roll call at breakfast in Ackerman Hall. Although his consequence of being tasked with sweeping the autumn
leaves at the front of the school was not fun at the time, Paul explained how “following the campus system really taught me to be responsible for my own mistakes and made me more cautious.” Living in boarding not only helped Paul develop self-discipline, responsibility and organizational skills that would later prove crucial in his career, but it also gave him the opportunity to meet people from diverse cultures around the world. Paul fondly recalls how boarders formed close bonds through studying together, hanging out and participating in boarding life activities. These interactions allowed him to learn about different cultures and hone his communication skills, which turned out to be invaluable in his career as he is often the middle person, bridging language barriers when needed.
When asked about his advice for students and alumni considering entrepreneurship, Paul emphasizes that “starting up a business is a big challenge, so make sure you have planned thoroughly and are committed, before taking action. It is a long-term battle and requires perseverance through good days and bad. Working hard and being patient will carry you through.” Paul also advises being mindful and prepared for worst-case scenarios, drawing from his own experience when his business faced shipping issues during the pandemic due to container shortages and port congestion in the US and Canada. Thanks to their strategic planning – always looking ahead and preparing for unexpected challenges – they were able to keep the business running, until brighter days came along.
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ALBERT TALKS
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
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