Working from the ground up

Derrick Pang has been dedicated to a career across the construction industry. The CEO of Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited (previously known as Chun Wo Development Holdings Limited) not only has deep knowledge of the inner workings of construction, but also a very strong academic background. Always eager to learn, he obtained his degrees from the University of California (Berkeley), Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Following this, came a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering from HKUST.

Starting from zero

As the second generation of a successful entrepreneur, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Derrick. After his undergraduate and master studies, he stayed in the US and worked at a consulting company. In order to spend more time with his family, he returned to Hong Kong. He started working on the lowest rung of the ladder at Chun Wo, on construction sites and helping with menial tasks when needed. He was segregated and not given responsibility initially, but finally he got involved and earned the trust of colleagues.

Perhaps seeing his own future within the business, he built a network among frontline colleagues and construction veterans on a range of projects across Hong Kong, rolling up his sleeves, and forging himself as a leader of workers of all disciplines. Soon, with a track record for doing everything from laying gravel to cleaning sewage, he shed the “heir” reputation and earned his role as a leader years before becoming CEO.

Charity work as a dedication to father

While living overseas, Derrick witnessed the popularity of crowdfunding platforms and wanted to see if this concept would work in the Hong Kong market. He decided that he wanted to dedicate his efforts to charity, and in 2014 he founded Lifewire, the first Hong Kong-based crowdfunding platform to support children's health and medical needs. “When I was young I loved to do charity work, and have always kept this ethos in my mind, and really decided to push this when my father passed away,” Derrick says.

For developing his father founded business, Derrick has a philosophy, “We are evolving from a traditional company to an organization built on modernization and decentralized management systems. People should be able to make their own decisions, and we tap into the talent rather than the centralized person. To do this we need to transform culture, making small changes over time and create a snowball effect where eventually the whole company is a new and refreshed entity.”

Know more about Derrick's story from HKUST Alumni Magazine - Spring 2023 Issue