CAREERS: Q&A with ... Caron Chai, The British Council

Job title marketing manager, The British Council

What is your greatest work achievement?

I am very fortunate to have had a lot of friendly and professional people working with me throughout my career. My greatest satisfaction comes from the fact that we have always worked very closely together as a team. That allows us to achieve great business results for our organisation and at the same time pursue our personal goals.

What would be your dream brand to work on and why?

The British Council is a dream brand of mine because it is global, operating in 110 countries. I was also a student at the British Council when I was at school, so it's a thrill to be working in an organisation where I used to be a student.

What would you do if you weren't in marketing?

I like travelling, history and archaeology, so perhaps I'd be an archaeologist.

What was your big break?

When I decided to leave the comfortable environment of Canada and come back to this energetic city - Hong Kong - to develop my career.

Who was your mentor?

No one in particular, but I have certainly learnt from all the bright and yet very different individuals whom I have worked with.

Is there a secret to your success?

I believe in life-long learning - even if it is the latest buzzword in Hong Kong. We should improve ourselves, keep an open mind and be sensitive to the people and things around us. We need to learn from other people's successes and failures and use these lessons to develop our own way of working.

How do you handle difficult clients?

Listening, understanding and gaining trust. Be patient and look at things from the client's point of view.

What advice would you give to the next person to do your current job?

Just do it.

What are you currently reading?

A lot of different things. I read magazines, newspapers, journals, etc. basically to keep myself up-to-date on the market and its trends.

Who is the business person you admire and why?

Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin. I admire his courage to take risks and his ability to think outside of the box when he does business. I also appreciate how he creates innovative marketing campaigns to make the public aware of his products.