CQI Hong Kong Branch turns 30

Indelibly etched in the CQI’s rich history is the establishment of its first international branch, in Hong Kong in 1991. The branch’s primary purpose was to share, support and promote the strategic objectives of the institute while also serving society, industry and the quality profession in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Branch was established with the assistance of the Industry Department of the Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency. Leslie Lee was its founder and served as honorary chairman until retiring from branch duties in 2016.

In addition to Lee, various other elected chairmen have led and guided the branch, and some still serve on its committee today. It is only right that we recognise the outstanding efforts of these volunteers:

• Mark Divers (2010-12)
• Eric Ng (2012-13)
• Colin Williams (2013-15)
• Vincent Chui (2015-17)
• Jaco Lee (2017-19)
• Isa MH (2019-20)

The committee holds regular meetings at which members discuss key developments in the quality profession and hear talks on a variety of quality-related topics, in both formal and informal settings.

For the past 30 years, the branch has held various events for CQI Hong Kong members, including seminars, outdoor activities and company visits, and has organised locally recognised Quality Awards for Business Leaders in Hong Kong.

The branch has embraced the opportunity to use social media and digital technology to deliver events that communicate the mission and values, both locally and internationally.

Ian Streeter

I became branch chairman in 2021, bringing 20 years’ experience in quality management in various industries, including telecoms, rail and construction, both in the UK and in Hong Kong, where I live.

With the support and engagement of the committee members, part of my work has been to define the mission statement and values that embody the spirit and the strategic direction of the Hong Kong Branch specifically, while aligning with the CQI 2020–30 strategy and its values.

To become a key international branch helping to deliver the CQI vision as a leading global body for quality and auditing professionals. To support our communities to continually improve, share expertise and shape the future.

• Inclusion – we respect and value everyone, support each other to do our best, and collaborate to make a difference to society. 
• Integrity – we act ethically, make decisions in the best interests of our stakeholders, and take ownership of our actions.
• Innovation – we invite new ways of thinking that challenge the status quo, help us to remain relevant and ensure we continuously improve. 

With the impact of COVID-19 restrictions regarding public gatherings affecting all parts of the world differently, the Hong Kong Branch has embraced the opportunity to use social media and digital technology to deliver events that communicate the mission and values, both locally and internationally.

In June of this year, this new way of communicating culminated in the Hong Kong Branch hosting its inaugural webinar. Thanks to the international reach of the CQI and social media, this event was delivered to a truly global audience, with more than 70 people – from Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, South Africa, the Middle East and the UK – attending.

The webinar was co-hosted by myself and the Hong Kong Branch Secretary, Carmen Chin, winner of the 2018 International Quality Award for Emerging Talent.

David Hutchins, also an International Quality Award winner, was the keynote speaker, and delivered a presentation on ‘Hoshin Kanri’, a seven-step process for communicating and implementing strategic planning within a company structure.

The feedback from the audience has been excellent. Building on this positive momentum, it is intended that the webinar will act as a boilerplate for future international branch events, and will include speakers that will reach out to an ever greater and more diverse geographical audience.

Looking to the future, it is a very exciting time for the Hong Kong Branch, with multiple opportunities to grow and connect our community. Local face-to-face branch events will soon be resumed, as public gathering rules are being relaxed. More of the hugely popular webinar events are planned, and the branch intends to arrange localised webinars for the Hong Kong quality community in both English and Cantonese, in recognition of the cultural diversity of our members.

Regular meetings have now been established with CQI/IRCA Japan and the CQI’s newest International branch in Taiwan, to share ideas and connect with a wider group of members. This informal tripartite alliance is looking at how our respective branches can deliver pan-Asian events and webinars to the global CQI/IRCA community. At the time of writing, we are very close to announcing the next big international event.

For the Hong Kong Branch, this year is a time to reflect on the extraordinary efforts and achievements of our pioneers and dedicated volunteers, who have given countless hours of their spare time to serve our profession.

For me, it is an honour to be a part of this branch’s 30-year history while grasping the opportunity to help define our future.