Business Administration Brothers Break into Hong Kong’s Marketing Scene

Just two years apart in age, Hong Kong Shue Yan University alumni Tom LAU Chi-ming (BBA, 2010) and Carl LAU Chi-kit (BBA, 2012) both charted careers in marketing. The Lau brothers share not only a degree in Business Administration, but also an outgoing personality and talent for communication. For Carl, his elder brother Tom has often been a guiding light.

Moving beyond the status quo

After graduating in 2010, Tom first entered the finance sector. But the long hours and technical demands left him searching for something more. “It was about moving beyond the status quo,” Tom reflects. “People in finance are already the best of the best. For an ordinary person to stand out, you need to catch larger trends. Don’t fear change, whether it’s industry, work model, or role.”

Four years in, Tom pivoted to digital marketing at a listed company and quickly spotted opportunities in the then-emerging online-to-offline (O2O) strategy. By sharing his ideas with the senior management, Tom, in his 20s at that time, earned recognition early in his career. On his recipe for success, Tom believes it lies in “taking what seems the newest idea, and then innovating beyond it”.
Today, Tom heads the Hong Kong office of iBLUE, a cross-border marketing agency that helps Chinese brands expand globally and international firms enter mainland China.

Choosing the right battlefield

Carl followed his brother into a finance internship, but realized early that his real strengths lay in communication and storytelling. By his third year, he shifted his focus to marketing as his major.

After graduation in 2012, Carl pursued an international management programme overseas. Back in Hong Kong, he joined a fast-growing tech firm and rose to management within two years. When the company collapsed due to financial troubles, Carl stepped in to help affected clients recover losses. That experience inspired him to start fresh.

In 2016, he co-founded Go In Marketing, which quickly secured Yahoo Hong Kong as its first client. For Carl, success hinges on matching one’s strengths and unique skills with the right arena: “Choosing the right battlefield is crucial. Hard work and persistence are also equally essential,” he notes. “The road to success is rarely crowded, because most people give up too soon. Those who persist to the end are the ones who succeed.”

Seizing the opportunity

The Lau brothers credit Shue Yan University for shaping their paths to success in the field of marketing. Tom remembers choosing business administration at Shue Yan for its breadth, after missing out on his preferred university. He is grateful the university experience opened the doors and helped him discover his strengths and leadership.

Tom also highlighted the importance of Shue Yan’s internship programmes and student societies, which provided him with critical exposure to real-life working experiences. He took the chance to connect with industry leaders through sponsorship outreach, while discovering that certain fields, such as insurance, were not for him.

“Internships show you what you should not do, while open exams reveal your weaknesses. The key is finding the right battlefield,” he notes.

For Carl, he describes Tom as a “minesweeper” who help clearing paths and testing options ahead of him. Following his brother’s steps, both of them even met their future wives while studying at Shue Yan, something they call the school’s most treasured gift. “Seize the opportunities the university gives you, equip yourself for the needs of the market, and you’ll always find your ways forward, they said.

Giving Back

Carl’s company, Go In Marketing, continues to maintain close ties with their alma mater, offering internships since 2017 and establishing a five-year bursary to support students from low-income families from last year.

Looking to the next generation, the Lau brothers observe that young people sometimes show less drive at work, but they see this as a response to changing social environments. “We don’t criticize. We embrace change,” Tom adds. “With support and encouragement, they can unlock their potential.”