The Bridge Between East And West Is Business, Says Patrick Tsang

How did you get started? Share more about yourself and the environment you grew up in as a child… Tell us about yourself. What’s your background?

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I am the Chairman of Tsangs Group, a fourth-generation China-focused Family Office from Hong Kong. We invest in companies with positive influence and positive impacts worldwide. I was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland, as a Hakka Chinese. The family business was formed in the first half of the 1900s by the Tsang family from Hong Kong, which started from F&B, and evolved into real estate and property investment.

Our portfolio expands into fintech, AI, blockchain, food tech, green tech, and biotech. My life motto is "Anything is Possible," the same title as my podcast series, which features some of the most influential people worldwide. The mission is to share positivity, overcome challenges, and create one world together.

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Tell us about your company. What services do you provide?

Tsangs Group is a China-Focused Family Office headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in London, Dubai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. We invest globally in sector-and location-agnostic, and special situation opportunities. We also provide strategic advising to clients by acting as a bridge between China and the rest of the world. We help Chinese companies acquire companies overseas. We also help overseas companies navigate China, including company development and structure design. We help businesses find the correct business model, and local partner, respectively. In addition, we also regularly exit opportunities via IPOs and trade sales.

You started this business in a competitive industry and became successful quickly. What’s your secret to success?

I believe that life is like a game of poker. We are dealt a hand each day, and we do not need to compare ourselves to others. Instead, we must try our best to play the hand we are dealt with in the game of life. We must be the best we can, and we will have no regrets. Never compare yourself to anyone else. It is about what you want to do, and how you do it along your journey.

Do you have a book? Tell us about that.

I am working on Blue Sky Dreams, an inspirational memoir about my life from a Hakka Chinese family and growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the troubles of the 1980s. Additionally, it will chronicle my life in the shadow of an immensely influential grandfather.

As an investor and prominent business figure, I overcame systemic racism against Asians and turned my family's humble Chinese restaurant business into a family office with a global reach. It is a touching story of family, identity, and perseverance that provides an uplifting message for people who want to blaze their own path in life, including the more than 40 million first-generation immigrants in America facing challenges and adversity based on the colour of their skin, culture, and religion. From understanding the first-hand account of anti-Asian racism to navigating generational and cultural issues, Blue Sky Dreams serves as a reminder that anything is possible with enough hard work and grit.

Personally, what is your secret to your successful career?

My leadership style is simple: work hard and lead by example. My main intention is to encourage my team to be autonomous, make decisions, make mistakes, and to keep growing. If individuals do not grow, then our mission will not succeed.

What qualities do you look for in your ideal business partner or next hire?

In terms of a business partner, the most important trait that I look for is integrity. Without integrity, there is no trust, value, and partnership. Without that, success cannot be achieved or sustained. We seek like-minded partners who want to change the world and have the ability to execute. When I look for new hires, I evaluate their attitude towards life, business, and themselves. At Tsangs Group, we value a never-give-up perspective from staff who go the extra mile and learn. Most of all, they need to take ownership of what they are doing and treat the business like their own. Taking accountability and ownership leads to achieving more success.

What advice would you give to people looking up to you or hoping to replicate what you have achieved?

The best piece of advice I can give is more of an approach to life – anything is possible, and no one is perfect. Stay positive.

There is no set formula. There are always different ways to achieve the life you want, but you must have a vision, and you must work hard to accomplish the vision. Think, plan, and execute, but remember to be agile and adaptable.