Eric uses his 25 years of experience to support his team in building their legacies.
Eric Wong, Project Director, Hong Kong
Eric’s family life is built on open communication, a trait that he has brought with him throughout his impressive 25-year career in the fit out world. It’s played a huge role in getting him to where he is now, leading a team of 20 bright minds to deliver inventive, visionary ISG projects across the sprawling landscapes of his native Hong Kong.
Growing up in the region, Eric’s father taught him the value of honesty and being true to himself, and it’s these life lessons that have been influential in his rise through the ranks and his approach to supporting others as they do the same. Eric’s team is built on the model of a family, and he’s cultivated an environment based on shared experiences, where his work clan can grow together.
Twelve years on from starting his own ISG journey, it’s still what Eric enjoys the most. “ISG is a big family,” he beams. “The team ethic and ‘Speak frankly’ culture are real difference-makers here; they influence how we work together to achieve great results and grow within the business.”
Easy-going, focused, smart – these are the qualities that spring out when you meet Eric, who works as a project director for ISG in Hong Kong.
His forward-thinking mentality is another characteristic that defines Eric’s personality. It has done so from an early age – ever since he left school Eric believed the construction industry would flourish into the future, becoming increasingly smart and tech-driven in the process.
He wasn’t wrong. Eric has been working in the world of fit out for 25 years and has witnessed the transformation to where it finds itself now, entangled with artificial intelligence, gaming technology and virtual reality – the latest digital innovations.
“The team ethic and ‘Speak frankly’ culture are real difference-makers here at ISG; they influence how we work together to achieve great results and grow within the business.”
Eric Wong, Project Director
Starting out, Eric developed his fit out market knowledge and project management skills for an engineering business and a fit out contractor, before making the decision to join the ISG revolution 12 years ago: “I worked with ISG at my previous company as a subcontractor; Mark Osborne, operations director of ISG in Hong Kong, was ISG’s project director at that time. It fitted perfectly for me and I knew immediately that it was the type of environment I could bring my experience to, so when Mark offered me a position at ISG, I was delighted to accept to help ISG continue to grow.”
During those 12 years Eric has progressed through the ranks off the back of the successful projects that he has been a part of. It’s a journey that has taken him through a plethora of different projects, giving him experience across a range of sectors, including an extensive office fit out for a leading global financial services firm – a scheme that stands out for him as a real test.
“It was a huge project, I had never done anything like it before,” he says. “Managing a big project team presented its own challenges, but keeping on top of progress on a job that large was something new for me, and was great for my personal development. The result was fantastic, and we completed on schedule which I’m very proud of – the team was superb.”
“ISG has been developing tech-led tools to facilitate project management and we have been using them on a number of our schemes. It’s important for us to keep abreast of new technologies, and the ones we’re using are making a real difference to our productivity, efficiency and accuracy.”
Eric Wong, Project Director
It’s this recognition of his team and his inclusive approach that stands out when you speak to Eric, and it’s been a key part of what he’s been able to deliver. “I really believe that teamwork is the key to success,” he says. “The team ethic and ‘Speak frankly’ culture are real difference-makers here at ISG; they influence how we work together to achieve great results and grow within the business.”
The people around Eric were important to his growth when he started at ISG all those years ago, and now he is helping his team develop as they build their own careers. It’s a challenge, but for Eric that’s why he comes to work every day. “I enjoy challenges, and I love to share my experience where I can,” he says. “Listening and communicating with my team is one of the reasons I come to work every day, I want to see everyone grow. The work that we do is challenging and there are always going to be difficult moments, so for me it’s about solving those problems in a relaxed atmosphere where people can share suggestions.”
Working with new technologies is another area of his work that excites Eric, something which he has been leading on in Hong Kong, deploying new smart solutions to his projects to great effect. “It’s exciting,” he says. “ISG has been developing tech-led tools to facilitate project management and we have been using them on a number of our schemes. It’s important for us to keep abreast of new technologies, and the ones we’re using are making a real difference to our productivity, efficiency and accuracy.”
Technology will take the industry into the future, but what does the future hold for Eric? As you’d expect, it’s the next challenge that he’s looking forward to. “As always I want to try my hand at new projects that I haven’t experienced before,” he says. “The bigger the better!”
