Motivated by responsibility to oneself, team and society. Experts choose experts like Flora and James.
Having known each other from within the industry for years, Flora He and James Woo are currently co-heading Colliers' Valuation business in China. As industry leaders, they are motivated by their shared responsibilities as leaders and their passion for the industry, to continue accelerating the success of the business, their clients and teams.
Watch the video to know more about their career journey.
What was your first job?
Flora: My first job was doing home loan mortgage analysis in Australia, while my first venture in commercial real estate was with a fund house when I returned to China.
James: I worked in an organisation in London, United Kingdom; it was like the housing authority in China. I was responsible for organising files of buildings in London to their archives. It was at the early stages of digitisation and I was responsible to turn the old documents to digital files.
What was your first impression about the valuation industry?
Flora: My first impression was how professional the industry was. China’s real estate economy was just taking off, and it was the start of the country’s first golden decade. So I was doing valuation then for what would be today’s luxury residences, alongside other investment projects. That was also when I started working in James’ team. The industry provided a professional environment and made us feel like everyone in it was, well, professional.
James: I was young at that time. The industry appeared to be elite and professional. People in the UK were very respectful of the industry, down to the way we dressed and worked.
"Be the best version of yourself. In anything, give your best."
Flora He
Executive Director & Co-Head
Valuation | China
What are you passionate about in your career?
Flora: I am passionate about the sense of responsibility that comes with the industry and the profession. At first, it was the idea of being seen as a professional that really appealed to me. After all, it is my job, and a professional work nature makes me feel more motivated. As we advance in our career, our scope of responsibility also expands to the society, the company, and also to your team.
James: Valuation is an elite and respected industry. As I grew in my role, this sense of responsibility became a strong motivation – responsibility not only to yourself, but also to your team, third parties and society.
Read insights from Flora: Why are fresh-made coffee and tea so popular?
How do you accelerate your success?
Flora: A sense of accomplishment is a big driver of success, at least for our career development. It matters to us that our team is growing and our clients are satisfied, and we have the recognition from different parties – not just clients, but also our team. That is why we think that a sense of accomplishment is important.
James: Success to me is when my clients are satisfied with the work we deliver, and my team is making progress. I also gain a sense of joy and accomplishment from seeing my team happy at work.
What is your most memorable success at work?
Flora: I’d say it’s building our Valuation team at Colliers, and how it has grown over the years. I used to be the only person here. And with you joining the team, we can proudly say now that we’re one of the top in our industry.
James: The first H-share listing that I was involved in, and the first USD cheque I got from the company.
"One for all, all for one."
James Woo
Executive Director & Co-Head
Valuation | China
What are you passionate about outside of work?
Flora: I love traveling. We haven’t had a chance to explore the overseas market for so long. And in the past few years, I’ve actually been noticing some new changes in China’s commercial real estate industry. Traveling has allowed me observe these changes as well as discover new places.
James: Traveling, cycling—or travelling by bicycle! China is huge and there are many places to go. If I’m in Beijing, I would just cycle to places within the city. If I travel elsewhere, even for a business trip, I would still bring my bike.
What is your work motto?
Flora: I wouldn’t call it a motto, but maybe it’s more about growing up. When James and I first met, I really didn’t have a motto, but now I would say it’s “Be the best version of yourself”. In anything, give your best, and at least you would not have any regrets.
James: Mine is simple: One for all, all for one.
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