The Executive Centre in Hong Kong, China, won a Gold Stevie Award for Services Company of the Year-China (including Hong Kong) in the Company Awards categories of the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. The Executive Centre also won a Gold Stevie for Company of the Year-Business Services – Asia & Oceania in the Company Awards categories of The 2014 International Business Awards.
The final deadline for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is March 25. Get the entry kit here.
The 2015 International Business Awards early-bird deadline is April 15. Get the entry kit here.
Based on a core concept of providing best-in-class service in every city it serves, The Executive Centre offers businesses an opportunity to "Work Smarter, Not Harder" and to achieve office space flexibility, cost effectiveness, and productivity. A business looking to have a presence in Asia can benefit from The Executive Centre’s fully furnished and well-equipped serviced workplaces, virtual offices with prestigious business addresses, a regional network of meeting rooms in a professional business environment, state-of-the-art productivity and communication tools, and a variety of local business support services.
We asked Paul Salnikow, Chairman and CEO of The Executive Centre, for an overview of business trends in Asia-Pacific, what winning a Stevie Awards has meant for his business, and what makes him hit the ground running in the morning.
The Challenges of Expansion
“The Asia Pacific region has enormous potential for growing businesses,” Paul Salnikow told us. He also offered some words of caution: “Whilst expanding into a new market is a huge milestone for any company, it is also very challenging. Different legislation, customs, business practices, and workplace expectations are all important factors that a company must consider. Prior to devising strategies for business expansion or marketing penetration, it is always good to gauge the local business executives’ perceptions of current and future economic conditions on the local, regional and global level as how business peers perceive what lies ahead can be a genuine barometer of business activity and the overall business climate.”
According to a 2015 Business Outlook Survey conducted by The Executive Centre among 800 companies in Asia Pacific, the top three challenging issues for all markets are intensifying competition, pressure on prices (from raw materials,commodities, and services), and uncertain market demand. Paul’s advice: “Focus more on implementing effective business management practices, from cost control and improving working capital, to product innovation, service quality improvement, and customer retention.”
International Recognition
“We are delighted to be recognized on the international business stage,” Paul said about winning the Stevie Awards. “We will use this accolade as a benchmark for how we intend to continue running our business and serving our customers to the highest possible level.”
According to Paul: “At The Executive Centre, creating customer value is the fundamental foundation of our business and we put our customer’s needs and interests at the centre of everything we do. Both the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and The International Business Awards are a testament to our continuous commitment to the delivery of premium-standard serviced office solutions, and our dedication to innovation and service excellence.”
A High Benchmark
Commenting on how winning in the 2014 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is helping to broaden awareness of his business in the region, Paul acknowledged that the Stevie Awards were often referred to as the “Oscars” of the business world. “They honor—and generate public recognition for—the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies and business people worldwide,” he added. “Winning these two awards undoubtedly validates The Executive Centre’s success in setting a high benchmark for premier service delivery on a global scale, and affirms its leadership in the marketplace.”
An Expanding Network
We asked Paul whether he had plans to expand his own service business into other areas of Asia-Pacific. “ Because of the continued growing demand for premium serviced office space driven by companies seeking the advantages of flexible workspace solutions, I am confident of the business growth at The Executive Centre in the coming years both in terms of capacity and revenue,” Paul told us. “We will continue to expand our network in both existing and new Asian markets, as well as look into establishing presence in emerging markets such as the Gulf States and Russia.”
Personal Mantra
According to Paul: “To be average is simple, but to be the best requires continual focus on improvement, constantly setting the bar higher and higher.” It is Paul’s opinion that there is always room for improvement. “So I improve myself in one way every day.”
About Paul Salnikow:
Paul Salnikow is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of The Executive Center, which he founded in 1994. As he likes to put it: “The best leader is the one who is smart enough to choose a talented team to do what he wants done, and then have the self-restraint to allow them to do it. The Executive Centre is populated by highly talented leaders who create successful teams that are given the freedom to succeed. Outstanding leaders work to boost the self-belief of their teams. When people believe in themselves, amazing things are accomplished. In 12 years we have grown the revenue of The Executive Centre from less than $500,000 annually to over $110,000,000 annually. All through the belief and accomplishment of our teams.”
About The Executive Center:
Founded in 1994, The Executive Centre is Asia Pacific's leading premium serviced office provider, with 70 centers across 21 major cities including Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Macau, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai, Chennai, Gurgaon, Pune, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney .
At the cutting edge of the serviced office industry, The Executive Centre provides the highest quality of on-demand serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting facilities, video conferencing and a broad range of business concierge services in the most prestigious Grade A office buildings in the central business districts of every city in which it operates. It is deciated to serving the business interests of multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises, and start-ups locally, regionally, and internationally by providing the most flexible and dynamic workplace solutions.
