[Alumni Story] Discovering career strengths: Calvin Tang's journey to build an ideal career in the tech industry and giving back to society through innovation

In the ever-evolving realm of technology, AI (artificial intelligence) stands as a pivotal trend. Mr Calvin Tang, an alumnus of the Department of Business Administration in 2005 and the current Marketing Director for Alibaba Cloud North APAC Region. Calvin has always been interested in emerging technologies and describes his career path as growing alongside the development of technology. "From the advent of smartphones to the widespread adoption of 3G/4G networks, and the evolution of internet entertainment, cloud & artificial intelligence technology now takes centre stage. Each of my career transition has propelled me forward." In May of this year, Lingnan University and Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, have announced a partnership and recently held a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony on campus. This event brought Calvin back to his alma mater, where he participated as a partner and served as a judge for Lingnan University’s first-ever Business Case Competition (LUBCC). The partnership offers faculty and students with unprecedented opportunities for cutting-edge technology and real-world business insights, and promote increased cooperation between industry, academia, and research.

Exploring diverse industries along the tech path

Calvin embarked on his BBA journey at Lingnan University in 2002. In Year 2, he chose Marketing as his major based on his interests and personality, while minoring in Chinese Business Studies. Making the most of his university years, he actively gained valuable experience by taking on marketing-related part-time roles such as an event assistant and promoter. Through the University referral, he landed a marketing research internship at California Red Box Karaoke to conduct market research. Based on these experiences, Calvin joined GfK, Germany's largest and the world's fourth-largest market research company, where he conducted research on electronics market. Collaborating with well-known retail chain stores like Broadway, Fortress and Chung Yuen Electrical, he collected sales data and conducted market rankings, seamlessly integrating his academic and professional experiences.

Later on, Calvin joined the telecommunications, FMCG and internet entertainment industries. Recalling his seven-year stint at China Unicom, where he was responsible for promoting cross-border mobile communication products and enhancing localisation efforts. "At that time, China Unicom’s prepaid SIM card had just entered the Hong Kong market. Facing intense competition, I rebranded the product as 'Roaming King and ‘Cross-Border King’ to raise consumer awareness. Building a brand, localising, and promoting new products for a company entering the market brought me great satisfaction." After leaving China Unicom, Calvin moved on to work in the FMCG sector and internet entertainment companies, exploring different industry domains. "I have always wanted to better understand consumer behaviour and thoughts. I have been in charge of large events such as trade fairs, food expos, and the Hong Kong Computer and Communications Festival. All these experiences have been very valuable to me," he shared. Eventually, seven years ago, he joined Alibaba Cloud, where the industry trends, growth prospects, and job responsibilities align perfectly with his long-pursued ideal career.

Benefit the society with technology: actively giving back

As the business steadily progressed, Calvin began contemplating how he could contribute to the community. Since last year, he has actively engaged in charitable projects, collaborating with multiple non-profit organisations. In September 2023, he partnered with Heep Hong Society for a flag-selling event. "In May and June last year, they reached us with concerns about the difficulties of recruiting enough volunteers for the September event and expressed worries regarding unfavourable weather conditions. So, we collaborated to develop an online flag-selling platform. I started reaching out to different resources, successfully found a partner company, and persuaded my supervisor to provide company resources to help Heep Hong Society establish a flag-selling platform. Unexpectedly, on the day of the flag-selling event, a black rainstorm signal was hoisted by Hong Kong's Observatory, the offline activities were forced to be cancelled, but fortunately, Heep Hong Society was able to use this online platform to ultimately reach their fundraising goal."

He believes that the combination of technology and charity project is a meaningful endeavour, especially when he sees the lack of resources in some social welfare and charitable organisations. Some organisations do not even have basic websites or online services. Therefore, he hopes that technology can bring convenience to help the disadvantaged. On the day of the interview, which was just before the Mid-Autumn Festival, many companies were preparing to send exquisite mooncake gift boxes to their clients. However, Calvin believes that instead of allocating resources to hotel bakeries or printing companies, it is more meaningful to collaborate with social welfare organisations. Since two years ago, they have partnered with organisations such as Hong Chi Association, Po Leung Kuk, and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, purchasing mooncakes made by their bakery workshops for gifting purposes.

He showed us the mooncake gift box in front of him, explaining, “This year, we collaborated with Tung Wah Group of Hospitals iBakery to teach individuals with disabilities how to create Mid-Autumn themed artwork using Generative AI tools. These artworks were then printed and included in the gift boxes as greeting cards. This approach not only adds a personal touch but also creates employment opportunities for underprivileged communities. Seeing their joy during the process has reinforced my belief in prioritising public welfare. It indirectly helps our brand image as well.” Calvin's initiative demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility, showing that thoughtful actions can positively impact both the community and corporate branding.