HKJC CEO SPELLS OUT THEIR WINNING FORMULA

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is renowned for running one of the best racing operations in the world.

As in many examples of particularly notable success stories, the reason for the success and elevated standing of the HKJC is quite simple.

It’s primarily all about putting your focus in the right place and taking it from there.

Knowing where the right place is, is seemingly something that some find harder to put their finger on than others because not everybody has been able to replicate the winning business model that the HKJC has clearly mastered, but, even when you know where the essential starting point is, to implement the required strategy beyond that is obviously easier said than done.

The HKJC CEO, Winfred Engelbrecht-Bresges spelt out the HKJC’s mission statement.

“What we want to do ... what we target ... is customer experience and customer centricity,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges, speaking to HRO’s Darren Winningham.

“The sport has to have quality but, in the end, you have to look after what experience people want to have ... and I do think we do that a little bit better than most others,” Engelbrecht-Bresges added with a justifiable sense of pride.

For the record, the meaning of customer centricity idescribes a imethodology which demands that the customer is the focal point of all decisions related to delivering products, services and experiences to create customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy.

A simple premise ... but, even with the best of intentions and a large dose of hard work, life will always throw you a curved ball at you on occasions and the HKJC had to work through a list of priorities to cope with the difficult times presented to them by the arrival and on-going presence of Covid-19.

Remember the need to find the right point of focus!

“For us, it was very important to get the local fans back in the first instance ... and that is what we have achieved now,” offered Engelbrecht-Bresges.

“Also, one of the first things was that it was important that owners and trainers could come. We got special permission for that.

“The next step, and I am optimistic about this, is that we will be fully open in April where we can get racing fans coming to Hong Kong from all over the world.

For all of those who could did not go to Hong Kong this time, but who might be considering a trip in April to the FWD Champions Day race meeting, Engelbrecht-Bresges had this four-word message .... ‘book your flight now’.

The one certainty is that as a visitor to Hong Kong racing precinct ... whenever you choose to go ... you will be well looked after.

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