Mr Lin Shaoxiong (林少雄)
Executive Chairman and CEO. He was appointed onto the Board of Directors of our Company on 9 April 2007. He is responsible for the strategic business direction and development of our Group. Mr Lin started his career in Hengfa Light Industry in 1998 at its inception, as the General Manager, where he was responsible for the establishment of the business and for its business and operations. He was a councillor in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province Youth Commercial Club (晋江市青年商会) from 2005 to 2007 and Fujian Province Footwear Association (福建省鞋业协会) from 2006 to 2007. He has also been the Honorary Chairman of the Quanzhou City Sino-foreign Association (泉州市中外联谊协会) since 2006. Lin Shaoxiong graduated with a Diploma in Business Management from the Fujian Forestry College (福建林学院) in 1999.
Mr Lin Shaoqin (林少钦)
Executive Director. He was appointed onto the Board of Directors of our Company on 10 April 2007. Mr Lin is also the Sales and Marketing Manager of our Group and is responsible for all aspects of the sales and marketing of our products. He started his career with us in 2004 as a trainee, during which he became well acquainted with all aspects of our our business and operation. Thereafter, he was appointed the Sales and Marketing Manager in 2005, and helped develop our Sales and Marketing Department to expand our sales and distribution network. He graduated from the Jin Nan Chinese School, Manila, Philippines in 2003 with a diploma in Economics.
Mr Lin Yongjian (林永建)
Non-executive Chairman and is the founder of our Company. He was appointed onto the Board of Directors of our Company on 4 June 2007. He has more than 15 years of experience in the shoe manufacturing industry. His industry experience and contacts with the business community and authorities are invaluable to our Group, allowing us to establish strong and favourable working relationships with our customers and suppliers. Mr Lin started his career in the footwear industry in 1984, learning various aspects of the business. In 1992, he established Yangdai Shoes Factory (洋埭制鞋厂) on his own, which undertook production of footwear for many different local brands. Subsequently in 1997, he set up Nolasco (Philippines) in the Philippines before returning to the PRC in 1998 to set up Hengfa Light Industry. He has led the growth and development of Hengfa Light Industry for the past nine years. Mr Lin graduated from the Yangdai Secondary School (Private) in 1967.
Ms Lai Chin Yee
Ms Lai was appointed as our Independent Director on 4 June 2007. She is our lead Independent Director. Ms Lai has more than 19 years of experience in auditing, taxation, finance and accounting. She started her career in 1987 as a Graduate Assistant in KPMG Singapore, where she was later promoted to Audit Senior and then Audit Supervisor before being seconded to KPMG Melbourne in 1991. In 1993, she was promoted to Audit Manager. Subsequently, she joined Arthur Andersen, Shanghai in July 1997 as a Senior Audit Manager. She later rejoined KPMG Singapore as a Senior Audit Manager. In May 2000, she joined Qian Hu Corporation Limited, a Singapore listed company, as the Group Financial Controller and Company Secretary. She is currently the Finance Director of Qian Hu Corporation Limited, where she is responsible for overseeing the accounting, finance, treasury and taxation functions of the company and for ensuring the company's compliance with accounting standards in the countries it operates in. In December 2006, she was appointed by the Ministry of Finance as a Council Member of the Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance (CCDG). Ms Lai graduated with a Bachelor degree in Accountancy from the National University of Singapore in 1987 and is a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountant of Singapore (FCPA).
Mr Tham Hock Chee
Mr Tham was appointed as our Independent Director on 4 June 2007. From 1972 to 1973, he worked in a German tool company, Fraesmaeschinen Reckermann as a Production Planner. Thereafter, he worked in the Singapore Economic Development Board as an investment officer from 1973 to 1979, where he was responsible for investment promotion and industrial training. He then joined Guthrie Singapore as a Product Manager in 1979 till 1983. From 1984 to 1985, Mr Tham worked as a General Sales Manager of Polaroid Singapore Private Limited. From 1985 to 1999, Mr Tham joined the Trade Development Board as the manager for Market Development (emerging markets) and was promoted to director in 1995, where he was responsible for the approval of subsidies for local companies through evaluation of their financial viability. Mr Tham subsequently worked in the Singapore Confederation of Industries as its Secretary General and was responsible for its entire operation and financial matters, including budget and financial control and cashflow management. He was later appointed a Senior Management Consultant in Droege & Comp Singapore Pte Ltd, a German management consulting company in 2002 till 2003. Between 2003 and July 2004, Mr Tham worked as a freelance management consultant. He then joined Sitoca Pte Ltd in July 2004 as a director of business development. Mr Tham left Sitoca Pte Ltd in March 2005 and is now a freelance management consultant. He received a scholarship from the German Government to study in Germany in 1967, where he graduated in 1972 as a Production engineer from Fachhochschule Hamburg.
Mr Sam Kok Yin
Mr Sam was appointed as our Independent Director on 4 June 2007. He is currently also a director of Perennial Advisory Pte. Ltd., a company involved in investments and financial consultancy. Mr Sam started his career as a practicing Advocate and Solicitor. He started his legal career with Rajah & Tann in 2000. In 2003, he left to join Yeo Wee Kiong Law Corporation where he was made a Director in 2004. He also headed the China Practice at Yeo Wee Kiong Law Corporation until he left practice on 31 March 2007. His main areas of practice include corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate work and he had been involved in several initial public offerings, reverse takeovers, investment deals and other capital markets related transactions. Mr Sam obtained his honours degree in law from the National University of Singapore in 2000 under an Overseas Union Bank scholarship. He was called to the Singapore Bar in 2001. He was ranked in first position in the postgraduate Practical Law Course organised by the Board of Legal Education and awarded the Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par Memorial Prize. In 2004, Mr Sam was appointed as a Singapore-China Young Business Ambassador as part of a program organized by the Singapore International Foundation and did a 10 weeks stint in Shanghai as part of the exchange program.