Cover Charmaine Li is all smiles ahead of Kowloon Dairy’s 85th anniversary (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
Charmaine Li is all smiles ahead of Kowloon Dairy’s 85th anniversary (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
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Charmaine Li has been stewarding her long-running family business, Kowloon Dairy, since 2012. She talks about her morning routine, what drives her and why the business is a cash cow—literally.
Charmaine Li is the co-CEO and chairman of milk-product giant Kowloon Dairy in Guangzhou, along with her first cousin, co-CEO Erica Li, who serves as chairman in Hong Kong. “She’s like the sister I never had. We excel in different areas, and we work together fairly and with a lot of respect,” Li says. Entering the family business wasn’t a given. In June 2010, Li founded her own film production company, Tiberius Productions, which has released films across a wide variety of genres and subjects—including cookery, sports, nature, travel and human-interest documentaries—for broadcasters including the BBC, National Geographic and Cartoon Network. The company, for which she remains the managing director and producer, has also made commercials and events for luxury clients including Versace, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels.
She spent 14 years before that in the luxury goods industry as communications director for brands such as Cartier, Jimmy Choo and Burberry. In 2012, though, she decided to focus on matters closer to home. She joined Kowloon Dairy as an executive director, stepping up to her current role in 2019. Her grandfather Li Lan-sang co-founded the firm, which is still owned by the family, in 1940.
Above Charmaine Li (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
Charmaine Li (Photo: Zed Leets/ Tatler Hong Kong)
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My grandfather sadly passed away just months before I was born. I [learnt a lot] from my father [the late Cornel Li] about who my grandfather was. He was very smart yet chilled. He was exceptionally gentle and loved horses [he once owned more horses than anyone else in Hong Kong]. My earliest memory of the business is my father bringing milk bottles home, and my mother telling me not to drink too much or I’d get fat [laughs]. I just remember peeling the foil off the top, skimming off the cream and drinking really chilled, fresh milk.
I get my humour from my father. I’m more like my dad and it annoys the crap out of my mother [Tisa]. I get my sarcasm from my mother, though. She is a woman to be reckoned with—she says things to me like: “Charmaine, have you made your will yet? You’re not going to leave everything to your cat, are you?” [laughs].
Above Li’s uncle Li Fook-ning (far left) and great-grandfather Li Koon-chun (third from left) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club in the 1940s (Photo: Courtesy of Charmaine Li)
Li’s uncle Li Fook-ning (far left) and great-grandfather Li Koon-chun (third from left) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club in the 1940s (Photo: Courtesy of Charmaine Li)
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Manners and etiquette are a big thing for me. I have my Debrett’s Handbook [an etiquette guide] with me all the time—I get through most things with etiquette, manners and being respectful. My parents were very big on how I wrote, how I spoke and how I conveyed messages. The art of writing and correspondence is now seriously lacking in the world. Another favourite book of mine is The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
I have a ginger shot in the morning and that just wakes me up completely. Then I have my morning coffee and I look through emails to flag and tag what I need to do. It helps me feel more settled. I’m somebody who likes schedules, who likes to have clarity—I hate when things are hanging in the air. It drives me absolutely insane. When there are deadlines and milestones to hit, I’m relentless—I’m like a dog gnawing on a bone and won’t let it go. I am also very empathetic and have a semi-photographic memory. It annoys the people who have to work with me—I admit it’s quite fun when you catch people out [laughs].
Above In 1975, Li’s family built their factory in Tuen Mun, where it still remains in operation today (Photo: Courtesy of Charmaine Li)
In 1975, Li’s family built their factory in Tuen Mun, where it still remains in operation today (Photo: Courtesy of Charmaine Li)
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My love for horses comes from my dad, who caught the bug from my grandad. My dad started taking me to the stables when I was very young; he used to drag me out of bed at 3.30am to go see the morning gallop. There are a lot of similarities between going to the stables and going to the dairy farms. At the farms, you’re told to walk very slowly and not to make any sudden movements, or else the cows will kick you. It’s the same at the stables. I think cows are really cute. Horses are majestic, beautiful animals. My family always said horse racing was the sport of kings and the king of sports. I go to Royal Ascot every year to keep my father’s tradition alive because he used to take us every year.
My father said: “I need somebody to take over the business and it’s you.” I would do anything he asked of me. My first thought was that I didn’t think my father would pass this role on to me. Secondly, I thought, what am I getting myself into? My father was always my biggest believer. There were times when I had setbacks in my life, and he was always the one that said, “You can do this.” My father passed away a few years ago. I miss him very much. He always said I could do anything, and that was really important to me.
I started working in the warehouse doing inventory. You have to do the grunt work to understand every single level of the operation. I inherited a business that was 75 years in at the time, and it was saturated with people who had been there for a long, long time. I was aware that people would hate [a new person coming in] and making all these changes. It was something that needed to be massaged a little bit. We respect our people and are mindful that as business owners, we control and handle their livelihood. We love people who believe in the welfare of animals, who believe in CSR—now we’re attracting more like-minded people.
We like simplicity and we’re not overly ambitious. We’re not like some of our fellow family businesses who want to dominate the US market. We’re a very honest Hong Kong company and we’re a Hong Kong family serving local customers. We know what we’re good at: we’re good at fresh milk. We’re in the [convenience goods] business and what we sell goes into your body, and we will not compromise on the quality of that. We don’t want to be a jack of all trades and an expert of none.
This business is a cash cow. Literally. The puns that come with being in the dairy business are incredible. As a family, we’re terribly proud to get to the 85-year milestone, because most people would have given up by now. As a third-generation business owner, I look at myself as a real custodian of the business. We are very proud that we’ve still kept it in the family. It’s a privately owned business and it’s still thriving. It’s a massive achievement. This is why our tagline is “From our family to yours,” and we say it proudly. We hope people will treasure it as much as we do. It’s given us a lot of joy—and a lot of milk.
Credits
Art Direction: Zoe Yau
Hair: Ricky Kwok at Headquarters
Photography Assistant: Carlos Hui, Beryl Yim
As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print, and reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs, curating star-studded events and building the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
