How I’m Making It: Chlitina’s Ryan Chao on leadership, diversity in the workplace, and empowering female entrepreneurs

As a third-generation leader of Chlitina, Chao has big shoes to fill. His maternal grandfather is the formidable Dr. Chen Wu-Kang, who founded the company in 1989 and is famously known as ‘the father of amino acids’ for his pioneering work in incorporating plant amino acids into Chlitina products. In 1997, Chao’s mother, Joanna Chen, joined Chlitina and oversaw the company’s rapid expansion into mainland China.

Since joining the fold in 2012, Chao has been on the mission to spearhead Chlitina’s transformation into a digital-first company. “The digital makeover of the beauty industry is not a choice anymore; it's a necessity. At Chlitina, we've been leading the charge in the digitalisation of China's beauty industry by seamlessly blended digital tools with our physical stores to make shopping experience more engaging,” he says. “This combination of digital and brick-and-mortar has turned out to be a winning strategy. It's like having the best of both worlds, you know?”

Not one to rest on his laurels, Chao is now turning his focus on something new: health and wellness. As consumers become increasingly demanding, Chlitina is quickly evolving and keeping up with the times by offering holistic well-being enhancements ranging from nails to eyelashes, facials, medical aesthetics, and even plastic surgery.

Below, we catch up with the affable leader as he shares his vision for Chlitina and how he makes it work.

What does a typical workday look like for you?
Ryan Chao (RC): It usually involves discussing important decisions with frontline supervisors, participating in group meetings, and simultaneously working on completing my doctoral studies.

What do you think are the qualities of a good leader?
RC: I believe that a good leader should maintain openness, listen to colleagues' voices, and stay attuned to market changes. In today's world, besides reacting quickly to the market, it is important to have a long-term perspective. Over the years, I've observed how some companies rise while others fall rapidly. To maintain competitiveness, businesses need a long-term vision and strategic planning to minimise mistakes and keep their sights set on the future.

You are a third-generation leader. How has Chlitina’s leadership has evolved over the years?
RC: My family has always led the entire company with an open and inclusive attitude. However, with the market and environment changing rapidly, our pace has accelerated, and decision-making has become more complex.

What is your biggest accomplishment to date–both professionally and personally?
RC: On the company level, I am driving the digitalisation progress within the group. During Covid-19, I also coordinated with colleagues and stores to overcome challenges. Together, we managed to pull through the pandemic and bring our digitalisation progress to the next level.

On the personal level, my family life is fulfilling and I am pursuing a PhD. Learning is a lifelong process; regardless of what position I am holding, it is essential to continually acquire knowledge to keep up with the world.

Tell us more about Chiltina’s brand mission to empower women.
RC: We are a pro woman brand–a brand that believes in empowering women and enabling them to build self-confidence and self-belief  to change their own lives. For instance, Germes (our esteemed beauty training academy) is dedicated to cultivating future beauty entrepreneurs through our unique female empowerment business model. As we venture into the international arena, we want to empower our overseas franchise partners and support them in building successful beauty businesses.

What were the biggest challenges you faced as a CEO and how did you overcome them?
RC: Chlitina started as a salon-based business, focusing on exceptional products and quality service closely connected to consumers. Over the past 30 years, with the advent of the AI era and changing consumer preferences towards speed and efficiency, Chlitina faced challenges. However, we never lost our way because we believed that regardless of how times change, consumers still need personal service, especially in beauty and wellness services such as beauty treatments and nail care. It's not just about the pursuit of appearance but also about the experience of being served and building trust with the beauticians. Chlitina adapts well to both retail and online sales, and both complement each other. In my view, while the new era poses challenges, it also presents better business opportunities.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
RC: When I see franchise stores change their own destiny and achieve success, I feel incredibly excited and proud. It is the reward for all their hard work, perseverance, and teamwork. It is not just my personal success but also a victory for the entire team. This experience inspires me to continue pursuing more growth for Chlitina, and this affirms our team determination and resilience in this journey together.

How do you unwind?
RC: I love watching movies, playing basketball, golfing, and collecting Marvel figurines. These hobbies allow me to relax and indulge in a diverse range of interests.

How do you achieve a work-life balance and set boundaries?
RC: Through family life. Generally when I return home, I try my best to set work aside and focus on my family. This helps me reduce stress while staying focused, allowing me to excel at work and participate more in family activities to foster closer relationships with those I love.

What is your vision for Chlitina?
RC: What Chlitina wants to do is to become a ‘one-stop’ and ‘all ages’ solution. Therefore, whether it's for one year or 10 years, our goal remains unchanged–to provide comprehensive health and beauty services for women. We will continue to strengthen the health sector and actively plan expansion into other Asian countries.

What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received?
RC: Always remain open, sense market changes, and be brave to try new things.

And finally, what is the best advice you can share to fellow leaders and innovators in the beauty industry?
RC: The future women's market will only become more important and expansive. So by focusing on observing women's needs from the inside out, there will be limitless market opportunities.