“On Board Caption”: Mr. Sun Jiakang

With the initial caption dream but ending it because of the myopia, not only limited to engaging in the management but also performing great contribution in the shipping industry, from an ambitious young man to an mature and successful enterpriser…. the gentleman who has served the shipping field for more than 20 years shows us his pursuit for the sea dream with his motto: It deserves a fight in your lifetime. This time Shippingchina.com invites Mr. Sun Jiakang to DIALOGUE, to narrate his life of shipping.

Broken Caption Dream
On the visit to COSCON Shanghai headquarter approaching the National Day of 2008, journalist from Shippingchina.com interviewed Mr. Sun Jiakang, the Board Chairman & GM of COSCON and vice GM of COSCO. In Mr. Sun ‘s office, a gigantic calligraphy mounted on the wall with the poem reflects his life of shipping, and his persistent pursuit to the shipping industry. 
J: Why do you choose shipping industry as the initial career option？
Mr. Sun: In our time, the philosophies for both life and value possess great difference with the young generation now. At the beginning my dream is to be a caption since that provides stable work and income and for the most important, by this chance I could go abroad and enrich my knowledge.
After the recovery of national university exam, I entered the Dalian Shipping College (so-called Dalian Maritime University now) to learn the navigation technology. But after three years’ s learning, unfortunately I got myopia so I cannot carry on my practice on board (the requirement for naked sight is above 0.8 for driving on board). Then after completing my navigation course, I learned management again. That is why now on my diploma I have two graduate degrees of Navigation Department and Management Department, two-degree graduate in today’s item.
J: What is your feeling when the captain dream is broken?
Mr. Sun: Very down. All my classmates went on board for the practice but I still study in school. Your can feel what is it like. But now I feel very fortunate because I completed these two majors.
J: What is your point of “feel fortunate”? What are the positive influences of these two majors to your life?
J: When receiving the professional mind education on sea, our professor told us that you should act as half a navigator, and half a diplomat. Half a navigator demands the resolute character, persistent spirit, working together concept and responsibility. The learning for navigation influences me a great deal in my future.
After the graduation from the Management department, Dalian Shipping College, I spent five years on teach by correspondence in Chinese People University, majoring in Management. After these years of learning management, I have obtained a complete understanding of management. The most important is, the learning of management helps me a lot in my work now.
Engaging in Management and Continuing Sea Dream
In 1982 after a short period of the graduation, Mr. Sun gained a chance to go abroad. After visits to countries like Singapore, Holland, USA seeing the advanced production technologies and management in these developed countries, Mr. Sun cannot become calm for a long time. When considering that period, he mentions that our national is too backward at that time. A strong feeling of responsibility and destiny come to his mind. He is determined to try his best to make the Chinese shipping industry to be among the world-top lever together with his colleagues.
J: No matter when you took over the position of COSCO Pacific or becoming the GM of COSCON, you all have great actions on the changes of managing system and production running, and have achieved great successes. What is the initial force for your reformation?
Mr. Sun: Generally speaking, China has gained fast development in these recent years. But the levels of management and producing technology are still far behind the developed countries. I have always stressed that the management is the working force. That is correct. When problems of management emerge, it is hard for an enterprise to develop.
J: Working in the shipping industry for so many years, what is the most touching thing in your management experience?
Mr. Sun: There is two things impressed me a lot. One is the brokerage of American USLINE and the other is the cooperation with shipping company A.
At that time USLINE is an American shipping company with gigantic scale. Since the aggressive investment without a complete consideration of the market conditions, she decides to invest a container ship of 4800 TEU (when the largest ship is 3000 TEU), which makes that cannot be accommodated both for the depth and the hanging level of the terminal. So she received the brokerage. The lesson from this case to me is that management must suit the reality on the base of considering the entire inner environment and outside resources. That is how you can breed a bright future for your enterprise.
The second is our cooperation with shipping company A. At 1995, when she is still a company without any fame, she felt greatly honored when she cooperated with us. For certain other reasons, the cooperation doesn’t achieve success, which resulted great disappointment for shipping company A. But now shipping company A has become the third liner company in the world. The most touching point from this case is: there is not the best in the shipping industry, just the better. People should have the awareness of worries, and then improve their own ability and become strong. That is the rule.
Be brave in reformation and fly the flag of COSCON
Since Mr. Sun took over of COSCON in 2006, he is modest to learn the management experience from the fathers and resolutely carried on a series of revolution with his leading group combing the changed competition environment and surrounding the scaled management and differentia competition. Within short two years, as many as nice reformation actions have been taken, which further improved the whole competition level of COSCON. With the leading and guidance of Mr. Sun. COSCON is on full spirit to sail for further.
J: When do you take over of COSCON?
Mr. Sun: When COSCON headquartered in Beijing in 1994, I have been the principle of two departments. Then I went to headquarter to continue my work. In 2002 when I take over of COSCON Pacific, I carry on my work for four years in HK. At the end of 2006, I was appointed to COSCON, when I formally start to take over COSCON.
J: Now COSCON enjoys great evaluation from the industry. What adjustment you have taken since you take over the company?
Mr. Sun: Since I took over this company, nine actions have been taken for which seven are in 2007 and two in 2008. The reformation in 2007 major in the following two sides: One is how to enlarge the vessel scale to ensure the expressing right in international liners; the other is to promote the managing concept “Global Thought & Local Service”.
At the end of 2006, the shipping capacity of COSCON vessel team is 396,000 TEU. Now we reach 500,000 TEU, with an increase of more than 20%. It is predicted before 2010, our shipping capacity will pass 1,000,000 TEU. The reason for we raise the managing concept “Global Thought & Local Service” is that we are an international company with more than 400 companies in the global network globally. We need to make our national managing policy according to the reality and the tailored market features, client’s specialties, resource conditions. Then we can really manage our enterprises to good state.
We have two main reformations this year. One is to transfer our related capital to the stock-listed companies to improve the enterprises’ serving capabilities and enhance their capacities. The other reformation is to hand out the management right of freight price to every ports. The purpose for this is to accelerate our speed of market reaction and improve our market’s competency.
J: What is the goal for COSCON to develop in the future?
Mr. Sun: The first object is to enlarge our vessel fleet’s scale. COSCON is a liner company. Today when the international shipping industry develops at high speed, if you want to win comparatively low cost advantage you must make yourself strong at first. Then we could have the expressing right in the fierce competition. We predict that COSCON TEU would reach more than 1,000,000 in 2012. In the same time, COSCON may come to the first four liner companies in the world and the largest liner company in Asia.
The second object is to build our team into a world top class one. Only your team players are more excellent and they are more united, could your team be more competition effectiveness.
J: Thank you for your participation in DIALOGUE. 

Journalist: Betty Chen