Zhaopin to expand in second-tier cities

By ALEX ORTOLANI (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-10-23 13:37

Shape shifter

Liu was not destined for a career as a CEO. At Peking University he studied physics. He then went on to Yale University law school and a job as an attorney in New York. After feeling a tug back to China, he took a job at private equity firm Orchid Asia Group Management Ltd, one of the first international private equity investors in China.

In 1999, Orchid decided to fund Zhaopin. "I thought, this is a fundamentally sound business," Liu says. "If it doesn't work it's not because of the business model but for other reasons within the company."

As an investor, Liu saw potential in Zhaopin. As a man hungry for yet another career change, he saw an opportunity.

"This is such a young industry in China," he says of online recruiting. "The growth potential is hugeit's going to be dominated by two or three players, and as long as you are in that group you are safe."

In 2002, Liu took over the online recruiting firm. The first thing he did was to fire the top management. The second was to get a cash infusion of US$500,000 from Orchid. He says the moves gave a boost to moral and made employees realize he was serious.

Still, for a person more comfortable with boardroom negotiation than speeches, the transition to company leader was not easy. Liu says during the first talk he gave to his staff of 100 he was "miserably perspiring."

"Managing a company requires a different personality," he says. "On that front, I had to adjust a lot, I had to be a lot more outgoingto pay more attention to morale and all these things."

Four months into his tenure, during the height of the SARS scare, Liu made a decision that analysts say was the key factor in the company's survival. While other companies holed up due to SARS, Liu negotiated with CCTV for a programme on job recruiting. The show was a hit, and lifted Zhaopin's brand name "by a mile," Liu says.

Over subsequent years, Zhaopin added 1,000 employees and expanded to 18 offices around China. It was profitable for a short time, but quickly sunk its money into expansion for future growth.

In the future, Zhaopin may try to go public. If they do, will the shape-shifting Liu still be around? It seems likely.

"I'm still learning here every day," he says, "and I enjoy that."


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