Michele Reis may have taken a break from her acting career, but she's never been out of the public eye. Time for her is "invaluable" and "very precious". "I always find that I don't have enough time," says Reis, who is often in the spotlight, whether it's making appearances at star-studded parties or advocating for her philanthropic causes. Since she married in 2008, Reis and her tycoon husband Julian Hui are one of Hong Kong's most powerful celebrity couples.

Voted best chef in the world by Le Chef magazine this year, Pierre Gagnaire does not rest on his laurels as he makes multiple visits to his 15 fine-dining restaurants spread across four continents each year. Travelling between Paris, Berlin, London, Las Vegas, Dubai, Hong Kong and Tokyo, no one day is alike for Gagnaire.

Ferrari's relationship with time is "complicated". Often it's a race against time to "deliver breakthrough after breakthrough". In the words of Matteo Torre, president and CEO of Ferrari Greater China, who clearly relishes the challenge, "Ferrari is always competing with time".

Sometimes life leads you to do things that you've never dreamed of. Take Ariane Zagury, an investment banker who ended up in the fashion business as the founder of retailer Rue Madame. 

Undoubtedly, the greatest challenge in the auction business is making split-second decisions quickly and in time. When the hammer comes down, you've either got it or you've lost it, and the stakes can be as high as hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Thomas Flohr is a true jet setter. The founder of VistaJet, a Swiss charter airline firm founded in 2004, clocks in over 700 hours on planes each year. 

For Alberto Galassi, the CEO and director of the Ferretti Group, time is one of the most valuable commodities when it comes to business. It means the difference between incredible success, total failure and everything in between. 

Kirk Lazarus wears many different hats. These days, he readily swaps between his interior designer hat, hotelier hat and retail magnate hat - all in one day sometimes - while somehow finding time to indulge in the many sports he loves. 

Warren Mok considers himself a dreamer - but a practical one. The idea of a "practical dreamer" may seem like an oxymoron, but the opera singer and founder of Opera Hong Kong explains: "I have my dreams, but I know where I stand. You have to find a balance, [find out] where you stand, and go from there. Don't overestimate yourself but don't undervalue yourself either."

Glenn Pushelberg is the human equivalent of a popular Pinterest account. Not only is his life undeniably beautiful - admittedly due to his job as a globally renowned designer - but his proactive mindset puts the rest of us to shame. In short, he's the kind of person we've always wished we could be. 

In naturopathic medicine, the aim is to address the underlying cause of illness, to treat the whole person and to focus on disease prevention, rather than simply treat or suppress symptoms. Dr Ardyce Yik, a licensed naturopathic physician from Canada, uses evidence-based natural medicines to help her patients to achieve optimal health.

It is obvious to those who meet Robert Chua that he's passionate about what he does. While the legendary broadcaster and businessman spends most of his time based at his latest venture, A La Bakery, he also finds time to make television programmes such as the reality series Someone Who Cares, which aired on TVB.

Dr Ralf Altmeyer likes to understand how things work. He found it intriguing from a young age - how a virus worked, how it caused disease in one person and not another. It prompted him to go into science, "with a focus on finding solutions - newmedicines, new treatments, new vaccines". 

As a key executive of a well-respected media group in Hong Kong, Yijia Tiong juggles a busy professional life. Besides her family business commitments, her quaint Japanese eatery, Tabibito, nestled in Sheung Wan's artsy Po Hing Fong, is one of the best-kept secrets among local gourmands. "I'm planning two more ventures coming up, and a craft beer brewery," says the proud entrepreneur.

For some, time management is of the utmost importance, where every second and minute counts. Those in financial services are locked into the concept of time. To them, timing is crucial when it comes to executing a trade. And for Cheah Cheng Hye, "time is one of the most important secrets of success for people in the financial services industry". 

As brand director of The Macallan, The Edrington Group, Ken Grier is well aware of how crucial timing is when making Scotch whisky. Founded in 1824 in the heart of Speyside, The Macallan was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be legally licensed, and it has since built a reputation for creating one of the world's finest single-malt whiskies.

Samuel Kung is a man who wears two very artistic hats. The founder of Shanghai's Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) is also a Chinese jade connoisseur, running a successful business as a dealer and designer of the gemstone. 

When travelling, Song Hoi-see always brings along a watch showing different time zones. "As we operate in different continents, I travel extensively back to back across various time zones. When I arrive at a destination, I need to know the exact local time and the time of my businesses in other cities so that I can catch up with what they are doing and talk with them if necessary," says the founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Lounge. 

Quincy Wong Lee-man could easily be mistaken for a professional athlete, having completed more prestigious endurance events than many serious runners over the past few years. But as the head of one of Hong Kong's largest independent financial advisers, with some 2,000 staff, his time management is as impressive as his mental and physical strength for finishing gruelling races.

With no money apart from a small loan from his parents and a strong dose of entrepreneurial spirit, Nick Mowbray moved to mainland China with his brother and sister to start a toy company when he was only 18 and straight out of high school. 

Expanding an exciting restaurant-lounge-nightclub concept across different countries in Asia really doesn't leave Kirk Martin, CEO of CE LA VI, with much time to spare.

Norwegian sailor Knut Frostad could have been a musician. However, he fell in love with sailing when he was a child. "Actually, it was only when I discovered windsurfing that I absolutely fell in love with sailing," he recalls. "It was the feeling of having the wind in your hands."

Time has become a precious commodity for veteran jeweller Tayma Page Allies who is known for her one-off handmade pieces using rare coloured gemstones. Her swanky boutique in Landmark Prince's Building is a testament to her hard work and determination to succeed.