Wendy Siu: Not making a drama out of a crisis

The middle of the Asian financial crisis may not seem the best time to start a luxury lifestyle business in Hong Kong. But that didn’t stop Wendy Siu, a former corporate executive with a passion for dressing up her home.

“It’s never the right time,” says the founder of Heather & March. “I think it was persistence. Once I set the goal, I said, ‘just do it’. We were just a small speciality store to begin with, so I thought I’ll just give it a go.”

Fourteen years later, Siu’s business is thriving as the exclusive agent of a number of high-end tableware and home accessory brands, and the promoter of savoir faire through partnerships with designers, private clients and major corporations. For her efforts, Siu has also been named an Officer of the National Order of Merit, one of the highest civilian honours bestowed by the French Republic.

Born in Hong Kong, Siu was educated in United States, working there and in London before returning home in 1989. “Growing up in Hong Kong, we’ve been taught to work very hard,” she says. And, while she may have left her corporate career with the likes of British Telecom and General Electric behind, Siu still carries with her the same work ethic.