Businessman delivers finer things in life

Returned overseas entrepreneur expands from electronics sector to develop China's real estate, wine and polo industries in bid to improve quality of life

"Running a business means innovation, we need to do what others do not." That's the motto of Pan Sutong, chairman of Hong Kong-based Goldin Group, an international conglomerate operating in Hong Kong, China, the United States, Europe and Australia.

For decades, Pan has devoted themselves to growth, trying to make it possible for consumers in Hong Kong and China to enjoy quality life.

First fortune

Pan moved to the US in 1976 and gained overseas experience, which he said gave him a broader view of life.

In the 1980s, when consumer electronics emerged as a new industry, he returned to Hong Kong and made his first fortune through cooperation and trade with Matsushita, predecessor of Japanese mega-brand Panasonic.

In 1993, he founded Matsunichi Digital in Hong Kong and started producing MP3 players, digital video telephones, IC and LCD displays and other electronic products. Its MN3620 karaoke TV displays dominated 90 percent of China's market.

In 2002, Pan purchased the Hong Kong listed Emperor Technology Venture Ltd and changed its name to Matsunichi Communications Holdings.

In 2003, Matsunichi finished building a production base in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and the following year it produced more than 10 million MF206 MP3 players, which made it the top producer in the market.

Like many successful businessmen, Pan holds strong to the idea of not putting all his eggs in one basket. In 2007, he started looking for opportunities outside the electronics industry, and in the subsequent year, Matsunichi was renamed as Goldin Properties Holdings. With the acquisition of the listed Goldin Financial Holdings Ltd in the same year, Goldin Group took its current shape as an international conglomerate.

In 2013, Goldin became the major shareholder of Gigaset AG, a 160-year-old German communications corporation, and renewed its ambition in consumer electronics.

Gigaset, the market-leader in home wireless phones in Europe, now also provides cloud-based products and solutions for smart homes. On Sept 1, Gigaset released their first smartphone series, Gigaset ME, at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin, Germany, marking another milestone for the company.

A move to realty

In 2007, Pan made an ambitious move to branch into the real estate market.

The first city he entered was Tianjin, which benefits from its proximity to Beijing but lagged behind in realty development.

With the government's plan to integrate Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, Pan wanted to exploit Tianjin's potential. He decided to construct an integrated development that fits the position of the city - that's how the idea of "Goldin Metropolitan" emerged.

This flagship development, which includes a central business district, a residential zone and a polo club, is expected to cost $10 billion. Ambitious as it may be, Pan said he is confident that Goldin Metropolitan is a masterpiece that will contribute to the city's development for the next hundred years.

The development's location benefits from convenient transportation in Tianjin and it only takes 27 minutes to travel to Beijing by train.

Goldin's real estate projects also expand to Guangzhou and Shaoguan, in Guangdong province, as well as Hong Kong.

Of all his real estate projects, Pan is most proud of the Goldin Finance 117, the centerpiece within Goldin Metropolitan in Tianjin. When completed, this 597-meter building is expected to be the tallest in North China. The commercial skyscraper will feature 289,331 square meters of office space up to the 92nd floor, as well as a five-star hotel at the top levels.

First winery purchase

High-quality wine is another field that Pan is interested in. Currently, the majority of domestic wine enterprises serve the low and medium-level wine market, but he hopes to serve the top level.

In 2011, Goldin made its first winery purchase - the Sloan Estate in Napa Valley, California. Two years later, the group purchased three wineries from the Michel Rolland family in Bordeaux, France, namely Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, Chateau Rolland-Maillet and Chateau Bertineau St. Vincent.

Pan also recruited Bernard de Laage de Meux, former commercial director of Chateau Palmer, and Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the first Asian Master of Wine in the world.

Goldin also completed the construction of wine cellars and wine members' clubs in Guangzhou and Tianjin, each of which can store more than 7 million bottles of wine.

Passion for polo

Pan's taste for the finer things in life led him to get involved in the promotion of polo on the Chinese mainland. The Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club was founded in 2010 and includes three world-class grass polo fields, two sand arenas and stables for over 300 horses.

Since 2011, the club has hosted several international polo tournaments, including the annual FIP Snow Polo World Cup. These events attracted global polo fans and have made Tianjin the capital of polo in China.

Committed to charity

For his contribution to the sport of polo, Pan was elected vice president of the Federation of International Polo in December 2012.

"We as entrepreneurs need to contribute to society," he said, "That's our responsibility."

Since 2012, Goldin has sponsored a charity cup hosted by the Beaufort Polo Club in the United Kingdom. Prince William and Prince Harry lead teams participating in the tournament to raise funds for charity organizations.

Pan also donated to the renewal project of a Chinese-style gallery in the Louvre in Paris, France. By doing so, he said he hopes to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.

In his hometown of Shaoguan, Guangdong province, Pan helps poor families so that their children can receive higher education. His education fund, established in 2004, has helped more than 1,000 students to attend colleges. He also funded the construction of a multi-function teaching complex for Beijiang Middle School, which was put into use at the end of 2014 and has capacity for 3,500 teachers and students.

To help medical research for cancer treatments, Pan donated funds to the Medical School of Hong Kong University for research on genes that may influence colon cancer. Four hundred families in Hong Kong and about 180,000 families globally are expected to benefit from the research.

In December 2014, Pan donated $1.3 million to found the Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Center at Hong Kong's Lingnan University. The center recruits professionals from both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland to conduct research on cross-border economic issues.

Biography

Pan Sutong, 52, founder of Matsunichi Digital and chairman of Goldin Group, an international conglomerate operating in Hong Kong, China, the United States, Europe and Australia.

Career:

1993: Establishes Matsunichi Digital, an electronics producer and research and development company, in Hong Kong.

2002: Matsunichi trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

2008: Matsunichi Communications Holdings changes its name to Goldin Properties Holdings in preparation to enter into the real estate market.

2008: Purchases Hong Kongbased Fortuna International and changes its name to Goldin Financial Holdings.

2011: Buys the 16-hectare Sloan Estate in Napa Valley, California.

2013: Purchases shares of German technology company Gigaset AG and becomes its major shareholder.

2013: Enters into the horse breeding business by purchasing Lindsay Park Stud, a renowned horse breeding property in South Australia, and renames it Goldin Farms.

Social titles:

Chairman of the nonprofit Hong Kong Polo Development and Promotion Federation, vice president of the Federation of International Polo, chief director of the 8th Board of Directors for the Hong Kong Island Federation.