East Meets West
Bringing the colonel to china
Each month Boots to Beijing will introduce you to people who have a connection to China and Dallas. This month meet Kevin Moure, Entrepreneur and former Vice President for Development Yum! Brands International Businesses.
“Economic development in China is extreme and fluid.
What is in place today could and probably will be entirely different in six
months.”
Kevin
Moure, Entrepreneur and former Vice President for Development Yum! Brands
International Businesses
What is your business experience in China?
I have 14 years experience in international retail and franchise
development, most recently as Vice President, Development for YUM! Brands’
international businesses, which include KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W, and
Long John Silver’s. From 2001 to 2006, working from YUM’s headquarters in
Dallas I was the functional leader responsible for developing new
restaurants for these brands outside the United States – more than 1,100
restaurants a year, an effort that kept me on the road internationally
almost constantly.
Part of the time I was based in Hong Kong, overseeing YUM!’s development
efforts in Asia and the Pacific region, particularly focused on setting up
our team and establishing a development program in China. YUM! employs more
than 500 people in real estate, design and construction, and builds more
than 400 restaurants each year throughout every province of China, except
Tibet. I have traveled to most of the provinces in China, working with our
teams to establish an industry-leading presence, not just in the major
tier-one cities, but also in cities and towns as small as 50,000 people.
This summer I left YUM! Brands to relocate to Hong Kong to pursue several
independent ventures in China and the rest of Asia. I am working with one
U.S.-based product marketing company to establish a regional sales office
and manufacturing capabilities in China, and have several other projects
involving retailing in China.
What advice would you give anyone interested in doing business in China?
The key to establishing healthy business relationships in China is demonstrating respect for your partners. It can really take a long while to generate trust and openness that will allow your business relationships to flourish. I’ve always found that making the extra effort to learn about the local culture, history, and current events goes a long way to demonstrate that I respect my partners and their situation. To me there’s no better starting point for a healthy business relationship than to have my local partner remark that he is pleasantly surprised at my understanding and interest in local traditions or culture.
What do you see on the horizon?
I am moving back to Asia precisely because this is such an exciting time
to be doing business in China and other developing companies such as
Vietnam. Economic development in China is extreme and fluid in every sense
of the word. What is in place today could and probably will be entirely
different in six months. One-party rule has its advantages because it can
effect massive change without extensive debate. Rules are changing generally
for the better. Investment is creating unprecedented growth, at least in the
urban centers, and opportunities are increasing for adventurous,
risk-tolerant international business men and women.
Even with all the changes, there is a consistency and stability in China –
at least on the surface – and the rising wealth of middle-class Chinese has
created a new consumer class and a confident pool of educated labor. The
government also has invested in the infrastructure ahead of the curve. Just
take a look at the amazing highways and modern airports in the remote
provinces of China.
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