"New values do not replace time-honoured legacy, but interpret it in a modern way": Chow Tai Fook Jewellery’s CPO Theresa Lui

From professional and cultural training to all-rounded benefits and complimentary lunches, the HR leader shares how the Group is cultivating a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforce – in this interview with HRO's Tracy Chan.

With a rich heritage of nearly a century dating back to 1929, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (CTFJ) has grown into a global powerhouse with around 6,300 stores. Its Master Studio in Shunde, housing over 400 craftsmen including national-certified experts, has groomed generations of jewellery masters..

From pioneering 999.9 gold products in Hong Kong and Macau, becoming the first Chinese company to be a De Beers global sightholder, to introducing fixed-price products, the Group has solidified its leadership in the jewellery industry through constant innovations.

As a vibrant brand committed to continuous growth, CTFJ is not only celebrating its milestones, but also investing in its people to carry that legacy forward.

In 2024, the Group embarked on a brand transformation journey with a renewed vision: To be the leading global jewellery brand that is a trusted lifetime partner for every generation – not just for customers, but also for its 28,000-strong workforce.

“We see every employee’s career as a long-term partnership, and we design our People & Culture strategy to nurture that relationship at every stage,” says Theresa Lui, Chief People Officer, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery.

In this exclusive interview with HRO’s Tracy Chan, the HR leader shares how the Group is balancing tradition with innovation, cultivating a high-performance culture, and empowering employees across generations through inclusive policies, transformative learning, and heartfelt engagement.

Q: How do you describe the company culture?

Our company culture is rooted in nearly a century of heritage, and yet it’s still vibrant with life. It stands firmly on a foundation of enduring values, peerless craftsmanship, and lasting trust.

We are a cross-generational team, both in the sense of our heritage across four generations of the founding family, and in that we have attracted talents from different generations so that we can create products with timeless designs and deliver services and experiences that resonate with our customers over time.

We are also a cross-cultural team. In the past decades, our business expanded rapidly in Mainland China and we are strengthening our presence overseas. We encourage cross-functional collaboration so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their perspectives, share expertise, and co-create solutions.

Guided by five new core values launched as part of our brand transformation in 2024 – ‘Work Collaboratively’, ‘Act with Integrity’, ‘Be Openminded’, ‘Take Ownership’, and ‘Be Passionate’, we are cultivating a high-performance and learning culture, while promoting an open, cohesive, and passionate environment at CTFJ.

We foster a high-performance culture where contributions are valued based on impact rather than tenure. Through goal-setting and regular evaluations, we support colleagues in achieving their best and growing within CTFJ Group.

It is very important that our talent development remains an integral part of our business strategy. By promoting a learning culture, we encourage every colleague to stay tuned with the rapidly evolving business environment. Particularly with technological advancements like AI, we emphasise the importance of continuous learning to stay competitive.

We aim to build a workplace that promotes equal opportunities and respects differences. We launched our inaugural DEI policy and piloted opportunity employment for internship last year. Chow Tai Fook crafts more than exquisite jewellery; we create a world where everyone feels welcomed, valued and belonged.

This shared foundation shapes a workplace where every colleague is encouraged to live the five core values. Whether you’re joining us as a new graduate or as an experienced leader, you’ll find a culture that honours our legacy while always embracing innovation and new perspectives.

Q: As Chief People Officer, how do you balance tradition while meeting the needs and expectations of a modern workforce?

CTFJ is a timeless brand built on the trust that you can only earn from being present across generations. Our reputation demonstrates how we have resonated with clients since 1929 and earned their loyalty and trust. We value the legacy of our nearly century-old brand while actively responding to the expectations of today’s talent.

I joined CTFJ in November 2022. One and a half years later, the Group embarked on its five-year brand transformation journey. To support the transformation process, our People & Culture team is committed to building a resilient and innovative talent workforce, revitalising brand vision, values and culture, while honouring and preserving our proud heritage.

One example is our refreshed five core values. All the values are deeply rooted in our core ethos of “Hard work, Integrity, Loyalty （「勤 . 誠 . 義」）”, a legacy passed down from Dr. Cheng Yu-Tung, who developed CTFJ into the leading jewellery brand it is today. The new values do not replace this time-honoured legacy, but instead interpret it in a modern, relatable way.

Through collaboration and making use of employee engagement events, we have effectively communicated these key messages to colleagues. Our employee engagement initiatives included townhalls, internal communications tools and platforms, online programmes, podcasts, workshops and seminars, roadshows, as well as leisure and volunteering activities, engaging employees at all levels.

With an impressive total attendance of nearly 79,000 across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, these initiatives successfully embedded our refreshed vision and values into daily operations, strengthening our organisation’s resilience and laying the foundation for long-term success.

Our employee welfare policies also play a vital role in fostering a strong sense of belonging among our workforce. Key initiatives include:

• Housing support: We provide residential units for eligible employees and their family members at below-market rental rates, providing valuable support in Hong Kong’s high-rent environment.
  
• Exclusive perks and benefits: Employees enjoy access to city events, including complimentary corporate box tickets to major sports events at Kai Tak Sports Park, as well as exclusive discounts on hotels, telecommunications, and other services.
  
• Team building and family engagement: We organise leisure activities for employees and their families, such as the Shunde production hub family learning tour, offering jewellery hands-on experience and creating memorable moments together.
  
• Flexible working arrangements: We have introduced the ‘Happy Fridays Policy’, allowing back-office employees to leave office at lunch break on Fridays in designated periods of time in summer and winter. This arrangement enables colleagues to recharge themselves and spend more time with their family and friends.
  
• Leave benefits: In addition to annual leave, we also offer special types of leave tailored to employees’ needs, such as Family Friendly Leave, Personal Development Leave, and Birthday Leave.

Q: How has Chow Tai Fook Jewellery's talent development policy evolved over time, especially when the teams in Mainland China and Hong Kong have been growing?

As of FY2025, our total workforce exceeded 28,000 employees, with 83% based in Mainland China. The average length of service amongst our employees has reached eight years – a figure that reflects the strong sense of belonging our people feel toward the company.

As our teams continue to grow, and with our commitment to promoting Chinese culture, we aim to bring our teams across both regions closer together through shared values and cultural understanding. In FY2025, we integrated Chinese culture training into our orientation programme, with 100% of new hires participating.

We have won wide recognition for our commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a supportive workplace.

In terms of learning and development, we believe that having a ‘Future Ready’ team capable of meeting upcoming challenges is one of the key drivers of transformation.

We aim to improve performance while strengthening opportunities for skill development and career planning support. This will foster a win-win culture of mutual growth between the Group and our employees.

Our online and offline learning support resources cover a wide range of topics such as Chinese culture, technological advancements, communications and presentation skills, management and leadership capabilities, craftsmanship enhancement, product knowledge, and sales techniques.

In FY2025, nearly 6,500 in-person training sessions were conducted. Additionally, employees completed approximately 1.9mn total training hours, averaging 75 hours per employee, of which 190,000 hours were conducted online, demonstrating a high level of engagement with, and application of, our learning resources.

We regularly host ‘Lunch & Learn’ sessions, inviting leaders from various industries as well as internal experts to broaden employees’ skills and perspectives. Past guest speakers have included external specialists and trainers, our own product designers and gemological experts, as well as representatives from environmental and charitable organisations.

We host ‘CTFJ Leaders Connect’ lunch sessions regularly, providing opportunities for senior management and colleagues from different departments to connect and exchange ideas.

We are also excited to announce that we will be launching the ‘CTF Academy’ – a new employee-centric learning framework that breaks away from traditional corporate training models.

By offering an integrated approach closely aligned with business needs and personalised development pathways, the Academy empowers employees to take ownership of their learning and growth, while aligning individual performance goals with the Group’s vision and strategic objectives.

Starting with essential knowledge, employees can then explore a wide range of courses tailored to diverse roles and interests. Selected individuals may also be nominated for specialised programmes to further accelerate their growth, ensuring that learning is both impactful and inspiring.

Q: The vision of the brand is “to be the leading global jewellery brand that is a trusted lifetime partner for every generation”. With an increasingly multigenerational workforce, how CTFJ translate this vision into inclusive people policies that support employees at every stage of their careers?

Our workforce spans a diverse demographic, from emerging talent to highly skilled professionals.

For early-career professionals, we continuously innovate our training content to provide them with the opportunity to learn new things and discover their passions through a well-balanced mix of formal, social and on-the-job learning.

Apart from that, our management trainee programme offers two-year rotational experience from frontline roles to supporting functions to help them gain a holistic understanding of the business, develop cross-functional competencies, and build the agility needed to thrive in a dynamic luxury retail environment.

For mid-career talent, we provide both leadership exposure and continuous skills development through initiatives like luncheons with senior management, facilitating direct dialogue between management and colleagues.

We also provide nominated training courses tailored to different roles, including store management for retail staff and people management for back-office staff, empowering them to take on greater responsibilities.

For accelerated retail staff, we further strengthen their advanced sales capabilities and customer engagement techniques through the Top Sales programme.

For highly experienced senior colleagues, we focus on preserving and passing on their valuable knowledge and experience, while providing essential support to help them excel in commercial leadership, aiming at equipping them with strategic business acumen, data-driven decision-making skills, and a deep understanding of customer needs to drive sustainable growth and profitability for the Group.

The ‘Hi-Po Programme’ is an initiative designed to identify and develop individuals within the Group who demonstrate exceptional talent, leadership potential and the ability to take on key roles in the future. It aims to accelerate the growth and readiness of high-potential employees through targeted development opportunities, specialised training, mentoring and exposure to challenging tasks.

Q: CTFJ has a longstanding tradition of providing lunch to its staff. What inspired this practice and what impacts the company wants to achieve?

Sharing a meal has always been part of our culture. While this was once a common practice among Hong Kong companies, we are now one of the few to continue evolving this tradition.

We leverage digital technology to enhance convenience and continuously refine our offerings to better care for our employees. Like in our mainland head office, we have modernised the experience with digital technology and a self-service ‘take what you can finish’ format, eliminating the need for cashiers or servers, and food waste.

This efficient, contemporary approach resonates particularly with our younger generation of employees, offering them the convenience and flexibility they value.

Our complimentary lunches and snacks serve as a daily touchpoint for colleagues to connect, strengthening bonds and fostering genuine collaboration.

This open atmosphere is reinforced by our management team. Our senior management will join dim sum lunches with colleagues from our frontline and back-office teams. These gatherings create an approachable environment where staff feel empowered to freely express their views.

This initiative is a fundamental way we express gratitude. It is a daily reminder of our commitment to our people's wellbeing and a reflection of our belief that we succeed together.

Q: How have the format and menu of the staff lunches adapted to reflect changing employee preferences or shifts in company culture?

Our staff meal programme in both Mainland China and Hong Kong back-office offices has been thoughtfully refined to reflect changing employee preferences and our company culture. We continue to provide complimentary lunches, supplemented by seasonal fruits, desserts, and snacks, to foster a supportive and caring environment for our team.

The core menu features a diverse and rotating selection of nutritious dishes. On festive occasions and for special company events, we serve special and festive meals and nourishing traditional soups, creating a strong sense of shared celebration and belonging.

We listen closely to our colleagues and regularly refresh our offerings to reflect their tastes and lifestyles.

We are also committed to aligning our initiatives with our broader values, such as sustainability. Initiatives like themed meals during Earth Month and the introduction of ‘Eat Well ∙ Eat Green Wednesday’, which featured sustainable seafood and vegetarian options to help promote awareness and encourage sustainable living practices among our team.

Q: Have there been any particularly memorable moments, initiatives, or conversations that emerged from these lunch gatherings?

Lunches often spark the best conversations – sometimes it’s a business breakthrough, other times it’s heartfelt sharing that deepens trust.

A key highlight of our initiatives has been the quarterly Lunch & Learn sessions. Last year, one such session featured the Co-Founder and CEO of the CareER Association, an NGO committed to empowering individuals with disabilities and special education needs.

The discussion centred on disability inclusion in the workplace, providing practical insights and inspiring meaningful dialogue among our team members.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscored the importance of supporting people with disabilities and special education needs, reaffirming our belief that an inclusive culture strengthens both our people and our organisation.

Another memorable initiative is the ‘Leaders Connect’ lunch sessions. As someone who deeply values open dialogue and cross-functional collaboration, I found the session both energising and insightful.

These conversations not only spark new perspectives but also strengthen the sense of community that defines our culture.

Q: Seeing every employee as a brand ambassador. What strategies does CTFJ use to empower employees to authentically bring the brand’s values to life?

We see every team member as the face of CTFJ, representing our values in every interaction with customers, colleagues, and the community. We are empowering employees by:

Comprehensive brand training

We organised interactive training workshops to introduce the Group’s new vision and five core values, with the aim of ensuring our employees understand and demonstrate these values consistently in their work. The workshops covered 100% frontline employees and 94% back-office employees.

Our ongoing training, including product knowledge, storytelling, and sales excellence, as well as internal platforms, podcasts, and events invite employees to engage with the brand and share their own experiences, making them proud spokespersons for our brand and values.

Community engagement and social impact

In FY25, our employees contributed over 17,800 volunteer hours through 162 activities. With more than 4,500 employee participants and 9,300 beneficiaries, our volunteer efforts continue to create meaningful impact in the community and foster a strong culture of creating social impact across the Group.

We organise and encourage employee participation in various volunteer and community service activities, such as making handmade festive treats like rice dumplings and mooncakes for the elderly.

We encourage a culture of giving by allowing employees to accumulate volunteer hours toward additional volunteer leave and recognise their contributions through an annual ‘Volunteer Recognition Ceremony’ celebrating their dedication to the community.

Q: Ending this interview on an emotional note, what is your most favourite memory or story from your time at CTFJ that you'd love to share?

Working with a legendary brand with close to a 100-year legacy made my time at CTFJ Group particularly special. One of the most meaningful chapters in my time at the Group was being part of the transformation journey.

We introduced our new Vision and Values (VMV) last year. It was a collective journey that spanned over a year, involving strategic planning, collaboration, and heartfelt conversations across the Group.

We started by evolving our new VMV from the legacy and values that had shaped us for decades. Through a series of socialisation workshops, we gathered voices from across the Group, building internal alignment and ensuring every perspective was heard.

We then held management workshops to gain senior leadership buy-in and eventually launched the new VMV globally through townhalls and cluster sessions. After that, we also organised frontline workshops and tailored communication tools to ensure the message resonated with every colleague and in every region.

What truly moved me was seeing how the new VMV came to life at every level of CTFJ Group. Watching how our people embrace the new VMV, not only in words but through their actions and daily practices, was incredibly powerful and rewarding.

Becoming part of the Group’s five-year brand transformation journey is one of the most rewarding and transformative experiences of my career.

I would also like to share some other little moments. During Lunar New Year, I visited our stores to personally hand out festive gifts to our colleagues. In that simple gesture, I saw something extraordinary – the pride and joy on their faces, and a deep sense of belonging to the brand. It reminded me that at CTFJ, our greatest asset is our people. Their passion, warmth, and professionalism are the heart of who we are.

“One Goal. One Team.” isn’t just a slogan – it’s a philosophy I live by. Seeing our efforts create meaningful changes for both our employees and the business makes me incredibly proud. It’s our people who make CTFJ what it is today, and carry its legacy forward.