1 Please provide us with a brief bio of yourself.

I am Marcello Brescia, originally from Italy and living in Hong Kong for four years. I joined HGC in 2020 where I have the opportunity to work in the OTT ecosystem globally including gaming, content providers and Cloud technologies. I am passionate about helping customers and partners to solve the challenges to reach billions of eyeballs in Asia!

2 What is your role in the company?

I am the Head of OTT & Edge Ecosystem based at our global HQ in Hong Kong and working closely with the 30 other offices that HGC has in the world.

3 Please tell us more about your organization.

HGC is a telco and network edge integrator with a global presence spanning from North America, EMEA and Asia. HGC’s meshed network can offer a full-suite of connectivity and colocation services aiming to reach as many eyeballs as possible in a cost-effective way and through tailored solutions for our customers especially across APAC and emerging markets. HGC is also the commercial arm of the AMS-IX in several locations such as US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the newly launched Bangkok.

4 Describe the industry your organization is specialized in, as well as its main characteristics.

HGC is specialized in optimizing the customers network expansions through services in those markets where it is not so easy to operate or there are market barriers such as high-cost or In-Country policies and regulations. Asia represents the biggest opportunity for technology and gaming companies to monetize their applications, however the internet landscape is fragmented if compared to North America or Europe. That’s where HGC can tap in through its own network, local partners and local staff that share expertise and know-how in each market or region they sit in.

5 Congratulations! As the winner of the TITAN Business Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?

We are humbled and honored to win the Titan Business Awards because it is always great to see that business decisions and team work are recognized. It also gives us the motivation to do more and even better for the upcoming years.

6 How has winning an international award help promote your organization?

It helps to give confidence to customers and partners to work closely with us. And at the same time it helps our colleagues to feel proud to work for HGC.

7 What are the challenges of developing / marketing your winning entry(ies)?

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8 As a business owner, please tell us more about your ideation process.

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9 What is your own definition of a successful team / organization / business?

For this answer please allow me to quote Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn't everything--but wanting to win is.” This is written on the wall of a meeting room here at HGC HQ. I am experiencing it at HGC because I had the great opportunity to visit most of the HGC offices around the world and I can see that the teams are moving towards common goals. Somehow customers can feel that and even when there are headwinds and challenges the team is focusing on overcoming those to focus on customers success. At the same time from this quote we understand that winning once is not the right spirit, we want always to do more and feel the pressure to consistently deliver.

10 What led you / your organization to become successful within the industry you are currently in?

I believe that if HGC is successful today is thanks to the decisions and directions of the past years. HGC is one of the pioneers in its industry investing in the emerging markets. Back ten or even fifteen years ago when very few companies were investing the “ unknown” markets, HGC Senior Management was brave and bold to serve customers and to start to cooperate in less served geographies. After few years we can seize the benefits of those decisions taken by our current CEO - Andrew Kwok. At the same time, I believe that HGC has been humble and transparent through the years. This is so fundamental to build a reputation in the market.

11 How has the country, you are based in, helped move your industry forward?

Hong Kong is an international hub for businesses and being headquartered here it helps to have a global view. Hong Kong is also both the gateway to China for overseas companies as well as gateway to the world for Chinese enterprise looking to expand globally. At the same time HGC has local offices across 5 continents and this helps immensely because local cultures and languages facilitate the operations and smooth the customer journey.

12 What have you found to be a hindering factor, for your business, during the entire course of the pandemic, and how did you overcome that hinderance?

In our industry it is important to keep close contact with customers and the ecosystem globally and of course, our colleagues. During the pandemic, the most challenging factor was to keep clear communication with both customers and employees. When Covid-19 starts to spread out, HGC experienced the same in 2003 with SARS. We immediately upgraded all our platforms and our supply of equipment – that was six months of supplies – so we were not affected. HGC also decentralized authority to its US and European control centers. In HK we also established home office learning for secondary schools, using our smart solutions, to establish remote learning rooms. And we gave away free computers to students who couldn’t afford them.

13 What are the current trends in the business industry that you are most excited about?

Metaverse and gaming proliferation, opportunities in the emerging markets and keep up with a fast changing industry.

14 What resources would you recommend to someone who is searching to improve their business prospects and organizational success?

Attract talents and automation

15 Where do you see the evolution of the overall business industry in the next 5-10 years?

The continuing digitalization of enterprises and users will keep attracting investments in the industry. The Metaverse is the key driver delivering immersive experiences.

16 Who inspired you in your life, and why?

I believe in different stages of my I got inspired from different figures. When I was really young, Michael Jackson inspired me to dream and work hard to pursue my goals. Growing older I was inspired by my uncle Giuseppe that used to run a shop in my hometown in Italy, he was successful because he was focused on the customers needs and somehow he passed me this passion. If you ask me now then I would say our senior vice president of international business, Ravindran Mahalingam, his charisma and vision in the industry are amazing and this attitude makes me feel proud to work for HGC!

17 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?

For me success it is not only measured by achievements, also from failures. If anyone in any industry has no challenges then it means that perhaps is not doing enough to grow both personally and the company working for. Mario Andretti once said, “If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.”

Winning Entry

 
2022
Achievement
Meeting the digital cornerstone with EdgeX by HGC

Entrant Company

HGC Global Communications

Category

Achievement - Achievement in Product Innovation