Jiang Zhicheng, president of Queen Financial Group, received a Medal of Honor on the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth II's reign for his achievements in business. Photos Provided to China Daily

Chinese entrepreneurs overseas are often associated with manufacturing or restaurant businesses, but the stereotype is fading as some make their way into finance.

Forty-eight-year-old Jiang Zhicheng, president and founder of Queen Financial Group Inc in Canada, is one of the rising stars.

Born in a small town in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the studious young man earned a master's degree at Sichuan University in 1990.

Later he worked at one of the largest travel agencies in China. His time communicating with foreign visitors greatly broadened his vision.

Dreaming about studying abroad, he began preparation and was eventually enrolled as an MBA student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in 1995.

A year later he transferred to the University of Windsor in Canada to continue his studies. After graduation, he worked as a financial analyst responsible for budgeting and analysis to assist in decision-making at a hospital in Toronto.

In his spare time, Jiang offered help and consultancy for burgeoning number of skilled immigrants from China to Canada, assigning them with tax advice and managing their money.

He then realized the demand for financial advice for immigrants is a market with huge potential.

Giving up his secure job and the opportunity to study for a PhD in Harvard, Jiang founded Queen Financial Group in 2005 to offer wealth management services for immigrants. "I felt it was the right time to start my own business after so many years of study and experience," Jiang said.

"Study should not make one a book bag, instead it is important to use knowledge in practice and let it serve the people and make fortune for society," he said.

"Although I live abroad, I still want to use my expertise to do something for my fellow Chinese and help the new immigrants to better adapt to life in North America," he added.

But business was not easy. He visited a client 10 times to seal his first contract after the company opened, Jiang recalled.

"Usually, people may be embarrassed after one or two visits and lose their confidence after three or four, but I don't think in this way.

"I take the refusal of clients as opportunities to improve myself," he said.

Jiang said it is crucial to be honest with the clients about all the benefits, returns and potential risks.

He stresses to his staff that the most important thing is to win the trust of customers.

"We should look at long-term benefits rather than short-term returns, and our service should be good for the clients for their whole lifetime," Jiang said.

Business expansion

In addition to being trustworthy, one-stop services meeting the demands of different ages and family structures are also key to the success for Queen Financial.

The company aims to be a "Wal-Mart in financial industry", Jiang said.

His professional ethics and services made Jiang's business a market leader in Toronto in just two years. To cope with increasing demand, the company moved to a larger office in 2007.

In the same year, it opened a branch in Vancouver.

Jiang has been more than a successful businessman - he is also known as an eloquent lecturer.

He talks to immigrants through the media or at community forums, helping them learn the financial basics of living in Canada.

Jiang once received an ornament engraved with the word "friends" from a client, who said that Jiang taught him how to invest and manage money in North America.

"I see in him a professional spirit and a tolerant, honest character, which made us also personal friends," the client said.

It is not the first time Jiang has been thanked for his genuine concern.

He once suggested that an overseas student buy insurance even though his family was financially strapped.

He sadly later passed away from cancer and Jiang helped his jobless wife and young daughter collect more than C$200,000($196,000)from the insurance company.

Jiang said that financial services are not just about making money - more importantly, it is about making use of the modern financial and insurance system to defuse crisis and guarantee the interests of clients and their families.

During the financial crisis of 2008, some clients at Queen Financial suffered losses.

Unlike companies that shunned calls from frantic customers, Jiang asked his staff to take the initiative and contact clients, explaining the market and working to calm them.

Based on well-rounded market research, the company later suggested that clients change their investment profile and invest when the market was at low ebb.

New returns in the recovering market offset the previous losses and even brought more value to clients.

The recognition from clients brought more confidence to Jiang for the future development of the company.

He said that Queen Financial plans to open branches in more provinces in Canada, and extend businesses to Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Due to his contributions to local communities, Jiang has received many rewards in Canada.

He was the first Chinese to be named a Chartered Strategic Wealth Professional by Canadian Security Institute and the Institute of Canadian Bankers in 2010.

hantianyang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/07/2013 page8)