1. Think Global, Act Local
An interview with Shunee Yee, President & CEO of CSOFT
Fate is fair. All men are created equal, but not all
men are able to seize their moment or willing to put
in enough effort to materialize their luck.
“Y ou know… that’s not how business works,” Yee
said, illustrating a graph in the air with sharp
ups and downs. “Rather than a static graph, it’s more
of a spiral. If it doesn’t climb up, it will slip down. And
at every turning point there is a threshold.”
Yee is a lady of typical Southern build—delicate,
graceful, restrained, and with an artistic temperament.
Yet within a few minutes of conversation with her, you
can’t help but strongly perceive the incisiveness and
acumen of a practical business woman.
Under Yee’s direction, the senior managers at
CSOFT are fully aware of the fact that they cannot
manage effectively without stepping away from
their comfortable office chairs. Their boss has led by
example, having just personally traveled to Europe
to secure a new major customer. And in spite of their
flourishing business, they are frequently reminded
of the potential challenges inherent in developing a
false sense of security. “Bill Gates told his employees
about the success of Microsoft. He also often reminded
them that, in terms of bankruptcy, Microsoft could be
as close as 90 days away,” Yee added. “I can say that,
as far as bankruptcy is concerned, CSOFT could be
as close as 30 days away. Everyone at CSOFT must
maintain a sense of urgency and responsibility, and
never let their guard down.”
In recent times, Yee told The Week, she has frequently
been in contact with top domestic and international
investment funds. Revving up for the capital market is
her next task— to help her company take the plunge
from “good to great.”
Shunee Yee
founded CSOFT in 2003 with the goal
of establishing the company as the world’s
leading globalization firm, providing strategic and
cost-effective solutions for large enterprises looking to
expand their presence in growing markets. Under her
leadership, CSOFT has grown from a single Beijing-based
office to a global corporation with 14 offices in key
locations around the world. Yee is the 2009 winner of the
prestigious International Stevie Award for Best Asian
Entrepreneur for Women in Business. She successfully
completed a senior executive education program at
Harvard Business School, holds a bachelor of arts
from Nanjing Normal University, and a
master’s degree from Rhode Island
College.
Translated from The Week (东方壹周), Vol. 6, published on August 12, 2011. www.csoftintl.com

2. Q&A Fate is fair. All men are created equal, but
not all men are able to seize their moment
or willing to put in enough effort to
Q = The Week A= Shunee Yee materialize their luck. What I mean by that
is that disappointment—or even failure—is
Q: I’m surprised to see people of so many part of the bigger picture, and it’s how you
different nationalities working at CSOFT’s deal with disappointment that determines
headquarters. How many foreign nationals whether or not you can be a success.
are employed at your company? Have
there been any conflicts at work as a result When making a choice or decision,
of cultural differences? you’re inevitably influenced by various
considerations. What’s most important
A: Well, in our Beijing office alone, we in my view is how you look at a given
have employees representing more than opportunity. If you truly believe that it’s
20 nationalities, so you can imagine how your opportunity—or your ‘moment,’ so
difficult it can be to maintain a unified to speak—you need to seize it, and work
company culture. I was once joking with my hard to materialize it. Then in a way, that
team that at our annual operations summit opportunity—including the difficulties
we should make up our own version that may arise from it—becomes your luck.
of Mambo Number 5, as in, ‘A little bit of Regardless of the choices you make, success
Russia’s all I need. A little bit of France is all does not come by itself. Dreaming without
I see,’ etc. In our office, here and there, we hard work will never amount to anything.
always hear people say, ‘He is so French’ Recently, I have been in frequent contact
or ‘She is so German.’ Whenever I hear At CSOFT, I have come to realize how with investors. This, I feel, has been a great
things like this, I always want to respond, amazing individual potential can be. period of introspection and reflection. I
‘Can’t we all just be so CSOFT?!’ Once This is the proudest moment for me as a often joke that we’re like fish in a tank, but
our members learn to possess this kind of manager. When our employees are given feeling good about ourselves is simply not
mindset, they naturally figure out how to responsibility for more things, it translates enough. Whether we look good or not, we
balance things out. They’re no longer shy into tremendous productivity. When we have to be judged by viewers outside the
about their unique culture, and they learn stimulate, mobilize, and utilize the personal tank. Or in other words we need to truly
how to better collaborate, compromise and initiative of every employee, the positive understand how others perceive us in order
appreciate each other. impact is much greater than that of any to better realize our value.
procedure or system.
‘One World, One Market’ is CSOFT’s CSOFT has been growing well. A key
tagline. Our business stands at the Witnessing this type of personal growth reason is that, financially speaking, we are
intersection of language and technology, among my colleagues is what has helped very principled and disciplined. Because
touching upon many fields and industries. me stay committed to CSOFT over the of our sound financial health, we are in
Some multinational companies are trying years. I strongly believe every individual the perfect position to pick and choose the
to sell their products in the markets of with determination and perseverence has investors with whom we’d like to cooperate.
other countries, and they want to achieve the potential to succeed on their own. If you
that by simply changing the language can’t be number one or number two in your Many public companies, Microsoft or
interface of their products. But the fact chosen sector, you might want to consider Google for example, went public not
of the matter is that there are many other doing something else. Striving to become because they were short on money. They
areas that need to be changed, particularly the best—that’s the much-needed pride of chose to go public so that they would be
areas with culturally relative elements. Take an entrepreneur. able to expand more aggressively and so
the Middle Eastern market for example. that their employees would be able to be
For advertisements in this market, it’s not better rewarded. To me, as a company
appropriate for a woman to appear in a If you can’t be number one or number founder, the relentless pursuit of greatness
shirt without sleeves. Locally, these kinds two in your chosen sector, you might and a sense of achievement are far greater
of things will be viewed as indecent or want to consider doing something than what making money alone entails. I
disgraceful. Because of details like this, else. Striving to become the best— relish in the achievement and satisfaction of
even for a seemingly simple product, that’s the much-needed pride of an seeing those who have worked and fought
there’s quite a bit of targeted cultural data alongside of me being well rewarded. We
and regulatory informaton that needs to be entrepreneur.
have greatly matured and are ready for the
taken into account before companies can next, bigger step.
successfully sell their products overseas.
Q: CSOFT recently entered its eighth My goal is that, in the next four or five
Q: You have mentioned that your company year of operation. The company is doing years, we will be able to rise and enter into
is like your second child. We all know that extremely well in terms of profitability. a new phase, and that our new generation
parents like to plan for their children’s Have you ever attracted the attention of of leaders will be able to excel. And then,
future. I presume that, during the start-up investors? What’s your plan for the future? the even newer generation will be able to
stage, it was very difficult to foresee how Any plans of financing or going IPO? further excel, et cetera. This is extremely
big CSOFT would eventually grow to important to us.
become. In your view, what are the things A: I’ve been working in the industry for
that have led you to where you are today, some seventeen or eighteen years. Eight In the next few years, many of our staff will
and have helped you stay committed? of those years have been with my own continue to grow with us. There will also
company, where the growth has been be new faces and new management. This
A: Getting to where we are today is 100% organic. Naturally, at different company was born in the same year as my
primarily a result of focusing on details, stages of business or life, people have child. In a certain sense, as you mentioned,
and doing ordinary things extraordinarily different thoughts and ideas. Frankly, I CSOFT is my second child. My love for
well. Starting up a business isn’t a grand would have rejected the thought of merger and faith in the company will last forever.
and glamorous process. It’s very hands-on and acquisition when I first started this This, however, does not suggest that I will
in that it’s those little, ordinary things that company eight years ago, because M&As always be the all-powerful frontrunner to
you have to pay attention to. For anything often focus solely on the ROI of investors spearhead our future growth. My personal
that I do, big or small, I’m the type of but not necessarily on the interests of management philosophy is to distill the
person who puts all of my attention into customers, management or regular wisdom of my management team and
doing them well. employees. But truly great companies, prepare it for future generations. I’m very
Microsoft for example, have been able fortunate to work with a team that shares
I’m not suggesting that I’m good in all the same dream, ambitions, and goals.
areas. Just like everyone else, I run into to bring benefits to all three parties—in
moments of disappointment. But like wine, addition to investors—during the process.
people improve with age. When you grow Some great companies are capable of
older, you’ll get a better idea of the things keeping their market value steady and Introduction to CSOFT
you’re good at. You’ll be more tolerant and beating the market fifteen years in a row. CSOFT International helps companies of all sizes achieve better
able to accept disappointment. These companies are the ones that are penetration in growing markets with an end-to-end combination
People have a tendency to be embittered hardheaded, down-to-earth, and focus on of information development, language and technology services.
by disappointment, and complain about executing business details well instead of With 14 offices in key locations around the globe, CSOFT
relishing in the glamour or spotlight. My delivers quality-driven language solutions with fanatical customer
all sorts of unfairness. I use a different service, ISO-certified processes, best-of-breed language
approach and try to take every aspect of hope for CSOFT is that it will join these
ranks as a solid company that lasts. technology and an award-winning multinational leadership team.
a problem into consideration. I feel that
Translated from The Week (东方壹周), Vol. 6, published on August 12, 2011. www.csoftintl.com