What comes to mind when you think of Alibaba? An online retailer? An e-commerce marketplace? Jack Ma, Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group, shares how a sense of mission has guided the Group's development to date, and how it will continue to shape its future. As insurance advisers and agency leaders, having a mission will also do wonders and help you to rise above setbacks and rejections you face.
Ease to do business anywhere
When Alibaba was founded 18 years ago, its mission was not to be the largest e-commerce website. “We made it our mission to make it easy to do business anywhere,” said Mr Ma in his letter to shareholders. “Going public three years ago reinforced our sense of mission, that while public shareholders expect us to be profitable, our raison d’être cannot be merely to make money.”
He added that the company’s true purpose lies in harnessing the power of technology and innovation to make the world economy more inclusive and more healthy toward sustainable development.
Sustainable world economy
As the Group celebrated its 18th Anniversary, he said Alibaba’s development must take on a different path from most other companies. “As one of the world’s largest technology companies with a mission focused on serving small business, we must contribute to the sustainable development of a healthy world economy. As I said at our 18th anniversary all-hands meeting, we aim to foster an economy in which small business, young people and women in developing and under-developed nations can participate in and benefit from globalisation. To this end, the direction and areas in which we will pursue our business will not be the same as anyone else. We are fully committed to creating the infrastructure for commerce in an inclusive economy because Alibaba is led by our ideals and vision.”
Create 100 million jobs
As he spoke about inclusive globalisation, inclusive finance and data-driven manufacturing as part of its responsibility, he says this also brings opportunity to further its mission “to make it easy to do business anywhere.” He said: “By 2036, we envision that Alibaba’s infrastructure will support commerce activity with a combined transaction value that will rank as the world’s fifth-largest economy. We aim to be a platform that will enable the creation of 100 million jobs, serve two billion consumers and support 10 million profitable small businesses.”
What about you? Do you have a mission that drives you? Are you just selling insurance? Or are you protecting families and doing your part for society?
As Mr Rotha Chan, Chief Agency Officer at Manulife Cambodia, and winner of the Special Jury Award (Insurance Agency Leader of the Year) at the 2nd Trusted Life Agents & Advisers Awards, shared, it is his mission to use insurance as a platform for parents to ensure their kids get a good education because “as long as you have good education, you can change the community, change the country”.
Click here to read Jack Ma’s full letter to shareholders.
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