EMAIMAI HONG KONG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Site Management
Annisa Tong, Director of Site Management, was previously the Associate Director, Channel Operations of hongkong.com - a subsidiary of chinadotcom Corporation - where she oversaw the Content Department and planned the strategic partnerships with content providers. She also worked on chinadotcom's network of portals' marketing and promotion campaign, and implemented the hongkong.com Internet site. She also possesses a strong regional marketing background from her previous working experience in Satellite Television as well.
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong Post has enlisted Chinese movie star Chow Yun-fat, star of the kung-fu epic ``Crouching Tiger,'' to battle declining stamp sales.
To David Ko, $19 is a small price to pay for a piece of Chow Yun-fat. That's how much the 33-year-old Hong Kong engineer shelled out for a limited-edition, six-piece commemorative stamp set bearing the image of the Asian superstar. "He's my favorite actor," says Ko. "I don't usually buy stamps to collect, but these ones are special." They certainly are. While Ko bought the stamps issued by the tiny South American country of Guyana primarily as a souvenir, he can expect to see their value rise in the coming years. Another celebrity, action star Jackie Chan, appeared on a stamp series issued by the African nation of Gambia in 1997. Priced at $13 when launched, one set in mint condition can go today for as much as $77, a near 500% gain.
The prices of commemorative stamps are unlikely to reach the stratospheric heights of rare and historical pieces, such as the $216,000 a collector paid for a 3-cent 1897 Chinese stamp in 1997. But in a world of Internet auctions and web-based stamp clubs, it is easy enough to sell a modern stamp for a relatively big gain. The number of collectors worldwide is estimated at 200 million ¡X fully half of them in Asia. "The casual stamp collector could definitely make a significant profit," says Moshe Malumud, chairman of Hong Kong-based online collectibles site emaimai. Not all specialty stamps appreciate in price. "But anything with a celebrity generally sells these days," says Malumud.
As in any collectible, supply and demand dictate a stamp's value. That's why savvy collectors only buy pieces issued by small countries like Guyana and Gambia, which work with the Inter-Government Postal Corp. (IGPC) to produce good quality commemorative stamps. Bigger nations typically go for large print runs. The IGPC has the clout and organization to sign up and pay celebrities, market the stamps and make sure only limited quantities are in circulation. It helped sponsor the Hong Kong International Postal Stamp Exhibition earlier this month, which was graced by Chow himself. The 45-year-old actor, who was a temporary postal worker in the 1970s, has now taken on the job of promoting stamp-collecting among teenagers as Hong Kong's first Philatelic Ambassador.
Aside from celebrities, stamps also commemorate special events such as China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 (see below). "Whatever your interest, there probably is a stamp out there for you," says Malumud. The diversity of subjects is helping swell collector ranks. Andy Woo never bought stamps to collect until six years ago, when he purchased several limited-edition Disney sets issued by Hong Kong. "I got some for my seven-year-old daughter, but I also bought 10 extra sheets {for myself}," says the 46-year-old teacher. He hopes to unload a Winnie-the-Pooh set at a three-fold profit. The "Mickey Visits Hong Kong" eight-stamp series, which was priced at $10 when launched in 1994, can now be sold for $51 to Hong Kong dealers.
Whatever you buy, make sure the stamps stay in mint condition. That means keeping them in an album with a protective cover or in acid-free plastic so the stamps do not curl or turn yellow. Used commemorative stamps will generally be worth less, unless someone famous mailed the letter. (In which case, be sure to preserve the envelop and the contents). You can sell to stamp dealers, but you generally get a better price through auction sites like ebay. You must be patient, though. "You can't buy stamps thinking you're going to make a quick profit in a couple of months or even years," says U.S.-based stamp dealer Leonard Cohen. Purchase only stamps that you really like. And remember, "you'll never end up with absolutely nothing," says Malumud. "You can always use your investment to send a letter." Just make sure you post it in the issuing country.
Job Titles:
- CEO of the DLA Group
- Vice President of Business Strategy
David Lewis,Vice President of Business Strategy. David comes to emaimai with more than 20 years industry experience in strategic planning, business building, law, IT and general management.
David has served as the CEO of The DLA Group a Sydney Australia based company focusing on IT Management Consulting, Software Development and Distribution in South East Asia. He has lectured throughout the world on IT strategy, Law and eCommerce.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Vice President of Finance
Gail Itow, CPA, Vice President of Finance, has over 20 years of experience in financial planning, fund raising and strategic transactions in technology ventures. Ms Itow was previously the CFO and Secretary of Cinebase Software and then Sr. Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of eMotion, Inc. (a newly merged company between Cinebase Software and a wholly owned subsidiary of Eastman Kodak) involved in business-to-business media exchange for the Global 2000.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Vice President
Joe Geer, Vice President Engineering, has 32 years experience in strategic planning, operations research, and computer modeling. In recent years he has developed and managed reservation transaction systems for Dollar Rent-a-Car. He also developed server applications for Physicians' Online, a subscription-based Internet database for medical professionals, and Peapod, a NASDAQ-listed Internet grocer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Vice President
- Vice President, Marketing
Lance Hoffman, Vice President Marketing, has over 20 years of experience in marketing and product development with many of the industry's technology leaders. He has managed marketing organizations and led product launches for several companies including IBM, Apple Computer, Microsoft, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Earthlink Networks, and Cinebase Software.
M. Moshe Malamud, Chairman of emaimai and IGPC Diplomatic Attache, said Mr. Chow was the perfect choice for the new stamp series.
"Chow Yun-Fat is one of the hottest stars working in both Hollywood and Asia today so it seems entirely appropriate that he should be one of the very few living legends to be honoured. His enormous worldwide popularity warrants such a fitting tribute and emaimai is thrilled to be the exclusive distributor of Mr. Chow's limited edition stamps. In addition, we are looking forward to working closely with IGPC to collaborate on similar exciting ventures in the future," said Mr. Malamud.
"With Mr. Chow's phenomenal popularity, not only here in Hong Kong but also all around the world, we expect an incredibly high demand for this limited edition stamp series," he said.
emaimai Chairman Mr. M. Moshe Malamud expressed delight at the success of the Chow stamp series.
M. Moshe Malamud, Chairman, has over 10 years of international business and marketing experience in Asia during which he oversaw the expansion of IGPC, an international corporation that has consulted to the governments of more than 75 countries in the areas of postal services, telecommunications, tourism, trade and public relations. At IGPC, Mr. Malamud led Inter-Governmental's Government Relations and Diplomatic Teams and later assumed all international responsibilities. In his marketing role, Mr. Malamud developed direct response programs for licensed products and distribution with hundreds of companies, including Walt Disney, TVSN, Planet Hollywood, 4 Kids Entertainment, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Media Asia and others. He also consulted with various celebrities, including Chow Yun-Fat, Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, David Copperfield and Maya Angelou, on signature promotional projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Treasurer
- Vice Chairman
Norman Schifman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer, is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Angeles Ventures, an advisory venture capital firm in Los Angeles that focuses on technology companies, including Cinebase Software a digital media management systems company, and Kistler Aerospace, a manufacturer of rocket-powered launch vehicles.
Sam Ng, Vice President Corporate Development, has over 15 years of experience in finance and M&A in Asia and Europe. Prior to joining emaimai, Mr. Ng was CFO of AT&T's Online Services Asia Pacific, where he supported Pacific M&A activities in the Asia Pacific region.
Steven Sisskind, MD, ME, General Manager, has over 8 years of experience in technology, business development and operations. Dr. Sisskind was a co-founder of Angeles Ventures, a Southern California based venture capital advisory firm in 1998. He also founded DeviceLab Biomedical, a biomedical product development consulting firm that fostered an extensive network of Southern California investment and technical industry professionals.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- President and Chief Executive Officer, the
A critically acclaimed author, Surtees is a frequent key speaker at industry seminars around the globe.
Tony Surtees, President and Chief Executive Officer, The former Executive Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo!'s Global e-Commerce Group, Mr. Surtees brings more than 15 years of international industry experience in marketing, strategic planning, and business building. At Yahoo!, Mr. Surtees oversaw the company's e-Commerce strategies, initiatives and services. During his tenure, the e-Commerce Group of web properties was launched in over 20 countries with Yahoo! Auction sites expanding from 100,000 listings to 3,000,000 listings in 17 countries, accounting for 25% of Yahoo!'s total page views.
As part of its e-commerce strategy, Mr. Surtees oversaw the expansion of Yahoo!'s suite of online commerce services. Under his direction, Yahoo! launched PayDirect, an online person-to-person payment platform and the first online payment service to be fully integrated into Yahoo!'s global network of sites.
Prior to joining Yahoo!, Mr. Surtees operated one of Australia's leading corporate fax networks and designed, developed and funded an e-commerce application for online bill presentment. Mr. Surtees has also published and lectured extensively on the subjects of e-commerce and marketing around the world.