For many of us, it’s all work and no play but for Ivan Zeng, Lego’s general manager in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, work is play.
“My passion for Lego started from my childhood,” said Zeng. “My very first Lego set was a black seas barracuda pirate ship in 1989 that I received from my mom – the price would be HK$18,000 today if I had kept the box – and kids are still playing with its reissued versions nowadays.”
This feeling of nostalgia led Zeng to embark on a journey that has taken him on a decade-long journey with Lego – and brought him to Hong Kong two years ago.
Before joining the group, Zeng was working in the digital industry, driven by his passion at 19. He later joined Yahoo and then Nike as he was “a big fan of sports.”
Now at Lego, Zeng continues to find joy in his work as he considers the 91-year-old brand “a company focused on play – just like how I imagined”.
As the leader of Lego’s Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan team, Zeng believes in the importance of understanding toy enthusiasts.
“We have four keywords: imagination, fun, learning as play, and, of course, product quality. We want kids and adults who play with our products to focus on play and not be constrained by any stereotypes,” he said.
Children, naturally, are a priority. “With kids, allow them to imagine and play and parents should play along rather than tell their kids how to play,” Zeng advised. “Most importantly, talk to them and understand them. ‘Why do you stack the bricks this way?’ ‘Are you telling a story?’ ‘What are you thinking about?’ Allow kids to slowly share their thoughts.”
Listening is key to Zen’s work, too. “Playing well is our value,” he said. To purchase the best play experience for customers, Zeng and his team go to the market every month to engage in conversations with them. They seek out information about preferred features, identify emerging trends, and gather valuable feedback.
This extends to his staff as well. Zeng fosters a work culture where everyone on his team is encouraged to speak freely.
“We make sure to keep our team healthy – both physically and mentally. We want them to be happy as human beings,” he said. “We are like a family and try to make everyday fun. We celebrate everybody’s birthday, hold happy hours every week, and have two days of work at home per week. We want employees who are parents to have time with their kids.”
After all, products that bring joy should be created by happy people, he said. He believes that this is the way to stimulate creativity – vital in the toy manufacturing industry.
“Openness is very important. We have a session called Open Talk during which people need to be brave enough to put their problems on the table without pointing fingers at each other,” he said. “That to me, is real trust. And only by that can a team go through good times together but also bad times.”
Zeng also hopes that Lego will bring the concept of “play attentively and wholeheartedly.”
In November 2022, Lego Hong Kong organized the Lego Playful Run – Hong Kong’s first first-ever Lego-themed run – in West Kowloon Cultural District. This summer, Lego Hong Kong brought a series of summer campaigns such as a massive interactive installation playground in Megabox with the theme of “Lego! Buildcation”.
“We used to be indoors, but we can deliver play to people in different ways,” Zeng said.
“We want to bring awareness of play to Hong Kong whether kids, families or adults. That’s my business philosophy.”
In addition to being a businessman, Lego’s philosophy of play also influenced Zeng’s approach to being a parent.
“I always focus on my family and spend time with my daughter to play with Lego and other stuff,” Zeng said. “During the process, I just allow her to play and observe her. It is important for a child to be more independent and make choices rather than daddy and mommy lecturing.
“Parents should appreciate the importance of play for their children. The method of play may be different for kids and adults but the word ‘play’ is universal.”
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