A love for Chinese culture and architecture

As the executive adviser to the president of Bureau Veritas' marine and offshore division, Claude Maillot helps the company collaborate with Chinese shipbuilders to improve industry standards.

Bureau Veritas, which first entered Shanghai in the late 19th century, currently has more than 17,000 employees in China.

"For us, it's a must to be in Shanghai, because it is the place where the biggest and most famous shipbuilding and designing institutes are located," he said.

Maillot was recently featured in the "Shanghai Through Our Eyes" video series in which he also spoke about his love for Chinese culture.

"I am interested in the cultural aspects of China, which is so broad and rich," said Maillot, who read one of his favorite poems written by Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in the interview:

"The northern wind rises from end of the sky. What do you think of it in your mind and your eye…I particularly like poets of the Tang Dynasty," he said. "Their poems are really the essence of Chinese culture."

Maillot is also a fan of ancient Chinese architecture. He has bought many books on it, and has been particularly attracted by roofs which use glazed tiles and have sculptures of creatures such as dragons and lions as decorations.

"Whenever I go somewhere, I'm very eager to take pictures of the roof," he said.