Q+A: Pasi Laine

Q: How do you spend your weekends?

A: I spend it with my family. I have three boys, aged 7, 13 and 15. So, whenever I'm at home, I never have any problem finding something to do. It is sometimes challenging keeping a balance between work and leisure. Sometimes I have one opinion and my wife has another. I try to do my best. When I'm at home, I try not to have too many hobbies outside home.

What are your hobbies?

I try to do my boys' hobbies. They prefer some kinds of sports. Personally, I do my own sports.

What is the saying that you like the most? Why? What is your motto?

I don't have a philosophy or a motto. I believe in the end, good and hard work pay off. There is no shortcut in this kind of business.

Who is your icon? Which living person do you most admire?

I don't have an icon now. But when I was a young kid, I adored some ice hockey players. Big heroes - but it was some 40 or 50 years ago. I can still recall their names of course, but they are not very famous in China.

What book are you reading now? What is your favorite book?

The last book I read lately is Slaughterhouse-Five. I read it for a second time. The first time was some 20 or 30 years ago. It's somehow fascinating. Of course it's brutal. But the way the writer railed so well against the war makes it a masterpiece. It's not a book for amusement. But sometimes you will laugh at it because the stories are hilarious.

I'm starting to read good novels again. I want to read more Hemingway and many others. I read them when I was about 20. Now, 30 years later, it's good to read them again and enjoy the literature. They make myself think back to more than 30 years ago.

I like Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. Everything you get will help. That's why it's more important to read good literature than management books. Personally, I've never read any management books. I develop my own management philosophy every day and all the time by making mistakes and watching others make mistakes. Of course such knowledge can be learned from books.

What is the quality you most admire in a man?

Professionalism, hard work and honesty.

What do you value the most in your friends?

Longevity and reliability.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Wife and three children.

What kind of green lifestyle do you have?

I live a quite low-profile life. I try to live as green as possible. I don't want to buy too much stuff. I'm not spending or wasting.

Name the places in China that impressed you most and that you have not visited but want to explore. What was your favorite journey?

This is the fourth time I have been in China this year. Every time I come, I cannot help admiring how much China has developed in 20 years. It's amazing to travel here every time. It was very nice when I first visited China in 1989. I want to see how the country's developed all the time. It is nice to follow.

What's the best way to break the ice with a Chinese businessman you've met for the first time?

Maybe you can't break the ice with the first sentence. You have to first listen and then maybe you will break the ice later. But you can't achieve that at the beginning. I haven't picked up any topics that would make them closer. You have to know what kind of life he or she is living and what his or her interests are.

Give four words to describe your impression of Chinese businessmen.

Brave entrepreneurs, formal look.