Profiles

Walking on air

By Yu Tianyu (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-24 09:28

As he relaxed behind his desk, Li Ning seems very much unchanged from his heyday on the gym floor. His spiky hairdo still sits straight up, and his dimples still twinkle. The only signs are some gray at the temple, and a few wrinkles etched on his face.

"Establishing the brand used to be my personal ambition, but now building up an international brand is the dream of our staff members as well as that of many Chinese," the chairman starts on his favorite subject.

Li Ning at the 23rd Los Angeles Olympic Games where he won fame and a cache of medals for China. [Photo/Xinhua]

This year, he has just launched a flagship store in Portland, Oregon, a location very near Nike's headquarters. The Chinese brand is endorsed by a few top National Basketball Association players including a high profile $1.5 million deal with Shaquille O'Neal of the Boston Celtics.

But it was money well spent. The Hong Kong-listed company has reported about 8.3 billion yuan in sales in 2009 with a year-on-year rise of 25.4 percent. It opened 1,004 new outlets in 2009, boosting its total number of stores to 7,249 by the end of 2009.

Fang Shiwei, chief marketing officer of Li Ning, says sales in China exceeded Adidas in 2009, and it is now the second-largest brand after Nike.

Now that his company is on course, the taciturn chairman has turned over much of the running to his management team.

"I'm willing to be an anchor for the company. Most of all, I am glad to see so many of our young consumers buying the Li Ning brand because they like the products. They don't know who I am. The marketing does not need my name anymore," he says.

The newly released Hurun report on the wealthiest Chinese lists Li Ning as the 64th richest with a personal fortune of $12 billion yuan. But he brushes it off with his usual nonchalance: "I am just a common man doing common things."

But he is certainly unusual in his people skills.

On the day the company turned 20 in late June this year, Li Ning sat alone in the company canteen having a simple lunch. His meal was constantly interrupted by reporters, colleagues and others who stopped by with congratulations. Li Ning stood up every time and greeted and thanked them all - everyone, strangers and friends alike.

The man himself sums it up. "My whole life is married to sports and I'm happy just to do things related to sports and being together with athletes." That is great sportsmanship.