More than just good business, the continued success of Eu Yan Sang is CEO Richard Eu’s way of perpetuating his family’s illustrious legacy.

To celebrate the launch of the book, Path of the Righteous Crane: The Life & Legacy of Eu Tong Sen, about his late grandfather, which took place during the 130th anniversary of Eu Yan Sang’s founding, Richard Eu, the CEO of traditional Chinese medicine giant Eu Yan Sang International, tracked down family members from around the world for a grand reunion in Singapore of the extended clan’s some 300 members.
   
His efforts at renewing family bonds may seem extravagant, but family and in particular his commitment to continuing the family business is a prominent theme that runs through the story of one of Singapore’s most successful entrepreneurs.
   
Eu’s decision to leave a career in finance to join Eu Yan Sang as a general manager 20 years ago was purely a commercial one; “We had built up quite a lot of knowledge in Eu Yan Sang which possibly had some application for this kind of audience, the new consumers who were looking for an alternative for pharmaceuticals.”
   
Embracing technology and slick marketing while aiming at a younger clientele, Eu managed to help grow the listed company’s net profit to $13 million for the financial year ended June 30, 2009, on the back of $222.5 million. The company now boasts 154 retail outlets and 21 TCM clinics around Asia.
   
But dollars and cents aside, Eu is unabashed about his emotional attachment to the business founded by his forefather. Being a company’s fourth generation leader is an important personal milestone for the man. “I was afraid that we would fall into this three-generation syndrome; by the end of the third generation everything is gone. I wanted to beat the odds and make it to the fourth generation. That was a key motivation.”
   
Looking ahead, Eu’s next goal seems like an improbable one: “To sell TCM to China, that is the challenge now. We have to figure out how to become a significant player in the world’s biggest TCM market.”

The Apec Leaders meeting is the culmination of yearlong events to promote trade and business links among countries in the region. As Singapore prepares to host its first meeting, we take a look back at the important, and not so important, milestones of this prestigious event.

Birth of Apec
1989: former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke publicly broaches the idea of Apec during a speech in Seoul, Korea. Later that year, Apec begins as an informal ministerial-level dialogue group with 12 members: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the US. The first meeting was held in Canberra.

Leading the way
1993: Then-US President Bill Clinton establishes the practice of an annual Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting. They meet for the first time in Blake Island, US, and outline Apec's vision for "stability, security and prosperity for our peoples".

Fashion!
It is a tradition at each Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting that attending leaders dress in a costume that reflects the culture of the host country for a photo op. Some of the stranger costume choices include bomber jackets at the US event held in Seattle in 1993, business suits in Osaka in 1995, All Blacks rugby jerseys in New Zealand in 1999, Driza-Bones and Akubra hats in Sydney in 2007, and ponchos in Lima last year (2008). This year, Singapore fashion designer Wykidd Song will design the attire for leaders of the 21 Apec economies, while Celia Loe will create outfits for the liaison officers and volunteers.

Spouses’s day out
WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) of Apec leaders and delegates are entertained by a Spouse Programme, while their other halves discuss business. Activities in previous years include viewing a surf lifesaving display at Bondi Beach in Sydney and Thai foot massages in Bangkok (former First Lady Laura Bush reportedly snapped up US$250 (S$348) worth of massage oil and powder after a 20-minute session). The two-day Spouse Programme during the Apec CEO Summit Singapore 2009 includes a cultural tour of Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India and Katong; retail therapy at Orchard Central and Palais Renaissance; spa sessions and styling treats at Sungei Buloh; and field trips to Marina Barrage and Bollywood Veggies.

Talent time
This year's Apec meetings will feature many prominent local talents as part of the entertainment and lifestyle component. Singer-songwriter Dick Lee will direct a multimedia entertainment show at the Singapore Evening, which Apec delegates will attend on Nov 14. And Urban Foundry's Felix Low will provide the furniture designs used when Apec leaders gather for a retreat at the Istana that weekend.

Driving Mr Obama
Apec VIPs — including world leaders like US President Barack Obama — will be ferried to and from their meetings at the forum in Singapore this year in some 300 BMW 5- and 7-series cars, sponsored by the German luxury carmaker.

A look back on Apec summit delegates decked out in the national dress of the host nation.

From the Chilean chamanto to the Korean hanbok, the traditional dress of the host nation is customarily donned by Apec delegates for the official group photo. This practice began some 15 years ago in Bogor, Indonesia, where the organisers thought it would be stylish for delegates to put on the batik shirt. The choice of dress, however, can be fraught with difficulties. For instance, the Canadians, who hosted the 1997 summit, are a hotpot of different ethnicities and had no unifying national dress; eventually, the pragmatic Canucks settled on the brown leather jacket. As we take a photo journey through the Apec summits of yesteryear, we can’t help but wonder what our guests in Singapore this year will wear. Orchid prints, anyone?