Italian finds his business feet after adapting to local working conditions
By Kerry McBride |
February 6, 2013, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
When Federico Bonotto first landed in China six years ago, it was a completely different world from his life back in Italy.
But he soon realized China was the place to be if he wanted to be in the midst of the action.
"In this country the market is just booming and there's a long and good future in it for the next 10 years at least," Bonotto says.
Bonotto moved to China to set up a Chinese office for Italian company FAIST Emission Controls - a challenging but exciting request for Bonotto, who was in his mid-20s at the time.
It did not take long to work out that Suzhou was the right place to set up camp, but without any language skills or knowing any other Italians in the area, the move presented some interesting challenges.
"When I arrived here in 2006 there was just nothing. I was alone and filled with good will, but there was nothing else," he says.
"I was in a country where the culture was different and the language was difficult. There was only one Italian restaurant here."
But since then, Suzhou's manufacturing industry - and with it, the Italian community - has grown considerably. Bonotto now estimates around 600 Italians are based in the area.
With that came a growing need for an expatriate support network, and the Suzhou Italian Companies Business Association was born with Bonotto as founder and coordinator.
The association brings together general managers of Italian manufacturing firms based in Suzhou to share their expertise, networks and support one another.
"Our approach is that we know something more than these fledgling businesses. We can share the knowledge and experience of our time here," he says.
Now five years old, the association has been a godsend for companies new to the area, Bonotto says.
"I try to be the glue here in the community and try to keep all Italians here feeling welcome and understood."
When businesses decide to set up shop in Suzhou, they are often struck by how different the working relationships between managers and staff can be, he says.
"Finding the right people is probably the biggest challenge here. With the industry growing so quickly, you need to quickly learn to navigate the Chinese working environment.
"Finding people who can stay with you for a long period is important. Most would leave after two or three years if you don't give them room to grow in the company," he says.
Compared to Europe, where most workers are eager to hold on to any job they can land in the tough economy, Chinese staff are not afraid of looking elsewhere for better opportunities.
"In Europe, if a staff member does something wrong you can tell them so strongly so that they'll never do it again. But here you have to balance that with the understanding that they are still important - if you don't do that then your staff could leave you."
It challenges companies to find the right mix and make sure employees feel valued, Bonotto says.
"You can really see the country growing here, and employees know how many opportunities are out there waiting for them," he adds.
As well as supporting businesses, the association has also helped with community events such as the Festival Italiano, which attracted 10,000 people last year.
His girlfriend Valeria Montoneri has been a key driver of the festival, utilizing her events management background to make the event a real highlight on the expat calendar.
The pair met when taking part in a sailing course in Italy, and Montoneri made the move to Suzhou last year to join Bonotto.
But despite their shared love of the water and Suzhou's many lakes, finding a place to indulge their hobby has been tough, Bonotto says.
"The lakes here are far too shallow. We tried to go sailing once but the boat got stuck on the bottom of the lake after only five minutes," he says.
"We were all dressed up in our sailing clothes but they had to drag us back in to shore."
Instead, the pair find the time to attend local events and are both working on improving their Mandarin skills.
The transition from life in her hometown of Rome to Suzhou had been a challenge, but it is beginning to feel like home, Motoneri says.
"It's beautiful here. It's a very different life, but we love it."
Q: What's your favorite place in Suzhou?
A: Pingjiang Road is beautiful, and I like walking along the lakeside.
Q: Favorite dish?
A: I love Italian food, especially pizza. But I also love dumplings.
Federico Bonotto
Age: 33
Nationality: Italian
Profession: General manager of FAIST Emission Controls China.
Q&A
? Strangest sight: Seeing locals try to deal with the freak snow storm in 2008. Nobody knew how to drive in the snow.
? Impression of Suzhou: In 2006, everything was different. It has thrived in the last five years as more expats move in.
? How to improve Suzhou: Create more community events and try to bring the locals and expats together. Better advertising of local events to the expat community would help people get involved.
But he soon realized China was the place to be if he wanted to be in the midst of the action.
"In this country the market is just booming and there's a long and good future in it for the next 10 years at least," Bonotto says.
Bonotto moved to China to set up a Chinese office for Italian company FAIST Emission Controls - a challenging but exciting request for Bonotto, who was in his mid-20s at the time.
It did not take long to work out that Suzhou was the right place to set up camp, but without any language skills or knowing any other Italians in the area, the move presented some interesting challenges.
"When I arrived here in 2006 there was just nothing. I was alone and filled with good will, but there was nothing else," he says.
"I was in a country where the culture was different and the language was difficult. There was only one Italian restaurant here."
But since then, Suzhou's manufacturing industry - and with it, the Italian community - has grown considerably. Bonotto now estimates around 600 Italians are based in the area.
With that came a growing need for an expatriate support network, and the Suzhou Italian Companies Business Association was born with Bonotto as founder and coordinator.
The association brings together general managers of Italian manufacturing firms based in Suzhou to share their expertise, networks and support one another.
"Our approach is that we know something more than these fledgling businesses. We can share the knowledge and experience of our time here," he says.
Now five years old, the association has been a godsend for companies new to the area, Bonotto says.
"I try to be the glue here in the community and try to keep all Italians here feeling welcome and understood."
When businesses decide to set up shop in Suzhou, they are often struck by how different the working relationships between managers and staff can be, he says.
"Finding the right people is probably the biggest challenge here. With the industry growing so quickly, you need to quickly learn to navigate the Chinese working environment.
"Finding people who can stay with you for a long period is important. Most would leave after two or three years if you don't give them room to grow in the company," he says.
Compared to Europe, where most workers are eager to hold on to any job they can land in the tough economy, Chinese staff are not afraid of looking elsewhere for better opportunities.
"In Europe, if a staff member does something wrong you can tell them so strongly so that they'll never do it again. But here you have to balance that with the understanding that they are still important - if you don't do that then your staff could leave you."
It challenges companies to find the right mix and make sure employees feel valued, Bonotto says.
"You can really see the country growing here, and employees know how many opportunities are out there waiting for them," he adds.
As well as supporting businesses, the association has also helped with community events such as the Festival Italiano, which attracted 10,000 people last year.
His girlfriend Valeria Montoneri has been a key driver of the festival, utilizing her events management background to make the event a real highlight on the expat calendar.
The pair met when taking part in a sailing course in Italy, and Montoneri made the move to Suzhou last year to join Bonotto.
But despite their shared love of the water and Suzhou's many lakes, finding a place to indulge their hobby has been tough, Bonotto says.
"The lakes here are far too shallow. We tried to go sailing once but the boat got stuck on the bottom of the lake after only five minutes," he says.
"We were all dressed up in our sailing clothes but they had to drag us back in to shore."
Instead, the pair find the time to attend local events and are both working on improving their Mandarin skills.
The transition from life in her hometown of Rome to Suzhou had been a challenge, but it is beginning to feel like home, Motoneri says.
"It's beautiful here. It's a very different life, but we love it."
Q: What's your favorite place in Suzhou?
A: Pingjiang Road is beautiful, and I like walking along the lakeside.
Q: Favorite dish?
A: I love Italian food, especially pizza. But I also love dumplings.
Federico Bonotto
Age: 33
Nationality: Italian
Profession: General manager of FAIST Emission Controls China.
Q&A
? Strangest sight: Seeing locals try to deal with the freak snow storm in 2008. Nobody knew how to drive in the snow.
? Impression of Suzhou: In 2006, everything was different. It has thrived in the last five years as more expats move in.
? How to improve Suzhou: Create more community events and try to bring the locals and expats together. Better advertising of local events to the expat community would help people get involved.
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