A busy retirement planned out
By Yang Jian |
April 6, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY people give a great deal of thought to the development of their careers, but few have such detailed plans for life after retirement.
And while many see retirement as a chance to take it easy, Daniel Chieh, a former chief executive officer with a global company and now a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has opted for a more active approach.
Chieh, 68, from Taiwan was a successful businessman before retiring in 2003, but now finds himself doing even better, he says, as a painter, teacher, writer and even an inventor.
After obtaining a masters degree from Princeton University in the United States 40 years ago, Chieh worked as an executive for companies in countries including Japan, the United States and China. He worked for a German company for 21 years, during which time he became president of the Chinese mainland operation. But at this peak of his career, Chieh chose to retire and pursue a very different life.
Within five years, he had traveled to 83 countries, painting 600 pictures. Chieh has sold many of his works and donated the 6 million yuan (US$952,800) profits to charity.
He has also been appointed by a dozen universities to teach marketing and innovation.
And Chieh helped invent a "green" electricity generator using water and gravity and is now writing a book about the Chinese language.
"I enjoyed my career and was regarded as successful, but my retired life is also fun," Chieh said.
Chieh's office is in an anonymous building in a former industrial zone in Qingpu District. Here he makes his teaching plans and paints and writes.
The 50-square-meter room is filled with paintings, sculptures and many of his books and university certificates. A map of the world hangs behind his desk, covered by pins showing where he has been.
On retirement, Chieh drew up a 10-year plan to travel and paint around the world. Each year he took a theme -- including the rapeseed flower, the red-crowned crane and the sea.
"The most useful thing I learned from German companies is to make plans, so I planned out my retired life and, fortunately, these goals have been realized," he said.
In 2004, Chieh traveled to 18 countries, from the United States to Finland, solely to paint rapeseed flowers.
The most impressive experience for Chieh was in Luoping County in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
"The 1.5-meter-tall plants covered mountain terraces, with women in the Bouyei minority group costume walking among the flowers. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen," he said.
In the same year, Chieh was appointed as a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to teach marketing and sales innovation.
"Most marketing professors in mainland universities had no actual business experience, so I gladly accepted the invitation," Chieh said.
And if all these projects were not enough, last year, Chieh and his two brothers invented an environmentally friendly machine that can generate electricity using just water and gravity. They are now promoting it.
There is no chance of Chieh slowing down this year, as he is writing a book about the Chinese language, based on insights gleaned from his travels.
"Some English words -- such as 'casino', 'ketchup' and 'chopsticks' - are based on Chinese words," he explained. He has identified around 400 loanwords.
Chieh and his wife live in the outskirts of Qingpu, while their three children are in Taiwan and Canada.
Having achieved many of the objectives set in his first 10-year plan, Chieh is now looking ahead. "I will work out my second 10-year plan for my 70s, and then a third and fourth one," he said.
"Everyone can enjoy life like I do. What they need is to make a plan, then follow and enjoy it," Chieh added.
And while many see retirement as a chance to take it easy, Daniel Chieh, a former chief executive officer with a global company and now a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has opted for a more active approach.
Chieh, 68, from Taiwan was a successful businessman before retiring in 2003, but now finds himself doing even better, he says, as a painter, teacher, writer and even an inventor.
After obtaining a masters degree from Princeton University in the United States 40 years ago, Chieh worked as an executive for companies in countries including Japan, the United States and China. He worked for a German company for 21 years, during which time he became president of the Chinese mainland operation. But at this peak of his career, Chieh chose to retire and pursue a very different life.
Within five years, he had traveled to 83 countries, painting 600 pictures. Chieh has sold many of his works and donated the 6 million yuan (US$952,800) profits to charity.
He has also been appointed by a dozen universities to teach marketing and innovation.
And Chieh helped invent a "green" electricity generator using water and gravity and is now writing a book about the Chinese language.
"I enjoyed my career and was regarded as successful, but my retired life is also fun," Chieh said.
Chieh's office is in an anonymous building in a former industrial zone in Qingpu District. Here he makes his teaching plans and paints and writes.
The 50-square-meter room is filled with paintings, sculptures and many of his books and university certificates. A map of the world hangs behind his desk, covered by pins showing where he has been.
On retirement, Chieh drew up a 10-year plan to travel and paint around the world. Each year he took a theme -- including the rapeseed flower, the red-crowned crane and the sea.
"The most useful thing I learned from German companies is to make plans, so I planned out my retired life and, fortunately, these goals have been realized," he said.
In 2004, Chieh traveled to 18 countries, from the United States to Finland, solely to paint rapeseed flowers.
The most impressive experience for Chieh was in Luoping County in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
"The 1.5-meter-tall plants covered mountain terraces, with women in the Bouyei minority group costume walking among the flowers. It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen," he said.
In the same year, Chieh was appointed as a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to teach marketing and sales innovation.
"Most marketing professors in mainland universities had no actual business experience, so I gladly accepted the invitation," Chieh said.
And if all these projects were not enough, last year, Chieh and his two brothers invented an environmentally friendly machine that can generate electricity using just water and gravity. They are now promoting it.
There is no chance of Chieh slowing down this year, as he is writing a book about the Chinese language, based on insights gleaned from his travels.
"Some English words -- such as 'casino', 'ketchup' and 'chopsticks' - are based on Chinese words," he explained. He has identified around 400 loanwords.
Chieh and his wife live in the outskirts of Qingpu, while their three children are in Taiwan and Canada.
Having achieved many of the objectives set in his first 10-year plan, Chieh is now looking ahead. "I will work out my second 10-year plan for my 70s, and then a third and fourth one," he said.
"Everyone can enjoy life like I do. What they need is to make a plan, then follow and enjoy it," Chieh added.
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