Christian Heilesen, chief executive officer of Funmobile Holdings Ltd
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【11】 【12】 Christian Heilesen started Funmobile in Hong Kong when he was 20 years old, developing games for mobile phones. Over the past five years, he has led the company to become a leading global provider of mobile games, ringtones, downloads and phone voting software for television.
The company distributes content globally through over 100 mobile phone operators in 28 countries and regions.
Funmobile's success is also based upon a successful strategy of selling directly to consumers through its own website. Today its own portal has one million subscribers allowing it to bypass revenue-sharing agreements with mobile phone operators.
Funmobile is one of the few wireless gaming companies to develop its titles in Hong Kong and differentiates itself by strong research spending. Heilesen's overseas expansion has helped the company deliver exponential growth.
It plans to raise its profile further through an IPO in the future. Funmobile sponsors the International Mobile Gaming Award, a global competition for the best mobile phone game design, development and programming.
Q: What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
A: It means calculation of risks and brave experiments with new things.
Q: What has sustained Funmobile?
A: The rapid growth of Funmobile is largely due to our cosmopolitan outlook and pioneering spirit. I was born in Denmark and was in the Internet business in the United States. At the age of 18, I moved to Hong Kong and created Funmobile, which now has a platform of over 110 telecom operators in 25 countries and regions. My global perspective has taught me how to handle the cultural differences among various countries. Certainly, my pioneering character has guided our company to develop new products continuously.
Q: What are your plans and goals for the future development of Funmobile?
A: With a global telecom platform, any of our new products can be marketed all over the world, the small price of which can be paid through the mobile phone and the Internet.
On this basis, in 2009, we will open the former internal platform Netpartner.com to advertisers for marketing their products, exploring deeper into Internet business opportunities.
Q: What advice do you have for the young people ready to start a new business?
A: Trust, and be knowledgeable and enthusiastic. You should know your chosen industry and establish practically profitable and sustainable operations. You should trust your colleagues and give them power, even those concerning financial and market management, allowing you to have more time and energy to deal with the more strategic matters, such as analyzing market trends and your competitors. And you must have enthusiasm for your career and be a model for your employees.
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