The invisible background
In June 2020, the Legal and Business team at Bühler Greater China was restructured. The fact that they won the ALB China Top 15 Business Contribution Law Team Award in 2024 is testament of their great work. Today, we want to hear from some of the team members what makes them so successful and give them the chance to shed light on their highly important work in the background.
Hao Yu, Lei Lei, December 2024
“Each of us is like the chattering Tang Sanzang from the 16th century novel “Journey to the West” (see infobox below). They call me master, but I’m actually a disciple myself. When I first joined the team, I was much like Tang Sanzang. Whenever there were risks or issues of non-compliance, I would diligently ‘preach’ to colleagues from other departments,” says Shi Chong and laughs as she looks back.
This thinking is more akin to the historical Tang Sanzang, who defended his beliefs in India. In reality, Tang Sanzang had thoroughly studied every school of thought, allowing him to bypass superficial confusion and tackle the crux of the matter, clearly dismantling opponents' logical flaws and their intentions to conceal them.
In exploring new business, the Legal and Business team indeed acts like diplomats and pioneers opening new trade routes. A good example is a wafer project in Tajikistan, a complete ground-up venture, pioneering overseas trade financing models. Given that this overseas client had no prior experience in this field, Bühler needed to rigorously assess all details. Therefore, Bühler Greater China set up a special project team including the company’s Chief Financial Officer at the time, Markus Nikles, Zhou Xiaobing, and Shi Chong. This team invested significant effort and time, meticulously and efficiently advancing the approval process.
“Leading the client to obtain national credit insurance qualification was like giving Tang Sanzang the official seal, requiring repeated communication and digging deep. These efforts minimized Bühler Greater China's trade risks, aiding smooth contract signing and opening the Central Asian market,” says Shi Chong. “Thanks to this project's success, several other Central Asian projects are progressing simultaneously.”
Shen Yun joined Bühler from a private company in 2022. With limited business English and little professional experience, she knew she needed to go the extra mile. She tackled a significant project with a contract exceeding 90 pages, constantly balancing the risks of miscommunication and misunderstandings.
Thanks to her predecessors, like beacons guiding her initial days, she learned. “Aim to express accurately in contracts to avoid ambiguity. Using too many technical terms raises communication costs and risks misunderstandings,” she remembers. Slowly, with the support of her colleagues, she swiftly grew amidst challenges and opportunities, eventually leading projects on her own.
Zhang Yumeng compared herself to the reticent yet meticulous monk Sha Wujing from “Journey to the West,” saying: “The Legal and Business Department’s role is that of partners and commercial lawyers, assisting other departments from the company’s perspective, not opposing them. Like Sha Wujing, advising leaders to trust their team while calming teammates.” Colleagues saw her attentiveness; every time she submitted contract reviews, they were detailed with analyses and suggested solutions, providing clear guidance for further efforts.
Teamwork is essential, especially in challenging times. “When I’m busy working on many contracts, my colleagues always come to check on me, and we cooperate and help each other out. In a way, we’re like the hardworking White Dragon Horse,” says Linda Liu.
Zhou Xiaobing says: “Legal framework and compliance awareness should be seen as business enablers. They’re not only means to protect Bühler’s legitimate rights but also guarantees for the company’s steady development within legal boundaries. Our Legal and Business Department needs to flexibly apply legal knowledge to allow Bühler’s sales to navigate contract negotiations adeptly, facing various commercial and legal challenges.”
Organizing Compliance Week showcases the teams’ outstanding legal work. This year they won the 2024 ALB China Top 15 Business Contribution Law Team Award. To earn such recognition, the team needed to excel in professional legal services, significantly contributing to corporate development, excelling in legal risk prevention, and playing a crucial role in strategic growth and value creation, aligning with Bühler’s TOP values – providing high-quality products and comprehensive legal compliance services to clients, helping to avoid risks, and addressing global and market challenges, contributing to Bühler’s steady growth.”
Journey to the West is a Chinese classical fantasy novel about Master Tang Sanzang leading his three disciples – Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing – to fetch sacred Buddhist scriptures from the West (ancient India, present-day Pakistan). On their journey, they rely on various abilities and unwavering willpower to fend off various temptations and supernatural threats.
Tang Sanzang: The team leader, master to the other three, often targeted by evil spirits. Known for his moralizing.
Sun Wukong: Also known as Monkey King, capable of transforming into 72 shapes, strong in combat but very stubborn and emotional. Possesses a magical staff and a golden headband used by Tang Sanzang to control him.
Zhu Wuneng: The team’s cheerful pig-like character, hiding great strength. Appears silly but does much of the hard work and makes crucial decisions in key moments.
Sha Wujing: The quiet planning expert. Often mediates conflicts, ensuring the team functions smoothly.
White Dragon Horse: A dragon prince transformed into a white horse, carrying Tang Sanzang and their luggage. Dutiful and resilient, emerging in times of crisis to protect the team.
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