Sonia Cheng: How a Mix of Humility and Hard Work Fuels Innovation
- Malin Phelan
- Jan 22, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2021
Author: Malin Phelan '23
“(Sonia Cheng is) a name that represents the new generation of these big families that somehow carried on with a family's heritage, but also took it to a new era and (made) it modern,”
- Angelica Cheung, the editor-in-chief of Vogue China (CNBC)
Sonia Cheng, the CEO of Rosewood Hotel Groups, not only manages luxury hotels - but grew up in them, too. This might sound like a strange way of living, but for Sonia, hotels have been ever-present, as she is the daughter of renowned Hong Kong property developer Henry Cheng. Henry is the son of Cheng Yu-tung, another highly successful Hong Kong businessman and the developer of both Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and New World Development. Growing up in this highly prominent family couldn’t have been easy for Sonia, as she was under immense pressure from a young age to be successful - something she has certainly lived up to.
Before diving exclusively into her family’s business, Sonia worked for Morgan Stanley as a real estate investment banker. She also spent time at the private equity firm Warburg Pincus. Sonia began managing New World Development’s hotels in 2008, still only in her twenties. At this point, Rosewood Hotel Groups wasn’t in their possession, but it was bought by New World Development in 2011. Sonia became the CEO at this point as well.
One particularly powerful way I’ve found Sonia inspiring is how she merged cultures, teams, and overall brought an entirely fresh perspective to the Rosewood Hotels that catapulted their growth. She’s been viewed as a “model Millennial” (Forbes). Not only this, but her own touches have allowed Rosewood to “connec[t] to young travelers” (Forbes), where luxury hotels haven’t had as much success before. Her marketing skills are impressive. She took the relatively unknown Rosewood and turned it into a household name in the luxury hotel business, catering to new audiences at the same time. COO of Rosewood, Symon Bridle, “credits Cheng for offering a fresh perspective” (Forbes) on the Rosewood Group as a whole.
Her ability to push beyond critics is a strong suit of hers as well, and one that cannot be ignored. She’s been reduced, to some, as the “daughter of a tycoon, playing hotel” (CNBC) because of her family ties to the business. Despite her clear capabilities (she attended Harvard and majored in applied economics), she has had to work significantly harder to prove herself. However, this has also allowed her to thrive. In an interview with Forbes, Sonia discussed how she “didn't just want to go the easy route, and that's always been [her] life, always trying to find the challenging route.” She’s also never allowed herself to rest on her laurels, give herself too much credit, or believe that she is better due to her wealth. Cheng recalled, in an interview with CNBC, how “it runs sort of from my grandfather to my father, up until this generation. When we're running a company, humility is something that's very important.” This attitude has contributed to a positive view of her in the general public. She fosters strong work relationships and “tell[s] [her] team up front that [she] need[s] them to be a partner” (CNBC). Her humility has proven to be an extremely valuable asset, despite being a concept that others coming from privileged backgrounds such as her own might struggle with.
Sonia’s work has proven innovative, essentially entirely rebranding Rosewood Hotels and bringing a whole new group of customers in doing so. I find her drive inspiring, as well as her resolve to prove herself and live up to (and exceed) the expectations which were set for her due to her familial past. Sonia Cheng is certainly not a name to be forgotten, and her work will be remembered for its innovation and success.
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