By Siow Li Sen

DOROTHY Seet, who in April became the second female winner in the 23-year history of the Singapore Business Awards, is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Yet she is also a devoted wife and loving mother.

Leaving her two young daughters and husband in Singapore, she went to Beijing in 1994 to help run the family business.

Ms Seet is hardly the first mother to work abroad, but it is still far from common experience. Her daughters are now grown up and Ms Seet has built Beijing Smart Garments (BSG) into one of the top textile producers in China - no mean feat considering the tens of thousands of such factories there.

With 3,000 staff, BSG produces about 1.2 million suits a year for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Burberry. Its biggest export market is Japan, followed by Europe and the US. Last year, BSG posted a profit of 17 million yuan (S$3.4 million) on a turnover of 400 million yuan.

But Ms Seet, who calls herself passionate and trusting, has no time to rest on her laurels. She is busy with BSG's domestic expansion. Domestic sales used to make up about 30 per cent of total sales, but have grown to 40 per cent. BSG is aiming for 50 per cent, tapping China's growing middle class.

Like most women, Ms Seet enjoys shopping. 'My family and friends call me a shopaholic,' she says. 'When I'm feeling down I just go shopping - sometimes window shopping - as I find it very therapeutic.'

But shopping is also a part of her business. 'I also find shopping an on-going learning process because you learn of new brands and new products in the market,' she says. 'You see how attractive visual merchandising can be and how it can enhance sales.

Shopping can also be a learning process. 'I enjoy going to the flea markets in China where you can learn about the history and culture from the many products that they sell,' she says.

One of her passions are watches. 'I have a collection of old watches, mainly ladies.'

Ms Seet, who is boss to 3,000 employees, says she is 'modern in many ways, yet conventional in others'. 'I appreciate fashion and would dress fashionably, and believe that a husband is still the head of the household. But when it comes to the business, I make the decisions and bear the responsibility.'

Like many Chinese, she hoped for a son - but her daughters are her joy and pride.

'Before the birth of my daughters, my husband and I hoped for a daughter and a son,' she says. 'However, I have no regrets. I love my daughters very much and I know they love me equally.

'I am also of the opinion that daughters tend to have stronger ties with their parents, even after they are married. This is from my own experience. I know that I have a stronger bond and ties with my parents and siblings, compared with my brothers. It may not be fair to generalise, but I have seen many families in similar situations.'

This article was first published in The Business Times on Jun 11, 2008

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