At the CEO rank, Hermes again took on another pioneering role in the Student Finance Office, serving as the first dedicated change champion during its re-organisation from a scheme-based to a functional-based structure. He also played a pivotal role in integrating multiple information technology systems into a single platform. Upon stepping into the PEO rank, Hermes took up another new PEO post in the Judiciary and met the new challenge of leading the team in overseeing the critical West Kowloon Law Courts Building project, and proactively initiated a project for converting the library in the High Court Building into several courtrooms to meet increasing service need and to initiate the development of a new District Court Building. All these tasks were ground-breaking, calling for his creativity and innovation in planning and co-ordination.

His desire to venture out of his comfort zone was also evident in his overseas study. He intentionally chose the more challenging path of pursuing a Master of Business Administration at the University of Warwick, rather than taking a course in public administration or human resource management like many of his peers. Hermes shared the valuable insights he gained during that year, which greatly inspired his management style as well as shaped his approach in identifying problems and formulating solutions. This exposure contributed significantly to his personal growth and continued to be beneficial in his current day.

In response to the question of which post he liked the most, Hermes found it hard to choose. “I liked each of them. Looking back, every post, including the tough CEO post in the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) that I had worked for five years, gave me memorable and satisfying experience. It's really difficult to weigh!”

Regarding the clerical and secretarial grades, which are also under DGG’s auspices, Hermes adopted a similar approach. With the upcoming reduction of some posts at recruitment ranks under the “across-the-board cut” exercise, the grades would gradually move towards a hierarchy with a smaller base. He remarked that the retention of promotion rank posts for maintaining the promotion prospects of the grades would undoubtedly pose a significant challenge to his successor.

Enriching the versatility of the EO grade is another key focus. Hermes has been working hard to expand the breadth and depth of the duties of EO fellows. In addition to the EO posts in the Mainland Offices, he had strived for more posts across different EO ranks in the overseas Economic and Trade Offices (ETO) such as the Brussels ETO and the London ETO. “These are invaluable opportunities for EOs to learn how to work and interact with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Living and working in cities outside Hong Kong should offer life experience for our fellows,” said Hermes.

With the proven track record made by our devoted grade members in accomplishing a wide spectrum of tasks, heads of B/Ds highly appreciated and recognised the capabilities of EOs. It is natural that if demand for new services popped up, they would consider creating EO posts to meet operational needs. As the proverb said, “Those before us cultivate the land, and those after reap the harvest.” Hermes commented that the efforts individual EOs made today would benefit the grade as a whole in the long run. For instance, we succeeded in securing places for our grade members to participate in the Master Programme in Public Policy in Peking University since its launch in 2022, as well as in the Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme in the Mainland municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This can foster exchange between participating EOs and the Mainland officials, enhance the overall image of the EO grade, and attract high-calibre and promising talents to join the grade.

In response to the question of whether AI would replace humans or displace EO grade posts, Hermes emphasised, “AI won’t replace humans, but humans with the knowledge of AI will definitely replace those do not know AI. That’s why EOs must take a step further now.” He foreshadowed that the grade should equip a large pool of SEOs with the knowledge and skills necessary to use AI in work, enabling them to support B/Ds as well as the Civil Service in conducting reforms.

Talking about REO, Hermes worked in various fields from voter registration to election for five years. It was a demanding posting known for its hectic schedule, sensitive and challenging nature, and physical exhaustion. “It was indeed a tough work, but it’s extremely rewarding.”, Hermes reflected with particular appreciation of the strong team work spirit in REO. He further recounted a notable incident of rejecting a face to face appeal from a candidate’s legal representative, a renowned senior counsel, at which he took a firm stance to clearly explain the rationale behind his decision to dismiss the appeal. Hermes was also heavily involved in direct dealing with protestors who staged sit-ins, chanted slogans, held signs or did violent acts at the central counting station. He considered all these encounters valuable as they enriched his experience in handling high-conflict individuals and conducting large-scale operations.

Throughout his career, Hermes has worked with many demanding bosses. He remarked, “Though I had to work very hard under intense pressure to meet their requests, I learned a lot from these encounters, which accelerated my personal growth.” For the key to overcome pressure, Hermes emphasised the importance of positive thinking: “Pressure does foster growth, and thus we should not solely seek an easy and comfortable life."

Hermes pointed out that the technological development in his first 30 years of career was gradual and it was not difficult to manage the change. The pace of advancement in recent years had however been accelerating, requiring us to pay more efforts to adapt to the change and stay motivated to learn new things. Witnessing the technological evolution, Hermes said, “To move forward, we must make good use of technology to enhance our work.”

When we asked Hermes to name the first thing he would do on his retirement day, he paused for a few seconds, seemingly unable to give us an answer! Hermes finally said “I don’t have a detailed plan yet. Frankly, as I started working right after graduation, I can’t imagine the day when I wake up, I no longer need to go to work.” After offering him some hints to refresh his memory like driving, photography and hiking which he mentioned in his last interview, Hermes said “Oh yes! Driving has long been my personal interest. I dream of travelling around the Mainland with my own car.”