Yet Parker still faced an enormous learning curve — he had to learn about engineering processes for automotive components and be able to discuss them competently in Mandarin. Eager to prove his abilities, Parker proposed that the company give him an engineering test, which they did. He passed.
He also passed another important, but informal test — from his Taiwanese colleagues. “All of the employees here felt very comfortable with him,” said Ada Luo (羅素貞), who is the head of human resources at Intertek and worked under Parker. “Steve is a person that always tries to observe people, and find out who would be the best person [for the job].”
These qualities were also a winning combination to Fred Voightmann, who heads the Center’s steering committee, and took part in the Center’s hiring process to replace Chua. Parker “stepped forward” during the board’s interview process, said Voightman. “We needed an administrator … someone who could communicate, who was a team-builder — the things you’d be looking for in a business executive.”
Like many business executives, one of Parker’s favorite past times is golf. Through his time on the links, he forged connections with members of the business community, people “that have contributed a lot to Taiwan.” This was an important network to foster as one of the Center’s major fundraisers is an annual golf tournament held by the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei and ICRT radio station.
Unlike many business executives, perhaps, Parker has a degree in English and media, and cultivated a liking for art house movies while studying at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. He ran track in high school as a member of a team that won Australia’s national relay championships, and today dreams of touring Taiwan on a bicycle.
When asked what he hopes to bring to the Center, Parker said this was difficult to answer because “there is nothing missing from the Center the way [it was run under Chua].” He intends to build on her work, which is to broaden “the scope of people who are aware of [what] the Center does, and how valuable it is.”
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