Integrity and Exemplary Conduct, Noble Character

　　——A profile of Geng Bingjian, Party Secretary of the Tanzania Branch of Beijing Construction Engineering Group International Company

Geng Bingjian

　　In his 50s, he still battles in the African construction market, leaving footprints from Equatorial Guinea to Tanzania. He filled gaps in the company's development, leading his team to continuously expand into school projects, stadium projects, and airport projects. He remains uncorrupted; although bonuses were approved under his signature, not a single cent belonged to him.

　　During five years in Tanzania, he opened up new fields for the group, cultivated batches of talent, and created monumental projects. He has repeatedly been honored as an outstanding Communist Party member of the Construction Engineering Group and awarded the title of National Outstanding Project Manager. He is Geng Bingjian, Party branch secretary of the Tanzania Branch of Beijing Construction Engineering Group International Company.

　　Executing Projects with Unremitting Effort

　　In early 2009, he rushed to the Tanzania Branch to take charge of the LOT3 project department at the University of Dodoma.

　　The University of Dodoma is Tanzania's largest university town, spanning several kilometers. At that time, several central state-owned enterprises and the most powerful local construction companies gathered there. Chinese enterprises and foreign companies alike were rubbing their hands, waiting for the second phase of the university project to be awarded.

　　However, Geng Bingjian faced a grimmer reality: in the newly completed LOT3 dining hall, multiple leaks occurred during a client meeting. Faced with engineering problems, the client was furious, and the project department faced expulsion from the site, which would cause severe losses to Beijing's construction industry.

　　Upon arrival, Geng Bingjian went to the site to check quality and investigate the cause, and visited warehouses to inquire about data and prices, quickly identifying the root of the problem. To change the company's poor image with the client, Geng first strengthened the leadership team to enhance cohesion; secondly, he tightened procurement to control costs from the source; thirdly, he fixed positions, assigning people to posts, responsibilities to people, and systems to responsibilities, mobilizing the enthusiasm of the project staff; finally, he focused on quality, linking bonuses for all processes to quality, and connecting income with rewards and penalties.

　　A skilled chess player can turn the tide and snatch victory from defeat. At the handover ceremony of the LOT3 project, the client praised Beijing Construction Engineering as the company with the best quality. The branch quickly signed the contract for the second phase.

　　Later, Geng Bingjian was transferred to manage the Zanzibar Airport project department. This was the group's first EPC airport project and its first airport general contracting project.

　　He studied FIDIC conditions diligently, strived to achieve seamless connection between design, procurement, and construction, actively coordinated relations with the client and supervisor, adjusted process interfaces, and promoted smooth construction. It took only 11 months from project commencement to 90% completion of the steel structure. The Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, the President and Vice President of Zanzibar, and other officials visited the site and highly praised the progress and quality. The management achievements of the Zanzibar Airport project, compiled under his organization, won the third prize of the 3rd Beijing Construction Project Management Achievement Award in 2010.

　　Following his determined development direction of focusing on airport construction, the branch successively undertook 6 airport projects with a contract value of USD 80 million.

　　In 2011, he took on the heavy responsibility of manager of the Tanzania Branch. Management is the eternal theme of enterprises. Starting from management, he was determined to build this team into a first-class overseas force, and set his main goals as generating profits, experience, talent, and management.

　　Over the years, he has sought efficiency through management and calculated costs in detail. He determined the development direction: strengthen cost awareness, target the mid-to-high-end market, implement a brand strategy, and focus on airport projects. The branch achieved an annual business volume of USD 80 million, a record high. In collecting final project payments, the collection amount reached over 49% of receivables.

　　Holding Real Power with Integrity and Hard Work

　　Since starting his career, Geng Bingjian has constantly adjusted his life's coordinates to spur himself to work better. Taking hard work as an honor and integrity as a boat has become his relentless pursuit.

　　As branch manager, he approves cash flows of tens of millions of dollars annually. For some, this is a golden opportunity for money, but he always adheres to the moral bottom line of "sincere words, proper governance, and capable deeds." He never uses a single cent of company funds for personal purposes. At the same time, he requires the finance department to formulate detailed financial management and reimbursement rules, building a management "dike" from the source.

　　He places great importance on reducing costs but regards personal bonuses lightly. When he was project manager in Dodoma, he distributed bonuses to project staff based on progress and quality requirements, including progress bonuses, milestone bonuses, and quality bonuses, but never took a cent himself. From project manager to branch manager, he has never received a bonus, not a single cent.

　　During more than five years in Tanzania, he spent several Spring Festivals locally. Before the 2013 Spring Festival, he underwent cardiac stent surgery, and many advised him to rest until after the festival; but he was concerned about the employees abroad and rushed back to Tanzania before the festival to celebrate with them.

　　The year before last, his classmates visited Tanzania, and Geng Bingjian warmly received them and organized a trip to the world-famous Serengeti Wildlife Park. All expenses were deducted from his own salary; when his daughter visited, he paid all costs out of his own pocket.

　　At the beginning of the year, the branch underwent adjustments. He recommended a younger comrade as branch manager while he himself serves as Party secretary, determined to create more miracles in overseas projects.