Launched in January 2020, under its parent company Avalon Biomedical Management, Avalon SteriTech was the brainchild of former Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer Lewis Ho. Ho aimed to combine his legal knowledge with biotechnology, to be part of a company that brought positive impact to society. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic provided Ho with exactly such an opportunity. By early 2020, the pandemic brought an unprecedented level of global uncertainty. Due to its proximity to mainland China, Hong Kong was among the first cities that was severely impacted by the coronavirus. Quick solutions were needed to improve public hygiene while keeping cleaning workers safe. Avalon SteriTech solved these problems by implementing automated daily disinfection in public places with high-touch surface areas. As the CEO of a new start-up, in a field he was unfamiliar with, Ho faced obstacles that included fundraising, finding new clients, and bridging knowledge gaps. Despite the obstacles, by January 2024, the start-up had several prominent clients, and an employee base of 30. It had been a steep learning curve for Ho. Looking ahead, he wondered how he could sharpen his focus as the CEO, and take the company forward.

In 2008, a scandal in China involving milk products tainted with melamine (a chemical used in plastic production) brought regional and global attention to the country. More than 290,000 infants were affected and several died. At a time when international trade was important for China’s economic development, the tainted milk scandal raised concerns about the safety of products and food made in China. The case illustrates how the pressure of rapid economic development resulted in measures to cut costs at the expense of consumer safety and health, bringing into question the ethics underlying business practices in the country. The lack of quality control and corporate governance processes on the part of the company and government facilitated the ease with which the milk was tampered. The case also documents remedial efforts that followed the scandal, including recall of the tainted milk products, putting new government policies and regulations in place, arrest of top executives and the companies’ public apology in the unique form of a New Year text message.