From working at a travel agency to becoming a dealer at Melco Resorts and now serving as General Manager for Macau at Interblock Asia Pacific, Kelvin Wong takes us on a journey through his unique career.
Pierce Chan (PC): Can you tell us a bit about your background and your memories of growing up?
Kelvin Wong (KW): I’m a native Macau local, growing up in this city with blended Chinese and Western cultures. I’ve witnessed Macau transform from a quiet fishing village into a world-renowned tourism and entertainment destination, and my growth aligns with the rise of Macau’s gaming industry. I studied hotel and tourism management, started my career in a travel agency and have since focused on the gaming industry. I’m also grateful to have received the recognition of the 2016 Excellence Award at the New Talent Business Awards of Macau during my career. With years of industry experience, I now serve as General Manager for Macau at Interblock, and every step of my professional journey is rooted in Macau’s dynamic development.
PC: You’ve seen first-hand the Macau gaming industry grow and develop over the years. In your opinion, what have been the biggest changes to Macau that you’ve witnessed since you were young?
KW: The biggest change is Macau evolving from a fishing village into a world-famous gaming and tourism destination. Gaming was once just a small local business, but now it’s an integrated industry covering entertainment, hotels and exhibitions. This transformation relies on Macau’s favorable development environment and brings tangible opportunities for us practitioners.
PC: How did you first get into the industry, and was being part of the gaming industry something you had always wanted to do?
KW: It all started as a happy coincidence. I studied hotel and tourism management, first worked in a travel agency and seized the chance to enter gaming when Crown Macau opened in 2007. I upskilled in gaming management at the University of Macau, shifted to the supplier side, and now I’m Interblock’s Macau General Manager. It wasn’t my original plan, just a fortunate turn – and I’m truly grateful for it.
PC: How did that original role as a travel agent come about, and what did the job entail?
KW: This travel agency role was university-assigned. I joined China Travel Service right after graduation, working in sales and handling some office tasks. It was there that I truly learned service is the core – great service is what makes visitors love Macau.
PC: You then became a dealer for around 18 months at Crown Macau before becoming a technician. Could you share with us how this change came about?
KW: As a dealer for Melco Resorts, I wanted to get close to the gaming industry’s core, understanding operations and customer needs. As the company transformed, daily equipment interactions sparked my interest in back-end tech, so moving to technician was a natural choice for me.
Becoming a technician wasn’t my initial goal. As a dealer, my focus was on customer communication and rule enforcement. After switching roles, I delved into equipment maintenance and system optimization, realizing technology is key to stable casino operations. The accomplishment of solving problems fostered my interest – it wasn’t a pre-planned path.
PC: You spent around 15 years as a technician on both the operator and supplier side. What did you enjoy most about those roles?
KW: What I enjoyed most was understanding the full gaming equipment lifecycle from dual perspectives. At Melco, I learned frontline needs; at ARUZE and Interblock, I turned those pain points into technical solutions. This use-to-development link gave me great satisfaction solving problems every time.
PC: More recently you have moved into a sales role with Interblock, which is an interesting change of career direction. How did that move come about and when did you become interested in the sales side of the business?
KW: This career switch wasn’t impulsive – it’s a natural progression after 15 years in the industry, moving from technician to Operations Manager at the supplier side. My combined experience in technology, operations, R&D and compliance let me grasp clients’ core needs fully.
It was when I supported the team with technical sales that I found solving clients’ problems so rewarding, and that’s when I grew interested in the sales side of the business.
Big thanks to Interblock and Michael [Hu], President Asia Pacific, for giving me this transition opportunity. I’ll do well in sales and keep learning.
PC: What has been the biggest challenge in moving from a technician to a sales manager?
KW: The biggest challenge has been a mindset shift. As a technician, I focused on hard metrics like performance, specs and compliance. As a sales manager, I translate technical strengths into clear business value, cost benefits and solutions for clients – balancing technical expertise with client needs is the key hurdle.
PC: Conversely, is your deep technical knowledge of gaming products beneficial as a salesman?
KW: Absolutely – it’s been a huge asset. My expertise in technology, R&D and compliance is the foundation of my client communication. When clients ask about technical specs or compliance standards, I can break them down with solid technical logic instead of using vague sales talk. More importantly, I can accurately address their pain points and translate product strengths into tangible solutions, which is far more convincing than generic sales pitches.
PC: What do you enjoy most about your job and being part of this industry?
KW: What I enjoy most is solving real problems with tech and industry experience – understanding client pain points to create tailored solutions and leveraging my tech, R&D and compliance background to deliver results. Every successful collaboration brings a strong sense of value, and growing with the fast-evolving gaming industry is incredibly rewarding.
PC: What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned during your time with Interblock?
KW: The key lesson I’ve learned at Interblock is client-centric teamwork. Our tech, compliance and sales teams work closely together. It taught me that great solutions don’t come from working alone, but from aligning with client needs and integrating resources efficiently. That’s far more valuable than individual efforts.
PC: Your job no doubt requires a fair amount of travel around the world. Do you have a favorite destination, be it for work or pleasure?
KW: My favorite destination is Japan, where our R&D team is based. Every visit brings fruitful tech and compliance discussions, and exploring the local culture in my free time is truly relaxing.
PC: What do you like to do outside of work to relax?
KW: Outside of work, I do regular exercise, enjoy walking my dog and love traveling around my motherland. Sweating relieves stress, walking relaxes my mind and traveling broadens my horizons – all perfect for unwinding.
