I’m building a global legacy through recruitment

Now the regional commercial director for Greater China and Northeast Asia at Robert Walters, Ricky Mui has built a career where change has been the only constant. From corporate lawyer to recruitment consultant, and ultimately to a leading regional commercial director, spanning Australia, London and Hong Kong, his 23-year journey has been defined by an everlasting pursuit of personal growth. At the heart of his success is a lifelong passion for building genuine human connections.

 

From legal practice to commercial impact

After studying Law and Psychology in Australia, I started as a corporate commercial lawyer in Perth before moving to London to gain international experience. There, I served as an in-house lawyer for NASDAQ-listed tech companies.

It was during a personal job hunt that I met a Robert Walters Manager who spotted something my law degree didn’t show: a natural flair for building relationships and connecting with people. They asked if I’d ever considered legal recruitment, I was at a crossroads and decided to try something different - a decision I didn’t realise would go on to shape my career.

"As an in-house lawyer, I was constantly in contact with sales and commercial teams. Although I was on the legal side, I thrived on the negotiation challenges, the deal-making process, and the fast-paced energy of the commercial world. I realised I wanted to be in the middle of that action."

 

Turning industry expertise into global success

Coming from a profession where clients seek out lawyers to solve problems, the biggest shift was learning to be proactive. In recruitment, you don’t wait for the phone to ring; you take the initiative to reach out and build relationships.

In hyper-competitive markets like London and Hong Kong, you must establish a strong personal brand. I learned quickly that you want to be the first person people think of when they hear the words ‘legal recruitment.’ That transition from a reactive specialist to a proactive consultant was a steep but rewarding learning curve.

With my legal background, clients and candidates naturally trusted me more. They saw me as someone who had lived their experience and truly understood the technical language and working environment. During my time in the UK, I pushed myself to the limit to prove this model worked, eventually becoming a global top achiever and the top biller in both the UK and globally, progressing from consultant to manager and finally director. As well as winning 3rd place in “Here is the city - Recruitment Personality of the Year 2007 in the UK.”

 

Returning home to build something new

After nearly a decade in London, I felt it was time for a change of scenery and a fresh professional challenge. This led me back to my roots in Hong Kong. In 2010, I utilised Robert Walters’ internal mobility programme to relocate and establish our Legal & Compliance division from the ground up.

Our internal mobility program turns a global company into a world of opportunity. It allowed me to take the expertise I’d built in London and apply it in a completely new market, giving me the support to be entrepreneurial without having to start my career over.

Even though I was born in Hong Kong, I had left when I was two, so I was moving back to a city where I had zero professional network. Building a business from scratch was intense. Initially, we faced rejection because we had yet to establish local credibility. But through hard work, resilience and plenty of late nights, we built a reputation for excellence, eventually growing into one of our top-billing teams globally.

 

Building high-performing teams through resilience

During my time in Hong Kong, I stepped into the role of Managing Director for Greater China, where I managed five offices across Hong Kong, Taipei, Suzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. My leadership philosophy has always been rooted in grit. I believe a leader must be a high achiever first—you have to lead by example.

When I build teams, I look for attitude, resilience, and work ethic over specific skillsets. I’ve hired many successful consultants who had no legal background at all; if the mindset is right, the skills can be taught.

Under my guidance, our teams have navigated major market shifts, from the global financial crisis to the challenges of the pandemic, geo-politics, and every changing work force landscape to emerge stronger every time.

 

Becoming a trusted advisor through human connection

People often ask what keeps a high performer at the same firm for 23 years. For me, it comes down to trust and the freedom to evolve. Over two decades, I’ve been able to change roles, move across continents, and manage diverse business lines. From starting as an individual consultant to now driving regional commercial strategy as a business partner collaborating with our diverse multi-service business lines, Robert Walters provides the structure to make that kind of progression possible. It’s an environment where long-term dedication actually translates into meaningful career milestones, allowing you to reinvent your professional life without ever needing to leave the firm.

My motivation stems from the human connection.  For those considering a move into recruitment, my advice is to do your due diligence.

"Don’t think the job is just about 'talking to people.' You need to be prepared to network and truly understand the platform and the culture. Especially in Hong Kong, you have to be out there building sincere, long-term relationships and be able to problem solve together with the client."

The difference between a regular recruiter and a great one is hard work and resilience. If you strive to be a 'trusted advisor' rather than just a salesperson, and if you have the grit and curiosity, this path can take you further than you ever imagined.