When he talks business, Mr Poon sounds like an old taipan. In person, he is anything but. At 37, he's a treadmill runner (easier on the joints) and avid tennis player. He's tall and lean. His face lacks the telltale signs of stress and excess.
Isn't this Hong Kong, isn't Mr Poon one of the territory's youngest squillionaires, recipient of numerous awards for corporate achievements, a man to whom words such as flamboyant, hunk, ''man-about-town'' have been pinned? A secretary escorts you to his office at the end of a corridor. You pass by smaller rooms where polished young executives in pinstripes and collar pins go about the business of empire-building.
His handshake is energetic, the small talk of hospitality comes naturally. He welcomes you, asks how you like your coffee, then gestures towards the sofas, the way a friend shows you to the kitchen table.
His sanctum is refreshing. The desk top looks as if someone really works there. Photos of people are scattered around the pale walls, the lighting is for tasks, not the approval of interior designers. The imposing metal sculpture is a gift from his friend, publisher Alan Zie Yongder. No glossy magazines on the glass coffee tables. Everything is serene and cool. The only touch of whimsy is a joyful painting that stretches the length of a couch. The original, by his 11-year-old daughter, Dee, turns the businessman into a beaming father.
If you scan the newspaper clippings for hints of colour, you will be disappointed. Most stories deal with his business acumen, not his three marriages, lifestyle and personal opinions.
Interviews are granted with the spontaneity of a military tactician. Running a profile over Easter weekend would not be advantageous, his media spokeswoman explained, because readers would be out of town.
Snippets of cocktail gossip are hard to ignore. His first marriage produced Dee. His second to actress-martial arts star Michelle Yeoh ended tempestuously. His third, to Pearl Yu Kwai-chu in 1992, was the right one, he told one interviewer.
Mr Poon met the Harvard graduate and former financial analyst with James Capel through business, when he addressed a group of analysts. She was among them.
Asked whether she worked now, he laughed. ''She has a very full-time job,'' he said. ''Me, our 16-month old baby and the one we're expecting.'' Business is his love. That he is so successful is gratifying. But, he repeats, he has worked hard, learned much and applied everything. The success and responsibility he shares and owes to working with an equally bright, energetic and loyal corporate team.
''I love my work,'' he said. ''It's my hobby. In order to succeed you must have that attitude or else, you will get bored.'' Every experience counts. Working as a salesman in his father's retail watch shop years ago was extremely worthwhile. ''You learn how to serve, how to intermingle with customers,'' he said. ''In retailing, all the Harvard MBAs won't do you any good unless you have the basic experience.'' When he worked in Switzerland, learning how to manufacture watches and jewellery, it opened his eyes to the creative freedom one has in that field. He even dabbled in design.
The watch he designed from a chunk of gold and wore proudly for many years is now enjoyed and appreciated for its sentimental value.
The launch of Harvey Nichols in Asia with the What's Hot and What's Cool collection signals an expansion not limited to one city, but a global strategy. No less than 10 boutiques are slated for Asia with an additional four in China.
Was China always a goal? ''Any market that has potential is a goal for the company,'' he said.
Who is his customer for the What's Hot and What's Cool collection? ''People who are confident about themselves, how they live and enjoy life,'' he said. ''Their career is on the up. It's for the young of age, and heart.'' Is he a customer? He surveys his jacket and runs a thumb under its navy lapel. Case closed.
Does he consider himself a ''shop 'till you drop'' type? ''At heart, I like to provide the best quality items, value for money for consumers at large.'' Does he ever go shopping himself? ''I spend most Saturday afternoons touring my shops, or other people's, with my wife and daughter. It's very important [in retailing], one must be fully aware of changing trends and aware of one's own operation. You cannot control that by sitting in the office. You've got to be out on the floor.'' Location is one of the keys to successful retailing. ''The more prestigious the location, the more difficult it is to come by, especially when you need 100,000 square feet [as in Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, the flagship store]. By opening the smaller boutiques, the format will enable Harvey Nichols to develop on an international basis.'' How does Hong Kong compare with other capitals in terms of retailing? ''There are some product categories [clothing, jewellery, watches, some electronics] that are still of good value. But it is dangerous to generalise. Prices for Polo-Ralph Lauren [one of his stores] are not any more expensive here than in the United States, where it originates.
''There are retailers here who sell prestigious clothing at prices that are higher than in Europe. There is nothing wrong with that. Hong Kong today has the most expensive retail property in the world.
''Some retailers believe in passing it on to consumers. I never believe in that. To create goodwill [in retailing] you must offer a suitable environment for the product, good service before and after the sale, a good selection and value for the money.
''You will end up selling more because of the return business.'' Would his closest friends be able to discern his fingerprint on boutiques such as Polo-Ralph Lauren, Guy Laroche, Charles Jourdan? ''What I hope they would say is that the level of quality is how they would identify my attachment.'' Spending time with his children and Pearl, his parents, three sisters and brothers-in-law is a priority.
Sundays are sacred and reserved for the gathering of the clan. Is saying no to dozens of invitations difficult? ''No. Very easy. It's what I want.''
