Meet Thomas, a seasoned business strategist and cross-border commerce expert with over two decades of experience bridging markets across Southeast Asia and China. With deep insights into regional ecosystems and cultural nuance, he has generated over US$20 million in value for clients, ranging from global tech leaders to fast-growing OEM manufacturers.
Named one of the Most Successful People in Singapore and Malaysia (2024/2025), Thomas is best known for helping businesses localise, scale, and build trust in new markets. As a trusted mentor to over 400 founders, he now plays a key role in shaping Singapore’s position as an orchestrator in the China–ASEAN corridor—empowering entrepreneurs to expand beyond borders with clarity, connection, and purpose.
You have built 25 years of experience in sales and business development across Southeast Asia and North Asia. What initially drew you to this career path and how did your early years shape your approach to business?
It wasn’t part of a grand plan—I stumbled into regional sales after NS, during the dot-com era. I’ve always been curious about people and cultures, and a career in regional sales the perfect playground for that curiosity.
Soon, I realised sales wasn’t about pushing products, but solving human puzzles.
In my early years, I went door-to-door across Asia—Jakarta, Manila, Seoul. That was real education. I learned quickly that what works in Singapore doesn’t always work elsewhere. Our ecosystem is unique, and much of it can’t be replicated elsewhere.
Once, I spent months getting nowhere with a Thai telco. Then, over lunch, the CEO spoke only about family, life and politics. A week later, he reached out to me and awarded the deal to my company. That taught me something: he wasn’t buying the technology; he was buying trust. That lesson shaped my entire approach.
Business is built on trust, and trust is built on respect. If we go the extra mile to understand what matters to others, success follows. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about being the most adaptable, the one who can connect the dots others can’t. My approach: connect first, business second.
In 2003, you led a mobile game startup backed by both EDB Singapore and the Korean government. What were the biggest lessons from that pioneering experience in the early mobile tech industry?
The lessons were brutal—we weren’t just early; we were building a market that didn’t exist. The tech was a mess. Each mobile brand had its own coding standard, so we had to rebuild every game 20 to 30 times for different handsets.
Most of our time went into debugging instead of innovating and building the relationship. Infrastructure was worse—on 2.5G GPRS, downloads took 15 minutes and often failed near the end. Customers lost trust, and support tickets piled up.
Eventually, device makers began standardising, cutting the frameworks we had to support to five. Around the same time, telcos started rolling out 2.5G and 3G, improving download success rates. That was our turning point. After two years of losses, the market finally became real—and we were ready. We’d already localised content and figured out billing systems ready to reap the rewards for our early efforts.
The biggest lesson? Vision is meaningless without ecosystem readiness. It’s not just about having a great idea, but whether the world is ready to receive it.
You have created over US$20 million in value bridging businesses between China and Southeast Asia. Could you share a memorable success story of cross-border collaboration?
The US$20 million wasn’t the real win—the real story was in the trenches. I’ve worked with giants from both East and West, helping global tech firms partner with Chinese manufacturers and supporting Chinese platforms expanding overseas. But one case stands out: consulting for a Shenzhen-based smart TV OEM.
They had solid specs and unbeatable pricing—TVs retailing at S$500 only cost them S$80 to produce. But they had zero brand recognition, no overseas experience, and no after-sales infrastructure. Retailers in Vietnam and India asked, “Who are you? Who’s handling support?”
We rebranded them as “Smart Vision”—a trustworthy, simple identity. That alone changed perceptions. Next, we built after-sales systems: local warranties, spare parts supply, and trained repair partners. Confidence followed.
At one point, their shipment was stuck at a Vietnamese port over missing power cord certification. I flew in, spent days negotiating, and got it cleared. Fixing issues on the ground was part of the job.
Eventually, they sold 20,000–30,000 units monthly and expanded into new markets. That’s one of my proudest wins.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about being the smartest—it’s about being the most adaptable and resilient. And having the humility to realise sometimes, the problem is yourself.
You were named Most Entrepreneurial Strategy Leader 2023 and listed among the Most Successful People in Singapore and Malaysia 2024/2025. How do these recognitions reflect your journey and values?
Honestly, it’s never been about the titles. What moves me is seeing that lightbulb moment—the Chinese founder landing their first deal in Jakarta, the Malaysian SME finally cracking the Guangzhou market.
Recognition is still meaningful. It’s a message from the business world that the path of the bridge builder—the one I’ve chosen—is valid. As long as we can navigate the messy human space between markets, translating not just language but also trust and context, we help close the gap between buyer and seller. That’s what drives me.
When I see “Most Successful,” I don’t see myself—I see my team, and the hundreds of businesses we’ve helped cross borders. Our success is the ecosystem we’ve strengthened, and the doors we’ve opened. The awards? They’re just icing on the cake.
Mentoring over 400 founders globally is no small feat. What advice do you consistently give to young entrepreneurs just starting out?
I started mentoring back in 2007 at Nanyang Polytechnic. The advice I give is simple: fall in love with the problem, not your solution. Too often, founders walk in head over heels about their product—a hammer—while customers don’t even need a nail.
My job is to get them to put the hammer down and ask, “What problem are you really solving?” Your business plan is just fantasy until it’s been stress-tested by local culture. That pretty spreadsheet will shatter against the reality of local payment habits, distribution chaos, and unspoken trust issues.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about being the smartest—it’s about being the most adaptable and resilient. And having the humility to realise sometimes, the problem is yourself.
Do you think AI will take over your job?
No. AI is brilliant at data crunching, pattern spotting, and forecasting. It can tell you the best price for Vietnam or predict supply chain disruptions. But my job isn’t about data. It’s about trust.
AI can’t fly to Jakarta, have late-night drinks with a distributor, or sense hesitation in a voice shaped by bad past deals. It can’t look someone in the eye and build a real connection. My deals, my bridges, my successes are built on shared experience, nuance, and sweat.
That said, I’m excited to use AI to crunch data faster. If it frees up my time to build more relationships, even better. But no—AI can’t automate a handshake. So no, it won’t replace me.
What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
From my lens—as Cultural and Tourism Ambassador for Nansha, Guangzhou—I see Singapore evolving beyond a financial hub into the brain and nervous system of the China–ASEAN corridor.
In five years, I don’t just see Singapore as a landing pad. I see it as the region’s orchestrator for cross-border innovation. A Chinese tech giant looking south shouldn’t see Singapore as just a sales office, but a partner to localise and re-engineer their product with ASEAN talent.
Likewise, ASEAN startups entering China should see Singapore as a trusted bridge—to learn the language, connect with the right partners, and form a smart entry strategy.
We have the talent, trust, and neutrality to facilitate trade between China and ASEAN. It’s time to move from gateway to orchestrator.
If you could have a superpower for one day, what would it be and why?
If I could have one superpower for a day, it would be to speak and fully understand every language on Earth—not just the vocabulary, but the cultural context. Why? Because most businesses fail because of communication breakdowns.
Last year, I hosted a delegation from a neighbouring country. They presented a smart city solution. My Chinese partners frowned and whispered, “Outdated tech.” Meanwhile, the delegation said, “It’s robust, proven, and perfect for our environment.”
My job was to bridge that gap—not pick sides, but explain that suitability matters more than specs. If I had that superpower, I could cut months of cultural decoding into a single day.
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