{"id":429,"date":"2023-11-26T05:56:53","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T05:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/?page_id=429"},"modified":"2023-11-26T06:08:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T06:08:30","slug":"michael-tan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/profiles2\/michael-tan\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Michael Tan, CEO at Aquarii BD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing investor partnerships in\u00a0Cambodia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Michael<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CLR:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Given\u00a0your extensive experience and\u00a0understanding of the region, how does Aquarii BD\u00a0tailor its strategies to serve as an effective bridge\u00a0for foreign investors in Cambodia?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our strategic approach is largely focused on efforts to help address or mitigate two critical barriers that foreign investors must overcome when they consider doing business or investing in Cambodia \u2013 negative perception or outdated perspective of the Kingdom, and the deficit of trust. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bThese entrenched challenges are also what\u00a0businesses in the Kingdom regularly encounter\u00a0when they try to attract FDIs from overseas, and\u00a0this is even though the country has been one of\u00a0the fastest growing economies in the world for the\u00a0past two decades plus, and despite various\u00a0verifiable favorable socio-economic political\u00a0factors that support its longer-term growth\u00a0prospects.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One key thrust of this strategy is to help raise\u200b awareness of the Cambodian market, to illuminate\u00a0facts-based developments such as the potential\u00a0and opportunities that foreign investors and\u00a0businesses have overlooked or dismissed.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bTo be effective in doing so, and as a Singapore-owned business in Cambodia, we ensure that our\u00a0services and activities are conducted based on\u00a0trust, credibility and transparency, and we work\u00a0with a carefully curated network of strategic\u00a0partners, industry experts and resource persons.\u00a0This raises the confidence of foreign investors\u00a0and businesses to explore or enter the\u00a0Cambodian market.<\/strong>\u200b<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u200bAquarii is therefore about connecting businesses,\u00a0creating opportunities and growing partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLR:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>With Cambodia undergoing a significant\u00a0transformation over the last two decades,\u00a0anchored in political stability, how does Aquarii<\/em> educate potential investors about this remarkable\u00a0journey and the subsequent opportunities it\u00a0presents?<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bWe do so by sharing facts-based insights and\u00a0perspectives through in-person consultations,\u00a0providing news, information and updates on local\u00a0market developments via our free-to-access online\u00a0www.aquariibd.com<\/a>\u00a0platform, collaborating with\u00a0trusted strategic partners to organize networking\u00a0events, conduct seminars (local and overseas) and\u00a0workshops, among other activities.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bWe also leverage our diverse network of contacts\u00a0and strategic partners in the government, business\u00a0and development circles to identify the relevant\u00a0conduits, projects and partners for foreign\u00a0investors and businesses, to offer strategic insights\u00a0and help them navigate the local operating\u00a0environment or to fulfill a business outcome.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bCLR:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>After your tenure as the Singapore\u00a0Ambassador to Cambodia, how do you leverage\u00a0your unique insights and networks to guide\u00a0Aquarii’s approach in facilitating foreign\u00a0investments in the Kingdom?<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bI think our ability to translate our understanding of\u00a0the contextual motivations and dynamics that\u00a0underpin the inherent constraints, challenges,\u00a0priorities and opportunities of the local operating\u00a0environment and SMEs, in a manner that is\u00a0relatable to foreign investors and businesses and\u00a0identifiable with their concerns and reservations,\u00a0is one of the key principles that have guided the\u00a0Aquarii approach.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bBy aggregating the relevant expertise, insight,\u00a0resource and connection of various partners in\u00a0our diverse network of contacts in government,\u00a0business and development circles, we can handle\u00a0enquiries and requests across multiple sectoral\u00a0interests and projects. In fact, we have carefully\u00a0curated and established working relationships\u00a0with selected service providers and industry\u00a0experts in Cambodia to build a network of\u00a0trusted strategic partners that provide quality\u00a0services and insights.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Michael<\/figure>
\n

Perhaps most importantly, we have\u200b conscientiously established the Aquarii brand to\u00a0be synonymous with the Singapore ethos of trust,\u00a0transparency and accountability. And because we\u00a0insist that our services and activities operate\u00a0according to the highest standards of integrity,\u00a0credibility and competency, foreign investors and\u00a0businesses that work through or with us and our\u00a0partners have greater confidence and assurance\u00a0when considering doing business or investing in\u00a0Cambodia.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bCollectively, these principles help to differentiate\u00a0Aquarii in the way we help to facilitate foreign\u00a0investments to the Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLR: <\/em><\/strong>What would you consider to be the most <\/em>crucial factors that foreign investors should be <\/em>aware of when contemplating an entry into the <\/em>Cambodian market?<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bEstablishing an objective understanding of the\u00a0Cambodian market, the socio-economic political\u00a0context and the nuances, and identifying the right\u00a0trusted partners to work with\/through, are crucial\u00a0factors that foreign investors should be aware of\u00a0when considering an entry into the local market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, many tend to over rely on reports\u00a0and publications of international media and\u200b sources, and consequently formulate inaccurate\u00a0assessment or an inadequate contextual\u00a0understanding of the local market conditions and\u00a0developments.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Many are also inclined towards local collaboration\u00a0partners based on personal associations or other\u200b subjective considerations without undertaking the\u00a0necessary due diligence and cross-references;\u00a0they ignore the commonsense wisdom that a\u00a0mediocre business plan with the right\u00a0collaboration partner can be more successful or\u00a0less painful than if the best business plan were\u00a0coupled with a wrong choice of partner.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLR: <\/em><\/strong>As Aquarii aims to diminish the trust deficit <\/em>for foreign businesses, how do you foresee the <\/em>company\u2019s role evolving in the next 5 years, given <\/em>the rapidly changing landscape of Cambodia?<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We endeavour to help enable and empower local\u00a0businesses in their respective desired outcomes by\u200b becoming one of the go-to trusted conduits for\u00a0foreign businesses and investors that are\u200b interested in doing business or investing in\u00a0Cambodia, and by being a credible aggregator in\u00a0the business and development ecosystem.\u00a0\u200bTo that end, we will continue to innovate our\u00a0services and take on facilitator roles that help\u00a0bridge the needs and demands of local businesses\u200b and project owners with foreign counterparts and\u200b investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLR:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Your decision to return to Cambodia and\u00a0establish Aquarii suggest a high level of confidence\u00a0in the future of the Cambodian economy and\u00a0market. Why is that?<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bEvery developing country, emerging economy or\u00a0frontier market will have their own potential and\u00a0opportunities, which are what attract foreign\u00a0businesses and investors. However, in my opinion,\u00a0the key consideration which long-term business\u00a0and investment decisions must be based on, is\u00a0political stability. In my considered assessment of\u00a0Cambodia, and from my understanding of its\u00a0political-economic construct and social compact, I\u00a0am convinced that the country has not only been\u00a0politically stable for the past two decades plus, but\u00a0it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Michael<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When you consider the Kingdom\u2019s strategic\u00a0location in the heart of SEA, a youthful\u00a0demography amidst a growing population (more\u00a0than 70% of the population is under 35 YO), its\u00a0early and rapid adoption of digitalization (digital\u00a0and QR code payments were prevalent well\u00a0ahead of many more advanced economies), that\u00a0younger, better educated and more progressive-minded policy makers are now in government,\u00a0among other favourable socio-economic\u00a0indicators, the growth prospects of this economy\u00a0point towards an upward trajectory.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, rather than be amongst businesses and\u00a0investors that continue to overlook or dismiss\u00a0Cambodia for the wrong reasons or outdated\u00a0perspectives, Aquarii prefer to be a strategic\u00a0partner in the Kingdom\u2019s growth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael was interviewed by CIR Founder & Editor, Harrison White<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 2023<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing investor partnerships in\u00a0Cambodia CLR:\u00a0Given\u00a0your extensive experience and\u00a0understanding of the region, how does Aquarii BD\u00a0tailor its strategies to serve as an effective bridge\u00a0for foreign investors in Cambodia? Our strategic approach is largely focused on efforts to help address or mitigate two critical barriers that foreign investors must overcome when they consider doing business or investing in Cambodia \u2013 negative… Read More »Interview: Michael Tan, CEO at Aquarii BD<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":405,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_ti_tpc_template_sync":false,"_ti_tpc_template_id":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-429","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=429"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":437,"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/429\/revisions\/437"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cambodialeadershipreview.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}