Some extracts from our discussion:

• Q:

  Your CV makes for fascinating reading. Tell us more

• A:

  I worked for Mitsui for more than 36 years – 16 of them on overseas assignments in Jakarta, Hanoi, New York and Singapore. I developed global business experience, mainly in real estate investment and development, starting in Asia, then Europe, the USA, and Japan. I also have extensive personal connections with government-linked companies and local conglomerates, particularly in Asia.

• Q:

  Why did you choose to join Amata and how did the opportunity come about?

• A:

  When I was approaching Mitsui’s retirement age, I made plans to move with my family from Singapore to Johor Bahru. I obtained preliminary approval for a Malaysian retirement visa and admission to an international school for my two children. Then my old boss introduced me to Khun Vikrom. We had video calls and interviews. I was deeply impressed by K. Vikrom’s charismatic personality and philosophy, and wanted to work with him.

• Q:

  As Deputy CEO, what are your duties?

• A:

  From the beginning, I have been supervising the marketing, business development, human resources and general affairs units. Since the start of this year I have also been assigned as the Acting Business Development Officer. I am currently working heavily to rebuild the business development unit.

• Q:

  Can you give us some specific examples?

• A:

  In Jakarta during the currency crisis, I was still young and had no choice but to work hard to secure profits from construction projects. At the beginning of the GFC, because of my turnaround capabilities, I was urgently dispatched to New York as the director of MBK Real Estate, the real estate arm of Mitsui in the USA, which lost more than US$100 million in 2008 due to the impairment of assets of single-family homes for sale.

• Q:

  What was the toughest moment for you?

• A:

  I was responsible for firing the then-American CEO, a star executive who earned millions of dollars a year before the GFC, so that I could help about 100 American employees understand the need for strategic change in the company. Over the next few years, I shifted the business model from single-family homes for sale to multi-family rental apartments. This business has since grown into a cash cow.

• Q:

  How would you describe the present situation compared to other crises you have experienced?

• A:

  In the sense that it is difficult to make predictions, including for the near future, it has something in common with past crises. I think it is important to proceed with projects with persistence and careful preparation. What I have learned from past experiences is that a crisis is an opportunity to transform a business.

• Q:

  How specifically are you helping Amata to navigate through this turbulence?

• A:

  One of my key assignments is to find strategic, long-term partners for Amata. We expect those partners to bring management and operational excellence that can help to transform Amata from an industrial land developer into a city developer. We can achieve this by extending Amata’s business arena to new-economy-related areas to add value to our industrial developments. These include logistics, data centers, life sciences, and healthcare. In these uncertain times, I believe that it is possible to identify the best strategic partners.

• Q:

  Why should foreign investors choose to build their factories in Amata’s smart cities and industrial parks?

• A:

  The major reason is that we have large amounts of land in excellent locations in Southeast Asia. Other key reasons are first-class industrial parks with well-developed infrastructure and utilities, and the ability to enjoy one-stop service in terms of permits and approvals for factories. I also think that the focus on ESG, including proactive services for neighborhood residents, is so significant. 

• Q:

  Having moved to live in Thailand yourself, what personal experience can you share with potential clients?

• A:

  I brought my wife, 17-year-old son, and 13-year-old daughter to Bangkok and our family love it. The people are very tolerant and foreigners do not have any problems working and living here. I have visited more than 50 countries and I can say that Thailand is a very rare country in this sense.

• Q:

  Finally, has you new career lived up to your original expectations?

• A:

  When I was working at Mitsui, I felt that we were stuck in a silo of individual optimization due to a government-like multi-level hierarchy. But at Amata, thanks to K. Vikrom's philosophy, I am enjoying an atmosphere where everyone is working together under a family-like connection.