Exploring China - Opportunities and Challenges

Drawn by China’s strong economic growth and modernising efforts, Singaporeans Kenneth Sun, Chief Strategy Officer of Riverwood Pte Ltd, and Elston Sam, a final year student at Nanyang Technological University, took the leap of faith to explore opportunities that the Chinese market had to offer.

Join them as they share what they have learnt as well as their personal experiences from taking the road less travelled.

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Ever considered taking the road less travelled? Be bold, take that first step and go global! This was the common call by our two speakers – Elston Sam, a final year student from the Nanyang Technological University, and Kenneth Sun, Chief Strategy Officer of Riverwood Pte Ltd as they shared about their leap of faith into China where opportunities abound.

On 4 October 2018, the Eye on Asia programme kicked-off with Elston who described his experiences taking the road less travelled to China for his overseas internships in tech companies such as Grab, Airbnb and Jumei.com. He selected China over traditional destinations in the West as he felt that China could bring him a competitive advantage over his peers. As such, he urged young Singaporeans to consider venturing to China where there are plenty of opportunities, in particular given the positive image of Singaporeans and trustworthy reputation of our country. Elston further advised those who are interested to start by sourcing for overseas programmes offered in their schools, and build up a network of contacts to help bridge connections in China.

Next, Kenneth focused on the insights gained from his foray into the Chinese market. Emphasising the importance of a global mindset in this information age, he encouraged Singaporeans to move out of their comfort zones and go global. For those who are interested to explore doing business in China, he gave the following advice – do your research on the business and industrial trends in the country, identify your unique selling point, be genuine and willing to understand the locals, and pay attention to tradition and etiquette as the locals do. He further noted that ASEAN countries and China are the way to go as the global economy has descended onto both regions. Hence, as a member of ASEAN, Singapore should grasp the many opportunities available.

This is one of the talks under the Eye on Asia programme series for everyone including young Singaporeans who want to explore opportunities in the region and beyond.

Tuesday, 4 October 2018

7.00 pm – 8.30 pm

Level 5, Possibility Room

National Library Building

Eye on Asia offers resources on ASEAN countries, China and India for everyone, including young Singaporeans exploring opportunities in the region and beyond.

About the Speakers

Kenneth Sun A business and people builder, Kenneth Sun, chief strategy officer at Riverwood Pte Ltd, is an experienced trade negotiator and multi-disciplined business strategist. With his wealth of management expertise and unique skill set, Kenneth is integral to the development of Riverwood’s corporate strategic initiatives.

As China’s demand for logistics and professional services in China continues to grow, Kenneth shares the company’s challenges as it reaches beyond local shores to expand its logistics services as well as how it reviews its business processes and strategies to cater to SMEs and MNCs in domestic and international markets. Kenneth will also give tips on understanding Chinese business culture and etiquette as well as how to stay afloat in a sea of change.

Elston Sam Elston Sam is a final year student at Nanyang Technological University, majoring in business analytics. He spent a year in Beijing on an exchange programme at Peking University and was also an intern at Airbnb and Jumei.com (China’s leading e-commerce platform for health and beauty products). He recently completed an internship at Grab in Singapore.

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