When I first arrived in Southeast Asia more than twenty years ago, I did not plan to build and scale a regional travel company. Like many professional journeys, mine evolved through exposure, opportunity, and a growing fascination with how businesses operate across cultures and markets.

Asia shaped not only my career, but my approach to leadership, operations, and strategy.

This Insights page is where I will share perspectives drawn from that experience, practical reflections from building, scaling, and operating businesses across the region.

From Operations to Strategy in Asia

My early professional years in Asia were not in travel. I worked within the oil and gas industry, focusing on project management, procurement, and logistics. Later, I moved into freight forwarding, an environment where precision, timing, and operational reliability determine success.

Oil and gas teaches you that structure and discipline are non-negotiable. Procurement and logistics demand clarity, accountability, and systems that function under pressure. Freight forwarding reinforces that execution is everything.

Those foundations became critical later in my travel career. Travel may appear relationship-driven and creative on the surface, but without operational discipline, margin control, and supplier management, growth becomes unstable.

Completing my MBA strengthened my ability to connect operational realities with commercial strategy. It provided frameworks and structure. Asia provided the real-world laboratory.

Building Rustic Travel

Founding Rustic Travel marked a turning point in my career.

What began as a focused Destination Management Company evolved into a regional operation spanning multiple Southeast Asian markets. Growth required deliberate decisions, long-term relationship building, and disciplined execution.

We built strong supplier networks across the region, developed commercially viable product structures, and established reliable local teams capable of handling both FIT and group operations.

A key milestone in our development was designing and building our own internal technology system from the ground up. This platform covered operations, a booking system, and dedicated portals for both customers and suppliers. It gave us control over workflows, transparency across departments, and scalability beyond traditional manual processes.

Scaling a DMC in Asia is not simply about selling itineraries. It requires understanding pricing psychology, cultural nuance, distribution channels, and operational risk across diverse markets.

In 2025, I exited Rustic Travel through a strategic M and A transaction. The journey of building, scaling, and exiting a regional travel company provided invaluable insight into leadership, growth strategy, and business valuation.

Leadership Across Markets

Living and working in Asia for over two decades has given me exposure to a broad spectrum of business cultures and operating environments.

I have worked across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, India, and broader regional markets.

Operating across Asia requires adaptability. Markets evolve quickly. Relationships matter deeply. Execution is critical.

Understanding both Western buyer expectations and Asian operational realities has been one of the most important advantages in my career.

Today Operational Leadership and Advisory Work

Today, I serve as Chief Operating Officer of Amazing Borneo Tours and Events, one of Malaysia’s leading Destination Management Companies.

Alongside this operational role, I selectively take on external advisory projects where I can contribute practical value.

My primary focus areas include product and destination development, regional product representation in Asia, business setup and local operations, hospitality revenue strategy, and industry education.

I work best where strategy meets execution, where commercial ambition must align with operational reality.

What This Insights Page Will Cover

The travel and hospitality industry continues to evolve rapidly.

Distribution models are shifting. Technology is advancing. Supplier structures are changing. Market expectations are rising.

Through this page, I will share perspectives on building commercially sound travel products, scaling travel businesses in Asia, market entry realities, operational discipline in hospitality, leadership, hiring, and the evolving role of the DMC.

These perspectives are grounded in experience rather than theory.

Asia has been my professional home for more than two decades. It has shaped how I think about growth, risk, leadership, and opportunity.

If you operate in or are considering expansion into Asia’s travel and hospitality markets, I hope these insights provide clarity and practical value.