Entering Singapore, and ASEAN after it, with a senior leader on the ground.
We search for, vet and match senior executives from our collective of 800+ to lead your entry into Singapore and, from there, the region. Singapore rewards companies that arrive with local judgement; the right executive brings it from the start.
The leadership question behind a Singapore entry
International companies tend to choose between two imperfect options:
Send someone from head office
They know the company but not Singapore, and spend months learning how things work and building relationships they needed on arrival.
Hire a permanent local leader
They may know Singapore but not the company, the search takes time, and the commitment is substantial before the entry has proved itself.
Getting the set-up right
Entity structure, registration, tax, hiring and data protection all need settling early, and mistakes cost time and credibility.
Reading the market
Singapore business is pragmatic and multicultural, with an active public sector. Knowing how decisions get made, and who to involve, takes experience.
A third option: a vetted fractional executive who knows Singapore and the wider ASEAN market, embedded in your entry from the start, with our governance around the engagement.
Who this is for, and who it is not
Best for
- International companies opening their first Singapore entity
- Entrants who need speed and local knowledge from day one
- A launch that needs commercial, finance and operations led at once
- Businesses testing the market before committing to a full local C-suite
- A distributor or partner in place, but no one owning the market strategy
Not for
- A pure legal or licensing task an adviser should handle
- Businesses with no product or offer ready for the market yet
- A one-off market study with no intention to enter
- Companies wanting a nominee rather than an operating leader
What a Singapore-experienced executive adds
Local judgement is the part of market entry that is hardest to buy.
A sound set-up
Your executive works with your advisers to get structure, registration, tax, payroll and licensing right first time.
Doors opened sooner
An executive with Singapore experience can start the right conversations with customers, partners and industry bodies far sooner than a newcomer.
Local judgement
Knowing how to work with public agencies, local partners and regional teams in a pragmatic, trust-first business culture.
A base for the region
Your executive can help you use Singapore as a platform for ASEAN: market sizing, partner selection and how to run cross-border operations.
Continuity through the entry
An entry timetable does not wait. If the executive leaves part-way, we look after the transition and re-open the search with what we know of your plan.
From set-up to an established business
A phased approach over the first twelve to twenty-four months.
Before entry: set-up and strategy
Entity structure, registration with your advisers, work pass planning and early relationship building, before the team arrives.
Landing: the first months
Commercial conversations begin and the essentials are in place: office, banking, payroll and the finance and compliance framework.
Traction: months three to twelve
Pipeline builds across Singapore and the first ASEAN markets, the operating model settles and the scope adjusts as needs change.
Establishment: months twelve to twenty-four
The business is established and ASEAN options are assessed. Some functions may move to full-time hires, and we can run those searches too.
The market-entry leadership stack
Most entries need more than one function led at once. Start with the one under most pressure, then add others as you establish.
Market entry needs leadership across commercial, finance, operations and people
The right fractional executive for each part of your Singapore entry.
Our executives bring market-entry experience from
