Page 52 - Horizon Han22

52. Culture Class
Who is Maurice Pattison:
Maurice comes from an engineering background working for companies such as ICI, ABB and Petronas. He spent 5 years travelling around most of Latin American countries carrying out work for an engineering consultancy. Following this, he spent 14 years based in Malaysia generating business across Asia Pacific countries.
Maurice first became interested in culture when he first visited Venezuela and experienced business practices very different from those in the UK, Singapore and Vietnam:
“Many years ago I was part of a multicultural international company’s project team in Venezuela. Most of the team were Brazilians. The team was led by a man called Napoleon, who was the country manager of Mexico and on the company’s Board in Latin America. He was a really senior guy! Leading the consultants was another Brazilian called Luis-Mario.
One day we were driving to the office, and there was a violent and noisy discussion between Napoleon and Luis-Mario. Voices were raised and there was a lot of shouting, gesticulating and interrupting. Another British consultant and I gave embarrassed and timid looks at each other. After a few days Napoleon and I were alone and I carefully broached the event and he laughed and said that they were only discussing an issue and in Brazilian culture that was the way they discussed things...noisily!"
Singapore Business Opportunities:
Similarly to Vietnam, DIT highlights the following as key opportunity sectors within Singapore:
Financial Services: Ranked in the top five financial centres in the world and is seen as one of the most attractive locations to set up a regional headquarters.
Technology: Asia's most innovative nation in 2020 and guaranteed government funding to continually build up core capabilities up to 2025 Infrastructure: Large-scale transport projects and climate focussed projects are just two examples of areas that UK based specialists can take advantage Healthcare: Increase in funding for new builds, care in the community and, to deepen innovative and digital capabilities allows for plenty of opportunities
Maritime: One of the world’s premier shipping hubs means it’s an ideal location for UK businesses in a growing region.
Horizon - Taking your international trade further.
Due to Singapore's prime logistical location (over 50% of the globe's population are less than a 6-hour flight from Singapore), shipping opportunities and digitally advanced culture, it is seen by many UK businesses as the prime positional base to access the wider ASEAN economy.
With estimates showing that over 4,000 British companies already operate in Singapore and with over 45,000 British citizens living in Singapore, there is a clear precedent for UK individuals and businesses succeeding in the region.
In terms of Vietnam, there is an opportunity to engage early with a young population who
Halong Bay in Vietnam
are clearly on a high upward protectory in terms of GDP and international trade.
On the whole, the ASEAN market is home to a young and digitally-aware population which is due to become the 4th largest market in the world by 2050.
But, always remember, as Maurice puts it, these are "two countries, two different cultures, two different mindsets, both are fascinating and successful in different ways".
As a business though, make sure that you aways appreciate these differences and take your time to understand and appreciate individual cultures.
To conclude:
Cao Bang in Vietnam
How can your business benefit from Pattison Consulting Group:
Maurice uses his extensive first-hand experience to offer training support and international business development for businesses who are looking to grow or penetrate into the south east Asia region.
For more information, or to arrange a consultancy with Maurice, contact him via:
Tel: 07717 129 658
Email: mauricepattison@hotmail.com Linked In: linkedin.com/in/maurice- pattison-30104455
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