S’pore stint may make Aussie better trader

BUSINESS is in his blood, but a three-year stint in Singapore could make him an even better entrepreneur.

“Singaporean businessmen believe in business first before doing other things like going to a karaoke lounge. That’s discipline,” said Australian Steven David.

The 26-year-old is the son of Mr John David, owner of Davids Limited, one of Australia’s largest warehouse and food-distribution chains.

The younger David is just one of many Australians heading to Singapore and Malaysia to sharpen their business skills.

“My dad offered me the opportunity and I took it,” he told The Straits Times.

He did not consider heading for London, Paris or New York as his firm’s operation was confined to this region.

Davids has a regional head office in Singapore. It also has a joint venture with the Republic’s NTUC FairPrice and operates a warehouse in Jurong.

It was also keen to set up distribution centres in Malaysia and Indonesia, he said.

“It is a whole new game with many new players. That is the challenge,” Mr David explained.

He said he faced little difficulty when he arrived here in March last year.

“It is very easy to communicate with Singaporeans because they understand Western culture and speak English,” he said.

As a wholesale company, Davids had to purchase products from different manufacturers in Singapore and provide them to retailers like the NTUC FairPrice.

It offered him hands-on experience to learn the tricks of the trade quickly, he said.

Mr David said that the business networks here were a plus: “We get in touch with contacts and get useful information about the market.”

And for entertainment, there is always karaoke.

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