Apple and Deloitte alum joins Tech in Asia as new COO

Dear TIA subscribers,

2019 has been kind to us so far: revenue is growing, and we’re keeping operations lean and mean. TIA Subscription is also showing promising results. If you’re reading this note in full, I sincerely thank you for your support in making sure that we can continue to invest in quality journalism and exclusive content.

In the interest of transparency, I want to keep you updated on a few things.

First of all, I’m thrilled to share that Maria Li, an Apple and Deloitte alum, will be taking over from Andrew Wang as Tech in Asia’s new COO.

After countless interviews, Andrew and I finally found the right person to bring TIA to greater heights. Maria will leverage her experience in tech strategy, client services, and commercial partnerships to elevate our presence in the region.

Maria’s immediate to-do task is to lead and accelerate Studios. Our in-house agency has had the privilege of delivering differentiated solutions to brands such as Grab, Airbnb, Visa, Google, Daimler, and Line, among many others. Under Maria’s leadership, we are confident that we will help even more clients connect with their tech audiences through our full-stack marketing solutions, from brand positioning to content creation and distribution.

Secondly, as we continue to keep our operations lean, TIA has decided to cease operations in Japan. While the Japan office is a profitable unit (kudos to David Corbin and his team!), we realized that TIA can best fulfill its mission by serving our Japanese clients’ needs in our strongholds, Singapore and Indonesia.

Thank you, Andrew

Andrew and I have worked closely together for nearly a decade. We are always brutally honest with each other about what’s on our minds. After giving his all year after year, Andrew has decided to take up new challenges and put himself in a new environment to further his own development. We are grateful for the seven years he has given to TIA, and he will take our blessings with him in his next endeavor.

Andrew first joined TIA as a sales executive, selling ads and sponsorships, and organizing events. As our COO, he launched branded content and branded events, and both remain our biggest sources of revenue today. He then went on to help us expand our operations in China, Japan, and India. His courage also guided us through some of the most painful transition periods in TIA’s history.

Under his leadership as COO, the company grew its revenue by 185 percent from 2014 to 2018. As a first-time COO, Andrew did a phenomenal job. I’m forever grateful and will cherish the ups and downs we went through together.

That’s all the updates I have for now, and rest assured you’ll hear from me again soon.

Sincerely,

Willis
Founder
Tech in Asia