A conversation with Wendy Wang, Founding Management & Group President
A: The key is local expertise. We build teams directly in the markets where our clients want to expand. That allows us to understand not only regulations and incentives but also cultural expectations, ecosystem maturity, and sector realities.
For example, in China we have specialists in places like Wenzhou who work closely with e-commerce enterprises looking to expand overseas. Trends shift quickly, tariffs rise, costs change, and new hubs emerge, so routes that once dominated, like China to Southeast Asia or Europe to Southeast Asia, now diversify to include China–Mexico or Middle East–India.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula. Each industry and each client have different needs, and what worked for one business may not work for another. That’s why our approach pairs the local sales teams in the originating country with deep expertise in the destination market.
A: Traditionally, many relied on agents, law firms, or simple word of mouth — “my classmate went here, maybe I should too.” But as expansion becomes more complex, professional advice has become critical.
We often see companies try a small agent first, only to come back to us because they need deeper expertise and an on-the-ground presence. It’s not enough to have a handful of staff in a market; clients need partners with hundreds of professionals, with decades of experience, who truly understand local compliance, incentives, and operational realities.
So, our recommendation is always: seek professional support early. It saves time, money, and costly mistakes abroad.
Which countries are becoming popular for foreign investment?
A: Several markets are rising quickly in our client conversations, including Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mexico. Each market has a different maturity level and industry fit.
Manufacturing often gravitates towards Mexico and Vietnam; renewable energy investments are maturing in Indonesia and certain service-driven sectors prefer Malaysia.
Even within a country, different economic zones offer distinct tax treatments, incentives, and regulatory advantages. That’s why expertise matters — choosing the right zone in a particular country can change the entire economics of an expansion.
A: Tariffs remain a major driver. Even though tensions may ease temporarily, companies are now much more prepared to establish a “plan B.” That mindset alone is driving diversification.
We still see strong outbound activity from China. Despite concerns that Vietnam or other Asian destinations might be over capacity, the demand remains robust. At the same time, we’re seeing new flows such as the UK to the Middle East, driven by recent tax and regulatory changes.
So, while there are new developments, the broader trends remain stable, just with more companies proactively diversifying routes to manage risk.
A: Absolutely, but only when applied in the right context. Before we even launched this business, we invested heavily in understanding where technology could drive meaningful growth. Today, with AI more mature, it plays an increasingly important role.
We’ve already implemented AI across our operations, from payroll to accounting to tax automation, and that has improved speed and accuracy. But our next focus is even more important: using AI to enhance our commercial teams and client experience.
Back-office efficiency matters, but AI becomes truly powerful when it helps clients make decisions faster, understand markets better, and receive a smoother, more personalised journey.
At the end of the day, technology is only as good as the experience it creates. For us, everything still leads back to client-centricity.
Investment flows are becoming less predictable as markets evolve and global conditions shift.
For businesses expanding across borders, success depends on understanding both the broader trends and the local realities.
With the right expertise and support, companies can navigate this complexity and make more confident decisions about where and how to grow.