If you’re a Business Development professional in Thailand looking for a new challenge, you’ve come to the right place. Alex Wang, Associate Director, Business Development is growing the team and he’s looking for people with passion, ownership and great relationship building skills. A true Klook veteran (employee #13!), Alex has experience spanning nearly all functions at Klook… and some great stories to tell. As part of the team, you’ll have a unique opportunity to reshape the supply chain in Thailand and gear up the market for the return of inbound travel. Are you up for the challenge?
You’re employee number 13 at Klook. Can you tell us what your journey has been like over the last 6 years?
It’s really been a ride. I had a chance to experience Klook at its earliest stages, working at the first office in Hong Kong with a very small team. The hiring process was a lot simpler back then [laughs]. I met with Ethan [Lin, Klook’s CEO and co-founder] for an interview and the next day he called me and said “Ok, you’re hired, come to the office and let’s get started”.
I grew with the company — I’ve held six different roles since I joined in 2015. I started with Marketing which back then involved going to different attractions in Hong Kong and talking to customers on the ground or even acting as a KOL for our marketing materials.
Alex has done it all: from helping customers to growing entire departments from scratch! Here at Klook Thailand's first city counter
After that I was building out the supply inventory which initially was simply a very long Excel spreadsheet (phew, good thing those times are gone!). Then I moved into B2B distribution, working with agents literally all over the world. I grew distribution into its own department but it all started with me taking calls from the US at 3AM or jetting off to Korea for meetings. Growing in a startup takes a lot of hard work and resilience but there are also so many opportunities along the way.
How did you get to where you are today?
At one point in my career, I decided to look into supply itself and understand the products on our platform on a more sophisticated level. I started in Hong Kong but when the opportunity came up to work on supply in Thailand, it was my dream role. Everyone in the team knew I had a deep connection to the country. I even had a session with our co-founders, Eric and Ethan, to teach them Muay Thai!
It's not all work, though! The team knows how to have fun and break a sweat in the process.
That’s how I got where I am today — working as the head of supply and looking after all verticals to make sure the current supply delivers the best experience to the customers, not only for inbound travelers but also domestic travelers.
What’s Klook’s position in Thailand today?
We are the leader of experience supply in Thailand. Klook has the best pricing, the best coverage and the best availability: for a lot of products, if you want to book last minute you can only book it on Klook.
But of course, the reality is that most experience products in Thailand are built for inbound travel. So when the pandemic started and we pivoted to domestic travel and leisure, the supply itself had to be reshaped. We worked with our merchants on product design, coming up with special offers like seasonal pass or family packages. We used customer data insights to guide them on finding the best product market fit in the new normal. The result was extremely well-received, some attractions got more bookings than pre-COVID.
Last year, we launched Klook Live!, our very own in-app live stream feature. Innovating our way through 2020 and beyond!
We didn’t waste any time in 2020. We strengthened our relationships with merchants and helped them strengthen their supply too. I believe Klook is truly in a leading position in the market right now and the opportunities post-COVID are enormous. Anyone who joins us today is paving the way for that success. And I don’t think it’s too far off, either: vaccinations have already started in Thailand.
The team is growing! What can a new joiner expect?
Right now, we’re working closely with the Thailand Tourism Board. It’s rare to see governments subside the experience sector so it’s a unique opportunity to reshape the supply chain. Of course, it’s a big responsibility as well. I believe that it’s the experiences that people come to Thailand for: they come for the food, for the landscapes, for nature. We get to support and preserve this sector through a crisis so when travel comes back, all those experiences are still there to enjoy and discover.
In terms of work culture, I think Klook is one of the few places where you get to work in a startup environment and at the same get exposure on a multinational scale.
What kind of people are you looking for to join your team?
You have to be open minded. The whole market is changing, every day there are new trends, new business models, new types of supply. We have to keep our eyes and minds open: just because something didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean it can’t work now.
Resilience and patience are also key. We’re creating long-term success. That takes strong relationships. I don't expect you to have all the contacts today but you need to be good at building relationships from zero, taking it from strangers to business partners.
Especially in times of challenge, strong relationships are key. Here Klook partnering up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand
And finally, the person I’m looking for should be able to push the boundaries. You look at things beyond your work scope and question them. You always ask yourself: Is this the right way to do it? Can we do it better? Maybe there is a way that’s riskier but the return is high? You dare to suggest something new, to think outside the box, to try things even if they might fail (failure is fine at Klook as long as it’s calculated and we learn from it). Really, you act like you’re running your own business: always going the extra mile to make things better.
Ready for a new adventure?
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