Take A Gamble

High risk, high reward. We speak to the successful community of Robb Report Thought Leaders to find out about their biggest career risks and their learning experience.

“After finishing my master’s degree at Georgetown University in Washington DC, I thought I would embark upon a career in international relations or international business diplomacy. Instead, I started a business, Magnolias Linens. It was completely unrelated to my education, work experience or exposure that I had. After 13 years of hard work, a great product and a few tears, I have to say that this was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, in more ways than one.” – Asema Ahmed, trustee at UWCSEA Foundation Leadership Council

“My first foray into the F&B industry in 2009 was a significant change in industry and geography for me. I switched from doing business development in Southeast Asia to running a company focused on travelrelated F&B services across Asia. My biggest take away from working in different ecosystems is the importance of being a disrupter: questioning accepted practices and, when necessary, replacing them with more effective ones from other industries.” – Rajeev Panjwani, CEO of Coriander Leaf Group

“I was walking down Ann Siang Hill and saw a ‘for rent’ sign on a shophouse. I called the agent and signed the lease the next day, without knowing what I was going to do. Within a few weeks, I had bought the franchise rights to Truefitt and Hill for Singapore. We opened the shop two months later. Through that process, I met my future business partner Luke Jones and a number of key people who were instrumental in building 1880 Singapore. None of it would have happened without that leap of faith.” – Marc Nicholson, founder of 1880

“I put all my savings into K2 Venture Capital. Investing in venture capital has binary outcomes: you either succeed or fail. K2 was also relatively early in the Asia venture capital ecosystem. ‘Betting’ on the tech companies was very risky. But we felt that if we were authentic, simple and true to our mission, and discovered and accessed great deals then great outcomes would follow. We’ve had a bit of luck building a formidable portfolio of blue-chip tech companies. It’s an undeniable track record.” – Ozi Amanat, partner at K2 Venture Capital

“I branched out on my own after my co-founder left the business. My lease for the existing workshop space was ending as well. It would have been a good time to quit, but I took the plunge and signed a three-year contract to run a prototyping lab for a government agency. Having just split the business, I did not have sufficient cash on hand. I had to reach out to my business competitors. All of this happened within two weeks. This was a timely reminder to never stop reinventing myself.” – Veerappan Swaminathan, founder of Sustainable Living Lab

“I left a well-paying corporate job to strike out on my own. I found increasing joy in the freedom to think for myself, and create and offer services to clients that previously wouldn’t have been possible. I also built my own client base; the feedback was encouraging and positive. The key lesson for me was this: when you do something that’s aligned to the core of your being, you will succeed, because whatever you’re surrounding yourself with will naturally align with your goal.” – Marcus John, CEO of Sports

Capital Advisors

“My biggest risk was jumping from the media to finance industry. It was nerve-wracking and there was a steep learning curve, but after a couple of years it became easier. Fourteen years later it’s still exciting and challenging, especially when mega deals come along. The grass always seems greener on the other side, and yet, staying in your comfort zone is always easier.

But you should think about the bigger picture and take a calculated risk.” – Serene Chua, executive director of LGT Private Bank

“I left my banking job in Switzerland and went to Taipei to study Chinese. I have not left Asia since.” – Philippe May, managing director of Arton Capital