Born and educated in Cambridge, Simon Squibb is now building a nest in Hong Kong. The analogy is not of the domestic variety (although he's doing that, too). Instead, it's a corporate nest - a collection of businesses and brands that he hopes to nurture and grow into beautiful and profitable birds. With his background in marketing and branding, initially with hotels in London and latterly with companies in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Squibb is in an enviable position to launch his own corporate flock. He swaps emails en route to Los Angeles.
How did you end up in HK?
I worked for five-star hotels for the first six years of my career, before moving to Hong Kong in 1997. I was offered a job here and was attracted by the experience and career potential of living on the doorstep of China. I then spent about two years in Bangkok before returning to Hong Kong in 2000 and deciding to set up my first company called Fluid Design, now one of Hong Kong's leading creative agencies. In 2010, Fluid was awarded 'HK's Creative Agency of the Year' by Marketing Magazine. Nine years later, I set up my second venture, Nest Investments, which now owns nine companies in Hong Kong.
What were the initial challenges and lessons learned?
Oh, so many! I am still learning and that's what I love about what I do. But the main lessons are never to give up, always believe in your ideas and follow through, and I think it is very important to surround yourself with the right people and never settle for anything less than the best in your organisation.
Was it difficult to attract the right talent?