How Edward Tan Ensures That He Is On The Right Course

For Mr. Edward Tan, executive director of the Hong Seh Group, understanding the past and knowing the importance of change ensures that he is on the right course — whether on land or out at sea

- Anton D. Javier

It was admittedly a terrible day for a photoshoot out at sea — the winds were picking up and dark clouds were forming in the distance. As we made our way from the ONE°15 Marina waiting for the lounge to the shoot location, it started to drizzle. But what could we do? Weather be damned, the show must go on!

As the Portfolio team boarded the Ferretti 920, our cover subject, Mr. Edward Tan, executive director of the Hong Seh Group, seemed unfazed by the ominous weather. Perhaps there were more pressing matters on his mind, especially since the Singapore Yacht Show 2019 had just wrapped up the week before. In fact, the beautiful yacht we were on was one of the stars of the show.

“How did Hong Seh Marine fare at the recently concluded event?” I ask. “We picked up some leads and are following up with them at the moment,” Mr. Tan reveals. “As per the past years, the Singapore Yacht Show was great because we had the chance to meet more people, not just from Singapore, but also from around the region. The market is more mature now, with more people opening up to the idea of yacht ownership and longer-term charters. These days, people are starting to enjoy the better things in life and are willing to consider a four- to five-day charter in different parts of the world.”

Mr. Tan also shares that the company has been seeing a lot more Singaporeans warm up to the idea of owning a yacht, not just for traveling, but also for spending family time. He further explains that more often than not, when you are onboard a yacht, you are in a communal space where you will have to communicate with the people on board, ditching technology and putting away mobile devices often because there probably won’t be an internet connection. “This is an interesting trend that has been growing, where yachting can actually promote family bonding time,” he adds.