Now Asia, Next Global

N2N Connect Berhad’s Andrew Tiang shows what great strategising can achieve

- Vinodhani Nair K And Satoko Omata

Challenges entrepreneurs face on their road to business posterity ad excellences are legendary. There have been enough books and literatures written to help them chart the way to success. Yet the sharing of war stories and what they did, or didn’t do, in their business struggles are better motivation to their compadres.

This is what the founder of N2N Connect Berhad Founder and Managing Director Andrew Tiang, did when he sat down for an exclusive chat with Business Today recently. He sheds light on the many struggles technopreneurs in this country face and what they can do to forge ahead in this fierce business battlefield.

Continually overcoming challenges and wearing his badge of honour proudly in the highly regulated financial services industry (FSI), Tiang shares that the road to success has not always been easy.

“Initially, we faced a lot of resistance as our prospect and clients worry about the handling of data privacy and security. Some think that it is better handled in-house. In reality, most FSI fraud cases are found to be in collusion with insiders. It is harder to deal with individual as there would be no recourse or indemnity.

“It took them awhile to realise that engaging our services is more beneficial to them,” says Tiang.

In fact, N2N Connect offered FSI companies the economics of scale, since the company constantly invests in the latest technology to prevent obsolescence. With less staff turnover to contend with, FSIs could concentrate on scaling their business and compete on price efficiency using its services.

FINDING THE NICHE

Having been in the industry close to two decades, N2N has always been clear on the direction the company intends to take.

A firm believer on not following the beaten path, Tiang feels that if you do what everyone else is doing, you will always be amongst a crowd of people.