The Tech Laureates

Honouring technology partners who empower corporations with their most innovative and compelling services and solutions, these are their stories.

PEOPLE PERSON

Rather than just provide a technical solution, Magnolia APAC’s Don Lee believes it’s the CMS provider’s investment in client relationships that drives its business.

When picturing tech-focused companies, no one would fault you for conjuring up the cliched Silicon Valley yuppie with middling social skills and an inexplicable fondness for wearing black – whether a turtleneck or T-shirt – daily.

Don Lee, managing director of leading content management system (CMS) provider, Magnolia Asia Pacific (APAC), couldn’t be further from that stereotype. For one, with his 16 years in the marketing technology industry, he’s not a yuppie by any stretch of the imagination. He also speaks with a warm candour that testifies to the company’s promise to improve lives.

Since its 1997 creation in Basel, Switzerland, Magnolia’s powerful content management system (CMS), both customisable and lightweight, is now applied in more than 100 countries and has picked up awards along the way. Just this April, it was selected as one of three commercial CMS providers with a five-star rating by Emerce, one of the Netherlands’ leading platforms for digital marketing.

Having been with Magnolia for a little over three years the 42-year- old has seen great success for the company, which is partly due to its commitment to its clients.

Magnolia’s highly customisable and robust CMS is in the business of making lives easier. “We understand the local climate very intimately,” says Lee. “Not just for the way we do business, but the expectations of key stakeholders as well.” This involves establishing a fine balance between strength and speed.