HE'S NOT YOUR ORDINARY NIGHTLIFE KINGPIN

KEEPING A STEADY HAND AND A CLEAR VISION, ZOUK CEO ANDREW LI IS PURSUING AN AMBITIOUS GLOBAL EXPANSION PLAN WHILE TRANSFORMING SINGAPORE'S ICONIC NIGHTCLUB INTO A MULTIFACETED LIFESTYLE AND HOSPITALITY COMPANY.

-  KAREN TEE

In Andrew Li's freshly renovated office at Clarke Quay, there is a mini Smeg refrigerator. It does not, however, contain bottles of ice-cold champagne ready to be popped, as one might expect from an executive director and CEO of Zouk Group.

Known as the nation's top nightlife hotshot, he cultivates a public persona. Most weekends, he can be seen socialising with high-rolling spenders at Zouk Singapore or clinking glasses with the world-famous DJs such as Tiesto and Zedd at Zouk Las Vegas.

A peek into Li's private side is offered by the neatly arranged rows of still and sparkling water inside his fridge, along with a tub of low-fat yoghurt for the probiotics it contains. He explains that these items are the basis of his essential sustenance during the "90 per cent of my time when I am not drinking".

"It can be a very tough industry in terms of the lifestyle as there is a lot of entertaining and late nights. To perform at my peak, I need to keep my body and mind in good shape," he says.

VISIONARY IN THE LIFESTYLE INDUSTRY

Li leads a team of 300 across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Las Vegas for the Zouk brand. His goal is to establish Zouk as a global player not just in nightlife entertainment, but also in F&B, lifestyle, and hospitality.

"A lot of synergy exists between these sectors. For instance, in Miami or Las Vegas, the night does not begin in the club, does it? The night starts with dinner, where there is a lot of energy, and afterwards, you are happy and merry with your friends. This translates easily into going on to a club," he explains.

The canny head honcho spotted a lucrative business opportunity. "We thought we needed more concepts to create that journey for the consumer, since the more their enjoyment level increases as they move from concept to concept, the greater the revenue."