Foo Ken Vin

Picture a flowchart that places distillers at the top and consumers at the base—Drinks Connexion occupies that sweet spot in the centre. Founder Foo Ken Vin discusses what it means to have sole distributorship of select premium spirits in Malaysia

- Samantha Lim

2020 marks Drinks Connexion’s second year anniversary. Congrats! How will you be celebrating? With drinks, no doubt? It has been an incredible journey so far. I remember starting with just a few brands in our portfolio, which we have managed to grow by volumes. None of this would be possible without our shareholders, internal team members, and partners including wholesalers, trade members and consumers who believed in us. Together, we have pushed the boundaries to provide Malaysian consumers with more variety and enjoyment.

How will we be celebrating? As we always do since we started the company: by sharing good food and drinks with everyone we engage with. How did working with Guinness Anchor Berhad and Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia equip you to build Drinks Connexion from the ground up? My starting role as brand executive of Guinness Anchor Berhad made me decide that this was the industry for me. It was exciting for a fresh graduate to work on an international brand while creating campaigns to cater to the local consumer. It was the beginning of my working with wholesalers to understand their distribution and touch points, as well as liaising with trade partners to discover their different targets.