#9 Ben King: Country Director Google Thailand

PO > CAST

What should western organisations consider when thinking about launching in Asian countries? What is it like to be a non-native speaker running Google in Thailand? Why is the digital economy in China accelerating so quickly? Where is Google headed in Machine Learning? How does a sporting career influence building high performing corporate teams? I discuss all this and more with my good friend Ben King. Ben is Country Director of Google Thailand. Ben and I first met at Microsoft in Australia and it has been awesome to watch his journey at Google in South East Asia. We start off with some productivity tricks that help Ben manage a pretty full on schedule, before discussing the role of sport in shaping his team culture at Google. I have found it fascinating to see how Ben is leveraging Google as a force for good in Thailand and how committed he has been to integrate himself in Thai culture. We discuss the importance of having a local market presence and the challenges of the fly in and fly out (FIFO) model for true long-term market penetration. Given Ben’s role at Google his insight into the advances in machine learning are super interesting and an area that most people in business today are thinking long and hard about. We delve into the evolution of the Chinese digital economy and who the players to watch out for who will keep it expanding. I think if you want insight into the role technology can play in society, true insight into getting market entry strategies correct in SEA and the shifting dynamics of regional powers you are in for a treat. Please feel free to reach out with any questions through any of my socials @peterostick.