Andrew Kuiler is the Founder and CEO of the successful Shanghai-based, specialised food and beverage brand consultancy, The Silk Initiative. Long before that though, Andrew was a young Ballarat boy, growing up wild in Sebastopol, creating havoc at Sebas Tech. In 1992 when the opportunity to complete a year long exchange program was presented, 16 year old Andrew made the journey to Berlin in Germany and from there his fascination for culture and languages blossomed, leading him to continue studies of German language in VCE and then a degree in Mandarin and Business at Ballarat University. Through the following years Andrew’s work and study lead him through many international settings, including China, Germany and the US. After a short stint in Ballarat at McCains Foods Andrew returned to China in 2000 first working for other companies in the consumer insights agency space, before he decided to give things a go and create his own business in Shanghai and from there, The Silk Initiative was born. In 2020, with the World first being touched by COVID, Andrew returned to Ballarat to be closer to his family. Though stepping away from the head office, Andrew still works consistently, networking and overseeing the day-to-day activity of the business through conference calls and Zoom meetings. Working across multiple time zones with global clients can present its challenges but allows Andrew to continue his business whilst looking for further opportunities that may be possible in Australia and internationally. Despite the devastation that COVID has rendered on many international businesses, Andrew’s humble, sustainable business approach has meant that The Silk Initiative has been able to forge ahead and even continue to grow in this Global pandemic.
