Shows
BluOcean TalksChina PIPL Update with Zach LichtblauIn this episode, I sit down with Zach Lichtblau to discuss the current landscape of China’s personal data protection laws, including recent updates, emerging trends, and notable cases. If you have a business in China—or plan to—this is a must-listen. Stay informed about how China is enforcing its data privacy and cybersecurity regulations.Zach Lichtblau is a Principal Consultant in BNLS, a Shanghai based law firm; and a partner in Equasia group, a business consulting and corporate services group supporting companies in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam.Zach and his te...2025-04-2944 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs family behind the Meraki Hospitality GroupJean-Michel Offe had an amazing journey so far as a French chef going abroad: from North America, to the MIddle East and then Asia, in charge of teams of 100+ people, opening new Shangri-La hotels (30+ only in China!), publishing books and running the Gobi desert... But I see clearly that he feels most proud of his children, daughter Laura Offe and son Alexis Offe. Against the advice of Jean-Michel, both chose the hospitality industry because they saw the passion, drive and pride their father had for his profession. Their roads led back to each other so now in t...2021-12-201h 21
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaBernard Hor, the Southeast Asian entrepreneurBernard Hor's journey as an entrepreneur started quite early on by hustling where he could in his own surroundings in Malaysia. This mentality lead to starting several businesses first in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and later in South Korea. As the co-founder and group CEO of Hatio Group, a technology business from South Korea specializing in cloud supply chain & network distribution, he decided to bring these advanced software solutions to Southeast Asia to help to transform and improve the local supply chain, logistics, retail and distribution industry. This is not so easy as he needed to adjust the solutions and...2021-12-061h 05
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - 3 Sustainable Start-ups in Hong KongIn this episode I will be talking to eco entrepreneurs representing 3 amazing sustainable start-ups in Hong Kong who showed their innovative and sustainable products at the ReThink Sustainable business forum & solutions expo held last October 2021 in Hong Kong.While having completely different products, they do have in common that they want to create something good for the world, contribute to improving the environment and reduce waste and pollution.They are:1. Naman Tekriwal - 21 years old but already a serial entrepreneur! Together with his co-founders he created Breer, a food up-cycling start up that...2021-11-301h 06
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Trisch Kirkpatrick and Anouk de Graaff - international business consultants around the globeHidden gems who usually fly under the radar: two amazing ladies with tons of experience from working all over the world! Meet Trisch Kirkpatrick and Anouk de Graaff. Trisch is a transformation consultant who has worked in over 50 different countries and Anouk has been all over Asia for the garment industry. We covered so much in this inspiring conversation: working in emerging markets like Russia, China, Myanmar and Kenia, leaving your safe home country for adventure, dealing with different cultures and countries as the newest leader from outside, getting to know the operations bottoms up to get t...2021-11-171h 08
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaNetworking: why and how? With Nerice Gietel, certified executive coach and founder of The Career LoungeNerice Gietel, a certified executive coach has more than 15 years of experience in deploying her skills to support others to develop personally and professionally. It is great to have Nerice in my life as a friend as she is constantly challenging herself which is very inspiring plus she has so been through so many transitions that she can relate to many situations. Nerice has been a social worker in London, recruitment specialist and HR partner for a global consultancy in Oxford, a teacher at a Dutch university and now founder of The Career Lounge in Hong Kong. We ourselves...2021-11-0843 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaCatching up with entrepreneurs Jaap Pees, Katharina Darisse and Samson Ngov - what happened after a Covid year?This episode is all about updating you what happened with 3 entrepreneurs I interviewed a year ago (at least)! What can happen in a life or a business in a year, especially considering that the exceptional circumstances are still ongoing: the world is still struggling with the pandemic, something we wouldn’t have guessed when the interviews were happening in 2020! Dutch entrepreneur in Shanghai, Jaap Pees (my first podcast guest!), Sales expert Katharina Darisse (eps 15) now in Germany and Samson Ngov (eps 7), inventor of Onigiri tell us what happened in the past year and which choices they had to...2021-10-0744 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaForeign investment in Dubai vs ChinaIn this episode I have my colleagues Alejandra Esmoris from our Bonnard Lawson office in Dubai and Zach Lichtblau from our Shanghai office to talk about the differences between investing as a foreigner in the two different locations.Alejandra is a Swiss lawyer from Geneva who is located in Dubai since 2016 and joined the Bonnard Lawson team last year. She advises companies and entrepreneurs about corporate legal issues and governance but as a trust and estate practitioner Alejandra also advises about international estate planning and tax planification.Zach is partner of the Shanghai office and...2021-09-2850 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaMark Dekker - Dutch architect in ChinaThis episode's guest is Mark Dekker, Dutch architect in Shanghai who has been in China for 9+ years. Mark represented several Dutch architect firms and as director Asia and partner of his current firm, Inbo he is leading the Shanghai office since 2015. Inbo is a multi-disciplinary design consultancy firm with over 200 experts in the field of urban planning, architecture, interior design and engineering and has been involved in many exciting projects all over China.In this interview Mark shares his view about the differences between working as an architect in the Netherlands and China (speed!), tells us about...2021-09-2339 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaTrademark registration in China - avoiding problems! With Emma Shen, PRC lawyer in ShanghaiWe can not warn everyone enough that trademark registration in China is very important. In this episode my colleague Emma Shen, PRC lawyer and intellectual property rights expert will share her experience with you. We discuss the following: the registration system in China which is based on a first-to-file basis which create opportunities for copycats so filing for registration as early as possible is key the importance of having a brand in Chinese and choosing the right classes the requirements for online selling through the relevant e-commerce platforms avoiding problems with customs, blocking competitors and being s...2021-08-1636 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaLee du Ploy, therapist and artist in Hong KongYou can find Lee du Ploy in the Sun Yat Sen Park every morning dealing with his elderly patients and later in Hollywood park where he does "psychotherapy" for younger people with anxiety issues. All for free. He will tell me why in this interview along with a lot of other stories. Lee has had many lives until now: born in South Africa, student in Paris, PhD in Amsterdam, married to a Dutch leading ballet dancer and having kids, running clinics in London where also the rich and famous came and now in Hong Kong, painting, writing books and...2021-08-1249 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Innocent Mutanga - founder of the Africa Center Hong KongInnocent Mutanga from Zimbabwe has had an amazing journey so far and he learned so many life lessons as a political activist in his home country, a homeless refugee in Hong Kong, a student anthropology at CUHK, an analyst at an investment bank and founder of the social enterprise Africa Center Hong Kong. Innocent's story should be shared as often as possible as it teaches us about the possibilities in life, what you can do if you are at the bottom of the society, why it is necessary to rebrand blackness and the human obligation to give back and...2021-08-0335 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaImporting from China - avoiding pitfalls as much as possibleThe whole world imports products from China - not for nothing China is called "the world's factory". We (as China advisers) came across so many problems clients had to deal with over the years... unfortunately.. and this is even more pressing with the shortage of materials worldwide, the Covid situation and the rising transport prices. My colleagues Diogo Garcês Reis and Vanessa Albuquerque discussed the importing pitfalls in another Equasia podcast "Negócio da China" but as that podcast is in Portuguese, I have asked them to come here to talk with me about import fraud and...2021-07-1929 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA - Murk Muller, Dutch and German lawyer in BerlinFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to Berlin, Germany! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where we are located but we are also from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need: often legal support but also practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.In this episode I am interviewing Murk Muller, who had to go to Berlin after the wall came down. Listen to this episode to hear how...2021-06-3045 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneur series - Jay Xie from Agency ChinaJay Xie is a digital marketing veteran in Shanghai and Hangzhou who is helping European brands to start in China through his company Agency China. With an education in the Netherlands, he understands the mindset of European companies and is therefore able to guide them better in China. Listen to this interview where he shares valuable insights:- I have a very strong belief that especially in the nutrition, food and food supplements and beauty products from Europe have a lot more superior products that can still find great spaces to scale up in the China market2021-06-1839 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaArchitect in Asia - Karma BarfungpaI am honored to have found Mr. Karma Barfungpa willing to share his experience as an architect in Asia. As Asia has changed so much in the past two decades, I was wondering how that is like from an architectural point of view. Karma has been working as an architect from Hong Kong on prestigious projects all over the world for almost 25 years now. He is a director at Arup, a multinational firm of designers, engineers and architects so he is the perfect guest with the right experience to tell us more about the developments in the p...2021-06-0940 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview CJ Cheung - TV producer & hostDutch born Chinese CJ Cheung is using his background to create TV shows in Hong Kong and the Netherlands where he informs one culture about the other one. So he made TV shows in Hong Kong about the Netherlands and he is about to launch a TV show series in the Netherlands where he is exploring what it means to be Chinese there. After working for the Dutch TV for years as producer, presenter, editor and project manager for quite some big TV shows and productions (like De Wereld draait door), adventure brought him to Shanghai and H...2021-06-0433 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - the ladies of The Oh CollectiveFour female professionals from all over the world and with Asian heritage became friends in Shanghai. While working hard on their corporate careers, they needed to remind themselves that they should also take time to take care of their own wellness. So an idea grew and they took the bold step to start their own entrepreneurial journey and succeeded to launch a daring product amidst Covid time: the vibrator, a product for women made by women just like you! I am so happy to introduce Diana Lin, Simona Xu, Eden Chiang and Winxi Kan and their story to you...2021-05-2442 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA - Jan Willem de HaanFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to Barcelona in Spain! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where we are located but we are also from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need: often legal support but also practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.In this episode I am interviewing Jan Willem de Haan, who became a Dutch and Spanish lawyer to accommodate the business relations between the Netherlands...2021-05-1257 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Michele Bosch from BeconnectedMichele Bosch has been in China for 14 years now and she is managing Beconnected in Shanghai with the offices overseas in Bangladesh, India, Russia and Ethiopia. Beconnected is a textile trading business - a challenging industry! Michele must have been through a lot... I am thinking about changing legislation, decline in demand, relation with suppliers and customers but also the criticism the industry is facing. In this interview we talk about these subjects and Michele also informs us about the role sustainability is playing in the company. So lots of interesting topics: without further due the though lady with a...2021-05-0754 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA series - interview with Camila Borba Lefèvre, lawyer in BrazilFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to São Paulo in Brazil! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where we are located but we are also from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need: often legal support but also practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.In this episode I have the pleasure to interview Camila Borba Lefèvre, who is originally Brazilian but she spend enough time in th...2021-04-1452 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaGDPR & PIPL - abbreviations that are super relevant for all that are dealing with data!EU has its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) since 2016 and China issued the draft Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) - what do the 2 have in common? Which companies should take careful notice of this and how? In this episode I found my co-partner Zach Lichtblau in Shanghai and Mr. Ronnen Gaito in Luxembourg willing to discuss this heavy topic in a relatively light conversation. Ronnen explains how in the EU companies were affected in their daily management by the GDPR, what you should take into consideration with cross border transfers and how it was implemented and executed and Zach c...2021-04-0754 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Bas Fransen, founder of EcoMatcherAfter a corporate career with decades in Asia and involvement in big deals, Bas Fransen takes a big bold step by deciding to become a start-up entrepreneur. With his third start-up EcoMatcher, Bas combines all his experience with his passion to contribute to a better world by convincing companies to incorporate tree-planting in their organization. In this interview Bas tells about the ambition to plant 1 billion trees by 2023, the ups and downs he experienced and gives tips to those who are just starting their adventure. Bas' book "Ideas to Fight the Climate Crisis: Sustainable Resolutions for a B...2021-04-0157 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Interview with Michael G. EhlertMichael G. Ehlert is a true entrepreneur with all sorts of businesses in the financial industry. His companies are spread all over the world but have a special focus on Hong Kong. Michael will tell us all about his entrepreneurial journey and his latest passion project: the importance of intrapreneurs. Michael explains in our interview what it means to be an intrapreneur. We also discuss the difficulties entrepreneurs are facing when they are dealing with banks in Hong Kong. So loads of interesting information waiting for you in this interview! You can find Michael's businesses on...2021-03-2440 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDiscussion on the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on InvestmentWith two special guests, lawyer Raquel Garcia-Argudo Mendes in Spain and sinologist Valérie Hoeks in the Netherlands, I discuss the impact and the meaning of the controversial EU - China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment. Listen to this episode to hear our different take on the agreement, how it is received in the countries where my guests are located, the political turmoil it has caused and so much more! We are also considering to have a discussion on Clubhouse about doing business in China to exchange views and experience. What do you think? Contactinfo: Valérie...2021-03-0952 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with artist Marcel HeijnenArtist Marcel Heijnen received a lot of publicity with his Chinese Whiskers series - photos of cats in traditional shops in Hong Kong, and mainland China. Reason enough to find out more! There was indeed more, a lot more actually. Marcel is graphic designer, musician, and photographer, he published multiple books in the Chinese Whiskers and the Residue series and had multiple solo exhibitions. He is originally from the Netherlands, lived in Singapore where he had a design studio and art café and is now living in Hong Kong. During this interview, I keep on discovering and learning from h...2021-03-051h 29
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Godie van der Paal, founder of Kingdom of WoW in CambodiaStarting a footwear brand with wool slippers in tropical Siem Reap, Cambodia... sounds like a challenge! Not only did Godie van de Paal succeed to do that with her slow fashion brand Kingdom of Wow but she also made sure that it is produced as responsible, sustainable and ethically as possible. In this interview Godie tells about the start phase 6 years ago after a life around the globe in different identities like teacher, policy officer light weapons, policy advisor re Afghanistan, Vice Consul Economic and Commercial Affairs in Shanghai, the choices she had to make and the lessons she...2021-02-1940 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Oskar Valles, creator of the book "Dear Hong Kong" about diversity in Hong Kong with co-host Krystle MorrisOskar Valles came to Hong Kong 9 years ago as a regional finance executive for a multinational corporation but then he changed his life in order to give back to the community. Together with Aggie Lam, he created the amazing art book "Dear Hong Kong" with 200 pages featuring inspiring people from different countries living in Hong Kong with beautiful pictures. Exactly what Hong Kong needs in these turbulent times and as a matter of fact, exactly what the world needs right now: a must have or at least a must read! Together with my friend and colleague, Krystle M...2021-02-0846 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA series - Interview with Selma Ören, lawyer in TurkeyFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to Antalya in Turkey! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where they are located but they are originally from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need. Often legal support but also sometimes referrals to reliable relations or practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.I am interviewing Selma Ören who has been in Turkey for over 20 years. Selma tells us about her early w...2021-02-0649 min
China Business CastEp. 111: E-commerce and International Trade with Simon de Raadt @Choy's PodcastSimon de Raadt has been in China for over a decade and he became an expert in cross-border trade and logistics from and to China. This expertise also includes deep knowledge of e-commerce, the most relevant sales channel in China.In this episode we talk about so many relevant topics: the impact of the pandemic on e-commerce, the Chinese eco system, the new VAT rules that will apply in the EU soon, the attitude of Chinese companies going to Europe and the other way around and so much more!Simon speaks often at events, is...2021-02-0644 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaE-commerce and import&export: interview with Simon de RaadtSimon de Raadt has been in China for over a decade and he became an expert in cross-border trade and logistics from and to China. This expertise also includes deep knowledge of e-commerce, the most relevant sales channel in China. In this episode we talk about so many relevant topics: the impact of the pandemic on e-commerce, the Chinese eco system, the new VAT rules that will apply in the EU soon, the attitude of Chinese companies going to Europe and the other way around and so much more!Simon speaks often at events, is a...2021-01-2843 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaAsk Choy anything - what would you tell your younger self?Arpita Vyas (20), is doing an internship at our Equasia office right now and we often find ourselves exchanging our views about life and career choices. She, like most 20 year olds, can’t wait to get the answers of what life has in stock for her while also having feelings of uncertainty. I almost forgot as a 45 year old how it felt like to be 20 something so our exchanges were so interesting! Arpita decided to gather some questions from her friends that they wanted to know the answers for, and I tried to answer them to the best of...2021-01-2215 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaSustainable investing - what does that mean?Sustainable investing means ESG (= environmental, social and governance). ESG is a hot topic and with all the new realizations we gained due to the pandemic, ESG will become more and more important. This is a good thing as it is meant to assess and rank companies based on environmental, social and corporate governance indicators to select the better sustainable, responsible and ethical investment opportunities. So time to learn more about it! I have invited Mr. Tom Liu from GreenCo ESG Advisory Ltd in Hong Kong that consults listed companies about ESG regulations of the Hong Kong stock exchange, to...2021-01-1927 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaAfter the race - Joyce Bijl made it and happy to share with us how it was!It was great to see the attention Joyce Bijl got for the podcast interview in December about her planned fundraising triathlon in Dubai. She was able to finish the race AND to raise an enormous amount for cancer research with the Flying Dutchman team that was participating with the triathlon from all over the world. Listen to our talk to hear all about it! Donating to Joyce's cause is still possible but that will end soon (https://thuistriathlon.mvdwfoundation.nl/actie/joyce-bijl/donateurs). However, if you want to donate to cancer research, there are still great charities ou...2021-01-1815 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA series - Interview with Marinus Vromans, lawyer in BelgiumFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to Antwerp in Belgium! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where they are located but they are originally from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need. Often legal support but also sometimes referrals to reliable relations or practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.I am interviewing Marinus Vromans who has been in Belgium for over 25 years. First in Brussels and nowadays in...2021-01-121h 22
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - start-ups in Hong KongNew year and new season! In this episode I have 3 brave entrepreneurs (all French!) in Hong Kong who just started their business.1. Charles de la Portbarré from Monsieur Butterfly, with his amazing and beautiful products, works with a business structure that is designed to also contribute to the environment;2. Christine Deschemin from Renewed Edge who launched the first self-hypnosis app in Asia, the UpNow app. Her purpose is to help people live a healthier, happier life and achieve peak performance. 3. Bastien Curry from BC Advisory who took advantage of new opportunities in the re...2021-01-081h 17
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Joyce Bijl - Dutch athlete in DubaiToday I am going off topic for a very good reason: my good friend Joyce Bijl is going to do a fundraising triathlon (swim 3,8km, cycle 180 km and run (walk) 21,1 km) on 9 January 2021 as part of the Flying Dutchman Team to raise money for cancer research. In 2014 Joyce transformed herself as she was tired of being unfit by participating in the Oxfam Trailwalker (100 km run through the HK hills), stepping in the ring for a white collar boxing fight for a benefit gala and finishing a 6 day ultramarathon through the Sahara, the Marathon des Sables. Joyce was unstoppable until...2020-12-2140 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Jay Thornhill from Baopals - giving access to online shopping in China for foreignersJay Thornhill is a real example of a success story of a foreigner making it in China as he is one of the 3 co-founders of Baopals, a website for English speaking consumers in China to access Taobao, Tmall and JD. What started as an entrepreneurial adventure between three friends living in the same building, Jay, together with Charlie Erickson and Tyler McNew managed to build a profitable company within a year with no funding and no experience in ecommerce and it’s still growing more than 4 years later. Baopals has often appeared in international news as an example of a...2020-12-1758 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Interview with Chris Brown and Tiffany Liang from ReThink HKIt is clear that we have to change the way we live our lives in order to stop how we are damaging the planet. That change can not happen soon enough and the impact should be as big as possible. My today's guest, Chris Brown wanted to contribute to that change. So 18 months ago, he started ReThink HK and he worked relentlessly on creating the launch of the Sustainable Business Forum & Solutions Expo in Hong Kong. Despite the difficult circumstances caused by Covid19, the expo was a huge success with over 800+ visitors live and online back which t...2020-12-1149 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA series - Interview with Lodewijk Schlingemann in RussiaFor this Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode, I am going to Moscow! All the members of DBLA are legal experts in the country where they are located but they are originally from the Netherlands. We give companies, entrepreneurs and individuals who are not familiar with the local environment the help they need. Often legal support but also sometimes referrals to reliable relations or practical advice about cultural differences or how things are done in that country.I am interviewing Lodewijk Schlingemann who has been in Russia for two decades. I will ask Lodewijk to tell us more...2020-12-071h 11
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Gerard Morada about cybercrime, email scams, hacking and digital fraudIn the past decade, we handled quite a few cybercrime cases where the culprits aim to establish fraudulent fund transfers. They usually succeed by hacking email accounts, taking over the email correspondence without the parties’ knowledge and give instruction to pay the funds to a bank account that is controlled by the criminals themselves.If the scam is discovered at an early stage and the funds are transferred to a bank account in Hong Kong (also happens if the case has further nothing to do with HK), it is key to immediately inform the local police. Together wi...2020-12-0154 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Interview Ron Oren, founder of Trips@AsiaRon Oren is the founder and CEO of Trips@Asia, a travel company with more than 20 years of experience in creating private and custom made adventure tours in Asia for small groups and individuals. Always when we receive emails from Ron as he is a client of Equasia, we dream away about the destinations mentioned in his email signature: Mongolia, Bhutan, Vietnam, Japan, Siberia, etc. Of course the pandemic hit Ron hard as so many countries closed their borders. From his office in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Ron tells me how he started his travel business, what he did w...2020-11-2048 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA series - Interview with Carl van der Zandt in the USThis is the second Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad episode and in this one, I am going to New York! Carl van der Zandt has been in the States for 19 years so he is the perfect guide to tell us about the business climate in America with an European view. He tells me why he moved to New York, if he would consider to live in California, how litigation works and how American lawyers can behave during legal procedures, what kind of cultural and business differences his clients are facing, why companies should chose a certain location in t...2020-11-121h 18
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs series - Ron EfronToday's guest is Ron Efron who is born as an entrepreneur with a vision. After starting businesses in Israel, he decided in the late nineties that China is the next place to be so he jumped on a plane and started his next entrepreneurial adventure. Ron mastered Chinese and after being active in various industries, he became an expert in providing corporate security solutions to companies across Asia. Ron shares his fascinating journey as an entrepreneur in China over the years and how he continues to develop himself and he tells more about his current company Bluocean Security and...2020-11-0948 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaStart-ups in Hong Kong3 Different entrepreneurs in Hong Kong who just started their business. The 3 of them work in different industries, are in different stages of their entrepreneurial careers and come from very different backgrounds but they do have one thing in common. They all started their businesses from scratch with a new view of servicing the needs of a society which is not the one they grew up in. They came up with a creative idea and started to work on the launch. So admirable! In the one-on-one interviews, I get the chance to ask Ruben de Bie, Madelon van de Ven...2020-10-211h 01
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaDBLA Series - Poland - doing business in Poland: interview with Remco van der KroftToday we are going to Poland for an interview with Dutch lawyer, Remco van der Kroft. Like me, Remco is part of the Dutch Business Lawyers Abroad Association and he is an expert when it comes to helping non-Polish companies navigate in Poland. Curious about doing business in this part of the world, then listen to this episode! You can find Remco van der Kroft on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remcovanderkroft and his firm's website https://okwlaw.com. You can find more information about DBLA on https://dbla.nl 2020-10-0928 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Pascal Coppens - author, keynote speaker, sinologist and technology entrepreneurPascal Coppens is the author of the book "China's new normal - how China sets the standard for innovation". Pascal tells me in this interview why he wrote this book, gives examples of innovation and technology development in China, why he became a sinologist in controversial times and how he sees China's position and reputation in today's world. Interesting, familiar but also new views on complicated China! You can contact Pascal through https://www.pascalcoppens.com where you can also buy his book.2020-09-2357 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs stories - Gerd LindemannGerd Lindemann is the owner of Holtrop & Jansma B.V. established in 1960 and currently the largest specialist for advanced industrial air purification in the Netherlands. Gerd, originally from Austria who moved to the Netherlands for love, took over in 1996 and was able to take the company to the next level by obtaining ISO and other certifications and starting a company in China in 2006. It is important for Gerd that his company is contributing to a cleaner environment. Gerd shares with us how he became an entrepreneur, how he gets his strategy ideas, what difficulties he faced in the 25 years...2020-09-081h 00
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaIncreasing sales in challenging times - Interview with sales expert Katharina DarisseWith the ongoing pandemic, many are facing challenging times: dropped sales, unemployment and limited business development opportunities. But ... it is also an opportunity to step up and reorganize yourself and your business: find new ways and invest in your organization and your talents.In this episode I discuss these challenges with someone who is completely focused on training people how to increase sales and improve customer services. What can we do right now during the Covid? What is the secret behind improving the numbers of your business and so on. My guest of today knows all about...2020-08-3144 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Stuart Gietel - Basten - Professor of Social Science and Public Policy at HKUSTThe work of Stuart Gietel - Basten, Professor of Social Science and Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is focused on population and policy issues in Asia with a special attention to low fertility and population ageing. He has received several research grants to study demographic change and public policy (like fertility preferences in Beijing and Taipei). It is very interesting to hear his story of how he became a scholar, to learn more about the influence of culture on population composition and refreshing to talk with someone whose conclusions are based on data in...2020-08-191h 36
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaClosing down operations in China - not so fast!In this podcast Hugo Muller, co-owner of Equasia and I address what some entrepreneurs are unfortunately facing right now during the pandemic: should they close down their business in China? What should they take into consideration and what hurdles would they face if they decide to do so? Find out what Hugo has to say about it in this recording. Should you have a more specific question related to your situation, please reach out and we can advise you further or even address it in the podcast. Find us on www.equasia-group.com and cc@eq...2020-08-0521 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaThe legal representativeChinese limited liability companies need to appoint a legal representative. In this podcast I will tell you that why this is the most important position of the company and what you should do to optimize a healthy environment in this respect. Please let me know topics and questions you would like me to address in a podcast episode! I would really like to talk about something that you would like to know more about. You can reach me through cc@equasia-group.com and Linkedin. Thank you so much for listening!Choy Yiu Chan2020-07-1708 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs stories - Long AuToday's guest is my friend and client Long Au. Long's family escaped Vietnam in 1979 as boat refugees when he was just a baby. Now in his early 40's, he is a successful entrepreneur who started his business in the automotive industry in Qinhuangdao, Hebei. After 10 years, he sold his shares, started new ventures and moved back to Canada with his family (he is married to my long time friend Alina). His China adventure is still not over as he is going to start a new project again in Tianjin. Always traveling, always super alert and energetic, always focused: I...2020-07-0347 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaThe future of Hong KongHi everyone, In this podcast I will talk about Hong Kong and its future. A lot has happened in the past year here and people ask me what to expect. I discussed this with 3 people separately who were born and raised here: Andrew Tsang is a young lawyer, Jackson Lam is a serial entrepreneur with a daughter and Suki Ng is currently studying in London. How do they see the future in Hong Kong and will that influence their decision to stay in Hong Kong? Listen to find out more!You can always contact me t...2020-06-181h 02
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneur stories - Valérie HoeksIn the entrepreneurs series, my today's guest is Valérie Hoeks. Valérie and I go way back as we met in Shanghai in 2006. Fast forwarding to 2020 where Valérie is a seasoned sinologist with 20+ years experience, helping her clients with their China strategy through her company, China Inroads. I find Valérie very inspiring because she is passionate, knowledgeable and adventurous with so much respect for people and the Chinese culture. So I want to share her wisdom as entrepreneur and as person with as many people as possible. I hope you enjoy the interview! You can c...2020-06-1657 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaReasons to set up an entity in ChinaHi everyone!Welcome to my show. In this episode I will talk about reasons to set up a company in China. Incorporating a company in China is not easily done so the process should only be started for the right reasons. Listen for my take on this. You can always reach out to me if you have any questions!cc@ilf-asia.com2020-06-0906 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneurs stories - Samson NgovIn the entrepreneurs series, my next guest is Samson Ngov. French architect and now an entrepreneur who is working relentlessly on his invention Onigiri with the aim to help families live a better and healthier life. As the launch of Onigiri will be this year, I am witnessing Samson working non stop on his passion project. We talk about what we can expect from Onigiri and how Samson targets his goals which enables him to be part of exciting projects in different countries in Asia.Samson also gives the listeners of the podcast discount on Onigiri! From 1...2020-06-0235 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaInterview with Diogo Garces Reis - professional boxer and lawyer in ChinaOne of my goals with the podcast is to connect, share and inspire and with this interview with my amazing colleague Diogo Garcês Reis I nailed it. Look, listen and learn from him. What seems impossible is possible as Diogo is a Portuguese lawyer and a professional boxer in China. We talk about his boxing experience in Portugal and China in combination with his work as a lawyer and his upbringing and values. You can connect with Diogo on IG: @diogogarcesreis and linked in https://www.linkedin.com/in/diogo-garc%C3%AAs-reis-231b55b8Th...2020-05-2953 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaHiring staff in ChinaEpisode 5 is online! In this podcast I inform you about the employment agreement in China - what are the things to pay attention to when you are hiring staff.You can listen onAnchor: https://anchor.fm/choychanSpotify: https://lnkd.in/gishv3nGoogle podcast: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xZGQ0YTA5MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/choys-podcast-life-and-business-in-asiaPocket Casts: https://pca.st/gdwvk7v8Radio Public: https://radiopublic.com/choys-podcast-life-and-business-WzN2jN2020-05-2805 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaCovid19 around the worldMessages from friends over the world with an update how Covid19 affected their lives. With thanks to: Carl van der Zandt in New York, US Simon de Raadt in Shanghai, China Camila Borba Lefèvre in São Paulo, Brazil Cengiz Orhan in Bali, Indonesia Hui Cai, Singapore Hao Lin in Melbourne, Australia Krystle Morris in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Mike in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Elenita Schotborg, in Belgium Stay safe and stay healthy!2020-05-2519 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaEntrepreneur stories - Jaap PeesHello everyone! Today’s guest is Dutch entrepreneur Jaap Pees. Although Jaap is relatively young, he is experienced in different industries. He imports fruit into China and he is an oil broker in Rotterdam. I will talk to him about his life while living between the Netherlands and China, cultural differences and his experiences as an entrepreneur. Inspiring books and people Jaap mentions: Brian Tracy - https://www.briantracy.com Wim Hof - https://www.wimhofmethod.com David Goggins - Can't hurt me: master your mind and defy the odds Hal Elrod - The mirac...2020-05-221h 03
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaThe do's and dont's of doing business in ChinaHello everyone! In this podcast I give you 5 do's and don'ts of doing business in China. I hope you apply them because it is better to prevent problems then to have to solve them.. I realize that tip 1 (traveling to China) is not possible at the moment as China closed its borders for foreigners due to Covid19 and it is uncertain how long this situation will last. Instead, you can make use of the opportunity to build through online channels or engage people in China who you trust to check for you. Stay safe and healthy! If...2020-05-2104 min
Choy's podcast - Life and business in AsiaTrailer - introductionHi everyone!Welcome to my podcast! Happy that you are listening to me! This is the show’s trailer so let me introduce here who I am and what the show will be about.I am Choy Yiu Chan, a business advisor in Asia. In this podcast I want to give you tips about doing business in Asia and specifically China. My intention is to share, connect and learn together.My expertise is based on being educated and working as a lawyer for a big law firm in the Netherlands. After a couple of...2020-05-1802 min