THE former CEO of TMS’ head office for Asia, Andrew Chan, is striking out on his own, after having left TMS amicably since the executive search firm withdrew all of its Asian operations last month.
The new firm, dubbed ACI HR Solutions, was incorporated at the start of this month and now operates out of two offices, one in Singapore and the other in Hong Kong.
“Asia is a market that’s growing consistently for the recruitment industry, particularly within the travel and hospitality sector. Asia is still projected to have a much more positive (economic) outlook than the rest of the world. So the time feels very right to be establishing a new venture,” said Chan.
He emphasised that the firm was being positioned as a boutique HR consultancy offering a host of turnkey recruitment, retention and training solutions. Plans are also on the drawing board to expand services to lifestyle sectors such as spas, wellness and theme parks.
He added that a conscious decision was made to keep ACI lean, owing to the lessons he had drawn from heading TMS.
“It is crucial for us to get our foundation right and build a business model that works in Asia. The broader market environment changes so rapidly that it is harder for HR firms with a large presence to react. We’ve deliberately been mindful of that, and hence, we’ve kept operations small to remain sufficiently flexible and nimble,” Chan said.
Despite the fact that ACI HR Solutions would be a new brand in the market, Chan was unfazed by the challenges this posed. “ACI might be new, but the people behind it are not,” he said.
According to Chan, most of the staff affected by the closure of TMS’ offices in Asia, including the former general manager of the Singapore office, Thomas Lim, as well as Adeline Lee, the manager of its Shanghai outpost, have been brought on board.
When questioned if the move to set up ACI HR Solutions could result in a conflict of interest with his previous employers, Chan replied that he saw no reason for a clash. “For a start, ACI will draw its client base from companies TMS’ Asian offices had already established close ties with during my tenure. We’ve reached an agreement with TMS’ senior executives that ACI will continue servicing TMS’ Asia-based clients. They understand that these clients need a sense of continuity. We were the face of TMS in Asia for these clients, and will continue to meet their needs, but just under a different banner,” he explained.
ACI’s team will be meeting with clients to inform them of TMS’ closure and ACI’s establishment over the next few weeks.
Chan admitted that the closure of TMS operations in Asia was a strategic decision made by the firm’s two key shareholders, Mark Rizzuto and Gary Marshall. “I am sure that they have their own agenda in mind about where to take TMS. On a brighter note, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from industry members about ACI, and are looking forward to capitalising on the growth in Asia,” he said.
