Banyan Workspace

Founder & Owner

Dragonfly Asia-Pacific Limited

Fossil Group, Inc.

2014: Took on the role of Vice President and Head of Fossil Brand for the APAC Region reporting to the SVP of APAC

2017: Took on the additional responsibility of overseeing all Marketing for Brands & Categories in the APAC Region and transitioned my reporting directly to our Global HQ and EVP of House Brands

Responsible for all aspects of brand and business management from Brand P&L, product merchandising, GTM plan and execution to marketing, forecasting and inventory planning across all APAC geographies, channels and business models.

Grew business at a 10% CAGR over the period with standout successes in India, China, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and Japan.

As Head of Marketing: Managed marketing across 12 owned and licensed brands and several product categories and built & transitioned a team of high potential traditional marketeers through a steep learning curve into a highly effective team of new world marketeers executing across digital and traditional platforms to achieve standout results that were best in class.

In this role I was an integral part of the Asia Pacific Senior Leadership Team that charted the course of all commercial aspects of our business in the region and enjoyed significant input into all decisions and strategy discussions.

Vice President Fossil Brand & Marketing APAC

Grew business from under US$50M to over US$80M with direct control of Hong Kong & Macau and through Distributor partners in Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal as well as all Travel Retail Business in the Region. 

Managed across channels including retail, wholesale and owned, distributor and franchise businesses.  

Managed a cross-functional team of over 100 people to drive incredible results in one of the most exciting phases of my career. 

Brought on and developed some incredible young talent who have blossomed both within Fossil and in other companies and built one of the strongest businesses and teams I have had the pleasure to manage.

Vice President & Managing Director - Hong Kong, Macau & APAC Distribution & Travel Retail

Managed all areas of a US$30M business in non-subsidiary markets in APAC. 

This included Fossil Watches, Leather and Eyewear and a licensed portfolio of watches from; Emporio Armani, DKNY, Diesel, Michael Kors and Burberry. Cross channel management in markets including Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mongolia and Guam. 

Additionally, was responsible for leading the development of FOSSIL's non-watch business, primarily Leathers and Eyewear, throughout APAC in channels excluding company owned Retail Stores and launched Fossil Leather and Eyewear through wholesale channels and with new distribution partners in India, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia creating a stronger brand message and awareness for Fossil than had previously existed and growing revenues in APAC for accessories from almost nothing to US$10M

Vice President Business Development & Accessories

Responsible for:  strategic planning, site selection, landlord negotiation, on going landlord relationships, driving the Global Real Estate committee to internal 'deal approval' and lease checking and execution for all company owned retail stores within APAC. Also found, vetted and signed up franchise partners to open retail stores in countries where Fossil Group had no owned presence or on the ground retail expertise.

Opened over 50 company owned retail stores in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and franchise stores in Indonesia, Korea and The Philippines

Vice President Real Estate - Asia

- Managed APAC Distributor Markets and growing the business sufficiently and with a view to directly taking ownership

- Focused markets: China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand

- Transitioned China, Korea and Taiwan to subsidiary business under Fossil Groups control and rolled New Zealand business under the management of Fossil Australia 

- Promoted to Vice President

Regional Manager - APAC Distribution

- Established and took on the responsibility of managing all APAC Business (except Japan) from a Regional Headquarters in Hong Kong
- Launched new distributors and business in Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, China and India
- Took over direct control of Hong Kong business from a distributor
- Opened join ventures in Singapore and Australia
- Grew APAC revenue from under $10M in 1999 to over US$20M by 2003

Regional Manager & Head of Business - APAC Region

- Launched & managed Asian Distributors: Korea, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong
- Launched & Managed Distributors in France & The United Kingdom including big product launched through distributor with Signet Group (H.Samuels, Ernest Jones)
 - Managed all aspects of the business including sales, marketing, finance and logistics inclusive of communication with factories in China for supply support
- Assisted in the due diligence and appointing of new Franchisees for Retail Stores in Australia and set up a Retail Store network in Singapore and The Philippines
 - Proposed and facilitated move of Distributor business model to a corporate subsidiary operation in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong
- Proposed and facilitated move of management of all APAC Business from Global HQ in Dallas to Regional HQ in Hong Kong

International Sales Manager - APAC, United Kingdom & France

With nearly 30 years of experience building brands, distribution networks, empowered teams and businesses across Asia Pacific, I left the corporate world in 2018 to answer my entrepreneurial callings. 

Since embarking on this journey, I have established Banyan Workspace, The Green Office Project, Dragonfly Asia-Pacific, Spiritu HK and launched the "Entrepreneur Stories" podcast.

Banyan Workspace provides an elevated boutique experience for entrepreneurs and SMEs looking for a socially-conscious, values-driven shared office space to call home. Inspired by my own home, Hong Kong, Banyan Workspace has been recognised as this cities most eco-friendly shared workspace. We also partner with local businesses and non-profits to give back to the community we proudly serve, while striving to support young entrepreneurs, launching a series of events as well as the 'Entrepreneur Stories' podcast to inspire and support early stage founders on their entrepreneurial journey.

In 2022, leveraging our sustainability credentials and learnings, we established The Green Office Project by Banyan Workspace to assist Hong Kong companies to operate more sustainably. Today, our team engages, educates and empowers corporate teams on our climate crisis, why ESG matters and dives into industry and company specific goals, challenges and opportunities in providing workspace solutions that create an environment and culture that fosters change.

Dragonfly Asia-Pacific leverages my personal relationships across APAC, built over the last 30 years, as well as my experience working with brands to help new brands establish successfully and then expand in the region. Representing over 20 different brands, across a range of product categories, Dragonfly Asia-Pacific operates primarily through its own offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam where, beyond our business activities, we strive to empower local people and their community.

Spiritu HK, was set up in 2024, taking the Spirits portfolio distributed by Dragonfly Asia-Pacific and providing these brands with a standalone consumer centric umbrella and a specific focus for our fast growing liquor business.

Away from my business, I am deeply committed to the long term well-being of Hong Kong and sit on the Board of Vision 2047 Foundation. I am also passionate and committed to making a positive impact to elevate marginalised and underserved communities and particularly children. I currently sit on the Board of Directors of global NGO OneSky and proactively work with NGOs locally and internationally to facilitate and amplify their impact.

When you own a small business, reviews, likes and comments are fuel because you and your team put your heart and soul into EVERYTHING!

This review, received this morning, was such a wonderful surprise and means so much to all of us at Banyan Workspace -

✍ We occupied one of the private offices at Banyan Workspace, and from day one, the team made us feel genuinely supported. Their gracious, member-first approach—and truly one of the nicest, friendliest teams we’ve come across—created an environment where our people felt welcomed, comfortable, and empowered every single day.

The interior design at Banyan elevated that experience even further. Beautifully curated, warm, and thoughtfully designed, the space has a natural charm that draws people in. It’s no surprise Banyan has become such a popular hub within the business and networking community.

As our business grew, leaving Banyan was bittersweet. Their commitment to sustainability even inspired us to carry some of their practices into our new office.

A heartfelt thank you to Rasheed, Charlotte, Jojo, and the entire Banyan team for the care, support, and genuine kindness you’ve shown us throughout our time there.

Thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort to write this Gabriel de Saint Aubert & Alex Choi 🙏 

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📸 I took this pic of Gabriel, Alex and team moving out of Banyan Workspace and on to a bigger premises a couple of weeks ago. Proud that they grew so rapidly when with us

Rasheed Shroff

Founder & Managing Partner, Jehol Limited | Strategic Growth & Market Expansion Leader | Partnering with Global Brands to Accelerate Success in Asia-Pacific

Corporate to Entrepreneurship | Founder at Banyan Workspace, Spiritu HK 🍸, Dragonfly Asia-Pacific | Host of the Entrepreneur Stories Podcast 🎧

“Trust your instinct” or as my father used to say “trust your gut”

💡 If it doesn’t feel right. If it’s keeping you up at night. If you just can’t shake the thought, then make the decision and “pull the plug”

💡The other side of a difficult decision is the relief and sense of control you’ve probably been looking for.

This was a great story that Olivia Cotes-James told us on our last Entrepreneur Stories discussion at Banyan Workspace and one that we can all relate to and all learn from.

There are moments on an entrepreneur’s journey where decisions need to be made that have the potential to shape our business one way or the other. 

I know I’ve had to make several of these and, inevitably, I sleep better once the decision is made.

💡What seems hard in the moment can be looked back on with hindsight as game changing and transformative and, for Olivia and Good Period (former page of LUÜNA) , this was one of those moments that I’m grateful she shared with us 🙏🏽

Founder + CEO of LUÜNA & Good Period I AVPN Ambassador I Cartier Initiative Grantee I EY Winning Women APAC

Good Period (former page of LUÜNA)

'If a post is published on a (LinkedIn) personal profile, it generates 561% more views than a company doing the same post’

This mind blowing stat, shared by Ria Parikh on Entrepreneur Stories, speaks to the power of your personal brand in engaging your audience vs. using your company page. 

🔺Your story, authentically told, matters! 

🔺If there are key takeaways that add value to your audience, then it will resonate

🔺That resonance is just not possible through a company page on LinkedIn.

🔺 Your personal brand can have HUGE impact

Where a founder has worked to build a personal brand alongside their company’s profile, I suspect the same is true on all social platforms, not just LinkedIn

Thank you for such a powerful share Ria and for being such a great guest on Entrepreneur Stories by Banyan Workspace! 

You can keep up with Ria’s work by following her or TYPHOON 10 here on LinkedIn 

💡The irony of sharing Ria’s company page is not lost on me 😅

The full episode is available wherever you get your podcasts

Founder & Creative Director at TYPHOON 10 | Redefining Corporate Marketing through Personal Branding, Thought Leadership, Strategy and Storytelling

TYPHOON 10

Launching a new brand in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) market and securing retail shelf space can be almost IMPOSSIBLE!

Try doing it successfully with almost no budget and no experience 

The challenge is monumental and can kill a business before it really starts, no matter how good your product is and how much budget you have.

To achieve this, as a side hustle, with a new brand and to secure shelf space at City Super, Feather & Bone, GREAT and Pacific Coffee is frankly incredible!

This authentically Hong Kong success story, from the founders of Neon Tiger, is what we will unpack tomorrow night at Banyan Workspace.

We’re almost sold out for this one, but if you’d like to hear from Douglas Aitken and Peter Sabine, 2 of the 3 co-founders and learn -

📌 How they built this business, with incredibly limited upfront personal finances

📌 The challenges they've faced running a successful side hustle alongside their day jobs and family lives

📌 What they've learned about sourcing and selling

📌 How they plan to take their side hustle international in 2026

… and so much more

You can still sign up for the last few spaces. Please do so soon to avoid disappointment… unsurprisingly, this one is filling up fast!

We’ll have networking Neon Tiger drinks post discussion and will have the 3rd co-founder of this fantastic trio, Jessica Berman with us to share what the boys may have missed in the main discussion. 

Can’t wait to chat to the lads tomorrow and see what we can learn from their amazing journey 

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Pic taken at a recent collaboration between Neon Tiger and our Spiritu HK business at the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival in October

Neon Tiger

Micro-Pak is the leading supplier of sustainable anti-mold and moisture control products to global brands and retailers.

Entrepreneur

Co-Founder at Neon Tiger

Spiritu HK

Corporate with a 'Side-Hustle' is pretty standard these days.

But scaling the side hustle, and I mean really scaling while in full time employment seems pretty rare.

I talk a lot about ‘Corporate to Entrepreneurship,’ but I don’t know much about the ‘Corporate WITH Entrepreneurship' journey.. so I thought we should dive in on Entrepreneur Stories!

The team behind Neon Tiger - Douglas Aitken, Peter Sabine and Jessica Berman have been fantastic collaboration partners for our Spiritu HK business. 

They've become friends and I have massive respect for what this team have built with Neon Tiger in Hong Kong.

The fact that they've achieved so much so soon, while working their day jobs is frankly incredible! 

This team have successfully launched a brand in a crowded drinks market and are now stocked in City Super, Feather & Bone, GREAT and Pacific Coffee, among others. They have built a brand that is recognised, trusted and enjoyed by so many in Hong Kong and are joining us to tell their story.

I am really looking forward to hosting this Entrepreneur Stories discussion at Banyan Workspace and you can sign up to be part of the audience. 

We’ll be covering -

 ⭐ Balancing entrepreneurship with a full-time career
 ⭐ Transforming ideas into commercial products and a distinctive brand
⭐  Funding a startup idea with your own $$
 ⭐ Managing time between your day job, side-hustle and family
⭐  Managing sourcing, production and scaling operations
 ⭐ Working as business partners with a lifelong friends and your life partner
 ⭐ Cracking retail by securing shelf space in Hong Kong’s premier retail chains
 ⭐ Targeting international expansion and growing beyond Hong Kong 
 
... and so much more

Audience members will also have the opportunity to ask questions and connect during post-event networking over a few cans of Neon Tiger Real Fruit Soda! 

So, whether you're thinking of a side hustle, just starting one or you're looking to scale, this conversation will inspire and equip you to turn your vision into action.

🗓Thursday 4th December 
📍Banyan Workspace, Quarry Bay 
 🔗 Reserve your spot now: https://lnkd.in/g95Kmyuv

'I think the biggest regret would be… I can’t believe I didn’t try harder’

For all of us on this entrepreneur journey, the quote from Carla Martinesi will resonate!

How many days do you go home thinking I should have done more and then wake up and try to ‘put it right’?

Carla’s inspiring story, her insights and takeaways as the founder of CHOMP are all brilliantly articulated on this episode of Entrepreneur Stories by Banyan Workspace.

This is one of our most listened to episodes, available wherever you find your podcasts 🖥️ 🎧 🔊

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