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It was
September 1999 when a colleague of mine Caroline Grimmont
contacted me to do the research for the company she’s been
working for sometime in Singapore, THE ASIAN BANKER
INTERNATIONAL (TABI, also popular as The Asian Banker
Journal). Although French by birth and nationality, she
speaks English as if she’s an American, and speaks Mandarin
as if she’s Chinese. We both studied at the National
University of Singapore.
From
Caroline, I knew Emanuel Daniel, the founder and CEO of TABI,
and that day had given me more than what I expected: an
opportunity.
I was
asked to do the research on post-crisis Indonesian Banking
industry. I assumed Caroline was acting as a middle-person
between TABI and myself. From time to time I did my
interview with several personalities, including the Bank
Indonesia Director in Singapore.
On
December 1999 my research was published as long as I can
recall. By that very year, I declared myself to serve the
work on commercial corporate research.
Further
commercial research coming from Rolando Dy of the
University of Asia and the Pacific (also previously
known as Corporate Research and Communication/ CRC)
based in Manila, the Philippines. It was agriculture & farm
research on Chicken, Ducks and Swine/ Pigs Farm Industry. My
other colleague, Felix Harya, who brought this research
order, also work closely with me.
I
remember in 1996 I did a collaborative research in Batam
Island as an assignment given by the National University of
Singapore. With my colleagues, Martin Bazylewich, Danielo
Buenbrazo, Amy Lam, and Alice Tan, we went to Batam for
research on labor movement. That research was in fact my
first serious research that I did it with full independence
and knowledge. My very first research was way back in 1991
when I was still working (as apprentice) at the Sooke-Jordan
River Chamber of Commerce in Canada. My research at that
time was on the Youth Needs Assessment. It was a great
research, but since I was only an ‘apprentice’ I had a full
freedom to take advantage in studying and learning on how to
do good research while doing my best in making significant
contribution as well.
On April
1998 I joined the Harvard Project for Asia and
International Relations (HPAIR) convened by the Harvard
University in Kuala Lumpur. The co-host was the
University Putra Malaysia. I was representing the
National University of Singapore by then.
On March
1999 I was invited to participate in the World Business
Dialogue Forum in Cologne, Germany by representing
Singapore.
Today,
Datum Strategic is
born from the past time dreams. Budi Suwito, my
colleague at the office who happens to share the same vision
joins me and together we develop what we call now as an
INTEGRATED BUSINESS SERVICES. |
