Consulting matchmaker VisasQ opens Singapore office

JAPANESE consulting matchmaker VisasQ has opened its first international office in Singapore, it said on Friday.

VisasQ connects clients with experts from their network. Their service offerings comprise in-person meetings, phone consultations, surveys, site visits, short-term assignments, as well as seminars and events.

Launched in 2013, VisasQ has over 10,000 advisers residing outside Japan.

Some experts in their network include current and former professionals, senior executives, consultants, retired executives, and academics across various industries and roles.

These industries include consumer goods and services, healthcare, financial services, tech, media and telecommunications, as well as energy and industrials.

According to the Tokyo-headquartered startup, its Singapore office will support client growth in Asia, and broaden its research capabilities to meet clients' growing demand for subject matter experts.

The Singapore office will be helmed by Leong Loh, an industry veteran with over 12 years of experience in the knowledge sharing industry, the company said. Among other things, Mr Loh will be responsible for driving the expansion of VisasQ's business and operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

He previously served as director of Asia at Guidepoint, which similarly connects clients with vetted subject matter experts. Prior to that, he held a variety of consulting and investment research roles, including stints at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Mr Loh holds an MBA (Master of Business Administration) and an engineering degree from the National University of Singapore.

In April 2018, Bloomberg reported that VisasQ was eyeing an initial public offering, though the company declined to provide a timeline of any listing then.