Growing Airbnb in APAC: Kum Hong’s Journey from Employee #2 in APAC to COO of Airbnb’s China Office

In this episode of Business Beyond Borders, we had the privilege of interviewing Siew Kum Hong, a seasoned professional whose journey spans across diverse landscapes, with impactful roles at prominent organisations such as Rajah and Tann, Yahoo, Airbnb and more. Starting as a lawyer at R&T, he quickly transitioned to an in-house legal counsel, contributing to Yahoo during its formative years and glory days.Kum Hong’s journey took a defining turn with Airbnb, where he spent a decade driving the company’s APAC expansion as employee number 2, eventually culminating in his role as China COO with significant involvement in the China office. Today, Kum Hong is an Advisor to Airbnb, as well as the Board Member of GoZayaan, a travel tech startup.In this episode, we discuss: - Kum Hong’s journey from law school to his leadership stint at Airbnb- Transitioning from legal to business leadership- Managing the China team and China market during COVID- Implementing strategies unique to the Chinese marketplace- Insights and advice for startupsLinks:Bluente's Website: https://www.bluente.com/Kum Hong’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siewkumhong/Our Socials: @bluente.official (Instagram and Tik Tok)