Interview with
Mr. Michael Tan
Managing Director SE Asia
Michael, can you please introduce the company WICE Logistics to our readers? It would be interesting for them to know, for example, where you have your offices located currently; what is your headcount; and is there a specific part of logistics that you feel particularly competent in handling?
WICE Logistics is a company with 32 years of history. Our headquarters is in Bangkok, and we are publicly listed in the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Currently, we have offices in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and Hong Kong, with over 800 staff.
Our key verticals are Electronic, Semiconductor and Hi-Tech where we serve our customers global supply chain needs.
We have a subsidiary that is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand that operates cross border trucking connecting China and Southeast Asia.
There is a lot of competition in freight forwarding nowadays. Even project forwarding and some shipowners wish to be forwarders, too! How do you view this, and how do you feel about competition directly from the shipping lines?
I personally have the experience of being the forwarding entity of a shipping line, as well as integrating the forwarder that it acquired into the parent. While it does present a level of threat by offering integrating services by the shipping line, there are mixed impressions from customers doubting the service consistency, resistance in putting all their eggs into one basket, and the preference for neutrality. The independent freight forwarders, like us, will still have our own battle ground that the shipping line can’t replace.
What is your own background in logistics, and how did you get into this business originally?
I started my career with APL in 2002 in documentation. It was my first job after my graduation from the IT field. I simply grabbed any job available in the market. I spent 6 years with APL gaining experience in processing European services as well as implementing the process and system of US-AMS after the 911 incident. I joined CMA CGM in 2008, helping them to set up the very first Shared Service Centre. Then, in 2013, I moved on to managing CMA CGM Logistics – their inhouse freight forwarding entity – for Southeast Asia. In 2018, I joined CEVA, helping to integrate CEVA into CMA CGM, and then returned to CMA CGM in 2022 managing their Value-Added Service and Logistics Solution for Asia Pacific. I joined WICE in 2023 to manage Southeast Asia and expand their footprint in this region.
I also noticed that you have several offices located in China and the Philippines. Would you have experience in moving oversized or project cargoes in the SEAsia region and would you be able to give us some examples of cargoes you have handled?
Our Philippines setup is a strategic JV with a very strong local, logistics partner. Our aim is to capitalize on their local strength while we drive the international freight forwarding, and one of our key growth drivers for the Philippines is to develop Project Cargo. Our strategic partner has the necessary experience in project cargo and indeed owns the required equipment.
We’ve got 40,000 readers worldwide. It would be nice for them to know with whom to get in touch if and when they would like a quote from WICE Logistics.
They may send all enquiries to my Philippines GM–Michael Torres–at Michael.Torres@wicelogistics.com (with a copy to me Michael.tan@wice.com.sg). We will ensure that it is attended to accordingly by our competent team members.
