For a company celebrating its 10th anniversary, it’s rare to find stories from employees who have been here since the beginning. Fortunately, we have Klooker #13, who joined us in 2015! Introducing Alex, our Business Development Director based in Bangkok!
It all began with a coffee chat during an interview. "As a fresh graduate, I was excited about my dream of joining a company that blends work and travel."
"My journey in the startup scene since my university years opened doors for me. I connected with brands in China eager to explore new markets in Hong Kong. One day, a contact mentioned Klook as a company with potential and encouraged me to apply."
"Back then, the travel industry was still catching up with digitalization – it was tough to find content and information online. The idea that Klook could bridge that gap and make travel more accessible captivated me."
Let Alex take you through his 9-year journey at Klook!
In the early days, I shared a desk with our co-founders, Ethan and Eric, and witnessed firsthand their negotiation skills and passion, not just with partners but also through offline, customer-facing events. These experiences have been instrumental in shaping my decision-making style and cultivating a strong customer-obsession mindset that continues to guide me today.
Alex's defining experience of growth?
Our initial backend system migration! I spent two weeks manually transferring over 1,000 activity pricing and details from Excel. This process deepened my understanding of our product structure and allowed me to see our system evolve from a manual, slow process to a fast, standardized, and automated one.
This experience later paved the way for my next scope - building Klook’s Global B2B distribution network with the product knowledge I gained, launching API partnerships with key players like Ticket Monster and WeChat Pay, and scaling across eight major Asian markets.
I handed out leaflets at Ngong Ping 360 and Ocean Park bus stations, and led customers on fast-track experiences at the Peak Tram in Hong Kong. These interactions gave me valuable customer feedback and I saw the direct impact of our efforts, as more app sign-ups and bookings rolled in, along with happy faces.
My journey continues in Thailand. I had the opportunity to build its supply from scratch with a small 3-person team.
We launched Klook-branded tours, Klook service counters in Suvarnabhumi Airport and shopping malls, like this one at centralwOrld, a vibrant shopping complex in Bangkok.
Our team’s destination supply eventually grew to over 1,000 partners across all major cities in Thailand. I’m proud to see Klook becoming the top inbound travel leader throughout this new journey!
10 years ago, I never imagined I would be able to build an entire destination supply chain from scratch. Back then, I had no business connections and didn’t speak Thai.
All I knew about its tourism was that it was known for Thai massage. Now, I’ve learned the language, married a Thai person, and made Thailand my home. Magic!
- Business Development
- Career Growth
- Customer Obsession
