Focusing on growth in the franchise industry across Asia, group company IWG announces five new hires in the region
Continuing to focus its growth in the franchise industry across Asia, IWG is pleased to announce five new additions to the franchise team in the region.
Based in China, Alp Taşkıran brings a deep understanding of both the culture and the business landscape in China. Prior to joining IWG he successfully grew the franchise market for Burger King China. Over in Thailand, Thanita Wongtirasub, known as Nee Nee, will take up the role of Franchise Business Manager Thailand and bring along her extensive experience as domestic and global franchise manager for various international companies.
In Vietnam, Daisy Vu brings with her more than 14 years’ experience in franchising hospitality businesses in the region, including for Hard Rock Café and Dairy Queen International. The South Korea office welcomes Joanne Lee, a highly organised international business professional with in-depth knowledge and experience of global brand-building. Finally, Weng Natividad will rejoin the team in the Philippines after a stint as Finance Director in the IWG Global Service Centre.
"The market in Asia is exciting and continuing to grow at record pace,” says Matthew Henley, Head of Partnership and Growth at IWG. “We have launched a Global Franchise programme due to the demand for flexible working options. We’re sure we’re approaching another turning point in the workspace revolution, so we’re delighted to be able to offer other driven ambitious entrepreneurs the opportunity to join us at this key moment and capitalise on the explosive growth of our sector."
There are many benefits for buying into a franchise in the flexible workspace and coworking industry, particularly in the Asia region. “Demand for flexible workspace is growing at an exponential rate,” states Henley.
“The programme has created a new kind of investment opportunity in this fast-growing business sector, allowing our franchise partners to benefit by leveraging our scale and our proven business model. Our network is more than six times larger than that of our nearest competitor and, combined with our unrivalled digital and IT platform, this makes us the undisputed leader of the serviced office sector,” he explains.
The serviced office sector in Asia provides a wealth of opportunity for franchise partners, with demand for flexible workplace solutions rapidly outstripping supply. “From sales and marketing to platforms and processes, every element is designed to turn the untapped potential of our market into exceptional cash returns,” says Henley.
According to a recent study by IWG, the flexible workspace industry is estimated to grow by 24% every year. And Asia, in particular, seems to be experiencing a real workplace revolution at the moment, with IWG's brands seeing demand rapidly outstripping supply in many areas.
“We're looking for partners who have the ability to operate and grow within a branded framework and open five or more centres over a two- to three-year period,” says Henley. “We provide induction and training for all key franchise team members and our partners will have access to our customer service centres, IT support service and operational process support by our three global service centres, as well as regular performance reviews, access to NCO project management methodology, and website and app set-up.”
Over the next six to 12 months, IWG’s ambition is to really accelerate centre development in Asia. “While the franchise opportunity and strategy in Asia is aligned to our Global Franchise Programme, the interest in our strategy and growth plans in the region is incredible. However, we are also seeing this level of interest across most markets,” says Henley. “We are just starting the execution of our franchise strategy in this region and it’s a brilliant opportunity for partners looking for an incredible investment with a proven business model.”
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