Meet Kevin Chung, COO of generative AI platform Writer

Entrepreneur Kevin Chung has spent his entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area, building his career over the past two decades at top companies such as Google, Dropbox and Miro. But when considering moving away from his home country, only one place ticked all his boxes - Singapore.

A huge motivation for the tech executive to relocate to Singapore was his goal as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to expand and grow Writer, a full-stack generative AI platform that aims to transform work by enabling entire organisations to accelerate workflows with generative AI. 

“We considered various places in the world to move to, but Singapore has the best combination of diverse benefits that are right for our family, both for personal and professional reasons,” said Kevin.

“I have family from other parts of Southeast Asia, and we often convene in Singapore. I have found the country to be one of the best places to be in the world, with its safety, delicious food, exceptional education and healthcare systems, and state-of-the-art public transportation. I’m very excited to ditch my car here!”

In for the long haul

Moving to Singapore has been a dream for Kevin and his wife, Christina for a long time.

Singapore’s work visa ONE Pass helped them to finally take the plunge with their young son and dog. Launched in January 2023, ONE Pass provides top global talent greater flexibility to work in multiple companies simultaneously and also extends privileges to spouses, making it the ideal solution for their relocation.
 

Reflecting on their journey, Kevin shared, “We talked about moving to Singapore a decade ago. However, it was conditional on being sponsored by our jobs, or being hired locally, which is a very high barrier. It was difficult to find a great match while searching for roles from overseas, and even if we had managed to find a job, it would make us entirely dependent on the company for our eligibility to stay in the country.”

Kevin also cites the business-friendly environment that Singapore offers, as well as the country’s proximity and ease of travel to the rest of Southeast Asia as a big factor for their decision to move here.

“As an American-born Chinese, living in a country where business is conducted in English is a huge plus. My Mandarin is passable, but not in a professional setting. Singapore also has innovation in its DNA and I was attracted to how forward-looking the nation is on various fronts, from technology to healthcare and manufacturing,” he said.

“There is massive business opportunity in Asia Pacific, and Singapore is the hub for all the activity in the region. Given how much demand there is for generative AI, there is tremendous potential to leverage Singapore’s reputation as an innovator to accelerate the adoption and advancement of generative AI for businesses across every industry. Every week I see a new article about the country’s latest partnership or innovation in the field of generative AI, and I’m excited to collaborate with Singapore to advance the adoption of this technology as a pioneer on the world stage.”

These factors have also impacted Kevin’s decision to base Writer’s regional hub in Singapore. “I’m thrilled to be Writer’s first Singapore-based employee and look forward to growing our presence and workforce locally. I’ve already started working with our strategic partners such as Accenture, Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon to expand generative AI together in Asia Pacific. I am thankful to have the support of many government organisations in our expansion, including the Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore Economic Development Board, and GovTech.” 
 

Singapore, a strategic hub for achieving big goals

Kevin knows he has a big task ahead of him to grow Writer in the region, but he is confident he can achieve it in Singapore. In his capacity as Writer’s COO, Kevin is responsible for partnerships, business development, and mergers and acquisitions.
 

“Singapore is emerging as the leader for Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific, making it the perfect setting for accelerating business growth for my companies. What’s more, the nation has recognised the use of generative AI as a competitive advantage and has launched new programmes to promote different use cases. Under the National AI Strategy, companies are establishing generative AI task forces, and schools are preparing the next generation of workers to be proficient in the technology,” he explained.

Kevin envisions generative AI as the catalyst for an entirely new economy, emphasising the need to prepare for its transformative impact. “The capabilities and power of generative AI will get better in a matter of months, and I expect it will drastically change the way we do business in the next few years, allowing us to be more productive, efficient, accurate, and consistent. Singapore is in a great position to accelerate its leadership through its open-arms approach to generative AI, which is the most influential technology shift since the Internet.”

Drawing from his extensive experience as a business leader who’s overseen the growth of multiple unicorn companies, Kevin believes having a great product, collaborative high-performing talent, and world-class execution as pivotal factors to success. These have all come together in Singapore to form an environment ripe for Writer to leverage the generative AI opportunity.
 

Kevin also commended Singapore's ecosystem, citing the presence of innovative technology companies with exceptional products that are headquartered in Singapore, such as Grab, Sea, and Carousell. “There is already a culture around starting successful companies with products that people use every day, and continuing to make the experience richer and more convenient for users.”

Singapore’s well-organised systems have also eased the Chung family’s transition. “As I’ve been getting my life and routine set up here I’ve noticed how easy it is. Some examples include SingPass as a safe, compliant universal login for most services, and the rapid responses for almost anything from retail to medical needs and transportation over WhatsApp. I also appreciate that almost all vendors accept cashless payments from the major retailers to the hawker centres. I have yet to deal with paper dollars since I’ve arrived.”
 

Giving back to the community

While Kevin has big dreams for the future of Writer, he hopes to play a part in Singapore’s future as well. “My goal is for Writer to be the leading generative AI solution for every business in Asia. Beyond that, I want to help contribute to Singapore becoming a world leader on the technology stage, where I believe it can be an innovator in generative AI by enabling every business to use it effectively across thousands of applicable use cases. I aspire to make Singapore the go-to place for technology leaders to build their next great ideas.”

Kevin is also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of young leaders and entrepreneurs. “My plan is to continue my consulting practice I started in the US, where I advise individuals, start-ups, and companies. I look forward to sharing my two decades of experience working in Silicon Valley with the Singapore tech, business and education community, and help to expand the adoption of generative AI throughout the region."

Balancing work with leisure, Kevin also enjoys his time in Singapore to the fullest while pursuing his career goals.

Within their first couple of months living in Singapore, Kevin noticed their daily step count had more than doubled, since the family was heavily car-dependent in the US. “The most noticeable difference is everyone is doing more throughout the day. Since Singapore is such a well-designed city, we’re finding we can fit more things in. It’s easy for us to find delicious, healthy meals, we spend less time travelling between activities, and we feel more uninhibited about staying out late due to Singapore’s reputation as being one of the safest countries in the world,” Kevin said.

“Our son can swim, attend Chinese lessons, and take breakdance classes, in addition to the time he spends in his new academic environment at the international school. For Christina and me, the biggest challenge being in Singapore is how not to eat all the amazing food options that are everywhere you turn – whether it’s kaya toast, carrot cake, Hainanese chicken rice, or the limitless milk tea configurations.”
 

Beyond personal pursuits, Kevin and Christina aspire to cultivate a thriving community in Southeast Asia. “Our family goal is to live more adventurously, immerse ourselves in Singapore, and fall in love with our new environment. In addition to visiting all the cool neighbourhoods in Singapore like Chinatown, Tiong Bahru, and Holland Village, we look forward to visiting other destinations in the region including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. The proximity and convenience to these countries makes it easy to plan a weekend trip. The overall transition has been smooth, and we’re excited to see what’s in store for us here in Singapore.”
 

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn here.