Nova Scotia Alumnus: The Pioneer of BPO in Asia

ConnectNS network member David Wong (CEO, SnT Global) reveals how Dalhousie sparked his entrepreneurial career.    



Early days

On the cusp of the Internet Age, David Wong Nan Fay discovered the potential of strong networks and global reach. As an international student studying Commerce at Dalhousie University in the early eighties, he immersed himself in the theories and practice of business, thrived as a student leader, and paid close attention to budding technologies.

“Living and studying in Nova Scotia was certainly a highlight of my life. There was a diverse demographic of international students which provided great opportunities for networking and bonding. As the Student Leader of the Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia Student Association, I got an early start in leadership and management.”

From the classroom to the boardroom

Today, David’s business is all about networks. He is the Founder and CEO of SnT Global, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company providing logistics, fulfillment, supply chain management and after-sales services for businesses that thrive through e-commerce.

With David Wong at the helm, SnT has won several major industry awards and is known as a pioneer of BPO in Asia. The company was recognized as a leading technology company in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Program, and recognized by Global Services Awards as one of the Top 100 Most Innovative Outsourcing Companies in the world and the Top 10 to Watch in Asia.

SnT Global was born as ShipnTrack.com, a start-up run from David’s apartment which provided online sellers with tools to help them prepare, send and manage order fulfillment. David immediately recognized the potential of e-commerce, but saw that problems related to fulfilment, shipping, delivery and tracking were significantly hindering the growth and scalability of some businesses. Inspired by the internet revolution, David realized smooth and reliable e-commerce fulfillment was a service that was desperately needed and that technology would be the key to solving supply chain challenges.

Igniting the spark

With the tremendous success of SnT Global, the 1984 Dalhousie graduate has become a vocal advocate for ICT businesses in Asia and plays a leadership role in several organizations including PIKOM (the National ICT Association of Malaysia), Innovation Foundation of Malaysia and Outsourcing Malaysia, an initiative of PIKOM and a consortium representative of the outsourcing industry.

David calls Malaysia “a hidden jewel” since it is central in the ASEAN region of over half a billion consumers, which averages a combined gross domestic product of $737 billion. He emphasizes that Malaysia has a very good diplomatic relationship with Canada and FTA agreements with developed countries around the world.

“There are many Canadian alumni in Malaysia who can be either potential business partners or customers,” David explains.

And so, while actively engaged in promoting Malaysia’s commercial development, David sees the value of staying connected to a vast network of associates throughout the world. He still considers the friends he met and the education he received in Nova Scotia as an important foundation for his career.

“My university years (at Dalhousie) provided me a highly conducive environment for learning. The experience sparked my career as an entrepreneur from the very day I graduated.”

David Wong’s vision, skills and the connections he made in Nova Scotia have proven to be truly transferable to the international stage.

David Wong is a member of the ConnectNS network of proud Nova Scotians, alumni and expats from over 40 countries. Get involved.