Biography
Prior to his departure from corporate at the end of 2022, Francis spearheaded Ingram Micro’s Advanced Solutions and Global Partner Engagement team in Asia Pacific, focusing on key technology solutions in Cybersecurity, IoT, Automation, and Multi-cloud. Francis also supports the growth of the Advanced Solutions business in China. He leverages his 25+ years of vendor relationships and expertise to engage new and emerging vendor partners and further strengthen the relationships with existing partners. Prior to this role, Francis served as the Vice President and Chief Country Executive of the ASEAN & Hong Kong region for close to 20 years. Having established a presence in the region through organic growth and Mergers and acquisitions.
Francis propels the success of the industry-recognized value-added solutions approach from Singapore to other countries in the Asia Pacific as one of the key differentiators in the distributor landscape. With his foresight and strong domain of technology in the transformative world, he brings a new level of service and support around cybersecurity, hybrid technologies, cloud solutions, as well as emerging technology, driving more business outcomes for the channel partners in APAC. With more than 35 years of vast experience in logistics and IT industries, Francis manages various portfolios and entities in Singapore and across the ASEAN countries, having resided in countries like Thailand and Vietnam, and is a frequent traveler to the AP region. Before joining Ingram Micro in 1988, Francis began his IT career with IBM in their International Procurement operations, followed by Dow Jones Telerate as its Indochina Country Manager and later, Group Deputy General Manager of Thakral Brothers for their AP IT business.
Francis holds a First Class Honors in Bachelor of Science in Business Studies, a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and a post-graduate Diploma in Materials Management. Francis also holds a Master of Science degree in Education Management and a Master’s degree in Art History. In 2021, Francis completed the Executive Diploma in Directorship by SMU/SID. He is an accredited professional certified coach from the International Coaching Federation. He sits on a listed board in Singapore and is an accredited senior director from the Singapore Institute of Directors. He does advisory for companies in Singapore in the field of sustainability. He is also a senior advisor to the National University of Singapore, Enterprise Leadership Transformation course for CEO/COOs in the SMB space. He is a keen reader of South East Asia and Asian history, and a keen novice South East Asian art collector.