• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work & Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
      • Readers’ Choice Awards
        • Lion City university application fairCareer guidance & help with university applications
        • Facing University challenges university in singaporePrepare your child for university in Singapore
        • Hari Raya Puasa bazaarHari Raya Puasa 2023 – how is it celebrated?
        • By Fable Farewell Gifts copyFarewell gifts for colleagues and friends in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Water play areas singapore vivo city shopping centresFree water playgrounds & water parks in Singapore!
        • FIBA 3X3What’s on this week and beyond
        • Hari Raya Puasa bazaarHari Raya Puasa 2023 – how is it celebrated?
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Lion City university application fairCareer guidance & help with university applications
        • Water play areas singapore vivo city shopping centresFree water playgrounds & water parks in Singapore!
        • 10 places for teenagers to hang out in Singapore
        • Mental health support for toddlers to teens
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • Contemporary Rugs and Floor Coverings – who bought what?
        • Havana Interiors home stylistsNeed decorators, home stylists or an interior designer?
        • Bedrooms: Bed frames, bedding & bedside tables!
        • Affordable art in SingaporeBuying affordable art in Singapore – it is possible!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • property in sydneyBuying property in Sydney
        • international health insurance for singapore expatsHealth insurance for Singapore expats
        • Travel News & Hotel Deals
        • Chloe from E&A InteriorsBuilding a holiday villa in Sri Lanka from start to finish!
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • easter brunches and buffets singaporeEaster Brunches – Easter food buffets & free-flow!
        • New Nibbles: Foodie news!
        • All you need to know about Crab Bee Hoon in Singapore
        • local desserts in singapore - Rainbow ice cream breadMust-try local desserts in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • Niessing gold jewellery in SingaporeI discovered a 150-year-old jeweller in Singapore!
        • slimming facial massage review facial ginzaWe review a Japanese slimming facial massage!
        • yun nam hair care abd scalp treatmentYun Nam Hair Care Reviews DIY Treatments
        • weight gainLondon Weight Management reviews dangers of weight gain
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • weight gainLondon Weight Management reviews dangers of weight gain
        • Here’s why sleep is so important
        • core exercises in singapore7 Singapore Pilates studios for core exercises & more!
        • at-home personal training yoga in singaporeYoga classes in Singapore, and the benefits!
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

Entrepreneurs in Singapore: We meet Robbie Hoyes-Cock

29th September 2016 by Catherine Willingham 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/entrepreneurs-in-singapore-we-meet-founder-of-the-podium-lounge-robbie-hoyes-cock/

Forming your own company in Singapore requires real courage. Entrepreneurs reveal their personal journeys…

Name: Robbie Hoyes-Cock
Age: 32
Nationality: British
Position: CEO & Founder of The Podium Lounge

Working crazy hours for a bank was the eventual catalyst for me becoming an entrepreneur. But being raised here in Singapore with the notion of unlimited possibilities and opportunities was a huge factor.

My dad embraced entrepreneurism at 46 when he acquired the master franchise for O’Briens Irish sandwich bars in Asia. Up until that point he’d done exceptionally well as a finance director for several multi-nationals.

I was actually born in Athens, but moved to Singapore in 1982, aged 10 months. I was schooled at Tanglin and UWC, but then got a scholarship to Eton College in London. If anyone tells you that A-Levels are harder than the International Baccalaureate then they are fibbing.

I studied law at university but my internships at two very big organisations put me off becoming a lawyer. It just looked like a load of miserable people working obscene hours.

My first job was in the head office of O’Briens in Ireland. I was tasked with spending a month in every department of the company, which was an incredible learning experience. I spent eight months working and partying in Dublin and then joined my dad running operations and marketing for O’Briens in Singapore.

I moved into banking, but became disillusioned and started an events company on the side. The very first event we organised was a white party at a 200-capacity venue called MOX in Tanjong Pagar, and I made more money than I was being paid in a month at the bank. My company became viable the day I quit my bank job.

I’m a six-foot-four-inch perfectionist, so I stand out. Success for me has come from hard work and persistence, and I’m lucky in that I’ve only ever worked with people I like and who I enjoy spending time with. This makes such a difference.

I lost my mum when I was 21; it was horrific. Nothing prepares you for the loss of a parent and life has never been the same since.

Helping Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel open a 12-litre balthazar of Moët & Chandon at our Podium Lounge Abu Dhabi event has got to be one of the high points. It was also the very first international Podium Lounge event we put on, so a massive publicity stunt for us.

You’re only as good as your last party, so it’s a constant battle to make sure you have the right guest-list, perfect venue, exemplary service, eye-catching performances and music that people want to hear. We’ve had a couple of events that were weaker than others, either affected by rain or the public holiday exodus of expats, who are our core market. But bouncing back is half the fun.

As long as your work is fun to you and it’s something you enjoy, you will never tire of it. I love partying – go figure!

I think my work-life balance is pretty healthy. I help bring up my two baby daughters, I’m a regular attendee of the Freemasons, I play golf and squash and I get to enjoy chilling with friends. I still have friends from when I went to school here.

I’d love to have a floating office. A moving, floating office. Okay, I’d love to own a super-yacht and work from there.

Having organised events in Abu Dhabi, Monaco and Melbourne now, I have to say that doing business in Singapore is by far and away the easiest. There is a “work hard, play hard” ethic here, and everybody seems motivated to progress. In Australia, people start tidying up their desk at 4.45pm and are gone 15 minutes later.

My favourite place for a holiday is on a ship. Our most memorable cruise was our honeymoon. We took the Queen Mary 2 from Singapore back to Southampton via the Suez Canal. We were onboard for three weeks; I think we were the youngest there.

Even when I’m on holiday I still keep my computer and phone switched on. The nature of business these days is that it really is 24/7 and if you snooze, you lose.

 

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

Categories: For Guys

Catherine Willingham

You May Also Like

Club 826 men's fashion in Singapore linen shirts for men

We review Club 826 men’s fashion collection

Gifts for International Women’s Day 2023 at Cluny Court!

HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2022

HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2023 countdown!

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.