Alex Chua Making His Mark In Two Disparate Industries Finance And Food

Alex Chua May be part of a longstanding family business, but he is determined to make his mark in two disparate industries finance and food.

- Farhan Shah

Deep below Goldbell Towers lies a few tiny, climate-controlled, electronically locked vaults that can only be accessed via two sets of fingerprints. One of them belongs to Alex Chua. The nondescript exterior belies their contents. Inside, hundreds of wine bottles are stored in crates scattered on the floor, with more stacked haphazardly on shelves. I'm a hoarder, Chua laughs. Wine is my passion. I have more bottles overseas because there's no space here. When they are ready to drink, I will bring them back.

The 42-year-old is the CEO of Goldbell Financial Services (GBFS) - part of the Goldbell Group - and 2021's Ernst & Young (EY) Singapore Entrepreneur of the Year in the financial services category. He has been hard at work building the company since he took over the helm five years ago, although he believes he never works, and just hires the right people.

The Business of Food

Now that GBFS is humming along smoothly. - the company has cumulatively loaned over a billion dollars to SMEs and startups - Chua has set his sights on conquering another field: F&B. It's a natural expansion of his personal interests. His Instagram feed is filled with mouth-watering dishes matched with fine wine (and the occasional whisky or three), along with photos of his wife and three children.

Following years of eating at restaurants and chatting with the chefs, Chua realized that the scene needed an overhaul. In the industry, career progression and training are rare. Chefs and service staff typically do not own any equity in the company. They both work themselves to the bone and get disgruntled. How can we empower them? Chua asks.