"Creative thinkers, problem solvers and team players who are passionate about their work."

Press Releases

Woodward Partners launches workshops to help companies avoid the pitfalls of overseas acquisitions and expansion
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts: Woodward Partners
Singapore: Natalie Maxwell-Davis
Email: Natalie@woodward-partners.com
Phone: + 65 3106 2068 ext. 400 (Singapore), + 503-345-0764 ext. 400 (USA)

US: Kurt Messersmith
Email: Kurt@woodward-partners.com
Phone: + (206) 604.4081

Singapore - July 23, 2008
One of the major difficulties of expanding into Asian markets is understanding the subtle social, political, economic, and regulatory differences of each of the countries in the region. Experienced companies are often surprised when their overseas acquisitions or expansion plans fail because they have underestimated the impact that these differences can have.

Woodward Partners, a management consulting firm that specializes in helping global and midmarket companies succeed in Asia, has developed a series of workshops designed to help managers better understand and mitigate the risks of overseas acquisitions of investments. The series helps identify the challenges unique to each country by offering insights from Woodward's extensive experience in Asia and using an exclusive investment tool co-developed by Woodward and Rob Salomon of the NYU Stern School of Business to quantify factors which are normally forgotten or based only on managerial intuition.

The workshops are application-focused and delivered in an informal setting during morning or afternoon sessions designed to stimulate the dynamic exchange of ideas among participants.

"These new workshops offer to a wider audience the experience our teams have in delivering strategic and tactical workshops to our clients," said Mathew Cobbett, Woodward's Director of Asia Pacific, based in Singapore. "Woodward's linkages with leading Business Schools and our ability to apply the knowledge generated in academia to real world issues on a regular basis, enable us to deliver real value to participants."

A past participant of one of Woodward's workshops, Johnny Chiou, Regional Business Director at W.R. Grace, said, "Woodward's executive workshops were well designed and executed.  The workshops helped us by bringing the right people together on the same page and identify and avoid some of the risks of overseas expansion."

Many firms overestimate the opportunities and underestimate the costs they will face when investing in foreign markets. These mistakes are often costly. Woodward's expertise in helping companies develop robust investment analyses prior to making significant investments is based on extensive experience in the region and also on the firm's partnership with Professor Salomon, a recognized expert on internationalization strategies and author of Learning from Exporting: New Perspectives, New Insights.

The new Woodward Management Workshop, titled Investment and Risk, enables participants to learn the critical factors to consider before committing capital investment in Asia. Participants will develop an understanding of the macroeconomic, regulatory, and cultural factors that separate the major markets in Asia and learn how these differences impact the risk and return profiles of investments in certain economies.

Participants can sign up for the workshops on the Woodward Partners website at www.woodward-partners.com. Participants can also the latest research on internationalization strategies and governance published by Woodward Fellows at www.woodward-fellows.org.

About Woodward Partners

Woodward Partners is a management consulting firm that helps global and midmarket companies succeed in Asia. Woodward has helped companies with no experience in Asia, companies with limited experience in Asia, and companies who are already established in Asia navigate these difficult issues to achieve optimal growth. We provide clients with realistic, actionable strategies that will improve the bottom line. We do this by working collaboratively with clients to understand their specific challenges, clearly define their objectives, and deliver solutions that meet their specific needs. Our strong relationships with many of the leading business schools allow us to use leading edge ideas and methods to develop innovative solutions. With offices in Singapore, the USA, and Japan, Woodward has deep experience throughout Asia Pacific.

For more information, please contact Mathew Cobbett or visit www.woodward-partners.com.