Singaporean Institute Surveys Family-Based Firms in Burma

By Wai Wai Lwin 23 November 2016

RANGOON — Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Business Families Institute and consultant company Deloitte have been working together on the first survey of family business in Burma.

The KBZ Group of Companies was the first of four businesses to be studied in connection with the research initiative. Titled “Paving a Way for a New Generation: A Case Study of the KBZ Family,” the report was launched in Rangoon on Wednesday.

“We chose KBZ, which met our four criteria: being global, giving, grow[ing], and [working across] generations among other family businesses in Myanmar,” said Annie Koh, SMU’s vice president for business development and professor of finance, on Wednesday.

SMU and Deloitte’s aim in carrying out the study was to identify educational and inspirational learning points for other firms. They spent six months researching the KBZ Group.

Koh described the KBZ Group as handing the responsibilities of management and innovation to future generations of business in Burma.

“KBZ has employed more than 50 percent women workers there—it is also impressive,” she said.

The case study explored how KBZ had planned for succession early within the family, allowing members to take on leadership roles and implement changes across management.

The Business Families Institute at SMU describes itself as the only “family-centric” business institute in the region. Deloitte Southeast Asia, Ltd. operates in Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.