Member of the Month June - Peter Beekhuis, Maersk Oil Trading – Head of Trading, East of Suez.

This month we had the pleasure of talking to Peter Beekhuis, Maersk Oil Trading – Head of Trading, East of Suez.

Briefly, what is your role? Managing the trading and supply of fuel in the East of Suez region to Maersk’s fleet.

Any advice for doing business in Singapore and/or the region? For commodity trading and especially oil, Singapore is the world’s leading hub. It can be quite overwhelming and the pace and size of the market is certainly a challenge. My advice is to not be overawed by the increased speed and volume moving through the market but focus on some areas where you can compete and then give it everything. Success here is much more rewarding than it would be in a smaller market. As always, be on the lookout for predators and time-wasters who are omnipresent!

When did you move to Singapore? Where from? I took up my role here in early 2017. Formerly I was living in Malmo, Sweden and working in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Where were you born? What country do you call home? I was born in Dunedin and still call New Zealand home although I have spent more of my adult life in Sweden so that runs a close second.

What do you like most about Singapore? The efficiency, the cleanliness, the work ethic of the citizens and the excellent governance.

What do you do to relax? Read longingly about adventures that people are undertaking in NZ. I especially like to follow escapes into the wilderness of the South Island and can’t wait to do a few trips myself when we can visit NZ again soon! Until then, the normal Singapore pastimes have to suffice – swimming, mountain biking and walking in the botanic gardens.

What's top of your bucket list? Tramping The Dusky Track.

Why did you join the New Zealand Chamber (Singapore) and what do you like most about it? When I lived in Sweden I felt very removed from NZ so I wanted to reconnect with Kiwis and feel that relaxed but give-anything-a-go style again.