Professional services in emerging asian markets: The Indonesian case

In 1946, at the age of 25, the author founded a oneman accounting firm in Manila, serving small companies that were opening their doors in the wake of World War II. Having achieved a leadership position in the Philippines by the early 1960s, the author's growing firm, SGV, expanded its operations in East Asia by establishing joint ventures with other leading Asian professional services firms. The SGV Group, the resulting multinational organization, provided professional services for various projects and enterprises in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. After becoming the largest professional firm in Asia, in 1985 the SGV Group joined Arthur Andersen & Co. Societé Cooperative, the worldwide leader in business information and computer technology. The partners of the SGV Group were aware that world class computer technology had to come from the developed countries, while Arthur Andersen could see the advantages of a relationship with the largest Asian professional services group. In this article, the author offers the perspective of a firm based in a developing country expanding into one of the most important emerging markets, Indonesia.