The decision to enter the Asian market is exciting. The immediate reaction is often to find a leader.
You write a job description for a "Regional Director" or "Head of APAC." You want someone senior. You want someone with experience. You start the search.
This is the standard approach. It is also the most expensive and risky method of market entry.
For companies generating between $10M and $50M in revenue, hiring a full-time regional director immediately is often a strategic error. It commits you to high fixed costs before you have validated your revenue model.
There is a better alternative: the Fractional Partner.
Here is why your first hire in Asia should not be a full-time employee.
Recruiting a senior leader in Singapore and the wider APAC market takes time. The average search for a high-level executive takes four to six months.
Once you find them, they will have a notice period of one to three months.
That is nearly nine months of waiting. During this time, your market entry is stalled. Your competitors are moving. You are paying search fees, but you are generating zero value.
A Fractional Partner can start next week. We are Brand Utility - as your talent manager - can provide the seniority you need immediately. We do not require notice periods or lengthy recruitment processes. We start the work while you would still be writing the job description.
A competent Regional Director in Singapore will command a base salary between SGD 250,000 and SGD 350,000 - despite the economy. When you add bonuses, benefits, insurance, and office costs, the liability is significant.
If the market entry fails, or if the person is the wrong cultural fit, you face severance costs and legal complexities.
A Fractional model converts this fixed cost into a variable cost. You pay for the leadership you need, only for the duration you need it. If the strategy changes, you can scale the support up or down without legal penalty.
This is the most critical operational point.
If you hire a Director on Day 1, they spend their first six months doing administrative work. They register the entity. They find an office. They set up the CRM. They argue with HQ about budgets.
You are paying an executive salary for administrative tasks.
The smarter approach is to use a Fractional Partner to build the function first. We act as the interim leadership.
Once the "playbook" is proven and revenue is flowing, then you hire the full-time Director. They walk into a functioning business, not an empty room. They can focus immediately on growth, not setup.
We are not against full-time hires. We are against premature full-time hires.
You should hire a permanent Regional Director when:
Until then, buy the expertise, not the headcount.
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