For our first feature of ShopBack People, we spoke to Vincent Wong. After 2.5 years as Country General Manager helping more Singaporeans discover The Smarter Way to shop online,
Vincent is now leading the ShopBackGO* team, bringing great deals to customers offline in the F&B space. Yes, you heard us right foodies! 🥘😋🍔
"ShopBack is constantly challenging the status quo.. As a company, we are always thinking about pushing the envelope and evolving."
I was with Groupon for 4.5 years. After which, I left to start my own commerce business in 2014 within the eCommerce and logistic management space. During the 2.5 years in business operation, we managed to raise over 1 million dollars.
After winding down my business, I started exploring opportunities and was headhunted by a recruiter. I originally applied for the Regional Head of Operations role, but the Country General Manager role opened up and I thought, why not!
Henry (CEO) was actually 30 minutes late for the interview *laughs*. The first impression was obviously so-so... But what impressed me during the interview was that he wasn’t as interested in what I did in the past, but was very keen on understanding my thought processes and what I understood about ShopBack.
What sealed the deal for me was the way entrepreneurship was done here. The pragmatism of the business model makes it very sustainable, and the team was aggressive and knew what it took to run a business.
There are definitely more resources here, I am not just talking about financial resources but also talent resources as well. This truly empowers one with the confidence to innovate and think out of the box. Anyone with a great idea can bring it up to the bosses and have a "sparring session" on the viability of the idea - if it's good, resources can be carved out to work to turn the idea into reality.
Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything. Anyone can have ideas, but what matters is the action that follows after that.
Running my own business also changed my paradigm about what a KPI is; as a leader, the measure of a successful KPI is not just what my team achieves, but how we are contributing to the success of the company and the eCommerce ecosystem as a whole.
ShopBack is very transparent as a company (#KeepItReal), with monthly Townhall meetings that align everyone across regions and all levels. More interestingly, every single person in the company is privy to the company's daily performance, which is quite unique!
The leaders are also very accessible and willing to bounce off ideas to you as equals. For instance, I have been in many meetings where both the CEO, co-founders, interns and new joiners were present — what fascinated me was how debates are done equally and anyone has the same liberty to contribute ideas. Such debates have led to a few product creations and noteworthy ideas, such as our recent foray into the O2O space through ShopBackGO.
From initially leading the local marketing team to now heading the offline business unit, what keeps me excited is the fact that ShopBack is constantly challenging the status quo.
We are re-inventing how online cash back is currently being done in different ways; whether it’s a new feature (e.g. comparisons), a new vertical, or new product (e.g. ShopBackGO). As a company, we are always thinking about pushing the envelope and evolving. That is what has enabled us to stay ahead of the game!
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*Eat. Drink. Earn Cashback. ShopBackGO rewards customers when they dine out at over 500 restaurants. Spoilt for choice? So are we 😉 Check us out here: https://www.shopback.sg/shopback-go
Managing an F&B business and keen to join get access to 750,000 diners in our community? Email us at restaurants@shopback.com
The ShopBack Group is Asia-Pacific’s leading shopping, rewards, and payments platform, serving over 40 million shoppers across 11 markets. In 2023, the Group expanded its offerings into Germany, signalling its entry into the European market.
Driven by the vision to be the world's most rewarding way to shop, ShopBack is dedicated to saving members money and time, while delivering delightful experiences with every purchase. The platform also enables merchants and brands to engage with their members in a cost-effective manner.
Founded in 2014, ShopBack now powers over US$4 billion in annual sales for over 20,000 online and in-store partners. Facilitating upwards of half a million transactions daily, ShopBack continues to provide value to both members and merchants through its innovative offerings. Notably, its payment solution, ShopBack Pay, offers members a convenient and rewarding payment option at checkout.
