Bridging ASEAN Business
- Andrew Millar
- Jun 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 25
TOP 50 INTERVIEW: Dalton Wong
January 2024
As a seasoned regional entrepreneur and leader of the Inodesia Chamber of Commerce (IndoCham) and KADIN Cambodia, Dalton Wong shares his leadership philosophy and the values that have shaped his approach to business. He discusses the challenges and opportunities for Indonesian businesses in Cambodia, the evolving trade landscape, and how Indocham and KADIN are facilitating stronger economic cooperation.
Leadership Values & Guiding Principles
CLR: Dalton, as the founder of Speedwind, Chair of MassWork, and a leader in regional business organisations, what core values and guiding principles have shaped your leadership approach? How have these values influenced your success in building a strong distribution and managed services network?
"As I have grown through the years, I have made many mistakes and learnt a lot from my experience as a regional entrepreneur. The values that I go by have also evolved and solidified as I learnt from our own success stories as well as our failures.
They are, in no particular order:
a. Resilience and persistence
b. Integrity and ethics
c. Quality and excellence
d. Social responsibility and sustainability
These values have helped me through the years in shaping the leadership and culture of the team and company as well as navigating challenges and innovation in building our strong network and services.
Challenges & Opportunities in Indonesia-Cambodia Trade
CLR: With Indonesia's growing economic influence in ASEAN and its expanding trade ties with Cambodia, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for Indonesian businesses looking to enter and grow in Cambodia? How are IndoCham and KADIN supporting these efforts?
To be frank, there will be some challenges for Indonesian businesses looking to enter Cambodia. As a matter of fact, any business that wishes to invest in another country will find some challenges, whilst opportunities are also there.
In Cambodia I would think these include:
Relatively Small Market Size – Compared to Indonesia, and less affordability compared to other neighbouring countries.
Infrastructure & Logistics Limitations – While Cambodia is improving in terms of infrastructure, it still lags behind regional standards. Logistics costs can be higher due to inefficiencies in transport and supply chain networks.
Human Resource Challenges – Skilled labour may be limited, and investment will be required for training local employees. Turnover rates and a small talent pool in specialised industries can make hiring difficult.
Having said the above, our role as IndoCham and KADIN is to be ready to facilitate and support Indonesian businesses that are looking to invest in Cambodia with our vast network of members and partners.
Despite some of these hurdles, Cambodia offers growth potential, particularly in infrastructure, manufacturing and digital services. A strong local trusted partnership, due diligence and adaptability are key in overcoming these challenges.
Strengthening Indonesia's Presence in Cambodia
CLR: As President of IndoCham and Vice Chair of KADIN Cambodia, you play a key role in fostering Indonesia-Cambodia business relations. What strategies and initiatives have you championed to enhance trade, investment and business cooperation between the two countries?
Since the inception of IndoCham, we have coordinated many initiatives, events and projects in business, trade, investment and cultural exchange, as well as supporting and promoting better networking between Indonesian businesses in Cambodia and the local and international business community.
I do not really want to highlight any initiatives and yet not discredit any event or initiatives done. But I must say that for IndoCham we have led, coordinated and organised a mixed bag of events/initiatives relating to business, community, social and cultural matters.
You can find out more regarding all our initiatives on our IndoCham website.
The Future of Indonesia's Role in ASEAN Business
CLR: Looking ahead, what is your outlook on Indonesia's evolving role in ASEAN's economic landscape? How can Indonesian businesses leverage opportunities in Cambodia, and what role will organisations like IndoCham and KADIN play in shaping this future?
Indonesia plays a central role in ASEAN's economic landscape, driven by its large economy, strategic location and active leadership in regional initiatives. Some of the key aspects of its role include:
Economic Anchor of ASEAN – Contributing 35-40% of the region's GDP and large population of over 280 million.
Trade & Investment Hub – Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and attracting FDI in key sectors like the digital economy and green energy.
Champion of Digital & Green Economy – Booming tech sector, leading renewable energy initiatives, sustainable supply chains and supporting ASEAN's green growth agenda.
Supply Chain Realignment & Industrialisation – Vast natural resources to position itself as a regional manufacturing hub for EVs and batteries.
ASEAN Leadership & Policy Advocacy – Taking the lead in the ASEAN Economic Community and Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), prioritising supply chain resilience, energy security and digital economy cooperation.
With Indonesia taking the lead on the above, these objectives are key to shaping the way the economic outlook is going to be in the next 5 to 10 years amongst the countries in ASEAN.
IndoCham and KADIN are well aligned with the country's key objectives in ASEAN and have taken the lead in facilitating multiple bilateral engagements between the two countries.
These have been in both the private and public sectors, as well as many MOUs which have been signed between the two countries on bilateral cooperation, trade, common knowledge exchange and business community connectivity, and these activities have gotten much more traction in recent years.
Roadmap Ahead for Your Group
CLR: As a regional player, what is the roadmap going forward for your group, and how will it fit with IndoCham and KADIN's objectives?
Our immediate focus going forward will be concentrating more on outward business from China to Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia in renewable energy and household infrastructure, including waste management.
Cambodia will be focusing on solar energy projects, leading to higher demand for batteries and inverters. This is driven by factors such as an increase in solar energy adoption, the expansion of commercial and residential infrastructure, and the need for power backup solutions.
We are expecting demand to grow significantly from now until 2030, especially in the areas of renewable energy, transportation and industrial applications. Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have also seen an upside interest in these products and areas, and will be focusing on this as well.
With outbound businesses and investments from China going to ASEAN countries, it coincides well with IndoCham and KADIN objectives of fostering business collaboration, exchange, trade and investment amongst ASEAN countries for the private sector."
About Dalton Wong
Dalton is an Indonesian-born entrepreneur and key figure in Cambodia’s business community, serving as executive chair of MassWork and president of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (IndoCham).
With nearly two decades of regional business experience, he founded Speedwind in 2018 and leads multiple ventures across distribution, managed services and innovation, including partnerships like the Masswork–Goldcard Smart MOU to introduce smart utility solutions across Southeast Asia. Known for his commitment to resilience, integrity, quality and sustainability, Dalton was awarded the 2024 Most Innovative Entrepreneur award at the World Digital Economy and Technology Summit.
Follow Dalton on LinkedIn
In partnership with Cambodia Investment Review (CIR) and the International Business Chamber of Cambodia (IBC), Cambodia Leadership Review has officially launched 50 International Leaders 2025.
Now in its second edition, the publication highlights 50 of the most influential international business and organisational leaders and innovators contributing to Cambodia’s dynamic economic landscape, including Dalton Wong.