By Lionel Lim
Publication Date: 2026-10-02 03:17:00
Tay Bee Kheng says her role is to help the US company understand this region in a simplified manner
[SINGAPORE] South-east Asia can sometimes be an enigma for multinational corporations. They recognise the enormous economic potential of the region, yet some still view it as a homogenous bloc instead of 11 individual economies with their own cultures, forms of government and at different stages of growth.
“There’s nothing in common in Asean, except for one thing – rice,” said Tay Bee Kheng, Cisco’s Asean president.
Tay, who has been with Cisco for a decade, sees her role as that of a bridge – to simplify Asean’s complexity for her counterparts and bosses in San Jose, California, and to remind them of the region’s potential for Cisco.
