Kum Hong Siew

Kum Hong Siew is an experienced business leader and startup coach based in Singapore. Here are some key details about his background and current role:

Professional Experience

Kum Hong has an extensive career spanning law, tech, and startups:

• He spent 10 years at Airbnb in senior leadership roles, including:

  • APAC General Counsel
  • APAC Regional Director (running business and operations)
  • COO for Airbnb China23

• Prior to Airbnb, he worked as a lawyer for 16 years, including roles at:

  • Singaporean law firms like Rajah & Tann
  • In-house counsel at Yahoo!2

Current Role

Kum Hong is now focused on coaching startup founders and leaders:

• He officially launched his coaching practice at CoachKumHong.com in late 20231
• He aims to help founders from Series Seed through Series B/C stages1
• As a coach, he specializes in general management and helping founders determine the right path forward for their companies2

Other Roles and Interests

• Advisor and board member for GoZayaan, a startup from Iterative's W21 batch2
• Former Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore (2007-2009), advocating for social justice causes2
• Angel investor2
• Shares insights on management, leadership, and personal finance for accredited investors through his Substack and LinkedIn1

Motivation and Approach

Kum Hong is motivated to give back to the startup world and finds working with passionate founders energizing.2 His coaching style emphasizes:

• Helping founders uncover answers within themselves
• Applying his general management experience to areas outside functional specializations
• Drawing on lessons learned from overcoming imposter syndrome early in his business leadership career2