Marco Förster Relocates to our HCMC Office, to Lead International Business Advisory in the South Vietnam Region

Dezan Shira & Associates is pleased to announce that, effective February 1, 2021, Marco Förster has relocated from China to our Ho Chi Minh City office. The company and the Vietnam team welcome him to his new role as Manager of International Business Advisory, where he will continue to help foreign corporate investors succeed in Asia, expand our partner engagements, and strengthen our leadership in South Vietnam.

This appointment reflects Dezan Shira & Associates’ important growth strategy in 2021 for Vietnam – with the country being one of our fastest growing business units as well as a highly strategic market for our clients from all over the world.

Marco’s transition to Vietnam will assist in scaling up operations within the country and capitalize on his expertise and experience in Asia business environments. Bringing together Marco’s strong cross-regional understanding of the Asian FDI environment and our Vietnam team’s extensive experience in helping international clients set up, manage, and scale their business in the country, we endeavor to provide clients and partners with exceptional support in the time to come.

About Marco Förster 

Marco joined Dezan Shira & Associates in 2019 and has held International Business Advisory positions in our Beijing and Shenzhen offices, where he worked with our foreign corporate clients and partners in one of the most rapidly growing and dynamic markets.

He has advised numerous enterprises on their Asia expansion and operational strategies, in the areas such as legal, HR, tax, IT, and compliance. In 2020, Marco chaired the European Union Chamber of Commerce’s China SME Forum, where he played an active role in connecting EU SME’s with on-the-ground knowledge about doing business in China. Throughout his tenure as Chair, he helped host webinars as well as lead workshops and working group meetings, which contributed to making the SME Forum one of the most influential advocacy groups for European SMEs in China, and further resulted in the EU Chamber’s submission of strong position papers to local government bodies and regulatory authorities..

Marco graduated from Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics with an Economics degree and received a postgraduate diploma in Digital Business from Columbia Business School (Executive Education). With his international background, he can speak fluent German, English, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

Coming Home to Vietnam

Marco is a German national, who is half Vietnamese, and therefore, has deep ties to Vietnam. Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Marco acted as a consultant at advisory firms in both Munich and Hanoi. He has always wanted to return to Vietnam and has come at a crucial time for the country as it rises to become one of the fastest-growing economies globally. “I’ve always loved the hustle and bustle of the streets of Asia. After over six years in China, I am excited to enter a booming market in vibrant Southeast Asia. In the 80s, my mother left Vietnam to tap the better economic opportunities in Germany. Who would’ve thought that just a few decades later her son will return? I see a bright future ahead for the country and look forward to assisting our clients to be a part of this success story. For me it’s not just business, it’s personal”. 

If you are interested in investing in Vietnam or would like to get in touch with Marco, please contact him via marco.foerster@dezshira.com and feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.