We talk to Philippe Espinasse, author and consultant, Founder and CEO of P&C Ventures Limited.
 

What does your business do?

I have a multi-faceted portfolio of activities. I work as a director of companies, I teach at Hong Kong U’s faculty of law and at the Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute, and I also work as a consultant, helping corporates in Asia and beyond with their strategy, growth, and development plans. I also pen columns for several financial publications, and am a published author. I have published both non-fiction/business books (chiefly on IPOs and investment banking) and, more recently, my debut Hong Kong thriller, which is entitled “Hard Underwriting”. The plot of the novel centres around a series of murders in the investment banking industry in Hong Kong, and against the background of pro-democracy protests in the city. The book is available at Bookazine in Hong Kong, among other distributors, as well as on Amazon, where it was ranked as the 12th “hot new release” for financial thrillers. There’s also an e-book version.
 

When was your company founded?

2010
 

What is the biggest business challenge you face?

The biggest challenge is to come up with new ideas to market my services, and be visible. As an investment banker for almost 20 years, I had the benefit of working for large organizations with plenty of support and a diverse and extensive infrastructure. Now that I work on my own, I have to do everything, from administrative duties, to marketing, to executing what the mandate or task at hand dictates.
 

What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is different and there is no typical day. I also travel quite a bit in the region, usually to Taiwan, Japan and Southeast Asia, and also to the Middle East. When I write books, however, I usually work all day at my desk, and every day over several months until I’m happy with the first draft. This entails character development, articulating the plot, and a fair amount of research. Then, it’s on to editing and reviewing/correcting the manuscript to make sure the story is up to scratch.
 

What do you like about being with Compass offices?

The people at Compass are friendly, no-nonsense people, who are also very responsive. The place is comfortable and the location unbeatable.
 

Favourite thing about Hong Kong?

I’d say how convenient everything is here. Everything is open pretty much all the time. People are business-oriented (that’s quite an understatement actually!) and open-minded. And, of course, there’s the amazing nature and wilderness beyond the concrete jungle.

Find out more about Phillippe and P&C Ventures: www.philippe-espinasse.com and www.ipo-book.com