Suit by Theory; sweater by Berluti
Cover Eric Gnock Fah in suit by Theory; sweater by Berluti (Photo: Callaghan Walsh for Hong Kong Tatler)

Klook co-founder Eric Gnock Fah has more than 2,000 employees in 29 offices around the world. Tatler caught up with the travel tech entrepreneur at his Hong Kong HQ last month

The new Klook offices, set high above Hollywood Road, are bathed in soft muted mid-century pastels and feature rounded edges and airport-inspired design details—think: ‘departures’ and ‘arrivals’ screens that display conference room assignments instead of gate changes. When Tatler visited co-founder Eric Gnock Fah there one sunny afternoon in January, it was buzzing with activity and excitement—just another typical day at one of the most successful unicorn tech startups in Hong Kong.

While Bali-based photographer Callaghan Walsh scouted locations and set up lights, and stylists Rosana Lai and Mira Uttamchandani selected sweaters and jackets in the ‘HKG’ conference room, Eric and I retreated to his corner office for a rapid-fire Q&A.

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Carving time out of a busy entrepreneur’s schedule for a photoshoot isn’t an easy feat. “I probably spend 98 per cent of the day thinking about work,” said Eric. With more than two dozen offices scattered around the globe, and more than 2,000 employees on the ground, Eric is so in the trenches he’s even found a way to avoid taking time out for the gym—by bringing wellness into the workplace, instead. “Downstairs, we have a floor where we have people come and teach HIIT [high impact interval training] classes.”

In his scant spare time, or when he really wants to unwind, Eric hits the slopes for a good old-fashioned adrenaline rush—no stereotypical Silicon Valley founder morning meditation routines here.

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Above Hong Kong Tatler's February issue cover

“I’ve tried yoga and I fall asleep,” he says. “Meditation for me is just too slow, but I do like a moment when you don’t have to think about work. I think people who meditate are already next-level—I can’t get there, I just pass out. But going to the gym or snowboarding—when you’re snowboarding you can’t think about anything else—I guess that, to me, is my recharge time.”

Like so many successful founders and entrepreneurs, Eric doesn’t waste words—razor-sharp observations and concisely articulated ideas pour forth in quick succession over the course of the afternoon. While Callaghan shoots portraits of Eric in setups around the office, small groups of employees gather to watch and cheer him on. In spite of its vast global reach, there’s a strong sense of kinship and community among the Klook team.

“As founders, we need to embrace being close to the team and being in a community together,” Eric says. “That’s how we really share values with each other.”

Read our cover story with Eric Gnock Fah

Credits

Photography  

Callaghan Walsh

Photographer's Assistant  

Ricky Wong

Styling  

Rosana Lai

Stylist's Assistant  

Mira Uttamchandani

Hair  

Wendy Lee

Outfit  

Ralph Lauren, Theory, Berluti

Topics