It was a steamy Monday afternoon in May 2018 when two of our founders, Rasheed Shroff and Matthew Mendelsohn, met to catch up in an office in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. Rasheed was preparing to leave Fossil Group after more than two decades in a range of roles and was looking for a new entrepreneurial challenge. Similarly, Matthew had just completed a long and successful stint at Time International, one of the largest retailers of international luxury and fashion brands in Indonesia. 

 

For years, the two had worked together in Indonesia and had seen first-hand the incredible potential of the developing markets of Asia-Pacific as their partnership contributed to a tripling of the business within three years. The lessons of that relationship were clear; an attitude of mutual support and communication between partners, and ability to find win-win local solutions within a brand-approved framework, and a flexible market-responsive approach to all parts of the selling equation could pay huge dividends for all. 

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They also shared a belief that beyond a mere focus on profit, great businesses have a role in giving back to their team and a responsibility to the local communities that feed them. At Time International, Matthew’s team had participated in a range of educational initiatives and become the single largest contributor to a national campaign to reduce the use of non-reusable plastic packaging in Indonesia. Rasheed continues to play a prominent role in a range of philanthropic activities through his involvement in the Fossil Foundation and the various NGOs with whom he partners.

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Over the years, Rasheed and Matthew kept in close touch and each believed that the strong relationship that they had successfully built during their working partnership could be a model for helping brands in other developing and underserved markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

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A few months later, as opportunities for our first distribution deal started to appear, Rasheed traveled to Taipei to meet with Paul Huang, a former Fossil distributor who had a similar relationship during his time partnering with Rasheed. The two agreed on a framework to develop the Dragonfly business in Taiwan just as Matthew and Rasheed were putting the initial touches on Vietnam.  

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And thus, Dragonfly Asia-Pacific was born…

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Our Model

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Our goal was to create a consumer goods distribution and consulting company with a focus on long-term brand and people building; an organization that invested in its partners, its people, and its society.  Instead of a "one size fits all" approach, our model is founded around adapting to the unique requirements and cultures of the diverse markets we serve while adopting global best practices. 

 

Perhaps the most important aspect of our model is our belief in complete transparency with our brand partners, our clients, and our team. All of our partnerships are founded on win-win solutions grounded in fairness and service. We also believe strongly that helping our partners and clients isn't just about increasing the numbers in the short term but in helping them operate with world-class standards so that they can continue to succeed consistently in the future.