Who: Mr Bernard Oh, 57, is a serial entrepreneur as well as founder and chief executive of amc asia!, an award-winning regional experiential marketing agency with offices in seven cities across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. He lives in Katong with his wife Rena, 56, two sons and three daughters. The family also has six goldfish, three cats and two dogs, as well as a 28-year-old terrapin. When Mr Oh is not jet-setting for business, he carves out time for CrossFit, swimming, diving and hiking. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation, a global club for chief executives and leaders worldwide, which enables him to pursue philanthropic projects such as the fight against child trafficking and helping people in Asia suffering from cataract blindness.
“Weekends are the precious 48 hours that I have each week to spend with my family in Singapore, after typically spending most of the time in my regional bases such as Shanghai, Seoul or Dubai.
My weekend ritual commences when I touch down at Changi Airport on Friday evening, with a quick pit stop on the way home at my favourite watering hole, 60ml bar at Asador Singapore, a speakeasy within a Spanish-style restaurant and bar in Joo Chiat.
I catch up with my wife over delectable Spanish staples such as roast suckling pig that is so tender, it is cut with a plate instead of a knife.
My weekend unfolds on Saturday morning when the sounds of my family waking up fill the home – splashes in the pool, and laughter and chatter at the breakfast table, with my wife giving the enthusiastic pets their treats.
These moments give a vital work-life balance to the demands of my business.
After meditation in the morning, I make it a point to down a health smoothie full of longevity-inducing goodness: wheatgrass, berries, turmeric and moringa powder, nicotinamide mononucleotide for cell health and creatine powder for building muscles. These are stirred in a tall glass of fizzy vitamin C.
After that, I hop on my titanium Litespeed bicycle and put pedal to the metal on a 30km route from Fort Road to Changi, with a child or two in tow.
It is a great start to the weekend when I am able to share my love of bicycling, eating and watching movies with my children in a way that allows us to do things together.
Saturday lunch is a neighbourhood affair, often spent at old-school haunts such as Mei Yuen Restaurant, a cherished spot selling wonton mee and roast pork since the 1980s.
Another hit with our family is Long Phung Vietnamese Cuisine in Joo Chiat Road, known for its Ho Chi Minh City vibe, authentic pho (soup with rice noodles) and bun cha (grilled pork and noodles).
On Sunday, we are usually at the dog park along East Coast beach, giving our dogs a good workout with wide open spaces, before I play pit boss and flaunt my grilling skills in our backyard at home – a must-do weekend afternoon ritual.
As we wind down on Sunday night, it is usually over a simple home-cooked affair where I get to enthral the family with my limited yet well-loved repertoire of dishes such as Japanese Napolitan (ketchup-based) pasta and have good conversations about my family’s experiences throughout the week while I was overseas.
I then start prepping for the new week ahead.
I look forward to the work week as it allows me to connect with my talents across the region, whether in person or through social media.
I have an Ask Bernard platform that enables team members to pose questions, fostering a more casual CEO-team interaction.
In an industry where content is king, I also develop content for our regional creative boot camps or management retreats for the various offices. I sometimes come up with surprise gifts as a show of appreciation for the talents in my office ecosystem.”
