Chen (second from right) with Oceanus Group CEO, Peter Koh (centre)

“Think strategically; act pragmatically.”

That’s Chen Zhenzhou’s guiding principle; characteristic of the ambitious, no-nonsense work ethic of his Chaoshan roots in eastern Guangdong.

Chen began his career as an ordinary salesman. He cut his teeth in all kinds of roles: procurement, sales, customs, logistics and more, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in both domestic and international trade. Eventually, he was propelled into leadership roles when his management noticed his fierce drive and sharp business acumen – from heading an import-export department to serving as chairman of a subsidiary, before eventually rising to a group directorship position.

Chen’s journey with Oceanus Group began in 2021, as the world was navigating a global pandemic. Chen met Peter Koh, CEO of Oceanus and , and the three set up Guangzhou Intercontinental, a commodities subsidiary under Oceanus Group.

Chen recalled being convinced after hearing the Oceanus’ vision of advancing global food security.

“Actually, I had already retired,” Chen laughed. “But after listening to Peter’s and Sammul’s vision for global food security, and seeing how their strong leadership turned Oceanus around, I was inspired to come out of retirement to embark on this new journey! Not to mention, Oceanus is headquartered in Singapore, which has been great for doing business and is still rich with potential and opportunities.”

The establishment of Guangzhou Intercontinental under Chen’s leadership was intended to address a missing piece in Oceanus’ multi-faceted portfolio: agricultural and metal commodities, including sugar, rice, starch, palm oil, aluminium, and copper.

But Chen found himself stepping into a volatile situation. The commodity trade landscape had evolved greatly. Market dynamics no longer hinged on supply and demand alone, as  a myriad of external forces  created uncertainty and unpredictability. Chen and his team were put to the test by the global economic instability and geopolitical conflicts of the 2020s; not to mention climate disruptions that have increasingly strained supply chains and thus amplified price volatility. Foreign exchange hedging, a tool often used to mitigate risk and volatility, had also grown more complex, leaving businesses exposed to currency fluctuations and unpredictable costs. Commodities trading had always been a highly complex and unforgiving sector, and today that is truer than ever.

“Commodities trading is a lifelong discipline of adaptation,” Chen reflected. To address these challenges, he quickly established two core principles of his leadership: commitment to innovation and putting relationships at the heart of operations.

One example of innovation that Chen spearheaded was in the sugar division. Besides importing syrup to China, the company also embarked on R&D to innovate in a slew of related products like mixed sugar powder and refined white sugar. The diversification helped in sustaining strong sales channels and today, the sugar division is one of the company’s biggest successes.

Chen also embraced fintech solutions, pushing his team to adopt digital solutions in what had traditionally been a paper-based industry where things were done manually. Working closely with Oceanus’ fintech team, his team started to create purpose-built smart solutions that merged physical trade with financial tools to achieve what Chen playfully called “1+1 = More than 2” synergies.

Alongside operational excellence is Chen’s belief in human-centred leadership. Every year, he travels across Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and China, to personally meet with the company’s suppliers, clients, and overseas teams. The human touch, he shared, is pivotal to business success. Face to face meetings help create, maintain and strengthen relationships across the international ecosystem that Guangzhou Intercontinental operates across.

“At Oceanus, we must dare to be pioneers.”