Adam Horler
LOHAS Asia

Having charted a highly successful career path through the likes of P&G, L’Oreal, red earth (Esprit), AS Watson and Molton Brown (Kao), Adam decided to leave the “comfy armchair” of corporate life in Nov 2008.

More than half his business life has been spent working in Asia, moving to Hong Kong from England in April 1998 and then to Singapore in Sep 2006.


His personal journey has seen him:

• navigate his way through the shark-infested waters of Corporate life to become a regional CEO and international Board member
• take a year out to play full-time rugby in Hong Kong
• leave Corporate life to pursue a life trying to “do his bit” to Save The Planet, and humanity in the process

His corporate travels have taken him all over Asia; from the capital cities to the countryside; from mega malls to the smallest regional wholesale markets; from Japan to New Zealand to India; all in search of the Asian consumer and what makes them tick.

Adam describes what he saw and how it leads to founding Asia-Pacific LOHAS:

“My business travel in Asia has taken me of the beaten track to small towns and cities, where I saw that progress is not really working. Instead of a better life for those leaving the land and chasing the Western dream, I saw environmental degradation (plastic waste, water and air pollution) and poor quality of life for the people living in these towns (bad sanitary conditions, unjust working conditions, separation from family for long periods).

I guess the knowledge that “business as usual” was not benefiting the average person in Asia sat uncomfortably with me for many years while I worked my way up the corporate ladder. As with many things in life, I shoved this feeling to the back of my mind. It wasn’t until Feb 2008, when trekking in Laos, that I finally felt that I had to change my life and do something to better the lives of people in Asia and also protect the environment and the Planet, which we are so busy wrecking in the name of progress. So, I quit my job as Regional CEO and set out on my journey to find something I could do that would have a big impact.

Asia-Pacific LOHAS is the result of this journey, so far (I do not believe my personal journey is anywhere near over yet, but I am happy with my resting place!). If we can fulfil the promise that Asia-Pacific LOHAS represents, we will be able to educate millions of consumers that consumption can be done in a better way and help facilitate the growth of the LOHAS business community to serve these consumers.”