A Sense of Balance: The Life of Stephen Zuellig

European trading houses once dominated commercial life in Asia. But after the Second World War, as colonialism gave way to nationalism and new geo-economic patterns took shape, they began to disappear. Very few remain. Amongst them is The Zuellig Group. F. E. Zuellig Inc. was, in the first half of the 20th century, just a modest Manila-based trading house. Today The Zuellig Group is the leading healthcare services provider in Asia and a major player in agribusiness. It is one of the largest privately-held companies in Asia, with ownership still firmly in the hands of the Zuellig family. That the family business has not only survived but thrived is due to the vision, strategic instincts and sheer determination of Stephen Zuellig who, when he was just 26 years old and when the world was in the midst of a devastating war, had to take responsibility for the business his father started. Together with his brother Gilbert, Stephen transformed the family enterprise into a regional business powerhouse far beyond his father s wildest dreams.And along the way, he brought about a revolution in the way medicine and medical supplies are distributed in South-East Asia.