I N T E RV I E W Shyla Mathews, founder and managing director of SIR Move Services, Singapore IN THE BUSINESS OF RESPECT From the beginning, SIR Move Services co-founder Shyla Mathews career has followed a steep learning curve that has seen her know-how develop from her original marketing and communications background to cover every aspect of the moving business. She speaks to FIDI Focus editor Dominic Weaver about developing an award-winning business and why, above all else, high regard for her customers and sta has been vital to success W hen Singaporean Shyla Mathews embarked on her career in moving, she did so with a clear destination in mind: she would develop her background in marketing and communications to focus on this aspect of the business. Accordingly, she took her first role heading up the marketing for Four Winds Logistics Services and ERA Moving Services. However, after she was contracted to help set up AGS Singapore and then, in 2006, set up SIR Move Services with Charlie Scott a British public relations professional, Mathews quickly and necessarily found herself broadening her responsibilities across the moving process. As a co-founder, you put on an entrepreneurial hat, which means you end up doing everything, she says. In the early days, I was on job sites packing and managing moves and this was when I was a younger mum with babies at home. 38 FF300 DecJan21 pp38-41 Shyla Interview.indd 38 The venture has seen Mathews gain first-hand experience of all facets of the moving process, from packing, move coordination, mobility, finance, and general and business management most recently focusing her attention on innovation and training for the business. Mathews says, together with Scott, her aim has been to develop consistent high quality across the companys service portfolio, which includes international, domestic, home and commercial moves, international air deliveries and pet moves. SIR Malaysia was added to the company group in 2016. SIR Singapore has won several business awards and was one of FIDIs FAIM Top Performers last year. SIR is not an acronym says Mathews but is an expression of the central role that respect for its sta, customers, and partners has played since the companys inception. This is a very personal business and how we interact and connect with various WWW. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 24/11/2020 11:19