Pandemic delivers first crisis lessons to South-East Asia's Grab

While the pandemic initially led to short-term thinking in a fight for survival, Tan said working from home for months and consultations with leaders from around the world has made him reflect and think longer term. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: In the early weeks of the coronavirus outbreak, Anthony Tan, the CEO of South-East Asia's biggest ride-hailing firm, recalls how he mistook the infection to be a China-only problem, similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003.

As Covid-19 turned into a pandemic, sending markets into a tailspin, the 38-year-old sought advice from titans among his investors including Softbank's Masayoshi Son and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.