John Lim – The Man Behind ARA Asset Management’s Success

Looking at ARA ten years track records below, it
is pretty obvious why it is undeniably one of the best in the business. ARA started from almost zero 10 years ago to S$1.5 billion in market cap
today. ARA was named as one of “Asia’s 200 Best Under A Billion” by Forbes Asia in 2010 and 2011. 

Source: ARA Annual Report 2013

• His self-made success having grown up from HDB-two room flat with parents
  and 5 siblings worked
  during all the school holidays when he was a student, doing odd jobs in
  factories and such, just to earn pocket money.
• His strong emphasis on integrity, hard
  work and responsibility. 
• His engineering background going into
  real estate by chance and excel in it. 
• His courage to leave his high paying job
  at the age of 45 to pursue his entrepreneurial dream.
• His never-say die attitude having needed
  to overcome the SARs crisis, the same year he incorporated ARA. Lim triumphs
  over the crisis with success in Asia first cross-border listing of ARA’s
  Fortune Reit in Aug 2003.
• His ability
  to learn from the both Asian Financial Crisis and SARs Crisis and navigate the later crisis better. During Global Financial
  Crisis, ARA grew its assets under management from S$12 billion to S$17 billion. 
• His many Firsts. First Asian Cross
  Border Reit (Fortune Reit – 2003), First Commercial Reit (Suntec – 2004), First
  Private Sector Reit on HKG (Prosperity Reit – 2005), First Renminbi Reit on HKG
  (Hui Xian Reit – 2011).
• His ability to rolled
  out at least one new Reit or private fund every year since its inception.
• His recipe for success: Passion, People
  and Partners.
• His give back to society via Lim Hoon
  Foundation to support education in Singapore
• Albeit not
  having to worry about money anymore, he continues to work hard
  and remains very hands-on in the business, and feels a great sense of
  responsibility towards his investors, shareholders and staff – people who have worked
  for him for years, people who believe in him and people who invest with him
• He is still the same John Lim, he proclaimed. 

Do not be Arrogant and Do not Give Up