Getting to know Albert Chai, general manager for Red Hat RoSEA

We’re delighted to welcome Albert Chai to Red Hat as a general manager for Red Hat’s Rest of Southeast Asia (RoSEA) region. In his new role, Albert will be responsible for Red Hat’s business operations in a dynamic region with accelerated growth.

Chai has extensive experience in the enterprise software space, with more than 25 years in IT across the Asia Pacific region. Prior to his current role at Red Hat, he served as the managing director for Cisco Malaysia. He also held management roles at Acision ASEAN and LogicaCMG Indonesia. Chai was a recipient of the Malaysian Government’s public service scholarship, which has inspired him to be a proponent of lifelong learning. 

We caught up with Chai to hear his perspectives on open source and Red Hat, and his insights on leadership.

Why did you choose to join Red Hat?

I was excited about Red Hat’s mission to make technology more accessible through the open source way. With internet penetration in Southeast Asia standing at 69% in 2021 and growing, we have huge potential ahead of us to bridge the digital divide and improve the lives of millions in the region. On top of the promising macro picture, I of course was also drawn to Red Hat due to the amazing culture here built on openness, collaboration and contribution.

What do you look most forward to in your new role?

The opportunity to be a passionate advocate for open source and its power to unleash our full potential. I am really looking forward to engaging our customers and partners and helping them accelerate their digital transformation. 

How can Red Hat and open source technology support the digital transformation of companies in Southeast Asia?

Red Hat’s mission to make better technology the open source way has been foundational to Southeast Asia’s digital transformation. We need to meet customers where they are on their journeys. Early adopters in particular are doing more with less, and achieving leaps in efficiency to serve end customers. The innovators among them are redefining their business model and achieving speed to market with new products and services. Those who are accelerating their journey stand to achieve greater agility to respond to market and customer demands.  

Technology in Southeast Asia is enabling people to participate in digital markets, broaden their networks and grow their enterprises. In today’s digital age, our top priority is helping companies, cities and countries make new things possible through better and more innovative technology. 

How would you define leadership, and what kind of leader would you like to be?

I am excited to be able to play my small part in unleashing ASEAN’s potential. For me, leadership is about serving and collaborating to inspire people, so that we can achieve amazing things together. It’s also about aligning people to a common goal, moving in unison and learning fast from mistakes in order to course correct. I’d like to create a safe, energetic and open environment where all ideas are heard, debated and where we enable the best ideas to shine. Openness, the foundation of human’s collaboration, has achieved much progress for us. And open technology has the potential to make a difference to all.

I’m inspired by the values of Red Hat. It advocates freedom that comes with accountability. Our associates are courageous, yet focused and work with commitment to enable customers to grow and succeed. I’m proud and excited to join thousands of associates in Red Hat to be the catalyst in communities of contributors, customers and partners to create better (and accessible) technology the open source way.