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The CxO Five for Five is Disruptive Tech Asia’s (DTA) exclusive interview series where we ask Chief Executives around the ASEAN region to answer rapid-fire questions on everything technology-related.

This week’s Five for Five features an interview with Benjamin Joe, Vice President, Southeast Asia and Emerging Markets at Meta (formerly Facebook). He is based in Singapore and is tasked with leading Meta’s strategy, business and operations for the region.

Joe has been a fixture at Meta ever since it was still known as Facebook, having joined the social media giant in 2007 to spearhead Facebook’s successful entry into Asia. He was eventually named Head of Technology & Ecommerce at the Facebook HQ and tasked to lead teams in building marketing strategies for global brands. Joe was then assigned as Country Director at Facebook Korea, where he established one of the fastest-growing Facebook communities in all Asia.

It goes without saying that Joe’s promotion to his current role is well-deserved, and getting the chance to pick his brain about tech has been a great honour for Disruptive Tech Asia.

So, without further ado, here are Joe’s takes on the questions:

Q1: (Crystal Ball) – What is the top technology that you think will transform your business in the coming years?

We think the metaverse is the next evolution in social technologies and the successor to the mobile internet. Technology allowed us to write, then talk and now see each other. The metaverse will be the next step—letting us feel like we are sharing a space together.

It won’t happen overnight but over time, the metaverse will unlock new opportunities for people and communities.

Q2: (Out to Pasture) – What technology do you think will phase out of your business?

The last decade saw a shift from desktop web to mobile internet and the next decade will be about shifting into the metaverse. Nothing beats being together. But when we can’t be together in person, the metaverse gets us even closer to feeling that in-person connection.

Q3: (Chatter Box) – What is the best collaboration tool?

I’d say Workplace for Meta, a communication tool that connects everyone in your company, even if they’re working remotely. Workplace has helped foster a strong sense of community and engagement, as well as communicate with our employees in real-time as they navigated the challenges of the last 15 months.

Q4: (Be Safe) – What is the biggest cybersecurity concern?

Protecting the privacy and security of people’s data is fundamental to how our business works, and it’s everyone’s responsibility at Meta. We’ve built tools to give people more transparency and control over how their data is used, and we design every new product and feature with privacy in mind.

Q5: (When I Grow Up) – If you hadn’t gone into tech, what would you do instead?

I’d be a librarian. I love the smell of physical books and living the unique experiences of each character

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