French Startup in Asia

My background brings together experience across multiple fields, which naturally leads me to work in a hands-on, multi-tasking way each day.

I studied history and philosophy at university while training intensively as a track-and-field athlete and football player. Alongside my studies, I worked as a holiday camp animator, including as a ski instructor, before beginning a ten-year career in network and systems engineering for a telecom startup.

More than twenty-five years ago, I discovered South Asia, spending extended periods in places such as the jungles of Borneo and fishing communities on Indonesian islands. These experiences eventually led me to settle in Bangkok in 2009.

I personally design my brands, logos, and websites, and I also work as a consultant and designer for the French Ministry of Health, as well as for selected jewelry and pharmaceutical ventures based in Europe, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. In Hua Hin, I design football programs for boys and girls and, each evening, coach and manage a football academy that uses sport as a tool for leadership and education for children representing 25 different nationalities.

Together with a close friend and business partner, I co-founded a local running club and also work with endurance athletes worldwide, including triathletes, trail runners, and professional Hyrox competitors.

My qualifications include personal coaching certification, several athletics and football coach diplomas, a youth specialization certification, and nutrition coaching credentials. I also studied science and technology, and my career in IT led me to complete several technical training courses, including Unix systems, Oracle, Cisco, and Java.

Earlier in my career, I worked as a DJ at the Sheraton Hotel and was actively involved in the soul and funk scene in Paris, performing as an MC, dancer, and choreographer.

Looking ahead, a new educational venue, and a program designed to ensure that every child, especially those often overlooked by society, can benefit from access to sport and knowledge.

I maintain a low profile on social media, valuing privacy and believing that a balanced life is best lived away from constant online exposure. Ben Onarto is a pseudonym I use online as an artist and to manage my different projects. Ben is based on my family name, Onarto is my ONline ART project.

If you are looking for me, you will most likely find me on a football pitch, five to six days a week.