Samuel Pursch is a Director in Vriens & Partners’ Hanoi office where he manages accounts across sectors with a particular emphasis on tech, healthcare and industry. He also leads the Vietnam’s office public-facing activities, providing briefings on Vietnam’s regulatory and commercial context.
Prior to joining Vriens’ & Partners in 2018, Samuel was co-founder and director of Andaman Research & Advisory, a socio-economic research and political risk advisory firm based in Yangon, Myanmar. Having moved to Myanmar in early 2015, Samuel managed projects for clients including international hydropower and mobile finance investors, The World Bank Group, and a range of international NGOs. Andaman’s work included detailed stakeholder assessments, field research activities, including large-scale surveys, and developing policy recommendations for international actors working to address Myanmar’s myriad development challenges.
While in Myanmar, Samuel co-authored for several World Bank reports, including a Policy Research Paper on Myanmar’s Social Transformation. He was also a contributing author to several subscription-based analysis services. Earlier, Samuel was based in London where he worked in political risk for boutique consultancies focused on West Africa and Southeast Asia.
Samuel holds a master’s degree in War Studies: Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London, and a BA in International Politics from The George Washington University. He was a visiting student at Pembroke College, Oxford University.