I would officially take up my duties as Executive Director in January 1993 and would leave for Singapore right after Christmas. Examining the draft organization plan for the Secretariat it was obvious that improvement was needed. The budget allocated for running the Secretariat appeared arbitrary and the structure too rigid. While cost control was very important, there was a mean-spirited tone to the document. This reflected the lack of management experience on the part of the authors, who wanted tight control from Washington.

There was no time to negotiate significant changes before the December SOM. Instead, I concentrated on learning from Sandy all I could about APEC. I came to have great respect for Sandy's talent. We had many productive discussions and I left for my assignment confident that she accepted the need for flexibility and freedom on the part of the Executive Director if we wanted to set up a first-rate organization. Of course, all significant decisions would have to be approved by the Senior Officials. Informing the Senior Officials of all our plans and seeking their approval at every important decision point was essential to the Secretariat's success.

Even before the first SOM, it was necessary to make a quick two-day trip to Singapore to clear up some questions about the diplomatic status of the Secretariat under Singapore law. I came back more exited than ever about serving in Singapore, a clean and bustling city. My reaction was like most first-time visitors to Singapore. Europeans were most impressed. I remember especially the reaction of some good friends of ours, the former Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Walter Wallmann, and his wife, Margarethe. The gleaming new skyscrapers, the well-ordered traffic, teeming with Mercedes, BMWs, and Volvos, and the throngs of well-dressed young Singaporeans participating in Singapore's “national sport” (shopping) made a great impression. But the most striking thing of all to them was the spotless subway system, free of graffiti and drugs, in sharp contrast to Frankfurt!