Launching the 2026 Re:Connect Experience

Last week, we launched the second edition of Re:Connect at Bawah Reserve near Singapore. The Re:Connect experience was a concept my dear friend Begum and I came up with as a potential future use for Parihoa, my former home in New Zealand. At the time, I was having trouble finding the next custodian for the property and thought the process of selling might take a few more years.

As a side note, the NZ trophy property market had been in the doldrums for several years. While Parihoa had always been a special place for me, I was eager to move on and simplify my life; a search for answers that had been ongoing since 2023. As it happened, at the exact moment we publicised the Re:Connect experience at Parihoa for late November 2025, a buyer appeared. By the time we actually held the event, Parihoa was almost sold.

Fast forward to 2026, and with Parihoa now off my hands, I can focus entirely on the future and the launch of MattChapman², my HR search firm and network. With that in mind, the Re:Connect at Bawah Reserve will be the premier way to reconnect with my global HR leader audience. We have up to 14 spots available and we’re excited to begin the process of screening the shortlist, with final participants selected by late March 2026 for the experience in April. Like any new concept, we aren’t entirely sure what the reaction will be, so we’re staying in the present and just going with it. Our objective isn't to make a profit; we just want to cover our costs so we can keep the price as sensible as possible.

In this article, I wanted to share a little more about why I chose Bawah Reserve for the Re:Connect. Next week, in a second interview with Begum (our first was published last week on LinkedIn), we’ll give you a peek into what the programme might look like. As we’ve mentioned in the publicity, this will be a unique experience that allows participants to work on their future selves in the company of a cohort doing the same. Our first Re:Connect at Parihoa was life-changing for the 18 participants, and it felt like the exact magic Parihoa had provided me for my own "Life 1 to Life 2" transition over the last decade.

So, why Bawah? It goes back to 2010, when ChapmanCG was just two years old. I’d had my first foray into property in Lombok while living in Singapore, but I narrowly managed to get out of that environment with my capital intact when it proved too unstable for investment. (It’s a long story, but if you ever see "Villa Hantu" on the way to Sengiggi, that gives you a taste of what went wrong.)

That August, I found myself in a light plane over the South China Sea, searching for a mystical archipelago called Bawah Reserve. When the pilot spotted the islands through the clouds, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was incredible.

From that moment, I was smitten with the vision of the lead investor, Tim, to build an island resort accessible by seaplane from Singapore. I used my first profits from ChapmanCG to invest in the project. Between 2011 and 2017, the project went on the kind of journey you’d expect from such an ambitious idea. I got further involved, and by 2017, I was the only other investor alongside Tim left standing. My focus was on the people, the technology, and the marketing. Directly or indirectly, I hired most of the leadership team, many of whom are still there today.

My greatest buzz was welcoming those first guests in 2017. I loved building the people structure that allowed Bawah Reserve to begin its journey, seeing the seaplane go into operation, and helping Tim build the Bawah Anambas Foundation. I gained a wealth of business skills with Tim as a mentor. Seeing Bawah Reserve become famous and busy by 2020 inspired me for the future, but then Covid threw a spanner in the works, and the resort had to close for almost two years.

By the time it reopened in 2022, I was already simplifying my life and selling my businesses to concentrate on a new chapter in New Zealand. It had become clear to me, and those around me, that I needed a break. Tim gave me the excellent advice to simply switch off for six months and live my life. I sold my share to him and left the Bawah project. Like many of my decisions to step away from ideas I’ve been involved in, I knew it was the right move for my mental health . it gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually stop and smell the roses.

I’ve visited Bawah once since then, in 2023, and I was incredibly proud of how far it had come. Now that it’s 2026 and my energy is back on track, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the islands through Re:Connect. To be honest, I’d always imagined doing HR retreats on Bawah while we were building it. My dear friend Fiona had taken me to Necker Island with Richard Branson twice, and I saw how much he enjoyed sharing his island with entrepreneurs. I have a picture from 2019 showing him Bawah, and I was eager to do the same with HR leaders while involving Tim, as I was so proud of his vision.

In April 2026, that finally happens. Bawah Reserve has incredible infrastructure, and we’ll be hosting our Re:Connect on Elang, a private island within the archipelago. This offers the group even more privacy and intimacy. Bawah’s greatest gift, beyond being just 300km from Singapore, is its stunning beauty within the Anambas Islands. It’s hard to put into words how magical it is; the ecosystem feels like stepping back in time. It’s been built from the ground up with sustainability in mind. My long-time friend Paul, who leads Bawah for Tim, and the leadership team have done a brilliant job preserving that vision.

Having experienced luxury in various parts of the world, my personal preference has always been "rugged luxury." I think my life in New Zealand reflects this. I enjoy nice things, but as an ultra-runner and adventurer, I appreciate the simple things too; minimalism, healthy food, and being outdoors. What I love about Bawah is how it balances luxury with experience and fine dining with health. While it's high-end, it never feels ridiculous. Bawah’s spirit has suited my psyche since we started in 2011, and 15 years later, that’s still true. There are few places in the world quite like it, and I should know, I saw it all created from the ground up.