Latest news with #SingaporeBusinessAwards
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
TDCX Founder and CEO, Laurent Junique, named Businessman of the Year; launches new venture to help enterprises navigate complexity and unlock full potential of AI
· Chemin is a key pillar in enabling TDCX to tap $1 trillion AI services opportunity · Brings together more than 50 technologists from 18 countries to accelerate AI adoption SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 May 2025 - Mr. Laurent Junique, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TDCX, a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company for technology and blue-chip companies, was today named the Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards (SBA) 2025. This is the second time TDCX has been honored at the Awards, with the company clinching the Enterprise Award in 2021/2022. Mr Junique was recognized for his bold vision to create a world-class customer experience company in 1995, at a time when outsourcing in Asia was still uncharted territory. Thirty years on, TDCX is a global leader present in more than 16 geographies with more than 20,000 employees. Mr Junique said, 'Winning the Businessman of the Year award is incredibly humbling. I'm truly grateful to everyone who's helped and inspired me along the journey. I want to share this recognition with our amazing team, and my wonderful wife and family who've supported me through it all. 'This recognition comes at an important juncture for us. Not only is it a moment for everyone at TDCX to celebrate our bravery in aiming for what seemed impossible when we first started, but also our resilience in the face of challenges and relentless pursuit of excellence. As technology rapidly reshapes the customer experience (CX) space, we're evolving too, expanding beyond CX into AI services. This strategic move allows us to increase our total addressable market from $500 billion to over $1 trillion.' Chemin: Simplifying the future of AI To that end, TDCX has launched Chemin, an AI enablement company that helps businesses adopt and scale AI with clarity and confidence. Chemin, which means 'path' in French, was established to solve the challenges companies face in AI implementation by charting a smarter, more systematic course for AI integration, simplifying a journey often marked by complexity and confusion. While the Generative AI (GenAI) market is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032[1], companies are still struggling to operationalize it. Up to seven in 10 companies[2] struggle to integrate GenAI with existing systems and workflows, while 63 per cent lack confidence in their data management practices for AI[3]. It has also been predicted that through 2026, almost two-thirds of AI projects will be abandoned if there is no quality data to support it[4] — highlighting the importance of data preparation and technical integration in successful enterprise AI adoption. At its core, Chemin is built to solve the key barriers to successful AI adoption: fragmented data, lack of integration capabilities, and limited access to AI expertise. The company offers comprehensive support in data sourcing and transformation, model refinement and training, and workflow design to help businesses accelerate their AI implementation journey. Chemin's access to a vast network of industry specialists, such as robotics researchers, genomics experts and PhD professionals, coupled with its proprietary industry-specific data sets enable it to help enterprises accelerate their AI adoption journey. A proven track record and global capabilities The launch of Chemin builds on TDCX's forays into AI enablement, with its earlier tie-up with SUPA, a GenAI-powered data labeling company. The company has more than 50 specialists trained in large language models (LLMs) and data engineers based in labs across more than 18 countries. The team has completed more than 20 pilots — ranging from medical ultrasound annotation to enhancing data quality for design-to-code training in startup environments. Chemin, backed by TDCX's strong balance sheet and decades of experience, is well-positioned to accelerate AI adoption for clients by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and end-to-end support needed to scale AI effectively. Promotes internal talent to lead Chemin TDCX has appointed Ms. Lianne Dehaye, Senior Vice President, to lead Chemin. Ms. Dehaye's strong grasp of AI technologies and strong track record of driving innovation provides her with a keen understanding of how AI can transform business operations. Her practical, results-driven solutions approach has also seen her help clients successfully navigate their AI transformation journeys. Mr. Junique, said, 'Lianne has been integral to helping our clients integrate AI into their CX strategy. What sets her apart is her ability to demystify complex AI concepts and translate them into clear, actionable steps that drive real business impact. Her leadership will be key as Chemin continues to help organizations scale AI with confidence and clarity.' Ms. Dehaye, said, 'AI is a tremendous opportunity for businesses, but turning potential into performance is where many fall short. Implementation takes discipline, focus, and the right expertise. This is especially tough for traditional businesses and small- and medium-sized enterprises, which lack the expertise and resources to help them. 'At Chemin, our mission is to guide companies through the complexity of AI adoption. Drawing on TDCX's decades of helping companies leverage technology for superior CX outcomes, we help organizations build a clear roadmap, from defining outcomes to training models and scaling solutions that deliver real impact.' The launch of Chemin is the latest in TDCX's corporate milestones, the most recent being the acquisition of Open Access BPO. The Singapore Business Awards (SBA) is jointly organised by The Business Times, a business daily published by SPH Media Limited, and DHL, the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry. SBA has grown in stature to become Singapore's most prestigious accolades in the business and corporate sectors. The awards comprise Businessman of The Year, Outstanding Chief Executive of The Year, Outstanding Overseas Executive of The Year, The Enterprise Award and Young Business Leader of The Year.
Arabian Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
TDCX Founder and CEO, Laurent Junique, named Businessman of the Year; launches new venture to help enterprises navigate complexity and unlock full potential of AI
Chemin is a key pillar in enabling TDCX to tap $1 trillion AI services opportunity Brings together more than 50 technologists from 18 countries to accelerate AI adoption SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2025 – Mr. Laurent Junique, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TDCX, a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company for technology and blue-chip companies, was today named the Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards (SBA) 2025. Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport of Singapore, presenting the Businessman of the Year 2025 award to Mr Laurent Junique, Founder and CEO of TDCX held at Ritz Carlton, Millenia. This is the second time TDCX has been honored at the Awards, with the company clinching the Enterprise Award in 2021/2022. Mr Junique was recognized for his bold vision to create a world-class customer experience company in 1995, at a time when outsourcing in Asia was still uncharted territory. Thirty years on, TDCX is a global leader present in more than 16 geographies with more than 20,000 employees. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Junique said, 'Winning the Businessman of the Year award is incredibly humbling. I'm truly grateful to everyone who's helped and inspired me along the journey. I want to share this recognition with our amazing team, and my wonderful wife and family who've supported me through it all. 'This recognition comes at an important juncture for us. Not only is it a moment for everyone at TDCX to celebrate our bravery in aiming for what seemed impossible when we first started, but also our resilience in the face of challenges and relentless pursuit of excellence. As technology rapidly reshapes the customer experience (CX) space, we're evolving too, expanding beyond CX into AI services. This strategic move allows us to increase our total addressable market from $500 billion to over $1 trillion.' Chemin: Simplifying the future of AI Chemin's clean, typography-led logo symbolizes the brand's mission to simplify AI adoption through sharp thinking and a clear, systematic and actionable framework. To that end, TDCX has launched Chemin, an AI enablement company that helps businesses adopt and scale AI with clarity and confidence. Chemin, which means 'path' in French, was established to solve the challenges companies face in AI implementation by charting a smarter, more systematic course for AI integration, simplifying a journey often marked by complexity and confusion. While the Generative AI (GenAI) market is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032[1], companies are still struggling to operationalize it. Up to seven in 10 companies[2] struggle to integrate GenAI with existing systems and workflows, while 63 per cent lack confidence in their data management practices for AI[3]. It has also been predicted that through 2026, almost two-thirds of AI projects will be abandoned if there is no quality data to support it[4] — highlighting the importance of data preparation and technical integration in successful enterprise AI adoption. At its core, Chemin is built to solve the key barriers to successful AI adoption: fragmented data, lack of integration capabilities, and limited access to AI expertise. The company offers comprehensive support in data sourcing and transformation, model refinement and training, and workflow design to help businesses accelerate their AI implementation journey. ADVERTISEMENT Chemin's access to a vast network of industry specialists, such as robotics researchers, genomics experts and PhD professionals, coupled with its proprietary industry-specific data sets enable it to help enterprises accelerate their AI adoption journey. A proven track record and global capabilities The launch of Chemin builds on TDCX's forays into AI enablement, with its earlier tie-up with SUPA, a GenAI-powered data labeling company. The company has more than 50 specialists trained in large language models (LLMs) and data engineers based in labs across more than 18 countries. The team has completed more than 20 pilots — ranging from medical ultrasound annotation to enhancing data quality for design-to-code training in startup environments. Chemin, backed by TDCX's strong balance sheet and decades of experience, is well-positioned to accelerate AI adoption for clients by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and end-to-end support needed to scale AI effectively. Promotes internal talent to lead Chemin TDCX has appointed Ms. Lianne Dehaye, Senior Vice President, to lead Chemin. Ms. Dehaye's strong grasp of AI technologies and strong track record of driving innovation provides her with a keen understanding of how AI can transform business operations. Her practical, results-driven solutions approach has also seen her help clients successfully navigate their AI transformation journeys. Mr. Junique, said, 'Lianne has been integral to helping our clients integrate AI into their CX strategy. What sets her apart is her ability to demystify complex AI concepts and translate them into clear, actionable steps that drive real business impact. Her leadership will be key as Chemin continues to help organizations scale AI with confidence and clarity.' Ms. Dehaye, said, 'AI is a tremendous opportunity for businesses, but turning potential into performance is where many fall short. Implementation takes discipline, focus, and the right expertise. This is especially tough for traditional businesses and small- and medium-sized enterprises, which lack the expertise and resources to help them. 'At Chemin, our mission is to guide companies through the complexity of AI adoption. Drawing on TDCX's decades of helping companies leverage technology for superior CX outcomes, we help organizations build a clear roadmap, from defining outcomes to training models and scaling solutions that deliver real impact.' The launch of Chemin is the latest in TDCX's corporate milestones, the most recent being the acquisition of Open Access BPO. Note to editor: The Singapore Business Awards (SBA) is jointly organised by The Business Times, a business daily published by SPH Media Limited, and DHL, the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry. SBA has grown in stature to become Singapore's most prestigious accolades in the business and corporate sectors. The awards comprise Businessman of The Year, Outstanding Chief Executive of The Year, Outstanding Overseas Executive of The Year, The Enterprise Award and Young Business Leader of The Year. Hashtag: #TDCX The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About TDCX Singapore-headquartered TDCX is a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company that provides customer experience (CX) solutions, sales and digital marketing services, and content moderation for clients across various industries. These include digital advertising and social media, e-commerce, fintech, gaming, healthtech, media, technology and, travel and hospitality. With a focus on helping companies enable the future, TDCX's smart, scalable approach—driven by innovation and operational precision—positions it as a key partner for companies targeting tangible outcomes. With more than 20,000 employees across 39 locations worldwide, TDCX provides its clients with comprehensive coverage in Asia, Europe and the United States. For more information, please visit About Chemin Chemin is an AI-enablement company that empowers businesses to realize their AI ambitions. Specializing in large language models (LLMs), Chemin helps companies move faster, think bigger, and build smarter with clean data, cutting-edge infrastructure, and expert talent across 18 countries. Chemin's access to a vast network of industry specialists such as PhD level professionals provides companies with an edge in their AI-adoption journey. With a blend of human insight and machine intelligence, Chemin makes it possible to scale AI safely and meaningfully. For more information, visit
Zawya
22-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
TDCX Founder and CEO, Laurent Junique, named Businessman of the Year; launches new venture to help enterprises navigate complexity and unlock full potential of AI
Chemin is a key pillar in enabling TDCX to tap $1 trillion AI services opportunity Brings together more than 50 technologists from 18 countries to accelerate AI adoption SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 May 2025 - Mr. Laurent Junique, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TDCX, a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company for technology and blue-chip companies, was today named the Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards (SBA) 2025. This is the second time TDCX has been honored at the Awards, with the company clinching the Enterprise Award in 2021/2022. Mr Junique was recognized for his bold vision to create a world-class customer experience company in 1995, at a time when outsourcing in Asia was still uncharted territory. Thirty years on, TDCX is a global leader present in more than 16 geographies with more than 20,000 employees. Mr Junique said, "Winning the Businessman of the Year award is incredibly humbling. I'm truly grateful to everyone who's helped and inspired me along the journey. I want to share this recognition with our amazing team, and my wonderful wife and family who've supported me through it all. "This recognition comes at an important juncture for us. Not only is it a moment for everyone at TDCX to celebrate our bravery in aiming for what seemed impossible when we first started, but also our resilience in the face of challenges and relentless pursuit of excellence. As technology rapidly reshapes the customer experience (CX) space, we're evolving too, expanding beyond CX into AI services. This strategic move allows us to increase our total addressable market from $500 billion to over $1 trillion." Chemin: Simplifying the future of AI To that end, TDCX has launched Chemin, an AI enablement company that helps businesses adopt and scale AI with clarity and confidence. Chemin, which means "path" in French, was established to solve the challenges companies face in AI implementation by charting a smarter, more systematic course for AI integration, simplifying a journey often marked by complexity and confusion. While the Generative AI (GenAI) market is projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032[1], companies are still struggling to operationalize it. Up to seven in 10 companies[2] struggle to integrate GenAI with existing systems and workflows, while 63 per cent lack confidence in their data management practices for AI[3]. It has also been predicted that through 2026, almost two-thirds of AI projects will be abandoned if there is no quality data to support it[4] — highlighting the importance of data preparation and technical integration in successful enterprise AI adoption. At its core, Chemin is built to solve the key barriers to successful AI adoption: fragmented data, lack of integration capabilities, and limited access to AI expertise. The company offers comprehensive support in data sourcing and transformation, model refinement and training, and workflow design to help businesses accelerate their AI implementation journey. Chemin's access to a vast network of industry specialists, such as robotics researchers, genomics experts and PhD professionals, coupled with its proprietary industry-specific data sets enable it to help enterprises accelerate their AI adoption journey. A proven track record and global capabilities The launch of Chemin builds on TDCX's forays into AI enablement, with its earlier tie-up with SUPA, a GenAI-powered data labeling company. The company has more than 50 specialists trained in large language models (LLMs) and data engineers based in labs across more than 18 countries. The team has completed more than 20 pilots — ranging from medical ultrasound annotation to enhancing data quality for design-to-code training in startup environments. Chemin, backed by TDCX's strong balance sheet and decades of experience, is well-positioned to accelerate AI adoption for clients by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and end-to-end support needed to scale AI effectively. Promotes internal talent to lead Chemin TDCX has appointed Ms. Lianne Dehaye, Senior Vice President, to lead Chemin. Ms. Dehaye's strong grasp of AI technologies and strong track record of driving innovation provides her with a keen understanding of how AI can transform business operations. Her practical, results-driven solutions approach has also seen her help clients successfully navigate their AI transformation journeys. Mr. Junique, said, "Lianne has been integral to helping our clients integrate AI into their CX strategy. What sets her apart is her ability to demystify complex AI concepts and translate them into clear, actionable steps that drive real business impact. Her leadership will be key as Chemin continues to help organizations scale AI with confidence and clarity." Ms. Dehaye, said, "AI is a tremendous opportunity for businesses, but turning potential into performance is where many fall short. Implementation takes discipline, focus, and the right expertise. This is especially tough for traditional businesses and small- and medium-sized enterprises, which lack the expertise and resources to help them. "At Chemin, our mission is to guide companies through the complexity of AI adoption. Drawing on TDCX's decades of helping companies leverage technology for superior CX outcomes, we help organizations build a clear roadmap, from defining outcomes to training models and scaling solutions that deliver real impact." The launch of Chemin is the latest in TDCX's corporate milestones, the most recent being the acquisition of Open Access BPO. Note to editor: The Singapore Business Awards (SBA) is jointly organised by The Business Times, a business daily published by SPH Media Limited, and DHL, the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry. SBA has grown in stature to become Singapore's most prestigious accolades in the business and corporate sectors. The awards comprise Businessman of The Year, Outstanding Chief Executive of The Year, Outstanding Overseas Executive of The Year, The Enterprise Award and Young Business Leader of The Year. Hashtag: #TDCX The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About TDCX Singapore-headquartered TDCX is a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) company that provides customer experience (CX) solutions, sales and digital marketing services, and content moderation for clients across various industries. These include digital advertising and social media, e-commerce, fintech, gaming, healthtech, media, technology and, travel and hospitality. With a focus on helping companies enable the future, TDCX's smart, scalable approach—driven by innovation and operational precision—positions it as a key partner for companies targeting tangible outcomes. With more than 20,000 employees across 39 locations worldwide, TDCX provides its clients with comprehensive coverage in Asia, Europe and the United States. For more information, please visit About Chemin Chemin is an AI-enablement company that empowers businesses to realize their AI ambitions. Specializing in large language models (LLMs), Chemin helps companies move faster, think bigger, and build smarter with clean data, cutting-edge infrastructure, and expert talent across 18 countries. Chemin's access to a vast network of industry specialists such as PhD level professionals provides companies with an edge in their AI-adoption journey. With a blend of human insight and machine intelligence, Chemin makes it possible to scale AI safely and meaningfully. For more information, visit TDCX
Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
From Singapore to the world, creating products to solve problems
[SINGAPORE] From making and selling computers in the 1980s to now designing and manufacturing electronics for major brands, Aztech Global has come a long way since its inception in 1986. On the cusp of its 40th anniversary, Aztech has kept to a simple philosophy in deciding which products and sectors it enters. 'When you create a product, you have to solve a problem, because when you encounter a problem, you find a solution,' said Michael Mun, chief executive officer, Aztech Global which won the Enterprise Award at the Singapore Business Awards. With expertise in data communication, Aztech has produced everything from modems to WiFi-enabled cameras to the Powerline products that allow for data transmission over a power line. Powerline in particular has seen much success outside of Singapore, due to older buildings having a lack of an Internet point to connect to. 'Until today, we are still selling this product in European countries; Germany is one of the big markets,' said Mun. In the last 10 years, Aztech has entered into the Internet of Things (IoT) segment, where sensors or devices are connected in a network to share data. The majority of the company's income comes from the IoT segment now, said Mun. GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up VIEW ALL Innovating for a breakthrough The company is not content with the status quo, constantly looking to innovate and find a breakthrough to make a product better. Driven by a lack of solutions, one such product that Aztech branched into was lighting, entering the LED lighting market 15 years ago when options were limited to fluorescent and incandescent lighting. Responding to a potential lighting project for Jurong Town Council, Aztech designed a LED lighting product, which the town council eventually accepted. This led to more LED lighting projects across other town councils. 'We started from Singapore and went international, we sell a lot of LED lighting into Europe and Japan,' said Mun. Part of Aztech's success is its commitment to research and development (R&D). Rather than just purely competing on manufacturing or price, the company competes on its expertise. 'If you are fighting on price, we can never succeed or survive, because it is very competitive. We are almost 40 years old because of R&D, and customers come to us because of our design capability,' said Mun. International markets From its base in Singapore, Aztech has grown to serve international customers, with North America making up the bulk of revenue in 2024 at 79.1 per cent, and Europe taking second place at 15.5 per cent. The company set its sights on international markets early on, during its start as a PC manufacturer, breaking into the old Eastern Bloc markets of Poland, Hungary, Russia and East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. 'Without going international we won't be where we are today because, realistically, the local market is too small for us,' said Mun. Aztech's research and development efforts are also not confined to Singapore, with R&D centres in Hong Kong and China. Singapore's small labour pool necessitated expansion into other markets to get the right talent to join the company's team. Besides making their own products, Aztech is also active in contract manufacturing and joint design and manufacturing, partnering with customers to design and manufacture their products. In helping customers design and manufacture products, a key question that Aztech asks is what is their target price. This is important as the price point has to be palatable to the eventual end-users for the product to sell. 'Whether you have a market, I think it has to be a price the consumer will be able to accept, because if the price point is not affordable, consumers cannot buy, then there is no point to create the product,' said Mun. Copycats and geopolitics There are challenges that Aztech faced in getting to this point, dealing with copycats and geopolitical tensions. Consumer electronic makers face the issue of seeing a copycat version pop up soon after their products hit the market. Aztech is not afraid of others copying their products, said Mun. Competitors will often buy your products to open up, analyse and see what they can learn. 'You have to continue to invest and expand your R&D capacity so you will be ahead of them, then you will be able to compete,' said Mun. Closer to home Dealing with geopolitical challenges have also led Aztech to move manufacturing closer to home in Malaysia, setting up a manufacturing plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor. This plant is an alternative to Aztech's China plant, and allows for products to be shipped with lower tariffs. The factory in Malaysia is about 300,000 square feet, and has led to the downsizing of the plant in China due to geopolitical tensions. 'In fact today our Malaysia plant contributes almost 80 per cent of our sales,' said Mun. Aztech's DNA still remains in product development, design and manufacturing, with the company continuing to invest in R&D for manufacturing. Automation will be a key focus moving forward, for Aztech's factories, with a combination of artificial intelligence and machines to improve quality checks. Looking to leverage on Aztech's background in electronics and automation, the company will be looking to apply this knowledge back into the two manufacturing plants. 'We develop a lot of things, but we use it inhouse. Eventually we can sell it to our customers too,' said Mun.
Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
From Singapore to San Jose: Tech veteran Irving Tan rides AI wave in his latest role
[SINGAPORE] As chief executive of Western Digital, a major hard disk drive (HDD) maker, Irving Tan keeps a tight schedule. Splitting his time between Singapore and San Jose, Tan is up from about 4.30 am and starts work within the hour. He steers the company through 'extremely varied' issues, from discussions on tariffs and engineering roadmaps to setting out company values and engaging the media and investors. 'There's really no typical day, and that's one of the exciting things about the job. Through a 12-hour day, you toggle across many different things,' said Tan, who is also chairman of inflight caterer Sats. An engineer by training and a Lego enthusiast, he relishes problem-solving and having 'the mental ability to switch from one topic to the other'. Tan is this year's Outstanding Overseas Executive at the Singapore Business Awards. He has had a storied career in the global tech industry – including 13 years at US tech giant Cisco – and is still going strong. The 55-year-old rose to the helm of Western Digital in February, after the company spun off its flash business to focus on HDDs. Having been through many tech cycles, he is now riding the artificial intelligence (AI) wave – which he cites as a strong tailwind for the data storage industry. SEE ALSO Donald Trump is proving disastrous for Big Tech GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up VIEW ALL This is because AI is now being used to produce the very data that other AI models are trained on. For instance, an autonomous vehicle company can tap AI to create synthetic data on routes and landscapes, which can in turn train the AI model that powers the self-driving vehicle. 'And so for every model that's created, this data that gets generated needs to be stored. That's really fuelling the data generation and data storage industry,' he said. The rise of disruptors, such as China's DeepSeek, is a further boost. 'If you can make the cost of deploying AI lower, you can make it more pervasive. Again, more data gets generated, more data gets stored.' Formative experiences A mechanical engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Tan kicked off his career at energy company ExxonMobil as a graduate management trainee. The job not only taught him about a range of functions – such as finance, sales and marketing, and operations – but also provided him valuable insights. At one point, Tan grew frustrated with bureaucratic processes that did not add value, such as reports being created for their own sake and being left unread. He approached his manager. 'I was a young, idealistic, fresh graduate, and I used to complain to him: 'All these things are broken',' Tan recalled. The manager's response has stayed with him: 'Someday you'll be in a position to change that. Remember all the things that don't work well, and when you're in a position, make sure you go and fix it.' Fixing problems indeed turned out to be Tan's next career move. After earning a Masters of Business Administration degree from NTU, he joined consulting firm Kearney as a principal. Tan worked in Australia and across South-east Asia, tackling business challenges in industries ranging from energy to telcos to fast-moving consumer goods. 'It's either a transformation of a company or it's a growth agenda or something to create more value for their shareholders. It's always complex, large, enterprise-level problems, so I really enjoyed my time there,' he said. Tan later moved on to the tech world, with roles at Cisco and HP. At Cisco, he climbed the ranks for more than a decade to become the company's chief of operations, and eventually the chairman for Asia-Pacific, Japan and China. Being interviewed for a leadership role within Cisco turned out to be another formative experience. Former Cisco chief executive John Chambers asked Tan what he had failed at recently. 'I thought long and hard about it and I said: 'John, honestly I'm not trying to avoid the question – I can't think of anything',' Tan recalls. 'And his response actually left a very indelible mark on me, which I keep to today. He said: 'Well, that means you're not trying hard enough. We're going to give you a big role. We need to really push the envelope. And therefore I need you to fail. If you don't fail, it means you're not pushing the envelope'.' Taking the plunge Tan is now focused on pushing the envelope at Western Digital. Beyond the core HDD business, he is also pursuing moonshot projects that leverage Western Digital's deep technical expertise built over 55 years. 'We have a whole research team that specialises in material science, in electromagnetics, in servo-mechanical, firmware and semiconductor development. One of the things we're looking at is... are there new areas that we can apply this knowledge to?' One possibility the company is exploring is the application of its know-how in magnetic technology to the medical imaging industry, where there is interest in innovations such as reducing the size of scanners down to a probe. 'I want innovation to be at the heart of everything that we do so we can continue to modernise and transform,' said Tan. He acknowledged the challenges ahead. Asked about the risk of US-China tensions, Tan noted that Western Digital operates in a 'very dynamic' environment with a global supply chain. It has key customers in both China and the US and has to 'deal with the geopolitical dynamic'. 'We continue to work closely to support our customers in those markets and (work) with the various administrations in those countries as well to ensure that they see the value of the business that we're providing, enabling us to operate.' Even as the world gets complex, Tan sees rich learning opportunities in leading a global company. He credits his wife and two children, aged 17 and 19, with allowing him to pursue the opportunities he has thus far. Tan hopes that more young Singaporeans will take up corporate leadership roles outside the city-state. 'Singapore is a very comfortable place to live. It's a very safe place and so it's hard to leave. But there's a big ocean out there,' he said. 'There's a lot of experiences to be had, there's a lot of learning that you can get out of it. I will encourage them to take the plunge.'
