CGP News-Interview with Sean:We operate with a 'serving others' mentality

In July 2023, Sean has been recognized as one of the Top 10 NTU Singapore Alumni Leaders by CEO Insights Asia Magazine, and was interviewed by the organization as the cover character of its magazine issued

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, is a great global university incepted to provide the foundation for science and technology, to nurture new-age leaders of Singapore, by creating a sound impact through interdisciplinary education and research.

Sean Ng, Co-founder & MD of CGP Asia Pacific,an esteemed alumnus of NTU Singapore, leverages his exceptional depth of knowledge in the recruitment industry and strong leadership skills to steer CGP - one of Asia's leading recruitment solution providers and HR technology platforms, operating across 20 global offices.

Sean has over 20 years of experience within the executive search space. Before starting up CGP, Sean worked for Hays China, as their General Manager based in Shanghai and has also spent a considerable amount of time for recruitment activities in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen before his role in Shanghai. Sean is also now an active member of SME Challenge organization to advise SMEs in SE Asia for transformation projects.

CEO Insights Asia Magazine:  Tell us about the unique experiences you had at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. What did you learn from the campus beyond academics?

Co-Founder, MD Asia Pacific-Sean Ng: NTU gave me the opportunity to master new skills, take up new sports and embrace new challenges – I had the freedom to learn about myself and what I enjoy. In the first three years of my journey with NTU, I was more focused on non-academic activities. I was the President of the NTU Diving Club and worked towards making diving activities very popular among students within the campus. I was also the Chairman of the Miss University Pageant and the Student Union Ball.

I have been a significant part of sports as well as non-sports social events, managing their sponsorship, program planning, and financials. NTU has given me extraordinary platforms to build my leadership capability which has been extremely valuable to me throughout my career. Apart from all my academic and non-academic successes at NTU, I also met the love of my life during my NTU days, and we are now blessed with four children aged between 9 and 20 years old. Looking beyond my corporate life, I deeply appreciate the value of family time and cherishes every moment spent with my loved ones. Despite the demands of running a successful corporation, it's important to recognise that there is more to life than just work, and I strive to find a balance between my professional and personal responsibilities.

CEO Insights Asia Magazine:  Tell us about your leadership approach.

Co-Founder, MD Asia Pacific-Sean Ng:  I believe I have a very sincere approach to leadership, and I am known for being straightforward, warm & kind, and very approachable to my team members. At CGP, I create a comfortable zone for my employees as I believe they should find me easily approachable if they have issues and work here with no barrier to escalate. I feel that establishing a family culture within the company is essential to creating a positive work environment where our employees feel supported and valued.

We operate with a 'serving others' mentality where we equally serve all our employees ranging from junior to managerial positions; and with that mentality, employees become comfortable with us and approach us to learn. By fostering a sense of community and togetherness, everyone gets more engaged, productive, and committed to the company's success. We want to impart our success and teach the younger generation how to be successful in the world of recruitment and create a significant impact in the Human Resources industry. Our leadership approach has been one of the most important factors that have enabled us to retain 700+ employees globally including in the APAC region.  

CEO Insights Asia Magazine:  What makes CGP different from other competitors in the region?

Co-Founder, MD Asia Pacific-Sean Ng:  We are one of the fastest-growing mid-size recruitment firms across APAC. What makes us unique is our built-in expertise across various industries; we go very deep into every industry understanding our clients, competitors, and appropriate candidates, and with our strong research & database we are able to help business owners build their businesses faster. We take a very close approach with our clients to understand their needs and help them do their market mapping of their competitors and then find them the best people in the industry. Our primary aim is to make sure our clients are able to get the best people for their business because only if they have the right people, they will be able to succeed.

CEO Insights Asia Magazine: What is the future destination you are heading towards?

Co-Founder, MD Asia Pacific-Sean Ng:  We aspire to build a stronger global presence by launching our office in at least one or two countries every year. We launched ourselves in Thailand and Vietnam last year, which reinforces our presence in Asia where we already have operations in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and others. We recently opened an office in Dubai and gearing up for our operations in New Zealand and Indonesia. Moreover, we are also investigating the U.S. market to expand our operations there and also looking forward to growing in European countries.

CEO Insights Asia Magazine:  What would be your advice for upcoming industry leaders?

Co-Founder, MD Asia Pacific-Sean Ng: Everyone needs to know their 'why' - the purpose of their mission statement in life and why they are starting up a business. With the correct 'why' and 'purpose', I believe industry leaders can get to their goals successfully. And along the way, they must always walk beside positive and successful people and stay away from the pessimistic ones.

An alumnus of NTU Singapore, Sean is leveraging his exceptional in-depth knowledge of recruiting industry and leadership skills to lead his venture – the world's first fully integrated multiindustry online-offline talent recruitment platform.