"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships" - Michael Jordan

As Advance Intelligence Group celebrates our growth with its 6th anniversary this month, we ask a very well-liked member of our leadership team, Teng Sherng (TS) Lim, Chief Commercial Officer, ADVANCE.AI, to share with us his journey in tech and with the company – and why people growth is the most important of all.

1. TS, can you give us a glimpse of how your journey as Chief Commercial Officer of ADVANCE.AI has been?

It has been a year since I joined ADVANCE.AI, and this year is the 6th anniversary of Advance Intelligence Group. Interestingly, when I joined, it was a milestone moment too – back then, we had just gotten our Series D funding of $400 million and were starting to embark on our global growth journey.

My journey so far has been about continuous growth. What's different between then and now? As an organization, our growth mindset still drives us. This growth mindset applies to all aspects: solution, business, revenue and people. On the solution side, we always think about how innovation will help our customers in their industries, whether they are in banking, digital banking, fintech, Web3, and so on, and how we can help them to grow.

We've also grown a lot, size-wise. At ADVANCE.AI, our people are our biggest asset. To me, people growth isn't just in terms of growing soft skills or hard skills. Rather, it's about how we can grow collectively. Having a learning culture while remaining humble and grounded is key. It is essential to think of growth even as the global economy may be heading into challenges like never before.

As an organization, we have also matured – from a bootstrapping startup to one that is more global and more strategic in nature.

2. What is leadership to you? Where do you draw inspiration from?

Let me share this quote by Michael Jordan: "Talent wins games but teamwork and intelligence win championships." I think a leader is not someone who has the best ideas or capabilities, but someone who enables others to develop their ideas and capabilities for the collective good of the organisation we serve.

Being a leader is not about having all the answers myself. It is about assembling a team who are best at different things, sharing a common sense of purpose, and getting them to work well together to achieve it. The definition of a leader hasn't changed for me over the years, because the attributes of a leader should not change. The only difference is perhaps having a shorter window to see the results of leadership actions and decisions in our current fast-paced world.

I believe the foundation of any person is established from a young age; their experiences shape their thinking and behaviors. Throughout my career, I draw inspiration and joy from the people I work with. This could be from my managers, fellow colleagues, and my team. I draw my energy from the people around me. I may not be the smartest person in the room, and I will carry a spirit of learning with whoever I engage with. Life is all about sharing our experiences and learning from people we come across. You never know how, sometimes, someone's past life experiences can totally change your perception about certain things.

3. As Advance Intelligence Group's 6th anniversary is just around the corner, we want to know which company value speaks to you the most, and why?

Our company values – Innovation, Efficiency, Quality, Integrity, and Collaboration – are all essential in guiding us to where we are today, and where we are heading towards.

I think Integrity is at the very core of what we do. This is especially so because we are in the business of risk management, compliance and trust; we are the brand that is trusted by our customers.

Operating with integrity is also the foundation of ADVANCE.AI. Being in a team with members you can trust and depend on is the only way we can collaborate effectively. As managers and leaders, we give our team the environment to grow, the space to expand what they can offer, and to entrust and empower everyone to make decisions. That's how we can always deliver quality solutions and services to customers.

4. In your opinion, what is the most impactful technological development?

I've been in the tech industry for over 20 years – from the days of mainframe to client-server systems to open systems and now we are moving towards Web3 – it's interesting to see how things have transformed and continue evolving.

While not discounting great technological breakthroughs, I think the development of the internet has arguably changed our world more significantly than any other modern-day invention. It has fundamentally changed the way we learn, work and socialise. It has changed the way nations, organisations, and businesses operate. Most importantly, it has changed how we connect. We are no longer limited by locale, geographies or timezones.

As we become more connected, we are also being able to tap into a global talent pool, and that definitely opens up more possibilities for us as compared to many years ago when I just entered the industry where talent and solutions were more localised. Business perspectives have also become more global in nature – it's really about having a global mindset, while being able to cater to local needs.

One of the biggest motivations throughout my career, is how we can leverage technology and our connectivity to accomplish greater things together – how we can all help to bring about digital and financial inclusion.

5. Any advice for all of us in fintech, especially those that are just embarking on our growth journeys?

Be willing in your earlier years to try out different things, before you discover what you are good at and what you are passionate about. But also be mentally prepared if you fail. The more important thing is to be able to recover from failures quickly, learn the lessons, and keep going.

Some people are going to say no to you at some point because change is not easy. Challenge the status quo, but be prepared to work on crazy ideas because after a while these ideas may not be so crazy and unattainable after all. Take a look at some of the great brands around us, many wouldn't be around without that bit of resilience and rebellion.

6. Lastly, an anniversary message for the Group – and what can we look forward to, as ADVANCE.AI?

Being able to work with the most brilliant minds across disciplines from all around the world is one of the things that make me look forward to every day at ADVANCE.AI. At six years young, we have many years of exciting growth, and I believe we are prepared for the challenges, opportunities, and milestones ahead of us.

I would like to view this achievement with an infinite mindset. While this is a milestone and we have grown well so far, we want to build a business that lasts. A business that has a sense of mission that continues to be relevant for many more years ahead, and our relentless pursuit to become better at what we are doing to serve our constituents and stakeholders well.

Got that rebellious streak like TS? Embark your tech career and growth journey with us. Check out our current open roles at https://hubs.ly/Q010_r3D0 or send your CVs to [email protected]; we will reach out to you for suitable positions.