Thomas Chen

With more than a decade coaching C-Suite executives, Thomas’ trademark is elevating them to become more authentic leaders and inspiring their entire organisation to excel both internally and externally. His unique strength lies in rapidly identifying the underlying drivers of behaviour, and integration of Western management practices with the nuanced understanding of Asian business cultures.

His 25 years of corporate executive experiences includes roles as CEO of Gulf Bank in Kuwait (2nd largest in Kuwait), COO of RHB Bank in Malaysia (managing over 6,000 people), Regional Head of Asia for National Australia Bank, and AIG and senior positions at Citibank in US and Saudi Arabia, Tom brings a wealth of leadership insight. His global career across the U.S., Middle East, and Asia enables him to coach executives on navigating leadership challenges, career transitions, and building high-performing teams.

As for Thomas’ coaching clients, they consist mostly senior leaders from multinationals such as ExxonMobil, Bayer, Pfizer, Bosch, and McDonald’s in addition to leading leadership development and team coaching workshops across Asia. Beyond Corporate clienteles, Thomas also mentors and helps aspiring/experienced coaches to achieve ICF credentials at ACC, PCC, and MCC levels.

Thomas’ ontological coaching philosophy centres around enhancing self-awareness and guiding leaders to evolve their leadership style through compassion, mindfulness, and integrity. His approach emphasises being fully present, encouraging thoughtful and purpose-driven decisions. This leads not only to personal growth but also to lasting success for both leaders and their organisations. By focusing on heart-centered leadership, Thomas helps individuals achieve deeper alignment with their values and create meaningful, long-term impact in their professional and personal lives.

• Graduate Diploma – Graduate School of Bank Management, University of Virginia US – 1990
• Carnegie-Mellon, US – MBA 1979
• BS Mathematics – Columbia University & University of San Franciso – 1974
• MCC (Master Certified Coach) 2022 & Member of Global Internal Review Board (Ethics and Compliance) 2016 – ICF
• Accredited CSA Supervisor, CSA UK/US – 2017
• Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator  (US) – 2016
• Certified Trainer of NLP, UK, John Grinder, co-founder – 2010
• Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, Dr. Madan Kataria MD, India – 2014
• 4th Degree Black Belt, Taekwondo, World Taekwondo Association – 1996
• Various global assessment tools including Harrison; MRG LEA 360; WorkPlace Big 5; HOGAN, MBTI Trainer; Firo-B; Benchmark 360, ASSESS; ACCESS E-learning solutions.

Thomas is passionate about martial arts, having practiced Judo, Chinese Kung Fu, and Japanese Karate, and earned his 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. To stay active, Thomas practices Tai Chi and Body Combat daily. One of his most memorable adventures was hiking to Everest Base Camp—a truly unforgettable experience!

Thomas and his wife enjoy travelling and spending time with their two sons and grandchildren in the US.