GroundAI

Founder & CEO of GroundAI, AI Business Asia.

Founder & CEO

Huawei

At Huawei, I am the Chief Digital Officer and Founder of the Spark Program. 

Huawei Spark is a global accelerator program, a platform for tomorrow’s scale-ups. Our purpose is to incubate and accelerate startups to become tomorrow’s scale-ups. The Spark accelerator is all about forging open collaboration and innovation so the right people can connect and flourish. I work closely with startup founders and entrepreneurs to scale their tech-based products and solutions to foster growth and drive diversity of thought for creating real-world impact. Through our program, we are bringing active investors, corporates and businesses onto one connected platform to showcase and build the startup ecosystem. We have been recognized and awarded as one of the best startup programs in Asia, despite just starting out in 2020. 

Our annual Spark Ignite Global Startup Competition has become Asia’s largest startup competitions, and just this year alone, we had over 1,200 startup applications from 120 countries. We have a portfolio of over 100 companies and have raised $50M in under 12 months.

Chief Digital Officer

Vodafone Business

During my time as Head of Consulting & Innovation in Asia Pacific, I was designated to establish and develop a consultancy business and innovation practice that generated €30M in total contract value within a highly volatile market. Championed go-to-market strategies to forge partnership alliances, and executed sales plan to deliver on goals; led a team of up to 8 pace-setting individuals across business development, business and technology consulting & innovation.

Achieved YoY business and revenue (consultancy service) growth of 70% from 2014 to 2017 with total pull through of total contract value of €18M and €2M of consulting revenue in FY2017; used targeted market research and custom strategies which are now considered the gold standard across other regions.

Other key achievements were being selected as the keynote speaker at the Vodafone Analyst Summit in 2015 and the Vodafone Talent Program where I was part of the top 1-2% high performer in FY15, 16, 17.

Head of Consulting & Innovation - Asia Pacific

Head of Consulting, Asia-Pacific

First joined Vodafone Business as Principal Consultant where I oversaw the work of client teams within the firm to develop strategic plans. Guided clients to succeed in their businesses through collaboration.

Principal Consultant

Orange Business Services

Created one-of-a-kind “blue-ocean” strategy for OBS HK based on a unique value chain as of “service that you can touch and see”, employing an in-depth understanding of contemporary practices and trends. Helmed $100K - $7M projects through deployment worldwide, covering data communication, contact center, datacenter, security, and cloud services to maximize return on investment and overall client value. 

Governed service delivery to 30+ regional and global MNCs while administering 7 project & program managers, introducing new tactics to elevate performance and engaging while handling P&L (€ 1+ Million).

Grew PM revenue from <€500k in 2010 to ~ €1M in 2013, receiving commendations for outpacing projected growth by 97%. Transformed project management practice & capability to value-added and consulting & outsourcing model, expanding from three to seven PMs in 2010-2012; provided clear, actionable reporting to executive leaders on regional developments, current outcomes, and potential inclusions for strategy in other regions.

Selected talent for the coveted Orange global leadership program, one of three nominations from Orange APAC, and elected to train incoming hires on related topics after completing the program.

Head of Project and Program Management - Hong Kong & Taiwan

BT Global Services

As the Acting Lead of Portfolio & Services Design division, I oversaw global services with emphasis on building delivery capability in Greater China via indirect sales channels and partners.

Led 20+ consultants and IT professionals and promoted workplace culture of collaboration and innovation while managing complex projects & programs (up to USD $7M) and integrated various cost-saving initiatives. Expanded expertise with multiple tier-5 managed service contract delivery ($10M+), working in line with numerous stakeholders and departments worldwide.

Acting Lead of Portfolio & Services Design - China

During my first role with BT Global Services, I was recruited into the APAC Talent Program and gained extensive knowledge base on concerning practices.

Here we achieved the largest transformations project in APAC to uncover various performance gaps which enabled $78K in cost reduction. Delivered several large scale projects such as the multi-sites data centre project and Owen Illinois securing DMZ project. 

Another key achievement was when I led PepsiCo regional program to deliver WAN and conferencing deployment  to consolidate information gathered for 50 business units and distribution sites across 8 countries.

Senior Project Manager

My primary responsibility at EDS was delivering specialized speech recognition with a total budget of US$5.2M. I guided critical enhancements to PM practice and performance in IT operations.

For 3 years, I rose to positions of increasing authority and managed project delivery for EDS New Zealand top 2 outsourced IT service account. I rescued a 12-month project that was 30% over budget and 2 months behind schedule. At the same time, we advocated for the best-in-class security patch management program for Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd where we produced a unique handbook sharing best practices as an internal advisor.

Project Manager

CallTime Solutions

As a Systems Engineer, I demonstrated technical acumen in engineering telephony systems while handling call centre IVR design and consulting. 

During this time, I revamped efforts to support large-scale telephony network such as McDonald’s New Zealand with 250+ seats that lead to improved satisfaction ratings and an increase in account retention.

Systems Engineer

Are you looking to expand your business, particularly into new overseas markets?

 🌍 As a recognized leader and startup advisor, I help B2B Tech companies (big and small) grow the smart way through audience-led growth strategies.  My experience includes building one of Asia's largest startup ecosystems as the former Chief Digital Officer at Huawei, and I have helped more than 100+ companies strategize, scale, and fundraise in Asia. 📈

At GroundAI, we provide the platform, community, and services designed to fuel your growth 🔥, moving beyond product-led approaches that often fall short in unfamiliar territories. We focus on building a strong community 🤝 and creating engaging content ✍️ to broaden your reach. Our approach focuses on three pillars: Building presence, product launch, and business growth. 

GroundAI’s first step was creating AI Business Asia - The fastest-growing AI publication in Asia with over 10,000 tech business subscribers globally. 

I am trusted by MNC executives via driving innovation and transformation. Named a global top 200 CIO by the Global CIO Forum in 2023. 

In 2022, Technology Magazine nominated me as one of the top 10 most influential CDOs globally.

I am a change agent by nature and a hustler in practice.

I believe that the biggest risk in life is not taking any risk.

Nuo Jiang

Dream role, in a dream region, with the Dream Team. 

After four years helping build the team, ecosystem and business momentum that has cemented G-P's dominance in the APAC region, I am thrilled to take this opportunity to bring our award winning, market defining Global Growth Technology solution stack further into the dynamic and emerging markets that are driving growth for the global economy.

This newly created role shares responsibility for driving revenue growth for the entire “growth markets region”, related primarily to originating new customers not previously engaged with G-P, the origination and development of key partner and government relationships, and increasing the impact and opportunity generated by existing G-P engagements, including increasing the number of services and solutions related to each client operation. Key to success is close collaboration between this role, the legal organisation, and the special projects teams to ensure alignment and strategic impact of corporate development initiatives. The ongoing and evolving ownership of the message agenda and delivery of our evolving narrative to the market both in a public relations as well as a government liaison capacity is also a fundamental focus. 

The past four years as General Manager for APAC have been an amazing journey. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have built and led such a talented team of unparalleled professionals, and I'm proud of the growth and impact we've achieved together. This new role allows me to leverage that experience on a broader scale, leading our corporate development efforts across a dynamic and expansive region. I'm truly excited to explore new opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and empower businesses to thrive in these exciting markets.

General Manager and Corporate Development Lead for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA)

I began my career at G-P as the general manager of our business in APAC, responsible for establishing scale by driving our business expansion, as well as that of our clients, in one of the most dynamic markets in the world. Of course, this would be impossible without the outstanding professionals who make it happen, and I am more than privileged to work with the best team in the industry. 

Our platform quickly unlocks the potential of global teams: We help companies build teams anywhere in the world, in days instead of months and our years of expertise in global expansion and local labor laws make us a perfect partner. As the #1 SaaS-based Global Employment Platform in the world, we pair the industry's most responsive technology with our world class legal, HR, and tax experts to support growing companies every step of the way on their journey to success.

G-P: Global made Possible. 

www.g-p.com

General Manager, Asia Pacific 

Career Break

Enjoyed the opportunity to take a deliberate break for the first time in my career... I was able to spend time in New Zealand, Europe, and at home in Singapore reconnecting with family, with friends, with people I admire and frankly, with myself. 

I got healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally; afforded myself the luxury of time to sit and think, read, cook, listen to music, practice photography...and to get focused on what really matters to me, revisiting my priorities. 

Finally, I was able to take my time and explore different opportunities to take my career forward, with clarity on what I really wanted and what motivates me. One of the best career and life decisions I have ever made.

I unplugged and prepared to ride a rocketship into the new decade... 

Tricor Group

In March 2017, the private equity firm Permira Holdings Limited became the controlling shareholder of the Tricor Group, alongside management. In November of 2021, the company was sold to Baring Private Equity Asia for $2.78 Billion USD. I was placed as the first leader for world wide sales, global marketing, customer success, and end to end product innovation... a tremendous opportunity to help ambitious companies realise their potential. 

Tricor Group (Tricor) is a leading business expansion specialist in Asia, with global knowledge and local expertise in business, corporate, investor, human resources & payroll, and corporate trust & debt services. Tricor provides the building blocks for, and catalyzes every stage of clients’ business growth, from incorporation to IPO. 

Tricor has had a rapid expansion through organic growth and development as well as partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. The Group today has over 50,000 clients globally, a staff strength of over 2,600 and a network of offices in 47 cities across 21 countries / territories. Their client portfolio includes over 1,500 companies listed in Hong Kong and China, ~500 companies listed in Singapore and Malaysia, and more than 40% of the Fortune Global 500 companies, as well as a significant share of multinationals and private enterprises operating across international markets.

Group Chief Commercial Officer

ADP gives companies of every size the tools to help their people thrive. From payroll, benefits and regulatory compliance to talent management and analytics, ADP helps clients succeed. As one of the world’s largest and most experienced HR providers, ADP offers recruit-to-retire services and solutions that help build teams that will take businesses into the future. What they deliver isn’t just a better HR system; it’s a better workforce. 

The general manager/president of APAC reported into the GES (Global Enterprise Solutions) division. The GES business with revenues of over $5 Billion reached over 100 countries with HCM solutions. Their products included HR, benefits, payroll, talent management, talent acquisition including RPO and time and labour management. This role had full business P&L and operational responsibility for the GES business in APAC which included domestic operations in North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia/New Zealand, and MNC (Multinational Corporations). The APAC region is fast growing and revenues had increased by 30% per year over the past several years. Continuing the growth record was key to success in this role, but in addition, an exciting and very important area of focus was the continued development, scale, and adoption of the single Payroll/HR “Vista” platform across all domestic markets. 

What made this role particularly enriching for me personally however was the opportunity to work with one of the most dynamic and versatile teams in the world, brimming with passion and focus on delighting associates and clients as they drove innovation and transformation into the markets they served. I consider myself uniquely privileged to have had this opportunity.

President and General Manager, Asia Pacific Region 

Automatic Data Processing LLC., one of the world's largest independent computing services companies, provides a broad range of cloud, outsourcing, consulting, and data processing services. With over 60 years of experience helping customers realize the full potential of human capital management (HCM), ADP is a recognised leader in delivering business value globally and to the Asia Pacific region. 

I led a team of outstanding sales professionals across Asia in our efforts to provide the commercial insights clients need to successfully engage and manage their biggest investment, challenge, and opportunity: their people. ADP are relentless in focus on execution excellence; innovating on our own, in partnership with other technology providers, and with our clients to create seamless and meaningful experiences for companies of all sizes in every industry.

In this role, I was given the opportunity to rebuild the sales and marketing business for Asia, bring new product solutions to market, re-imagine the brand narrative for ADP in the region, and work with some of the most innovative and entrepreneurial executive leadership I have worked with in my career. A unique opportunity and a highlight in my professional journey.

Division Vice President, Asia Pacific Region

Reed Hamilton

I co-founded this business, and the team we built grew it into a well respected and successful HR and GTM consulting firm, known across industries and around the world. ReedHamilton became AMROP through merger in 2017. ReedHamilton was a boutique strategy management/human capital consulting and executive search firm based in Singapore and Hong Kong, experts in talent management and advisory for the industries covered because the team came from those industries. RH understood explicitly the business and challenges of sourcing high-caliber talent in the dynamic fast growth markets of Asia. The primary practices were financial services, technology, energy, industrial, life sciences and health care with particular focus on:

--Executive search
--Market entry ramp-up and acquisition take-down
--Interim management for market entry/turn around situations
--Medium & long term project and program management

I built and led the technology and innovation practice bringing distinctive HR/HCM and GTM solutions to the market by focusing on the core strengths of the team. Areas of concentration included emerging and environmental technologies, cloud computing, new media, mobility applications, social networking, big-data, in memory computing, analytics, and core software. The consulting team came directly from senior management in industry leading organisations and had acumen in building teams in sales, marketing, operations, business development, and general management. From market entry and go-to-market design and staffing, to succession planning and team leadership, the firm was uniquely capable of delivering speed, agility, and success to the search for top talent in Asia.

Partner, co-founder 

In this role, I was responsible for helping design, deploy, and general manage the go-to-market strategy and day to day operations for SAP’s On Demand business and cloud computing evangelism for Asia Pacific and Japan, focused on HR and SCM as well as general ERP. It was a really challenging role, bringing a completely disruptive portfolio to a mainstream firm... for SMEs up to LE and MNCs. 

I was responsible for product and brand marketing, sales execution/team development, channels/distribution development, media and analyst relations, engagement with the worldwide business teams as well as the full P&L and overall sales quota for my region. I also was the business owner for SAP's BPO program, designing commercial models for outsourcing providers, both local and global, across the region. 

Lastly, I owned the development and deployment of the cloud hosting/AMS line of business, targeting strategic players in Asia Pacific and Japan. I loved this job, even though it was fraught with a lot of internal challenges and politics. It helped me grow professionally and realize my management potential.

Vice President, Cloud Computing and Outsourcing, Asia Pacific and Japan

I came on board here first to run the business development and marketing for the on demand ERP suite Business by Design. It was my first official marketing role, and it was eye opening to see the other side of the sales/marketing relationship. In this role, I was tasked with a few projects in addition; I spent time in China working with McKinsey & Co. and led the global marketing design project for Fast Growth Markets, reporting to the EVP of Global Field Marketing. I went on to lead the Southeast Asia Marketing organization, reporting to the SVP of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan as well as to the President/CEO of Southeast Asia. 

Working closely with the other SAP teams inside Southeast Asia and globally, the primary responsibility of this position was to drive demand generation by leveraging best practices of the entire marketing value chain and to develop and translate marketing strategy into practical tactics to significantly increase customers base and business volume. In this role, I leveraged my understanding of how to operate in a diverse corporate environment and culture, as well as a global mindset to flexibly adapt the best global practices in a manner that succeeded throughout the Southeast Asia hub. I was regional owner for all marketing and business development efforts in the Business ByDesign ERP OnDemand and SaaS solutions for Asia Pacific and Japan.

Head of Marketing, Global Fast Growth Markets, Asia Pacific

Number Five Jazz Lounge

After almost 10 years of ups and downs, SARS, legal battles, multiple changes, and restructures, the lease for Number Five finally ran out...mixed emotions for all who were ever involved in this dream that turned out the way most projects do in China: not the way it was planned, but fascinating and educational nonetheless. I could call it the best (and most expensive) MBA in Chinese business management out there...

Located on the world famous Bund on the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, Number Five was a lounge bar and cafe providing high quality live jazz, great drinks and tasty food at the right price in a comfortable, relaxed and spacious environment in a granite colonial building constructed in 1926. As noted in our review by Fodors Shanghai Guide: "One of the few unpretentious bars on the Bund, Five wears its position in the basement of the Glamour Bar with pride. Affordable drinks, generously proportioned pub food, Wednesday swing-dancing nights, great live jazz music, and sports broadcasts attract a crowd of dedicated regulars."

Proprietor

Salesforce

Probably the most exciting company I have worked for... non-stop focus on taking market share and disrupting the norm... There's a reason why its been on Forbes "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for years running: it's fun. I followed my passion for innovative technology and cloud computing and joined the leader in the space. In the role of Sales Director, I was appointed to set up new office and operations in Hong Kong with focus on Greater China. Owned account development, penetration strategies, marketing campaign development, alliance building, and overall revenue accountability for assigned business in AP. 

Responsible for driving adherence and presentation/submission to all government regulatory compliance bodies for all applicable enterprise business. Presented to and consulted for senior executive staff members (CxO level) in companies ranging from SME to Fortune 50 on the subjects of SaaS, PaaS, CRM, and the future of software in the enterprise. Consistently overachieved on revenue metrics and ensured that pipeline health was focused, maintained, and well managed throughout sales cycles. A great mix of rebel sales and management finesse.

Regional Director

Microsoft

This was my first full fledged sales role, and I loved it; I felt I had found my career path, and Microsoft nurtures career choices exceptionally well. I co-developed, deployed, and managed strategy from ground up for solution sales in the mid market business segment for the Asia Pacific region by working with core team to design, implement and manage a regionalised sales methodology. 

I co-managed the day to day operations of a sales force of 103 sales persons of varying cultural and language backgrounds. Drove overall pipeline health through establishing and maximising a structured sales cycle with subsidiary mid market teams (inside sales and partner integration) in order to help achieve revenue attainment of $336 million (exceeded attainment target by 23%). 

I focused on market development in the emerging markets of Southeast Asia and the further market penetration of the rest of the Asia Pacific region for all Microsoft products and programs related to the mid market business segment. Ran Siebel Replacement Program for Asia, migration to Microsoft CRM (on premise and hosted ASP) region wide.

Asia Pacific Head of Inside Sales, Small & Medium Enterprises and Partners

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to work for one of the best companies in the world. I was exposed to very rigorous operations and had tremendous managers who patiently empowered and enabled me to realize my potential. In this role, I managed strategy for outsourced business partners for the Asia Pacific and Greater China region by working with core team to design, implement and manage a regionalized and consolidated customer service, technical support, and inside sales program. 

It was wonderful to partner with scheduling, telecom, tools, quality assurance, and readiness teams to ensure consistency in the development of the Vendor Management Framework, utilizing industry standard methodologies to insure long term quality service delivery. Prepared recommendations on vendor consolidation opportunities within key lines of business for the Global Vendor Rationalization Project. Identified the governance model for each program in portfolio. Created all tools, templates, processes and methodologies necessary to roll out and maintain initiatives / programs to Asia Pacific stakeholders. Continually pursued refinement of processes and improved execution of project management initiatives. 

I created and maintained statement of work documents, service level agreements, telephony technology and infrastructure requirements,  and call center design and operations framework packages for multiple lines of business. Responsible to design, implement and manage the call center agent training strategy for the region by working closely with call center managers and internal stakeholders. Inspected key vendor sites to perform periodic quality and performance audits.

Asia Pacific Outsourcing and Customer Services Strategy Manager

Intel Corporation

My first "real" job, and the foundation of my career in technology. Intel sets the bar for disciplined curiosity, innovation and invention. I was exposed to the most cutting edge technology in the world and the people designing it globally... it instilled a passion for technology that has followed me throughout my professional life. 

I started at Intel in Customer Support, handling high volumes of calls from around the world and moved into account management, ultimately relocating back to Asia. I then managed all support, training and consulting services for 13 APAC countries for customers of enterprise server platforms including dealers, original equipment manufacturers and governments Office of the CIO, within a remote management framework. Developed courses and trained over 1,000 individuals from major Intel original equipment manufacturers, government agencies, ministries and dealers on 32bit and 64bit Intel Architecture server platforms. Topics included service and support, integration, upgrades, network implementation, server management, high performance computing, clustering applications, and operations theory. 

I was able to develop and successfully implement programs for brand awareness of services solutions internally and externally for the Enterprise Server Group and regional partners. Evaluated needs and coordinated training requests for thirteen Asia Pacific countries while co-managing training responsibilities for the US office. Developed and conducted 6-week new employee orientation courses covering corporate values, Western culture, effective meetings, presentations skills, constructive confrontation, time management, corporate compliance standards and English proficiency for new and existing employees in China.

Enterprise Server Group Support and Services Manager, Asia Pacific

Board advisor, business builder, growth investor. Removing barriers to global growth by making it easy to compliantly hire talent anywhere in the world.

I believe the most meaningful path to personal success is to focus on helping others succeed, and so I like to bring together great teams and help talented people win by empowering them and moving stuff out of their way... I thrive in environments of change, and derive immense satisfaction from helping teams tap into their full potential and build for scale. 

Direct customer engagement assessing, understanding, managing, and meeting the challenges of major international software and hardware vendors, managed services providers, government ministries, large enterprises, small/medium businesses, private equity and venture funds, and start-ups has given me vast exposure to the market.

From a business management point of view, I have demonstrated leadership in incubation of new business growth engines, measured via new product and/or category revenue growth. I am highly experienced and focused on staff/team development and direct people management. 

I am a scarred but successful entrepreneur having launched businesses, both inside and independent of corporate environments, in many countries touching several different verticals and market segments... a lot of learning, gained the hard way. 

My recent executive management positions had concentration in talent acquisition, team building, sales acceleration, marketing management, solution modelling and brand development for both multinational corporation and sole proprietor environments. 

I grew up in Asia, and at the same time, I am a Southerner, proudly born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Proficiency in several languages, including Mandarin Chinese, Shanghai dialect, Bahasa Indonesia, as well as read and written Arabic comprehension, permit clear and persuasive communication on both technical and business issues. I am now a citizen of Singapore and a permanent resident in both Australia and New Zealand... with over half my life being based here, I have a unique perspective on the region.

taplio

The Battle

Nuo Jiang

Charles H. Ferguson 方臣汉

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