Meet Christina, who started as a marketing maven turned multifaceted business strategist. With a deep-rooted foundation in corporate discipline and an agile mindset honed through startup experiences, she has seamlessly evolved into a trusted advisor for businesses navigating complexity and transformation.
Passionate about mentorship and leadership development, Christina empowers emerging leaders and entrepreneurs by equipping them with the tools to balance strategic thinking with creative execution. Her insights into business transformation and overcoming resistance to change make her a sought-after mentor and advisor across numerous industries.
What inspired you to expand your expertise beyond marketing and transition into a broader role as a business strategist?
I’ve been in the creative industry for close to 18 years, in corporate for more than 10 years, and in the startup space for five to six years. The deeper I got into marketing leadership, the more I realised that marketing is not just about campaigns and customer engagement. It’s deeply connected to business strategy because marketing is about driving business results.
In my role as a marketing leader, I sat in many business executive discussions and worked across different teams, stakeholders, and departments. I had to bridge the gap between different departments and ensure everything aligns with the overall business goal. This made me realise that marketing never operates in a silo.
Through my experience working with tech scale-ups and larger corporations, I saw firsthand that great marketing cannot sell a bad product. A business can only achieve sustainable success when its entire engine functions in sync.
When I started mentoring startups six years ago, I saw that most challenges they faced weren’t just marketing-related—they were fundamental business issues.
For example, a company might think their marketing is underperforming because they aren’t getting enough incoming leads, but after analysis, we might find the issue is actually customer service inefficiencies—like missed calls and slow response times. This realisation pushed me toward business strategy.
I wanted to help companies not just with marketing campaigns but with structuring their businesses for long-term success.
How has your deep understanding of marketing shaped your approach to advising businesses on corporate strategy?
One of the most valuable skills that marketing has given me is the ability to observe. Marketing is about understanding human behaviour and what influences their decisions. I have always been fascinated by psychology, and marketing has trained me to analyse consumer behaviour at every stage of the decision-making process.
It’s easy to rely on gut feelings, but that can be misleading. Marketing forces you to validate decisions with data. I don’t just read data—I translate it into insights that drive business decisions.
Additionally, marketing has given me a customer-centric mindset. This goes beyond customer service—it’s about understanding customer needs at every level of decision-making. Now, as a strategic advisor, I work closely with leadership teams to bring this perspective into their business strategies.
Many businesses struggle to merge corporate structure with startup agility. What strategies have you found most effective in achieving this balance?
Large corporations and startups operate very differently. Corporations thrive on stability, structure, and risk management, while startups rely on rapid iteration, experimentation, and fast decision-making.
The challenge is not about choosing one over the other—it’s about integrating the best of both worlds. One effective strategy is structured flexibility—creating efficient processes without slowing down agility.
For example, corporate processes often cause delays—if a decision has to go through multiple approval levels, it can take weeks instead of hours. Decentralising approvals and empowering teams to make decisions within strategic guardrails can significantly improve agility.
Another key factor is cross-functional collaboration. In startups, decisions happen around a table, not across multiple departments. Large companies need to break down silos and create cross-functional teams that can collaborate efficiently.
Another major challenge is what I call the “success trap.” Many successful companies find innovation difficult because they have a strong track record of doing things a certain way. This leads to overconfidence—they believe, “We’ve done this for years, and it has worked.”
Can you share your approach to building agility and resilience in an organisation?
Agility is about how fast a business can adapt, while resilience is about how well it can withstand disruptions. The best businesses are those that can anticipate changes, navigate disruptions, and evolve continuously.
First, we talk about future scenario planning. Companies need to anticipate potential disruptions and prepare for different scenarios. This includes trend analysis and market foresight.
There should be structural flexibility. Just like earthquake-resistant buildings are designed to absorb shocks, businesses need flexible structures that can withstand market changes. Decision-making should not be dependent on one person—teams should be trained to operate effectively in crises.
Businesses should create spaces for experimentation and collaborative problem-solving. Many companies appoint Chief Innovation Officers, but real innovation needs to be embedded across all departments.
Define a core purpose. A strong mission and vision help businesses stay focused even in times of change. This alignment ensures that leaders, employees, and partners are all working towards the same goal.
Lastly, cultivate a growth mindset. Lifelong learning must be part of the company culture. Employees should have opportunities to upskill, and HR should shift from traditional workforce management to talent development.
Speaking about innovation, what are some key challenges established organisations face when fostering innovation, and how can they overcome resistance to change?
I think the biggest challenge is inertia. Many established organisations struggle to move beyond their existing ways of operating and resist change. This is interesting because when companies discuss transformation and innovation, they usually focus on why they should change.
However, they don’t spend enough time identifying the barriers that prevent change from happening. These barriers are often the biggest roadblocks to progress. One of the core reasons for resistance is human psychology. Our brains are wired for self-preservation, meaning we naturally perceive change as a threat.
This leads to hesitation or outright resistance. However, we are now seeing a shift where large companies are cutting headcounts in significant numbers, replacing certain functions with AI and automation. This highlights an urgent need for leaders to frame innovation as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Another major challenge is what I call the “success trap.” Many successful companies find innovation difficult because they have a strong track record of doing things a certain way. This leads to overconfidence—they believe, “We’ve done this for years, and it has worked.”
However, the market environment today is vastly different from what it was 20 or 30 years ago. Companies must ask themselves, “What happens if we don’t change?” There is also an element of power dynamics. In large organisations, there are multiple decision-makers, and if the number of people saying ‘no’ outweighs those saying ‘yes,’ the default response is to play it safe.
This resistance often comes from risk avoidance, as leaders may be hesitant to take bold steps. To overcome these challenges, whoever is driving innovation must focus on highlighting opportunities rather than just mitigating risks. Leaders must also prioritise cross-department collaboration. In many companies, departments work in silos, which impedes innovation.
What philosophy guides your approach to mentoring emerging business leaders, and how do you adapt it across different industries?
I believe that every business is unique. Each industry has its own challenges, strengths, and evolving trends. Likewise, every leader has different strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. Because of this, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for leadership development.
Instead, I focus on helping leaders develop their own framework for decision-making rather than simply offering prescriptive advice. One of my guiding philosophies is teaching leaders “how to fish” instead of “fishing for them.” Instead of simply giving them solutions, I guide them through the thought process of problem-solving.
For example, when mentoring a business leader, I typically guide them through processing their challenges rather than giving immediate answers. I also help them recognise patterns in their decision-making. Lastly, I provide real-world insights from my own experiences.
Looking ahead, what impact do you hope to create in the business strategy and mentorship space?
Beyond my current work, I want to develop a new approach to business strategy that blends corporate structure with startup agility. I’ve had the opportunity to work in both worlds, and I see tremendous potential in merging strategic discipline with creative innovation.
My goal is to create a scalable system that helps businesses evolve continuously. I’m working on developing a structured framework—something that goes beyond one-on-one coaching and allows businesses to implement long-term, sustainable change.
Where do you see yourself, and what’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
Over the next five years, I want to help organisations future-proof themselves. My work will focus on business evolution, leadership development, and innovation strategy. Instead of working for one company in a corporate role, I want to maximise my impact by helping multiple businesses navigate change and thrive.
Singapore is positioning itself as a global innovation hub with a strong focus on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and sustainable business practices. The government is making significant investments in talent development, future-ready job roles, and Smart Nation initiatives.
However, businesses still struggle to keep up with these rapid advancements. Many companies fail to question their long-term sustainability or prepare for disruptions. One major global event—like COVID or geopolitical shifts—can completely alter an industry. Businesses need to be proactive, not reactive.
That’s what drives me. Helping businesses not just survive, but truly evolve and lead the future.
Connect with Christina: ChrisSpeak and LinkedIn.
