I build the commercial infrastructure that makes ecosystem partnerships generate systematic revenue.
"Every role I've taken has had the same pattern: enter a situation where the commercial architecture between a company and its ecosystem is broken, missing, or underexploited — and build the structure that makes revenue flow through it systematically."
Partner segmentation, value proposition design, and financial modelling — the foundation that makes partnerships commercially coherent.
Joint business planning, enablement layer, and pipeline activation — the engine that converts partner relationships into qualified revenue.
KPI dashboards, QBR structure, and stakeholder accountability — the architecture that makes results repeatable, not accidental.
I prioritise on revenue ceiling — the gap between what a partner is currently generating and what's structurally possible — not on current spend. Most BD leaders manage what's already in front of them. I start with what's possible.
I've built channel, product, and ecosystem partnership motions simultaneously from zero across every role — without inherited structure or precedent. The absence of a playbook is not a blocker. It's the job description.
Government, regulated, and matrix environments don't slow me down. I map decision-making authority early and find the path that actually moves — not the path of least resistance, but the path that unblocks.
130% vs target as sole APAC commercial owner across 8 markets
US$30K to US$2M+ in 12 months across 9 APAC markets
NIQ × TikTok Measurement Science · intent to scale
Partner-driven SME merchant adoption through government channel
Click-and-collect programme through cross-functional execution
Founded, scaled, and successfully exited · Singapore Prestige Brand Award
Identified TikTok as a dormant US$30K account with the highest revenue ceiling in the portfolio. Built three simultaneous commercial tracks across 9 APAC markets in 12 months.
Joined NIQ Oct 2024 with a US$3.3M target, no inherited pipeline. TikTok was a symbolic US$30K data access arrangement — a dormant account with no commercial architecture behind it. The working assumption internally was that TikTok was just a social media player without data needs.
Transform TikTok from a dormant account into a scaled commercial partnership fast enough to anchor the annual target.
Built three parallel tracks: (1) Elevated NIQ CMI's value to TikTok's GNE team. (2) Introduced NIQ to TikTok SEA's SMB Marketing team via warm referral — ran Indonesia POC generating 110 SMB MQLs in one day at zero cost, then scaled the GTM model to remaining SEA markets and secured referrals to ANZ and Northeast Asia. (3) Navigated TikTok Measurement Science data deal through complex internal guardrails — mapped requirements across markets, ran F2F stakeholder meetings, involved global Legal, Product, and Commercial for alignment.
US$30K → US$2M+ (67×) in 12 months. US$1.4M multi-market POC signed. 130% of US$4.3M annual target. Q1 FY25 Retail Stellar Performance Award — while still on probation.
Identified Singapore's Productivity Solutions Grant as a structurally perfect commercial channel for SME merchant acquisition. Navigated 8 months of government process to unlock approval in 3 weeks.
At Shopify SEA in 2022, Shopify had previously fallen off the PSG pre-approved vendor list. No playbook existed for non-agency partnership types. The PSG was Singapore's most popular government grant for SMEs but no commercial framework connected it to Shopify.
Rebuild the PSG partnership from scratch and create a scalable GTM channel for SME merchant acquisition without heavy paid marketing.
Built the business case for both Shopify leadership and government stakeholders. Managed 8 months of IMDA requirements — org charts, cloud provider invoices, invoice format changes, plan eligibility negotiations. When the process stalled, found a lateral path through EnterpriseSG. Met in person. Shopify received formal sign-off within 3 weeks. Built the joint GTM enablement layer for partner agencies.
S$5M+ ARR through partner-driven SME merchant adoption. One of Shopify SEA's most scalable non-paid growth channels. Formal government partnership established with IMDA and EnterpriseSG.
I stayed at the wrong stakeholder level for too long. IMDA's contact had no power to unblock anything. I should have mapped decision-making authority in the first two conversations, not month eight. The lesson: patience is not the same as progress.
Delivered sole commercial ownership of a US$4.3M regional target across 8 APAC markets while simultaneously rebuilding the entire partnership architecture from zero.
Joined NIQ Oct 2024 with a US$4.3M annual target, no inherited pipeline, no relationship history, and still on probation. The APAC partnership model was fragmented — market-by-market activity with no overarching commercial framework.
Ran a rapid partner prioritisation exercise to separate high-ceiling from noise. Rebuilt the GTM framework — partner segmentation, joint business planning cadences, QBR governance, KPI dashboards — while running live commercial conversations in parallel. Did not wait for architecture to be perfect before selling. Used TikTok as the anchor deal to pull the target upward significantly.
Delivered US$4.3M at 130% vs target. Q1 FY25 Retail Stellar Performance Award — while still on probation. Confirmed in reference letter from APAC MD Yoann Painbeni.
Secured Group CTO sponsorship by leading with competitive moat framing against Shopee, then drove 288% adoption through cross-functional execution across Product, Operations, Commercial, and Marketing.
At Lazada, the click-and-collect initiative required alignment across product, operations, commercial, and marketing — including corporate sponsorship from Group CTO Howard. Getting Howard's buy-in was the critical unlock.
Built a structured case along three dimensions: technical feasibility without major engineering debt, merchant adoption rationale (reducing churn, increasing GMV), and the competitive moat against Shopee. Led with competitive framing — this was a New Business group, so competitive positioning landed harder than revenue projections. Howard agreed to sponsor and even visited merchants in person to understand ground-level issues. Maintained alignment through weekly working group updates. Translated the business case into terms each function cared about.
288% adoption vs target through structured cross-functional execution. First multi-mall retail campaign generated major national media coverage.
Zero revenue, zero presence, zero in-country relationships. Assessed three market entry models, chose carrier-linked distribution, and established a new revenue market through a single partnership.
igloohome had zero revenue presence in the Philippines. Sole SEA commercial lead — no team, no market entry budget, no existing in-country relationships.
Assessed three entry models — direct entity, distributor, carrier-linked distribution — against igloohome's constraints: venture-backed, lean team, no local presence. Direct entry was too slow and capital-intensive. Carrier-linked distribution combined reach, credibility, and speed. Researched the Philippine conglomerate landscape and identified Adtel within the Lopez Group as the right partner profile. Built the commercial case for both sides, structured the distributor agreement, managed the negotiation, and designed the joint GTM motion.
Philippines established as a new revenue market from zero through a single carrier-linked distribution partnership with Adtel.
Co-founded at 27 with no external funding. Won first government tender against an established incumbent. Built clients including Google, P&G, Prudential, and three government ministries.
Co-founded Tag Team at 27 — technology-enabled business, no external funding, no team, no customers. First client was inbound (UBS, 10 pax). Scaling required outbound hunting.
Won first government tender in 2013 — Singapore Polytechnic sports curriculum — competing against an established incumbent by differentiating on cost, curriculum quality, creativity, and responsiveness. In subsequent rounds, displaced the incumbent entirely. Built government client base across Ministry of Education, Singapore Prison Service, and Ministry of Manpower. Built B2B corporate clients including Google, P&G, Prudential, and Ministry of Finance. Scaled from two people to 18-person team. Led the exit — sold stake to co-founder.
45× revenue growth. Successful exit. Singapore Prestige Brand Award and Best Innovative Start-up. Community clients: People's Association, SPD.
Sole commercial owner of US$4.3M annual target across 8 APAC markets. Rebuilt the APAC e-commerce retail partnership framework from fragmented activity into a structured commercial engine. Delivered 130% vs target. Q1 FY25 Retail Stellar Performance Award.
Deliberate pivot to commercialise AI in 0-to-1 environments. Closed 5–7 figure SGD contracts across logistics, healthcare, and service verticals through government, trade association, and university ecosystem partnerships.
Built the full SEA partnership ecosystem — channel (agencies, ISVs), product (payment providers, OMS), and ecosystem (government, enterprise) — simultaneously with no existing playbook. S$5M+ ARR via PSG. S$2M qualified pipeline in under 3 weeks.
Owned strategic partnerships and new commercial initiatives for SEA's leading e-commerce marketplace. 288% adoption on click-and-collect. 1,300+ SMB merchants onboarded at 131% vs target. National COVID e-commerce advisory role.
Sole SEA commercial lead for venture-backed IoT platform. Doubled Singapore revenue to S$1M YoY. Expanded reseller 4×, retail 5×. Philippines market entry via carrier partnership with Adtel/Lopez Group. S$10M+ smart-city pilots with government-linked organisations.
Founded, scaled 45×, and exited a technology-enabled business. Government tenders across Ministry of Education, Singapore Prison Service, and Ministry of Manpower. Corporate clients: Google, P&G, Prudential, Ministry of Finance. Singapore Prestige Brand Award.
"John made an immediate impact by redesigning our APAC eCommerce Retail Go-to-Market strategy. His leadership of our APAC partnership with TikTok helped secure a significant multi-market engagement with the initial proof-of-concept valued at US$1.4M. He achieved 129% YTD results and the Retail Stellar Performance Award in Q1 2025 while still on probation."
"John brought structure to the sales and scoping process, helping us clarify our needs, align solution specialists from NIQ, and present insights to support SMB growth and our GTM priorities. His skill in simplifying complexity, managing timelines, and keeping teams aligned made the process efficient. I highly recommend him for roles in regional partnerships and GTM strategy."
"John was instrumental in driving regional alignment — bringing cross-market stakeholders together in accordance with both parties' commercial and GTM priorities. John is a highly collaborative regional partnerships leader who excels at navigating complex cross-functional, cross-market environments. He brings structure, strategic clarity, and a true partnership mindset."
"One standout contribution was his role in shifting our engagement with TikTok from primarily regional contacts to strong local relationships. John proactively built these connections, which meaningfully increased the depth and frequency of our collaboration. John combines strong execution with a strategic mindset. He builds trust quickly, connects naturally with stakeholders, and excels at long-term client partnerships."
"John is a team player that can consistently be relied on to get sh*t done. I've seen his capabilities in navigating ambiguity, building external relationships, and going deep on analytical problems. His energy and wit is an asset to any team that's privileged to have him."
"I've worked with John both while he was at Shopify and previously at Lazada. John truly believes in 'win and help win', and works tirelessly to grow the pie for all parties involved. He can identify the most effective path forward between a variety of stakeholders."
100+ episodes interviewing entrepreneurs, ex-Shopify executives, and Singapore C-suite leaders on business, reinvention, and leadership. Speaker, Reinvent Yourself Summit 2026, Kathmandu.
I'm looking for Director or Head-level roles in strategic partnerships, ecosystem GTM, or commercial BD — at platform companies, B2B SaaS, or ecosystem-heavy organisations with a genuine build mandate. The roles where I do my best work are ones where the commercial architecture doesn't fully exist yet.
APAC-focused. Bilingual English and Mandarin. Based in Singapore.
If you're working on something that fits — or know someone who is — I'd love a conversation.