Professional Profile:

Thomas Chen is former banking CEO who partners with C-suite leaders to navigate transformational change and lead with sustainable high performance. He draws on over 30 years of global corporate leadership, including CEO of Gulf Bank Kuwait and COO of RHB Bank Malaysia, where he led more than 6,000 employees. Having lived and worked across the U.S., the Middle East, and Asia, Thomas bridges Western leadership expectations with deep Asian cultural realities. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Key Executive Coaching Expertise:

• Coached CEOs and senior leaders at organizations including ExxonMobil, Pfizer, Abbott, Bayer, JP Morgan, HSBC, DBS, UOB, Standard Chartered Bank, GE Healthcare, Maxis, and Mubadala.
• Coaches CEOs onboarding into global roles to build peer influence and successfully transition into expanded leadership scopes
• Supports leaders through restructuring and major change initiatives, drawing on firsthand experience in enterprise-wide cultural renewal
• Helps regional GMs and expatriate executives assimilate into new geographies and build high-performing team dynamics
• Enables leaders to navigate high-pressure environments with clarity, judgment, and decision-making depth
• Facilitates team coaching to accelerate collaboration across newly formed regions to deliver major revenue objectives

Education and Credentials:

• Master Certified Coach (MCC), International Coaching Federation(ICF)
• Independent Review Board Member, ICF (adjudicates ethicscomplaints for ICF-credentialed coaches)
• Certified Supervisor, Coaching Supervision Academy (CSA, UK)
• Newfield Ontological Coach
• Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator (Brené Brown)
• NLP Trainer (UK)
• MBA, Carnegie Mellon University
• B.S., Columbia University / University of San Francisco
• Certifications: Hogan, MRG LEA 360, WorkPlace Big Five, MBTI,FIRO, Harrison, Benchmark 360

Coaching Approach:

Thomas’ style is pragmatic, focused, and appropriately challenging — helping leaders shift entrenched mindsets, address what matters most, and translate insight into decisive action. He balances performance with well-being, emphasizing clarity, judgment, and resilience as essential to sustained leadership impact.

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