#09. Tay Ling and his Values, Passion, and Purpose

Values are your non-negotiable foundation, passion is about what excites and motivates you, and purpose is your deeper reason for existence. - Harvard Business Review

Welcome to our SG60 stories, a platform for individual reflection on what our own values are, and how we discover our passion and strive towards our purpose.

Wantedly’s mission is to create a world where work drives passion, and whether you are a founder or creator, a leader or a gig worker, a consultant or a teacher, discovering and aligning your values, passion, and purpose will give you the best chance at having a fulfilling career, and more importantly, a meaningful life. With that in place, organisations can achieve their mission, and society and beyond will benefit in the long run. And as a nation, when we reflect on our shared values of multiculturalism, boldness, resilience and openness, we can build upon what drove our prosperity.

SG60’s theme is a refreshed spirit, and by celebrating Singapore’s journey to date, Wantedly is proud to spotlight some of those who have contributed to the past, and will be shaping the next chapter of the Singapore story, regardless of where they are.

Introducing Tay Ling

An engineer by training. A Marketeer by Profession. An ex-Entreprenuer by choice. Tay Ling currently serves as Vice President at Pico Japan. With a unique blend of technical expertise and marketing acumen, his role involves helping clients strengthen their brands and engage larger communities across multiple channels. Ling is passionate about empowering brands and empowering people.

Fun Fact

I had always dreamt of being a taxi driver while operating a coffeeshop in an overseas country!

This is because I think navigating in an overseas country is always tough, whether you are a traveller or there for business. And almost everyone who is there has their own story and reasons. Driving passengers around in my taxi allows me to know more about their story and also to help them. The same goes for running a coffeeshop!

1. What are your top 3 values?

Integrity. Collaboration. Resilience.
Integrity
I believe that honesty and strong moral principles form the foundation of any successful career and personal life. Upholding integrity ensures trust and respect in all areas and this will allow you to build meaningful relationships. Having integrity also mean doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Collaboration
Success is never a solo endeavor. Working together while respecting different opinions and culture, and fostering open communication will always be key to achieving impactful results.
Resilience
Thinking of change is always just the first step. The ability to keep going while embracing setbacks as learning experiences, while adapting not only allows you to have faith to charge without knowing the end results, but more importantly, trains you to have a positive mindset, regardless.

2. What gets you out of bed in the morning?

That I am 1-day closer to retirement? 😆😆

Well, it actually is not so much of a joke. When I started work at 24, I had dreamed of retiring at 45. Not many people are clear about what they want in their career. Perhaps I am blessed, where at a young age of 24, I was clear of how I wanted my career to end. With the end in mind, this became my key driving force on how I can live my life to the fullest as my working career will be shorter. Not only that, I need to succeed so that I can also achieve financial and time freedom.

3. Why did you leave your startup? What would you have done differently / What would your present self tell your founder self 10 years ago?

I had challenges expanding the company and going regional. Being very young and short on networks, I lost money every single time I tried expanding. In the end, I felt like I was a whale in a bath tub. I wanted to go into the ocean, I wanted to achieve more. In the end, it felt that it was the right move to leave my startup after 14 years.

So...Start with the end in mind. I started my start-up because I thought it was cool to make a difference. But I did not have a plan in mind on how I will exit. The exit is equally important.

4. Tell us about your current role, and how do you define success?

I am currently Vice President in the Pico group. I lead the Japan office. I build brands, activate experiences and I lead teams.

Beyond the big wins that we have (eg. Formula E, E-Sports Activation, Levi’s launch, etc), I think my biggest personal success is how I have lifted people along the way. For example, my very first hire in Japan is a Taiwanese. When I spoke to her, she had never done sales before and she looked so unhappy at her then-company. She joined us on a pure faith that she can be groomed. In her first year, she was not top sales. She was number 2. She lost to number 1 narrowly. In her second year, she became top sales and she beat her nearest competitor by 3 times. These are the success that are more important to me.

The Pico Japan team

5. As a Singaporean and global citizen, what’s your definition of a global citizen VS being home-bound, and how do you stay connected to Singapore being so far away for so long?

I have been away from Singapore for 7 years now and still counting. Honestly, it was only after I left Singapore that I felt that Singaporeans are so well-taken care of by our own government. There are no protests in Singapore. There is no earthquakes in Singapore. In fact, our biggest natural disaster is probably flooding or haze. These are blessings that as Singaporeans, we should count on. I remember in my first year away from Singapore, when I heard “HOME” from Kit Chan, tears rolled down uncontrollably. And I finally understood how much meaning that song actually means to people overseas. Now that I have been away for 7 years, I strongly believe that the exposure I have overseas will allow me to make a bigger impact if I do return home one day.

As a global citizen, I believe in being Glocal. Global but you need to respect local culture and behaviour and it is up to you to adapt to it. Home is where a lot of times we get to take things for granted. No one owes you anything. This is your life. Live it.

In terms of staying connected to Singapore, I do regular calls home. I keep up to date with friends on SNS and of course, the Singapore Media keeps me updated regularly on things happening at home. While away, I like to think I have done my national duties as well. While I am in Japan, I have consistently touched based and help Singapore companies who are trying to expand overseas. A lot of them are skeptical and wonder why and I shared that this is my way of "National Service" and giving back to Singapore.

Tay Ling presenting to Singapore companies at “Welcome to Japan” event

6. Please leave us your well wishes for SG60.

Never stop showing up – for yourself, for others, for your country.

Always live in moments where laughter is endless and your dreams are bigger than your fears. Singapore showed us how it can be done. Let’s do it.

Reach out to me on LinkedIn or via email: ling.tay@pico.com!

Once again, in celebration of SG60, let us strive to be bolder and kinder to one another, for Singapore and ourselves.

This series was brought to you by Wantedly Hire - an application tracking system optimised for modern hiring practices. Experience seamless hiring with tailored workflows designed to align with your recruitment structure, automated interview scheduling, and actionable insights to optimise hiring performance!