Christina Teo, CEO of she1K global and founder of ClubchiefX, is a seasoned corporate (TMT) leader turned ecosystem builder. Having spent decades across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., Christina returned to Singapore after “retiring” in New York—only to launch bold new ventures that empower leadership development, angel investing, and future-ready mindsets.
In this SG60 Showcase, Christina shares how she’s using her global lens and community leadership to empower professionals across Singapore, particularly in mid-level roles and later-career stages, with tools for purposeful growth, emotional intelligence, and reinvention.
Highlights
From Boardroom to Angel Investor: Leading with Purpose
Q: Describe a specific initiative or program you’ve led that has contributed to Singapore’s development in the past 5 years.
A: I’ve been focused on leveraging senior multinational leaders’ involvement in building the world’s 1st C-suite executive angel syndicate to fuel startup innovation in Asia, Europe, and the East Coast of the USA, especially by engaging women executives to invest and participate in early-stage innovation.
C-shark Tank, a flagship program I created, is unique in the way we bring leaders together to engage with founders intensively, leading to a funding decision. We are the only community who are exclusively corporate and helps founders understand the lens of corporate and globalisation as they scale their business. 60% of our startups are incorporated in Singapore.
Global Experience, Local Commitment
Q: What unique perspective or expertise do you bring that is particularly relevant to Singapore’s next chapter of growth?
A: I’m a Singaporean who built my career overseas across Asia, Europe, and the U.S.always at the cusp of new breakthrough technology from the transition of mainframes to minicomputers, PC to laptop, ethernet to broadband.
I have been very lucky to have experienced the dotcom emergence as the 1st GM of Yahoo! Singapore, to launching the world’s first Windows smartphone, under the brand O2. Having pioneered and led cross-border business units in large conglomerates, I understand complex matrix organizations and the human, cultural, and structural challenges leaders face today.
Now retired and back in Singapore, I bring that experience home to support leadership development through community networking and corporate learning programs. My focus is to help leaders—from managers to C-suites—tap into emotional intelligence, ask better questions, and build meaningful, post-corporate paths.
As Singapore addresses aging workforce challenges, we need to think beyond retirement. That’s where my work bridges personal reinvention with national relevance.
Marrying Corporate Design and Startup Disruptive Spirit
Q: What sets you apart from other speakers/trainers in your field?
A: I ground my approach in global multinational experience, enriched by startup-driven design thinking—not from a traditional HR or training background.
I have lived and navigated the complexities of organisations at breaking new ground and at scale, coupled with a lens of startups challenging the status quo and re-inventing to drive new routes to market and opportunities.
As a fearless female executive who was an expat at 23, assumed P & L responsibilities at 29, pioneered new product categories, took a smartphone business from zero to $300 million within 4 years, I speak on closing the gap on many fronts be it generation, gender, vitality, purpose, authenticity, confidence and more, with a special focus on women empowerment.
Much of what I do stems from gratitude and empathy, shaped by the opportunities I received and benefited from. I see myself as super current in understanding digital transformation, emerging generational changes in mindsets, and facilitating highly interactive experiential sessions with shifts in learning propensities.
Learning Out Loud and Leading Online
Q: How do you stay current and continuously evolve your craft?
A: Getting involved in the startup eco-system, not as an entrepreneur, but as an investor and community leader since 2017, was the best re-invention I did for myself. It keeps me curious and allows me to share my voice and learnings on LinkedIn.
I started on LinkedIn only a couple of years ago and earned recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2020—highlighting my active engagement in conversations around leadership, growth, and meaningful reinvention.
Putting myself out there, networking is a critical source of my knowledge and growth, something that took me out of my comfort zone. Building networks of connections to help me realise my vision has been among the most rewarding experiences since my return to Singapore. I want to empower others to have a similar outlook.
Redefining Growth After Retirement
Christina Teo redefines success through unconventional routes. She retired earlier than average at 41 to pursue her personal happiness, then returned to Singapore at 53, rebuilding herself from scratch after having left for almost 30 years.
Now she is an active community maker for C-suite executives in angel investing and in building meaningful portfolio careers, empowering women in leadership, and startup ecosystem participation.
She is a big believer in high-touch learning events through workshops and networking. Backed by Singapore Global Network (by Enterprise Singapore) for multiple initiatives, she led a maritime accelerator program, C-shark Tank startup funding, clubchiefX networking program, and more to come.
This has positioned her as a thought leader in both the startup and corporate space, as someone who has been there and done that, and is strategic in empowering growth and innovation.
This article is part of the SG60 Showcase series—highlighting voices and visionaries building Singapore’s future. Stay tuned for more.
Highlights
Read the Chinese article here, or listen to the podcast here.
