Charles Ormiston: Founding Bain Southeast Asia, Reengineer Your Career & Angsana Council on China vs. USA Rivalry - E495

Charles Ormiston, Founding Partner of Bain Southeast Asia, and Jeremy Au discussed:

1. Founding Bain Southeast Asia: Charles established Bain's office in Singapore, which initially faced major skepticism from Bain’s leadership who favored Hong Kong as the regional hub. Believing Singapore’s strategic location to be better suited for Southeast Asia, Charles stood firm - even at the risk of his career. His bet paid off when the Singapore office flourished and became the regional leader. He pursued a unconventional hiring strategy for that time: prioritizing local talent over international hires and avoiding expatriate perks like housing allowances. This talent core cultivated a leadership pipeline deeply committed to the region’s long-term growth, with key figures like Edmund Lin rising from the office's second employee to Chairman today.

2. Reengineer Your Career: After a health wake-up call, he decided to hand over to Till Vestring and move to an advisory role. His successor led Bain to new heights by expanding to a regional footprint with Bangkok, Jakarta and other offices. After a 14-month break working with nonprofits, Charles returned to focus on "transformation" projects which aligned with his strengths. This pivot allowed him to achieve a new "capstone" level of career impact and personal satisfaction.

3. Angsana Council on China vs. USA Rivalry: Charles co-founded the think-tank with Peng T. Ong of Monk's Hill Ventures to improve global understanding of Southeast Asia’s high-growth markets. Their research is powered by prominent members like former Indonesian trade minister Gita Wirjawan and former Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo and partnership with Bain & DBS Bank. Charles shared how many business and political leaders had once underestimated China's ability to rise as a global innovation leader. ASEAN countries must navigate the increasingly complex global rivalry in order to maximize benefits and reduce risk from this trade & research decoupling.

Charles and Jeremy also discussed being inspired by in-person meetings with Lee Kuan Yew and Bain's Chairwoman Orit Gadiesh, how consulting has evolved in the era of hybrid work, and his personal passion for cycling.

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