Lost In Transformation

"Motion Ventures came really from a market need more than anything else. And the market need is this: For the supply chain and maritime space to function at the same speed, if not faster, the industry can no longer afford to work in silos." Want to know how a corporate consortium network is transforming the maritime space by accelerating tech adoption and bringing stakeholders closer together? Tune into this episode with Shaun Hon, General Partner at Motion Ventures, to find out more.

"What I've learned is that there's vast amounts of wasted data in nearly every website and application." This episode features an episode with Tom Greenwood, the creator of the website carbon calculator, as we discuss all things sustainable web design and the impact and waste of digital products. Tune in to learn which steps to take towards a carbon-efficient digital world directly from a true expert.

"If you think about innovation, if you think about maybe even at some point starting your own corporate venture fund or have corporate entrepreneurship, that's almost the end stage of a process like this. In the beginning, it's just like an iceberg". This episode with Sasa Saric from hivetime and Markus Schwarz from Alfmeier Automotive Systems Shanghai features a deep dive from both a client's and consultant's perspective on their transformation journey together, with a specific focus on strategic and cultural change, and implementing localized initiatives to win in China.

"Transformation is always driven either by urgency or vision. Vision is very rare […] but urgency is rising at pace. Every day things become more urgent because every day complexity arises so that the old way of working becomes obsolete. And the necessity to dig into more sustainable ways of working becomes clear.” This episode features an in-depth conversation about balancing people and purpose in transformation. Christian Kugelmeier from VORSPRUNGatwork takes us on his journey of helping a client with their business transformation, focused on making it personal and sustainable.

Want to learn more about the role of storytelling and data-literacy in driving innovation? "Data is a critical tool to keep you sane, to show the organization your progress, and to create momentum. I think it's an incredible way to tell your story." This episode features Michelle Mahoney, Executive Director of Innovation at KWM in Australia, as she shares all about the changing innovation landscape in the legal space, and how to use enablers to nudge behavioral change.

"I believe that the future no longer belongs to one or the other. I think the future belongs to both working together." This episode features Rachele Focardi, leading expert on Generational Diversity and the founder of XYZ @ Work, as she refers to both young and old talent working together. Tune in to learn how to drive transformation by bridging the generational divide, how to spark innovation by creating multi-generational teams at the workplace, and to hear more about Rachele's outlook on the future of work.

How do you quantify the results of a successful digital transformation? Is it best to focus on hard or soft metrics? Or should we rather concentrate on better customer value propositions, or on new offerings? Or mix all of the above? Tune into this special podcast episode to find out what our digital leaders recommend as best practices.

What challenges and pitfalls might we encounter along the way of transformation? And how might we deal with those challenges? We reached out to various digital leaders from the field of innovation to see what they think. From bringing stakeholders together on the same page, to overcoming cultural challenges, and setting up the transformation scene - there's a variety of statements that we found. Listen to this special episode to get to know more.

Do you have the courage to change your business model and strategy? To really challenge the status quo, you need to spend some time and energy on radical areas as well as be efficient with your existing business model. This episode features AJ Boelens, Managing Director at Innovation Connected and leading practitioner for customer-centric strategy and innovation. Tune in to learn how to create value for your customers by linking strategy, innovation, and marketing, and to learn all you need to know to efficiently bring radical ideas to life.

How can we rethink, rework and retell plastics? "Anyone who is getting active in this field has to go into uncharted territory basically. Do stuff that's not been done before. And fail of course." Fridolin from HolyPoly joins us for an in-depth conversation around the circular economy and its challenges and the sustainability transformation that companies will have to tackle in the future. How does HolyPoly as an agency and boutique consulting firm and design & manufacturing partner help their clients in their sustainable efforts? Tune in for all the details.

"You need to have a hunting attitude, a business entrepreneurial attitude. You're going to need that growth mindset. Then you can really take the opportunities of digitalization." Learn more about what it takes to drive digitalization from Thomas Gottschalk, Head of Digital at BASF Performance Chemicals. Find out how BASF as a large established corporation started transforming their company, moving from bureaucratic processes to agile working.

What do you think should be the first step on any transformation journey? In this special episode, we compiled statements from various digital leaders to find out what they see as the very first step on such a journey. From aligning on the vision to considering the cultural basis - listen for yourself to learn more.

What are the biggest do's and don'ts in corporate venture building? And how can you manage to build a venture in a completely new industry? This episode features Antonio DeLorenzo, Head of ING Labs Singapore, as he talks about his experience from venture building to corporate venture building, along the journey of Kapsool. This digital maritime solution sets out to digitalize and centralize port calls in the shipping industry, facing many challenges and road blocks.

Looking for a step-by-step guide to transforming organizations? While there are many factors influencing this process, we talked to a leader who successfully helps transform companies using Business Model Innovation: Denis Oakley, Head of Business Model Innovation at Denis Oakley & Co: www.denis-oakley.comTune in to this episode to find out more about Denis’ tips in exploring off the beaten path to find anomalies, and to discover the great value of Business Model Innovation in sparking change in organizations.

What is most important to consider before embarking on a transformation journey? We reached out to various digital leaders to find out more about their views. Should we first align on our objectives? Or explain the journey's impact on the organization and the teams? Or choose a completely different approach?Tune into this episode to get inspired by the statements - and reflect on: What is the most important thing for you before embarking on this journey?

How can corporate ventures become active in the field of zero-carbon transition? We talked to Marie Cheong from ENGIE Factory about all things sustainability in corporate innovation. Marie works with founders to build new ventures in energy efficiency, smart cities, green mobility, and renewable energy. In this episode, she guides us through corporate innovation in the field of zero-carbon transition, explains how ventures can become active in this space, and shows how ENGIE Factory helps ventures achieve their carbon goals in addition to high commercial growth.

“A startup journey is a rollercoaster life.” Chris Eberl, Co-Founder of RelaxTax, takes us behind the scenes of launching a startup fully remote during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a very conservative industry. Starting as a side hustle, he takes us from the initial idea to the successful launch of the user-centric app that revolutionizes the tax industry. Hear all about the challenges and highlights in his story!

"Just because we know it’s going to revolutionize the world doesn’t mean that everyone else really understands that. And having a disruptive product means there’s nobody really who’s actually gone down this path before." In this episode, we take a closer look at Invenda's journey as CEO & Co-Founder Jon Brezinski shares how to spearhead innovation in the retail space, to go fully digital.

This episode features Wilma Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Project & Development Services APAC at JLL, as she shares how to effectively drive cultural change, how to get leadership teams on board of change processes, and how to manage businesses with data and an agile approach.

What does the journey look like of creating a new incubation program under the protection and the boundaries of an established entity? We talked to Markus Bold and Bjoern Heinz, Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director of the Chemovator, the business incubator of BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer. Tune in for the full story on driving intrapreneurship, on the important role of external entrepreneurs on the journey, and to find out which ventures they currently have in their portfolio.

How would you define Digital Transformation? We wanted to know what some of the digital leaders who joined us on this show refer to when talking about transforming in a digital way. Does it mean using tech to enable change? Creating new business models? Changing our ways of working? Tune into this special episode to get inspired by the statements - and ask yourself: What does it mean to you?

What if there was a memory hook to implementing an innovative mindset? Christine Wang from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub shares her 5 P's for Innovation: Purpose, Profit, Process, People and Passion. Tune into the latest podcast episode to find out more about the 5P's, about her biggest learnings from Alibaba, and how she sees the future of travel.

"Once you understand the problem we're solving, the path to innovation becomes really clear.” In this episode, we welcome Scott Anthony back to the show. This time, the Managing Director of Innosight Consulting shares an inspiring transformation story of helping his friend transform a music school after times of deep crisis. Tune in for Scott’s advises on what it takes to come up with great ideas, to identify spaces of success, and how to empower leaders to master disruptive change.

“If we want to be ready for the future, […] we have to generate our own crisis.” This podcast episode features our guest Thomas Fell, CEO of GS1, a company known for its most famous product, the barcode, as he guides as through the organization’s inspiring transformation program. Learn how GS1 turned VUCA from a thread into an opportunity, how to build trust to master cultural change, and why GS1 now works in honey combs.

How does our Iron Man Suit help us create new ideas? Weixiang Wang, Vice President of New Ventures at the Economic Development Board (EDB) in Singapore, joins us on this podcast episode to talk about his passions innovation and sustainability. What are the benefits and pitfalls of corporate venture building? How has this unprecedented year changed the corporate venture building landscape? And how can our Iron Man Suit support innovation? Tune into this episode to find answer to these and many other questions.

How does Munich Re lead next-gen insurance? This episode of Lost In Transformation features Olaf Frank, Munich Re's Head of Business Technology, as he opens up about how his work in IT changes the way insurance will be done in the future, and as he explains how Business Technology leverages data and tech to assess risk on a global scale. "People want what they need at their fingertips, whenever they want it, for as long as they want it. And traditional insurance is not necessarily that way."

"Empathy for designers in general is the biggest weapon. This has fundamentally shaped how we work.” Pete Overy, Director at Agency in Singapore, talks about his journey from IDEO to founding Agency as a human-centered design practice, focusing on creating impact and transforming structures, processes and people. Tune into this episode for Pete’s definition of design, what it means to be leading by design, and how to actually make Design Thinking work.

There is not one right approach to digital transformation. “It is actually a puzzle of many different, tiny actions and activities that you need to do. And one of these is definitely the collaboration with the startup ecosystem.” Marie-Helene Ametsreiter, Partner at Speedinvest, takes us on the journey of reinventing traditional VC through collaboration and enabling corporates to access startup innovation power. Hear her story of creating win-wins by connecting the traditional world with the startup ecosystem and what’s really important to make this relationship work.

Wondering how Bosch's Business Interface team successfully drives transformation within the business, as a unit that was built entirely from scratch? Florian Bankoley, Executive Vice President of the Business Interface team, joins us in this episode and shares his journey of creating internal and external change, and shows how he connects the industrial world to digital opportunities.

How can we enable cross-border startup expansion and bridge ecosystems on a global scale? Claus Karthe is the Co-Founder & CEO at German Entrepreneurship Asia, connecting the innovation ecosystems of Asia and Europe to promote synergies between startups, investors and corporates. He shares his entrepreneurial journey that led him to launching the market expansion program Scaler8, and explains challenges and learnings in creating impact as a startup accelerator for cross-border growth.

Henning Tomforde from Linde joins us to talk all things sustainable change. Tune in to learn how he as Director for Digital Transformation and Productivity 2.0 strives to demystify transformation with the work of the digital units, and how he approaches sustainable and lasting change across the business.Some key takeaways: 1. Equip digital business units with the skills to tackle challenges on their own. 2️. Have a clear business need as to why a digital transformation program helps you achieve your goal. 3️. Center trainings around real business challenges to increase their impact. 4️. When adjusting your physical trainings to a virtual format, dig into the details of your offerings and slice them down.

How to get people on board of a transformation process? In this episode, our guest Linda Sessa, Senior Director Digital Transformation at Liberty Latin America, shares her 4 item check list emphasizing important considerations before embarking on a transformation journey. From getting everyone out of their comfort zone to systematically using a communication platform, tune in to learn her hands-on tips for successful transformation.

Discover the success story of Tribe Accelerator, the first blockchain accelerator supported by the Singapore government. Our guest Yi Ming Ng is the Managing Partner of Tribe and has recently been named as one of 30 under 30 by Forbes. Find out how blockchain can be applied to real applications to solve problems, how to find the right fit for startups and corporates to work on solutions during the accelerator program, and why Tribe started their own blockchain academy.

Why will the future of innovation be in corporate startups? Sam Hall, CEO in Asia Pacific of Rainmaking, a corporate innovation and venture development company, shares his outlook on the future of innovation.He highlights his philosophy of career fulfilment based on his own switch of career paths, and guides us through his work of creating impact and an environment for growth.Learn all his tips on corporate venture building, from setting up the founding team, to involving external entrepreneurs, and essential steps to the success of building new ventures.

Encouraging innovation for adults and kids is a journey that starts from educating, providing the expertise and know-how, and giving them the space to try out ideas. Ee Ling Lim made the switch from corporate finance to the world of startups, and is now the co-founder of SmarterMe, a mentor, and leads the innovation and partnerships teams at 500 Startups in Singapore. We talk to her to find out what inspired her journey, and what steps to success corporates can take on their journey of intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship.

How can you develop the skills, the tools, the methodologies and create the momentum across the company to drive Digital Transformation? Thomas Jakob, Regional President of Bosch.IO in Asia Pacific, reveals how IoT enables us to look at products in a different way, and encourages us to focus on concrete and precise problem statements first. How does he manage to introduce agile working methods in a classical engineering company, where testing and high working standards are the norm? Tune in to find out.

Want to learn some valuable lessons from PayPal’s Innovation Lab? Jerry Tso leads the business operations of PayPal’s Singapore Development Center and oversees Singapore’s PayPal Innovation Lab. He shares how the Lab shapes digital transformation, guides us through the journey of the PayPal Fintech Program, and reveals his biggest learning down the road.

Chooake Wongwattanasilpa leads design and user experience at DBS, awarded the World’s Best Bank. Listen to his story on the impact of design on businesses, about his work as Chief Design Officer in the banking space, what he thinks about fintech startups, and what matters most to him when hiring designers.

Rod Strother has taken up digital and social leadership roles at Lenovo and StarHub, transforming e-commerce and social media to improve customer experiences. He shares his story on overcoming cultural resistance and transforming digital customer journeys to make businesses thrive.

How did DBS transform to become the worlds best bank? Scott Anthony is the Managing Director of Innosight Consulting in Asia Pacific. He’s been part of the transformation of DBS and shows how to find root issues and tackle blockers, and how a large organization can operate like a startup.

Sebastian Mueller is the Co-Founder and COO of MING Labs, the digital innovation company that has partnered with BottlesXO to revolutionize the way we buy and order wine online. This is the story of their journey from a scrappy idea to a success start up. Learn why it is important for startups to reinvent existing structures and always go for what's breaking!

This episode is all about Corporate Venture Building. What does a venture building process look like? Is Corporate Venture Building a growing market? And what does it mean when we talk about "startups on steroids"? We talked to Joachim Vandaele, co-founder of FutureLabs, a venture builder that uses assets and capabilities of leading corporations to build transformational tech companies. Joachim has been creating businesses for almost 2 decades in finance, technology and innovation. Equipped with experience as a founder, operator and investor, he helped companies grow into new fields and geographies. He also taught at INSEAD and directs their Start-up bootcamp.

Our Host Sebastian Mueller, Co-Founder and COO of MING Labs, talks to our Guest for today, Suzanne Vos.Suzanne is an Innovation Driver and PACE Coach with strong entrepreneurial roots. She worked at her family's business to head operations and product improvement, and joined ING in 2016 where she has been part of different client facing teams.She was then offered to create a new business unit - ING Labs, that focuses on building partnerships and new tech-driven companies, that go beyond traditional banking products.Suzanne is now driving innovation in Asia in the Wholesale Banking industry.

Our host and MING Labs' Co-Founder Sebastian Mueller talks to Johannes Jaeger, a hackathon expert who builds bridges between startups and the corporate world. Johannes, originally from Germany has been living around Asia Pacific since 2006. He is the Co-founder of Hack Horizon – the world’s first TravelTech hackathon on a plane, to extend the innovation runway beyond the hackathon. Johannes then joined Agorize and is now co-building innovation programs with Fortune 500 firms around Asia Pacific. He helps them connect with the best startups and entrepreneurs globally.

In this episode MING Labs COO, Sebastian Mueller interviews our guest Steffen Schacher. Steffen runs the Applied Innovation Exchange for Capgemini in Singapore which is part of 16 centers worldwide. He is responsible for Innovation Ideation, creating PoC's, and curating an ecosystem. Steffen talks about his definition of innovation and how organizations can get started with an innovation process. He elaborates how Capgemini's AIE helps corporates leverage the startup ecosystem, and discusses how an Open Innovation approach can succeed and scale up.

In this episode, MING Lab’s COO Sebastian interviews our guest Vinay Mohan. Vinay is a Management Consultant with over 15 yeas experience in the field of banking, investment, government and energy, and is now the Managing Director of ConsenSys. He was also a Practice Leader at Oracle and KPMG.Vinay tells us what Blockchain is all about, why it is such a frontier technology, about the Bitcoin evolvement and how it solves trust problems in different ways.Find out also what is the global and Singapore Blockchain ecosystem like and what are the differences in approaches to it in the East and in the West.

In this episode, our host and MING Labs' COO and Co-founder Sebastian Mueller talks to Jon Hoel from Innovator SG, a strategy consultancy based in Singapore. Jon has architected transformation programs and run digital design sprints across various sectors, and assisted government agencies and universities in Singapore with futures and foresight work, such as Action Plan Singapore 2026. Much of Jon’s work involves co-creating technology roadmaps and products using methodologies such as Design Thinking and Systems Thinking. He often partners with other professional services firms in facilitating transformation programs and design sprints. In this episode, learn more about problem structuring, Systems and Design Thinking, and common mistakes in transformation efforts.

In this episode, MING Lab’s COO Sebastian interviews our guest Tom Richardson. Tom is the Managing Director Asia-Pacific at InVisionApp, the Enterprise Design Platform. Tom has been working in high-growth tech startup leadership roles for the past seven years, after four years at WPP, the world's largest Marketing Communications firm. Tom lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and three children, and speaks fluent Japanese. Tune in to find out what Design Systems mean to him and why they are important, where the limits of Design Thinking lie, and what’s next for InVision.

In this episode, our host and Co-Founder of MING Labs Sebastian Mueller talks to Tim Wieringa, a passionate ambassador with 20 years work experience for positive leadership, design thinking and intrinsic motivation. He guides teams and organizations to improve their agility and excellence in all aspects of the business, focusing on the people side of the change, what he likes to call “People Excellence”. Currently at Huntsman, he is an internal consultant for innovation and collaboration. In this role he is working in the areas of product development, R&D and manufacturing and guides the teams to improve on cross-silo collaboration and agile innovation.

In this episode, our host and Co-Founder of MING Labs Sebastian Mueller talks to Olivier Soubiele, an experienced strategist who helps companies rethink their products and processes. Olivier advises on companies’ organizational models and uses various innovation methodologies in his work. He believes that everything is a product and should be managed as one. After working in product concepting, technology innovation, and strategy consultancy, he is now leading the employee experience team in a global bank.

Our host Sebastian Mueller, Co-Founder of MING Labs, talks to the guest for today, Kiat Lim, the Principal Consultant at KIAT.SG, a design studio that focuses on using design in ways that bring about meaningful impact to society. With over 14 years of experience in design, he works closely with his clients to create impactful products and services that add value to their mission. Kiat is also the Asia Regional Coordinator for Interaction Design Association (IxDA), a global network that is committed to improving the human condition by advancing the discipline of Interaction Design. Tune in to learn about his work with startups, using Design Thinking methodologies and changing mindsets.