Gilbert Khor brings to his work with WittKieffer a strong knowledge of executive recruiting and a broad network of contacts throughout Asia. Based in Singapore, Gilbert serves clients and executive candidates with courtesy, professionalism and integrity. His areas of expertise include Biopharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Medical Device, Applied Solution companies and contract manufacturers as well as academic medical centres, hospitals and other healthcare organizations across the AsiaPacific region. Most recently, Gilbert served as a senior consultant for Ethos BeathChapman, where he recruited executives in the life sciences (including biotech start-ups), academic medicine and healthcare. Prior to that he was a senior consultant for Singapore-based LICO Resources, where he placed more than 60 executives in both technical and general leadership roles and helped the company establish a foothold in the life science, medical device and chemical spaces. With a passion for science, Gilbert worked in a biotechnology lab at the start of his career before moving on to sales and product management servicing clients in lab materials and instrumentation. Gilbert takes pride in getting to know his clients in order to meet their specific leadership needs. He views each engagement as an opportunity to strengthen a long-term relationship with the client organization.
What is your current role, how did you get here and what do you enjoy most about it?
I am currently an Engagement Manager in the Life Science industry. I am like a match maker in the industry that matches professional careers to different environments to advance further in their life or take a step back in life as they progress through. This is a very challenging role as often you get rejection from either client or candidates and as much as you sift through the list, there can only be one fit for the job as though fated to be although it may rank 2nd to the other stronger candidate you have present. However, if you managed to seal the deal, it can be very fulfilling as many others have failed to deliver.
What is most fulfilling out this is that the client or candidate trust you enough to even ask for your advice in their career moves that others have approached them or to assist in their family/ relatives in securing a new role or advice for them. That is when you know you are doing a good job!
What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in your role/business/project right now and how are you tackling it?
It is the talent gap in the market. Singapore is a great country but at the same time, it is not big enough to house all the talents especially when it comes to new technology. Hence, it is important that we know the market well enough to advise the clients in advance about the gaps and open up options to them where possible. For example, if out of the 5 core areas that they require, if there is a gap in the local market, can they train for one of the areas by having someone who have some basis in that knowledge and build further from there and fulfilling the other core areas. This will also motivate the candidate by having something to look forward to in joining the new organisation.
Studying at UWA is usually a formative time of change in a person’s life. How was your time at UWA important to you?
I worked and study in UWA at the same time. Because of the way the course is structured and how informative the lectures are, it was a relatively smooth process for me. What is most interesting are the practicals as they get you to troubleshoot the situations, whilst guiding you, they do not spoon feed the information to you thereby allowing you also build on your analytical and troubleshooting abilities. This can be useful in the outside world as there are many variables out there that can affect the outcome. With this skillset ingrained into the mind, you will become more efficient in tackling stumbling blocks in the industry.
Reflecting on your UWA experience, what aspects were most important for your development?
The lecturers and other students that we study with were the most important. The lecturers are passionate in their work to deliver the best lectures to us even though we are offshore. They also took patience to answer all of our bombarding questions. More than that, they also get us to think about why. Whilst our fellow classmates make the whole period in the university enjoyable by studying, debating and completing projects together.
And not forgetting the student societies who are always ready to provide support when needed by the students.
What advice would you give a student on Day 1 at UWA?
Just enjoy and do not be shy to interact and get to know each other as you will be seeing each other for a while. It will also be good to interact the lecturers, get to know what is to be expected out from the course and how do you see it, as this can give you a new perspective of enjoying the course, direction of study etc. To do well in a subject, it is important to know how to appreciate and thereby enjoy. Knowledge will automatically be absorbed and synergised with you. Sounds Zen but why grind yourself in suffering rather grind yourself whilst appreciating and enjoying it.
And also, visit the UWA campus at least once during your studies to consider it a completion in your journey with UWA.