Academic Profile : Faculty
Assoc Prof Tan Joo Seng
Associate Professor, College of Business (Nanyang Business School) - Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship
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Dr TAN JOO SENG is Associate Professor of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship at Nanyang Business School. He’s been actively involved in executive leadership and management training and development since 1995. His expertise on digital transformation strategy, global leadership, cultural
intelligence, business model innovation, design thinking, and leadership in Age of Disruption, is sought after by Fortune 500 companies. He has more than 25 years of industry and training experience.
His book, “CQ: Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work” (co-authored with Professors Earley & Ang and published by Stanford University Press in 2006), is the first book to apply cultural intelligence in the context of leadership training and development. He is one of the world’s leading practitioners on cultural
intelligence as he was among the first to develop and conduct corporate leadership training programs based on cultural intelligence. He’s been invited to speak on cultural intelligence at McKinsey Centre for Asian Leadership, and the Conference Board, Asia-Pacific region. His book, “Strategic Leadership in Asia: The Ying & Yang Code” (published by Pearson in 2009), is based on strategic leadership challenges faced by businesses and organizations in Asia. His book, “Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Negotiation” (published by McGraw-Hill in 2004), proposed a new framework for cross-border international business
negotiations. He was the country expert for Singapore in the Asian Global Leadership Competency research project sponsored by the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organization. Dr Tan is a multiple award winning educator, including the Nanyang Education Award (College) 2016 and Teaching Excellence Award (Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship) 2020.
He teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including Master of Science in Asset & Wealth Management, Master of Science in Technopreneurship, and the upcoming International MBA Program (a partnership between Nanyang Business School and University of Economics Ho Chi Minh). He was a member of the core faculty team in the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management (CNI) where he taught in the Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program, General Management Program (GMP), and Professional Development Program (PDP). He was the Program Chair for the CNI Thought Leaders in Human Resources Roundtable program.
Dr Tan has served as Deputy Head of the Division of Strategy, Management & Organization, and acting Deputy Head of the Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepeneurship. He was a member of NTU’s Remaking the University Committee. He was also a member of the Singapore Ministry of Education’s University Autonomy, Funding & Governance Working Committee. He was the first Deputy Director in the Renaissance Engineering Program in NTU. He was the Academic Director of the Nanyang EMBA program. He’s been Program Director, Executive Certificate in Engineering Leadership, and other custom programs for Nanyang Executive Education. He’s Acting Deputy Head, Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship, Nanyang Business School. He’s been a member of NTU’s Teaching Council, NTU2025 Undergraduate Education Global Taskforce, and on the exco of NTU Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA). He’s been a visiting research scholar at Cornell University, and a visiting professor in Chuo University, Tokyo.
His insights and perspectives on Agile Leadership have been presented at webinars and international conferences. He has been interviewed on Money FM 89.3 and featured in Business Times. He’s been invited as a panelist with President of Microsoft Asia, Ahmed Mazhari, ACCA Smart Finance Series with EY on “Digital Culture and Finance Transformation”, and ACCA Global Virtual University Conference on “Entrepreneurial University”. Most recently, he moderated an NBS Knowledge Lab webinar panel session on “Food Security: Beyond the Pandemic”, and he has been invited as a speaker at the Keppel Global Learning Festival in 2021 and 2022. He's invited panelist at ASME's Stronger People, Stronger Business (2024).
His current research interest relates to how businesses and leaders address opportunities and challenges unleashed by Industry 4.0 (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Digital Transformation). His most recent white paper, “Leadership in the New Normal (Age of Disruption) and the Phygital Universe”, has been published on Nanyang Business School Knowledge Lab in August 2020. He advises fintech startups in trade finance and supply chain finance. He’s been invited to serve as a judge in hackathons and entrepreneurship competitions, including Singapore Youth Entrepreneurs Award. He’s currently involved
a major international comparative research project on new models for inclusive growth in Asia, with Erasmus University (Netherlands) and Hanyang University (South Korea), supported by the Asia Foundation, the Economics of Mutuality, and the Rotterdam Center for Economics of Mutuality. He was recently profiled in Leadership 5.0 by The Asian Network. His recent research on high growth startups and networks won the Martin Rahe Best Paper Award at the 18th International Conference of the Academy of Global Business Research & Practice (2024).
On his LinkedIn profile, it says, “Path to Net Zero: Sustainable Leadership, Strategy and Entrepreneurship: perpetual beta, relentless reimagining and
exponential learning”, reflecting his passion for building sustainable business and leaders in the circular economy, as the world transitions to net zero.
He's currently writing a new book, Driving A Sustainable Business Culture (to be published by World Scientific Publishing in 2025).
intelligence, business model innovation, design thinking, and leadership in Age of Disruption, is sought after by Fortune 500 companies. He has more than 25 years of industry and training experience.
His book, “CQ: Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work” (co-authored with Professors Earley & Ang and published by Stanford University Press in 2006), is the first book to apply cultural intelligence in the context of leadership training and development. He is one of the world’s leading practitioners on cultural
intelligence as he was among the first to develop and conduct corporate leadership training programs based on cultural intelligence. He’s been invited to speak on cultural intelligence at McKinsey Centre for Asian Leadership, and the Conference Board, Asia-Pacific region. His book, “Strategic Leadership in Asia: The Ying & Yang Code” (published by Pearson in 2009), is based on strategic leadership challenges faced by businesses and organizations in Asia. His book, “Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Negotiation” (published by McGraw-Hill in 2004), proposed a new framework for cross-border international business
negotiations. He was the country expert for Singapore in the Asian Global Leadership Competency research project sponsored by the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organization. Dr Tan is a multiple award winning educator, including the Nanyang Education Award (College) 2016 and Teaching Excellence Award (Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship) 2020.
He teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including Master of Science in Asset & Wealth Management, Master of Science in Technopreneurship, and the upcoming International MBA Program (a partnership between Nanyang Business School and University of Economics Ho Chi Minh). He was a member of the core faculty team in the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management (CNI) where he taught in the Master of Management in Hospitality (MMH) program, General Management Program (GMP), and Professional Development Program (PDP). He was the Program Chair for the CNI Thought Leaders in Human Resources Roundtable program.
Dr Tan has served as Deputy Head of the Division of Strategy, Management & Organization, and acting Deputy Head of the Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepeneurship. He was a member of NTU’s Remaking the University Committee. He was also a member of the Singapore Ministry of Education’s University Autonomy, Funding & Governance Working Committee. He was the first Deputy Director in the Renaissance Engineering Program in NTU. He was the Academic Director of the Nanyang EMBA program. He’s been Program Director, Executive Certificate in Engineering Leadership, and other custom programs for Nanyang Executive Education. He’s Acting Deputy Head, Division of Strategy, International Business & Entrepreneurship, Nanyang Business School. He’s been a member of NTU’s Teaching Council, NTU2025 Undergraduate Education Global Taskforce, and on the exco of NTU Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA). He’s been a visiting research scholar at Cornell University, and a visiting professor in Chuo University, Tokyo.
His insights and perspectives on Agile Leadership have been presented at webinars and international conferences. He has been interviewed on Money FM 89.3 and featured in Business Times. He’s been invited as a panelist with President of Microsoft Asia, Ahmed Mazhari, ACCA Smart Finance Series with EY on “Digital Culture and Finance Transformation”, and ACCA Global Virtual University Conference on “Entrepreneurial University”. Most recently, he moderated an NBS Knowledge Lab webinar panel session on “Food Security: Beyond the Pandemic”, and he has been invited as a speaker at the Keppel Global Learning Festival in 2021 and 2022. He's invited panelist at ASME's Stronger People, Stronger Business (2024).
His current research interest relates to how businesses and leaders address opportunities and challenges unleashed by Industry 4.0 (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Digital Transformation). His most recent white paper, “Leadership in the New Normal (Age of Disruption) and the Phygital Universe”, has been published on Nanyang Business School Knowledge Lab in August 2020. He advises fintech startups in trade finance and supply chain finance. He’s been invited to serve as a judge in hackathons and entrepreneurship competitions, including Singapore Youth Entrepreneurs Award. He’s currently involved
a major international comparative research project on new models for inclusive growth in Asia, with Erasmus University (Netherlands) and Hanyang University (South Korea), supported by the Asia Foundation, the Economics of Mutuality, and the Rotterdam Center for Economics of Mutuality. He was recently profiled in Leadership 5.0 by The Asian Network. His recent research on high growth startups and networks won the Martin Rahe Best Paper Award at the 18th International Conference of the Academy of Global Business Research & Practice (2024).
On his LinkedIn profile, it says, “Path to Net Zero: Sustainable Leadership, Strategy and Entrepreneurship: perpetual beta, relentless reimagining and
exponential learning”, reflecting his passion for building sustainable business and leaders in the circular economy, as the world transitions to net zero.
He's currently writing a new book, Driving A Sustainable Business Culture (to be published by World Scientific Publishing in 2025).
His current research interest relates to how businesses and leaders address opportunities and challenges unleashed by Industry 4.0 (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Digital Transformation). Topics relating to strategy, business model, international business, global leadership, cultural intelligence, entrepreneurship, sustainable leadership, and sustainability are among his research interests.
- Conceptualizing, Assessing and Visualizing Hypergrowth Entrepreneurs' Networks