Deliver faster outcomes, power better decisions, and unlock greater business potential. This is the mantra of the knowledge platform pioneered by enterprise software company Syniti, but it could just as easily describe the relentless drive of its regional leader, Gordon Lam.
Born in Hong Kong and educated in Australia, Lam embodies a leadership style that seamlessly blends Eastern and Western philosophies. When he took the helm at Syniti Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) in August 2019, the company had faced years of decline. Instead of shying away, Lam saw an opportunity to achieve the impossible.
Turning Crisis Into Growth
Just five months into his leadership, the world was shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than retreating, Lam set an audacious goal in February 2020—to triple Syniti APJ’s business in three years. Given the company’s prior struggles, some may have viewed this as a long shot.
By the end of 2020, Syniti APJ had exceeded its own expectations, growing its software business threefold. This extraordinary turnaround was made possible by strategically placing the right people in front of the right growth opportunities, aligning with the company’s “Triple in Three” strategy, which Lam and his team collectively own and execute.
While the broader technology industry experienced incremental growth during the pandemic, it does not fully explain the scale of Syniti APJ’s resurgence. In the first quarter of 2021 alone, year-on-year software results surged by 478%, with services revenue increasing by 57%. The company also grew its net new customer base by 180% in the region, contributing to 25% of Syniti’s global net new customer growth.
As markets struggled in 2020, Syniti maintained a 99.7% customer satisfaction rating globally—the highest in its history—fueled by the efforts of its APJ turnaround team.
A Leader With Tenacity and Vision
Now recognized as one of Asia’s Most Inspiring Executives, Lam embraces a leadership philosophy rooted in resilience and optimism. As a leader, I believe it’s my duty to rise to any challenge that presents itself, with tenacity and empathy for others, he says.
For Lam, tenacity has often been born out of necessity. “My personal motto is that one should bite off more than one can chew—and chew like mad!” he quips.
Despite receiving personal accolades, Lam credits his wider team for Syniti APJ’s success. Under his leadership, the company expanded into India and Japan and relocated its regional head office to Singapore. The APJ team has grown by more than 50% since his arrival, strengthening the company culture and setting the foundation for continued success.
Driving Innovation in Enterprise Software
In the highly competitive enterprise software industry, Lam believes Syniti stands out by pioneering intelligent and user-friendly end-to-end data management solutions.
“For large enterprises, moving and improving data is a business-critical practice,” he explains. “To help generate greater business value for our customers, we are always looking ahead to the next step in the evolution of data management—helping customers succeed in their digital transformation journey.”
At the core of this vision is the Syniti Knowledge Platform, the industry’s first knowledge-driven data management solution. By actively reusing knowledge, it delivers faster outcomes, powers better decisions, and unlocks greater business potential with trusted, high-quality data. “It delivers knowledge at a fraction of the cost, with much greater accuracy and reliability,” Lam notes.
For Lam, leading through uncertainty means constantly questioning the status quo. “I remind myself to constantly challenge what I think I know,” he says.
Shanggari Balakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer of MORS Group, describes Lam’s leadership journey as a true test of an executive’s resilience. To have to lead a company one has just joined through a global pandemic is a true test of an executive, and one which Lam has obviously aced.
