GSK’s Regional President Mike Crichton on leading winning teams from Singapore

GSK’s Regional President for Greater China and Intercontinental Mike Crichton only relocated to Singapore in 2018 but he has already fully embraced our hawker culture and Kopi O Kosong (a local coffee variation). Having had a rich set of experiences in the pharmaceutical sector in companies such as Roche, AstraZeneca and Novartis, Crichton joins the diverse global talent community in Singapore where he is driving impact in his role. He shares the reasons he is excited about the country’s role in the future of growth in Asia and how he is building teams to seize opportunities.

Q: Could you tell us more about your role?

A: GSK is a global biopharma company with the purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people over the next 10 years, through our portfolio of vaccines, speciality medicines, and general medicines, all while ensuring GSK is a company where people can thrive.

I look after GSK’s business in nine markets and my main responsibility is to lead more than 7,500 colleagues to deliver our medicines and vaccines to patients in the region. As the Regional President, I focus my time on both strategy and execution where I work with the team to understand unmet medical needs, ways to get our medicines and vaccines to patients faster, and partners we can work with. Every day is different, and I love it.
 

Q: Why did GSK choose to set up in Singapore?

A: GSK is the first global healthcare company to establish a presence in Singapore in 1959. We started with a small sales office from which we have grown to become one of the biggest contributors to Singapore's healthcare system and biomedical sciences industry with investments of more than S$2.5 billion (1.5 billion GBP). We employ over 1500 employees across global, regional, and local commercial business units at Asia House and our manufacturing sites. 

We chose to set up in Singapore for a number of strategic reasons. Singapore has a conducive business environment due to its pro-business and pro-innovation government policies, advanced infrastructure, well-established legal and IP systems, social stability, and of course a very highly skilled workforce and ability to attract both local and foreign talent around the world. Importantly, it also provides access to markets in the pan-Asia region due to its geographical location.

One of the things we are proudest of about our presence in Singapore is our manufacturing sites. For example, we continue to deploy innovative manufacturing technologies at Jurong, where many of our newer medicines start before getting shipped to our other global sites. In Tuas, the two vaccine products manufactured there cover approximately 45% of the diseases causing paediatric mortality in the world, making a significant contribution to our global health agenda.

Of course, the fact that Singapore is the headquarters for a number of our global and regional businesses means critical decisions, including those related to our complex pan-Asian operations, are made out of Singapore, making an impact on our operations globally.

Q: How would you advise companies who are considering building their teams in Singapore?

A: Currently, we have just under 40 nationalities working in GSK Asia House in Singapore. So when we say we have a diverse talent pool, we mean it! Having this diversity of thought is so critical to me as a leader because the region that I lead is so diverse, and our people need to reflect the diverse patients and customers we serve. When it comes to Singapore talent, what is really great about Singaporeans is they naturally have an international worldview. We have many great Singaporean talents who now have roles outside of Singapore and are thriving – and I truly believe it’s because of how they’ve grown up in an international city, are highly adaptable, and can very comfortably work with people of different cultures and nationalities.

It is a wise choice for companies to build their teams in Singapore. Singapore has a good foundation for teams to be set up here – it is conducive for business, in good standing with other markets and companies could gain access to the attractive global talent pool from here. And my personal advice is to hire strong HR teams!
 

Q: What aspects of Singapore’s business ecosystem have you benefited from as a professional?

What I love about being a professional in Singapore is being able to interact with the best of the best. In my role, I am very fortunate to meet CEOs, heads of charities, Ministers, and a lot of incredible local and international talent. I get exposed to different industries beyond what I am accustomed to simply because Singapore is an international hub and the regional headquarters for many other companies.

Q: How have you and your family experienced Singapore as a city to live in?

I very much enjoy getting my Kopi O Kosong from local hawkers and have always had a deep admiration for the uncles and aunties working day in and out at the hawkers.

I was also here during the pandemic and have such admiration for how the Singapore government handled it. Its focus on high vaccination rates and procuring innovative treatments allowed it to open up much sooner than neighbouring countries. With my role, it’s so critical to stay close to the pulse of our businesses, so I am grateful to be able to easily travel in and out of the country to visit my markets.

What I love too is the fact that Singapore is safe and clean, with a great transportation system. It has world-class healthcare, which is really a great aspirational model for many countries around the world. Furthermore, it has a rich diversity and I enjoy the mix of cultures here in Singapore.