Most recently, Sim moved to New York as head of global agency, where his team led partnerships between the social media platform and major agencies including WPP, IPG, Publicis and Dentsu.
As of last month, the Singapore native is head of global enablement and education.
“We do a lot of education for executives on brand safety, what TikTok is, what [kind of] creative does well," he says.
If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d have dinner with my dad. He’s still in Malaysia and I haven’t seen him in two and a half years because of the pandemic. He’s my biggest critic, but also my biggest supporter.
What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?
TikTok of course. Growing up in Singapore, it was so multicultural, and food is a big part of that. Plus my parents instilled a love of cooking, so a lot of my FYP [For You Page] is #foodtok. The second is Instagram.
What’s currently on your bedside reading list?
I’m reading “Thinking Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman. It’s very thoughtful especially living in such a digitally connected world. We often don’t get to sit down and learn, and really think about what we’re doing. I’m also reading “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear, which is about how to build good habits with incremental changes. Great since we’ve been stuck at home—a good time to rethink our routines.
What was the last show you binge-watched?
Not a TV show, but I recently saw "Shang-Chi," the new Marvel movie. Really great to see Simu Liu in a starring role, to have that Asian representation on screen. I’m one of the board members championing AAPI efforts and causes within TikTok. We have an employee resource group called ARISE for our AAPI community.
At what age do you hope to retire?
My dad is still working and he’s 68 years old, so I think retirement is a mindset. If I can physically and mentally work, I’d like to. When the learning stops, I can take a break.
See all of Ad Age's 40 Under 40 honorees.
