"Clarity in balance fosters proactive response to the unexpected."
Welcome to an exclusive interview with ValiantCEO Magazine, where we dive deep into the extraordinary world of Jas Singh, the visionary founder and driving force behind SKL Executive.
In this captivating conversation, we explore Jas Singh’s remarkable journey, from his roots in the actuarial profession to his pioneering role in reshaping the landscape of talent acquisition and recruitment.
With a distinguished career spanning over a decade in both Australia and the UK, Jas Singh’s transformative impact on the actuarial profession is nothing short of inspiring.
As the mastermind behind SKL Executive, he has forged an unparalleled niche in specialized recruitment and executive search services, catering to the intricate demands of the actuarial domain.
In a candid discussion, Jas unveils his strategies for nurturing a thriving company culture, propelling growth in the ever-evolving business landscape, and steering his team through the uncharted waters of the global pandemic.
Join us as we uncover his insights on the power of personal development, the intersection of business and spirituality, and the pivotal role of adaptability in harnessing success.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Jas Singh: Jas Singh is the founder and managing director of SKL Executive, a specialised recruitment and search firm delivering high-quality services to the actuarial profession.
As a qualified actuary (FIAA) with over a decade of experience in Australia and the UK, Jas leveraged his extensive technical knowledge to found SKL in 2013.
A highly accomplished professional in the field of actuarial recruitment and executive search, Jas has held key roles in various sectors of the insurance industry, including direct, reinsurance, and consulting companies. His extensive network spans across Australia, New Zealand, the Asia Pacific, and the UK.
Jas’s personal experience working with traditional recruiters highlighted the need for a specialised firm that could understand the nuances of actuarial roles and effectively assess candidates using industry-specific knowledge.
In his current role as managing director of SKL Executive, Jas oversees day-to-day operations while simultaneously driving the company’s growth and strategic direction, with plans to expand SKL Executive’s global presence starting with increasing its footprint in Asia with SKL Singapore and expanding offerings through SKL Technology and SKL Executive Search.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, are an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Jas Singh: During this time, we had no turnover other than one staff member retiring and one going back overseas. We are constantly helping our team to learn and develop, maintain a growth mindset, become self-sufficient, and build their careers.
I believe this approach has them striving for bigger challenges, and is key for retention. We are also market competitive for salaries.
I spend a lot of time understanding and observing the team to identify individual development needs and proactively work with them individually to ensure these needs are met.
Here is a two-fold question: What is the book that influenced you the most and how? Please share some life lessons you learned. Now what book have you gifted the most and why?
Jas Singh: The book, ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle comes to mind, as I heavily got involved in spirituality during the pandemic lockdowns.
I believe that business and spirituality are connected, as making decisions and being aware of your blind spots and the layers of thinking that sit beneath our conscious awareness enable you to make better long-term decisions – both in life and in business.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Jas Singh: Working through the current economy is a bit tricky; job growth is stalling, and while the next round of growth will inevitably come, maintaining composure until then, as well as having the instinct to capitalise on the next growth wave, is crucial.
Artificial Intelligence and the impact this will have on workflows and our clients is also something constantly on my mind – it may lead to growth but may also severely impact the need in the market for our services – who knows really! Regardless, we need to carefully think about this evolution.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Jas Singh: Juggling a family, especially a young one, is particularly difficult when running a company. The needs of both are never-ending, and mental energies need to be prioritised when everything “ends with you”.
I believe that working with your team at the office and your spouse at home makes a fundamental difference.
Dealing with the unexpected can only happen successfully if you are mentally fresh and balanced and have the above in order, which allows you the mental space to proactively ask the right questions as opposed to simply reacting to situations.
What does “success” in 2023 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Jas Singh: To me, success over the next year means retaining our team, increasing our organic growth in Asia and Australia, and having the confidence to start thinking about acquiring other businesses to accelerate our market share – particularly on the new recruitment verticals in Technology that we want to grow in.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jas Singh for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Jas Singh or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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