'Sport isn't how I switch off. It's how I switch on'

I AM a founding leader for an insurtech startup, bolttech, based out of Singapore. As a group, our vast network of talent is spread across three continents. In early 2020 we launched our brand, and in July this year we achieved unicorn status, and a few weeks later, we closed a major acquisition in Europe. So far at bolttech, things move at bolt speed.

As a business born during the pandemic, from the outset we've been able to create a way of working that is flexible to the individual needs of our staff. So when I join meetings on a treadmill or an exercise bike, no one in the team is surprised. While for some, fitness is their leisure time or escape mechanism, for me, fitness and training is an essential part of my working day.

Like any chief executive officer (CEO), I have a fragmented working week that navigates the multiple time zones of our international footprint. Over the last decade or so, I've realised the benefits of being very intentional with my time, integrating training into rather than alongside my work schedule. Fitness can either happen during my meetings, or it can be an uninterrupted time to solve problems and iterate ideas. For the most part, I don't train with headphones or listen to music or podcasts when I'm training because I'm usually thinking through any number of projects or strategies that the team is working on.