Firdaus Salim

Trainer's Bio

Firdaus Salim operates at the hintersection of human behavior and frontier technology. He holds a Degree in Economics and Management, a certificate in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS), and is one of the first 50 in Asia to be certified as a Gallup-Strengths Coach. His career is defined by a consistent track record of seeding industry disruption, beginning in management consulting where he specialised in Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation. He later founded a startup that established Asia’s first online search portal for corporate directorial talent, a service launched post-financial crisis that effectively disrupted traditional, retainer-based recruitment models for board appointments.

Currently, Firdaus is scaling his latest venture as the Co-Founder of AI Esports, the engine behind LAPA (Learn AI-Play AI). Positioned as a high-growth SaaS disruption of the legacy education model, LAPA utilises gamified, immersive AI environments to bridge the massive technical literacy gap in the modern workforce. This venture is rapidly expanding into a regional movement, underscored by strategic partnerships with several Southeast Asian (SEA) universities and ministries to modernise human capital at an institutional scale.

Parallel to his tech ventures, Firdaus leads OVV, his own training and content development consultancy. OVV specialises in designing bespoke training programs for middle managers and emerging leaders across diverse industries. His deep institutional experience includes serving as the Head of Innovation (Content & Technology) for one of Singapore’s largest private education providers, where he led a team of program managers and 300+ associate educators across 20 different education brands. He also served as the Director of Growth at Culture Fore, a regional consultancy specialising in workplace culture and leadership, where he led the revenue and marketing departments.

Firdaus is a SkillsFuture Advisor for SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), where he helps design and present national upskilling strategies. He is also one of only three selected consultants in Singapore who work with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to deliver responsible gaming content to the nation’s casino operators. His views on employment and the “future of work” are frequently featured across MediaCorp’s radio and TV channels, CNA 93.8, and Money FM.

In 2020, he was a featured speaker during the National Skills Future Month, sharing his “pivot & hustle” framework to help the nation navigate economic uncertainty. Beyond his commercial and advisory roles, Firdaus serves as the Chairman of Masjid Hajjah Rahimabi Kebun Limau, applying executive-level governance and values-driven leadership to community development.