Frank Koo

Founder & Director, Nextplay

BBA, Class of 1990

Frank’s mission of “helping people and teams achieve positive transformation with joy” led him to make a bold decision to leave a flourishing corporate career to embark on a venture aimed at guiding business leaders and professionals through their transformative career journeys. 

After graduating from NUS Business School in 1990, Frank began his career in technology as a management trainee with IBM. The knowledge he gained at NUS Business School subsequently prepared him for leadership roles at Oracle, Pearson, BE Education, and LinkedIn. 

While leading LinkedIn’s Asia business in the last eight years, he had the opportunity to delve into eye-opening data about human resource management, and gathered extensive insights into the future of work. Through his leadership journey, Frank realised that as the world changes, so too must leadership styles. He found that the “command and control” approach of leadership, effective in the past, now needs to evolve to fit the ever-changing external environment and the new generation of workers entering the workforce.  

This perspective inspired him with a new mission – to make a positive impact on society by enabling leaders and professionals to understand and leverage their competencies and purpose for the greater good. This led him to volunteer with not-for-profit professional bodies while supporting organisations in enabling their workforce for change. 

In 2024, Frank founded his current company, Nextplay, which today is at the forefront of change in the human resource industry. Through dynamic workshops and impactful group facilitation, Nextplay empowers organisations to master strategy and talent transformation, while guiding individuals through pivotal career and life transitions. 

Apart from managing his company, Frank sits on the board of the Institute for HR Professionals (IHRP) and is a council member for the Singapore HR Institute (SHRI), the National Integration Council (NIC), Asia Professional Speakers Singapore (APSS), and a committee member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID). 

In partnership with the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE), he is co-creating the Distinguished Senior Fellowship bridging program to help successful leaders transition “from success to significance.” 

Frank hopes to leverage his experience to enable people to be successful leaders and transform effectively across different phases of life, with joy.