Singtel Singapore CEO uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to unlock ideas – and land big fish

When Ng Tian Chong first began using Microsoft 365 Copilot about a year ago, his reaction ranged from curiosity and skepticism to cautious optimism and excitement.

"It was a mixed bag. That's how I started," said the CEO of Singtel Singapore, which drives Singtel Group's telecommunications business in Singapore and supports its global network in Asia and Europe.

Ng joined Singtel as CEO in June 2023 to oversee the merger of Singtel Singapore's consumer and enterprise businesses. Since then, he's been driving efficiencies from that restructuring and building a culture that's agile, resilient, and ready for the future across a team of about 5,000 people.

Initially, Ng used Copilot as a search engine. As he explored its capabilities, he found he could save time by asking it to summarize emails and the day's news.

Now he's progressed to treating Copilot, and its agent Researcher, as a "sparring partner for thoughts," and uses it in a more integrated way across the Microsoft suite of office tools.

"It started as a productivity tool but it's evolving into an enabler for me to do more strategic things," he said.

His most memorable interaction with the generative AI assistant happened when he was deep in strategic planning season and was working on a refreshed vision statement.

He fed Copilot with data on the telco environment and asked it to come up with strategic themes worth considering.

Its response left a deep impression.

"My Copilot gave me several good things to think about. It quickly got me into a space where I could unlock more insights about that topic," he said.

Ng credits his "AI companion" with helping him become a more confident, effective leader. Particularly in the current business environment where multiple events can create complex, unpredictable challenges that call for quick responses.

He says Copilot acts as a force multiplier - helping him cut through information faster, anticipate potential issues before they surface and respond with greater confidence.