About Us

OUR MISSION

To train professionals to become successful at work and in life

Our Services

We will wow your audience with our social media presence and help you attract crowds to your events. We have been engaged by global organisations like Euromoney Conference and CFA Institute for keynote speeches. Other organisations such as the National University of Singapore and Great Eastern Insurance have engaged us to deliver webinars. Our professional set up of lighting, mic, camera and live production switchers ensure attendees are engaged through the sessions. We also have a live production manager, Chris Mattia, to take care of the technical aspects of the webinars.

For corporate, we offer keynote speeches, in-person and webinar training.

For brands with values and product that are beneficial to our community, we are happy to collaborate on sponsored content and events.

For individual professionals and business owners, we offer online LinkedIn course and career coaching.

SMALL ACTIONS – Leading Your Career to Big Success.

Eric Sim

Meet Our Team

Our team brings together a diverse range of skills and expertise to help you achieve success.

Eric Sim, CFA

Founder & Chief Trainer

With over 2 million followers on LinkedIn, Eric Sim, CFA, is one the most followed career coaches and speakers on social media globally. Previously when based in Hong Kong, Sim served as a managing director at UBS Investment Bank, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Finance at Hong Kong University of Science of Technology.

Sim is the founder of Institute of Life (IOL). He has spoken on career and life skills in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. He has been featured in Business Insider, Fortune and CNBC.

Chris Mattia

Digital Skills Specialist

Chris Mattia has worked with thousands of educators around the world to improve the quality of their instructional content. As an author for LinkedIn Learning, Mattia has published more than 25 courses aimed at teachers, trainers, and communicators to help them improve their teaching and delivery.

As a Producer for both recorded and live content, Mattia ensures presenters are at their best performance on stage and in front of the camera. He has been involved with the audio and video aspects of some of the biggest conferences in the US.

Jason Wong

Creative Director & Cinematographer

Jason Wong facilitates video production, content and brand management and photography. He also teaches and helps IOL produce engaging training video content.

Media

Explore our latest achievements and innovations in our Recent Projects Showcase, where we highlight our most cutting-edge work.

I retired early after becoming managing director at a big bank. People should think twice before chasing the FIRE lifestyle

Eric Sim, formerly a managing director at UBS, said the novelty of not working may wear off quickly for the increasing numbers of people looking to live the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) lifestyle.

3 LinkedIn creators share their best career advice for recent graduates: ‘Be a combo specialist’

Fluency in Mandarin becomes key to Hong Kong bankers’ success

How an engineering nerd with stage fright became a TedX speaker, teacher and career coach – a Singapore story of constant self-improvement

Eric Sim, CFA: The Diversified Career Portfolio

Testimonials

What Our Participants Say

Alexander Bergmueller

Goldman Sachs Incoming Analyst 2021 / IE, University MSc

“When I was applying to jobs in summer 2020, I was constantly inspired and motivated by Institute of Life’s Eric Sim. He shared his opinion not only on how to secure a job offer during challenging times as the covid pandemic, but he also emphasised on the fact to always have valuable skills which are not the main skills of the job. He calls those skills “signature dish”. Having a unique profile is really essential during times where the labour demand is down, the labour supply higher than ever before and many people coming from prestigious universities, have excellent grades and have completed multiple internships. He also made clear that rejection and initial failure come prior to success and that one should not give up and stay driven. I got a full time offer to join Goldman Sachs in London because I took massive action over a substantial period of time. Eric and IOL definitely supported me a lot. Action is the first step to success!”

Vanessa Ho

Co-Founder Fintech Nation / Media Personality

“Before attending Eric’s sharings, LinkedIn was a passing thought and I never truly knew how to leverage on it. Was it simply a social media for older people? Turns out it’s the best place for students to get connected with professionals or job hunt if personal branding is done well. After attending several workshops, I was very inspired by Eric’s remarkable journey and took heed from the many tips given, from storytelling to communication. I also appreciate how he helps students like myself in LinkedIn personal branding even after the workshops have ended. A LinkedIn revamp has improved the size and value of my network tremendously ever since!”

Shakiru Okunade

LNG Commercial Trading Operator

“I have been reading Eric’s articles since 2015 and was invited to his presentation in London. From career, personal branding, networking to presentation advice, Eric’s open, honest, and practical approach reflects his holistic view of life. Eric shares personal struggles and successes, challenging others to achieve their full human potential. I have no doubt this institute will change lives.”

Benson Song

Managing Director, Tunderly Group

“Eric is, without a doubt, the finest life coach I’ve had the pleasure to meet during my time at the UBS LEADS Certification Program in 2016. His presentation was captivating and inspiring and it is clear he stood out as the most well-spoken and passionate among all the UBS Managing Directors on stage. Eric’s teaching style is uniquely his own. His holistic approach and ideologies on winning in business and life enabled me to approach my life and my visions for business with a level-up mentality. It is rare to find such a gem like Eric, who truly cares for your well-being and is able to share the wisdom he has accumulated in his professional career with you.”

Meet Our Talented Team

Our passionate and dedicated team brings together a diverse range of skills and expertise to deliver exceptional results. From creative visionaries to meticulous strategists, we work seamlessly together to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

Eric Sim, CFA

Founder of IOL