APAC Life Science Executive Search | Nicholas Sim
28 May, 20254 MinsAs APAC Managing Partner at Board & Executive Partners (a Barrington James com...

As APAC Managing Partner at Board & Executive Partners (a Barrington James company), Nicholas Sim has spent more than 15 years building high‑impact leadership teams for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device organizations across the region.
Our Specializations: C‑Suite & Board Leaders Across Life Sciences
Operating as an Managing Partner, Nicholas and his Singapore team focus on general management, full P&L leadership, and C-suite appointments across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices.
- General Managers & Country Heads
- Regional Vice Presidents & Commercial Directors
- Chief Executive, Commercial, Medical & Operations Officers
- Board‑level and independent directors
Serving the Entire APAC Region from China to Australia & New Zealand
From our base in Singapore, we manage searches covering every major APAC market, including
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- India
- Southeast Asia
- Australia/New Zealand.
Each assignment is led by Nicholas in Singapore and supported by an in‑house research team, ensuring a consistent methodology and single point of accountability. When face‑to‑face engagement is essential, Nicholas flies in to meet clients and candidates on‑site.
Singapore: A Strategic Hub for Global Life Science Recruitment
Singapore’s pro‑business environment, competitive tax incentives, and world‑class R&D infrastructure have drawn life science multinationals to establish their regional headquarters here. Being physically embedded in this ecosystem gives our team immediate access to decision‑makers and a deep, diverse talent pool allowing us to support both regional mandates and global leadership searches.
APAC Life Science Market Trends: Looking Back at 2024
Over the past 12 months we have observed:
- Surging demand for commercial & distributor leadership as companies diversify go‑to‑market models.
- Record levels of alliances, mergers, and acquisitions driving leadership restructures.
- Double‑digit revenue growth in Southeast Asia prompting direct and indirect market entry.
- Manufacturing footprint expansion across Asia, with new plants planned to de‑risk global supply chains.
What’s Next: Trends to Watch in 2025
Our conversations with clients point to five themes set to shape 2025:
- Expansion of generics, biosimilars, and specialty distributors across emerging APAC markets.
- AI moving from pilot to mainstream adoption.
- Heightened regulatory complexity particularly in China requiring nuanced market access strategies.
- Localization of leadership teams to navigate fragmented reimbursement landscapes.
- Increased investment in talent assessment & retention to protect IP and maintain growth momentum.
Why Clients Choose Board & Executive Partners Singapore
- Hogan Assessments built into every executive shortlist, enabling data‑driven selection, retention, and leadership development.
- Real‑time market intelligence on employer branding, compensation benchmarks, and talent availability.
- Proprietary talent mapping tools that visualize the entire APAC leadership landscape within days.
- High‑touch search process led by Nicholas and his researcher team with an average of 10+ years’ life science expertise.
Success Story: Data‑Driven C‑Suite Hire for a Global Healthcare MNC
A Leading Global Healthcare MNC based in Singapore retained Nicholas Sim to conduct a confidential search across Asia Pacific to appoint a Regional Senior Vice President. By leveraging the science‑backed Hogan Assessment Suite, we delivered an unbiased, data‑driven evaluation in under two weeks uncovering leadership strengths, flagging potential derailers, and providing a clear development roadmap. Equipped with these insights, our client appointed their new APAC SVP with absolute confidence and accelerated regional growth.
Partner With Us
If you are scaling in APAC or looking to bring transformative leadership into your global organization. Contact our Board & Executive Partners team in Singapore via nicholas@barringtonjames.com or +65 3163 7409