Soon Kon Chun’s moderation journey began not in corporate boardrooms, but in high school leadership roles—a pattern of volunteer facilitation that would define his career. From structuring panel discussions to moderating executive roundtables, he has spent years learning that true leadership is not about controlling the narrative, but about creating the conditions for others to share theirs. As Head of Integration Strategy at CARSOME, Soon brings this philosophy to bear in corporate settings, where he combines strategic thinking with an unrelenting curiosity about people—their ambitions, their side projects, and what truly drives them. His approach to moderation reflects a deeper insight: that executive conversations are most productive when they emerge from genuine human connection rather than pre-scripted agendas.
What drew you to moderation?
Early leadership experience shaped a lifelong approach to facilitation.
“I tend to always volunteer for leadership roles in projects, or clubs and societies. Initially, I thought that if I were to be the leader, all I had to do was just guide people and talk instead of actually doing things. But what I learned is that as a facilitator or leader, you have to do more than others—you have to engage with every single member of the team, bring all the information together, create a narrative, and guide the team in one direction. When you are in a facilitator, moderator, or leader role, you get to understand different perspectives, different parts about people, and you can bring the conversation in a direction that you believe is for the whole cohort. I’m generally a curious person, so it helps me create or listen to something that I really want. That’s why I love being a moderator.”
When did you realise you had a future in moderation?
External validation—not self-assessment—marks the turning point.
“I realised it very late. I always thought that my strength was being able to think on my feet—anybody could ask me any question at any time of the day, and I could give a satisfactory answer. But recently, a lot of my friends and colleagues are getting married, and one of them asked me to be the MC or moderator of their wedding. I realised: really, you want me to moderate your wedding, one of the most important days of your life? The surrounding friends were also saying I bring good energy to events. That’s when I realised people actually view my facilitation and moderation skills to some extent. It’s only lately that I’ve kind of realised that.”
How has your approach to moderation evolved?
The shift from self-directed facilitation to audience-centric design marks the maturation of moderation craft.
“Previously, I would moderate things in a way where I just wanted to hear certain things and would bring the conversation that way. But as I grew up and did moderation in bigger settings with lots of audience members, I wanted to do something for the greater good. I would think more about what the key objectives the audience had, what they were particularly interested in hearing, and then work backwards from there. When I was at Amazon Web Services, I learned that it’s always customer first. For moderation, the audience are the so-called customers. Think backwards from what they want to hear, then ask the right questions to bring that out. That particular element is what I learned to do compared to when I was much younger or inexperienced.”
How did you apply this at The Ortus Club?
Pre-event engagement becomes a toolkit for authentic, energised conversation during the session.
“For the Ortus Club event, I read up a lot about the attendees and roughly planned how the conversations would go. But like most events, I don’t over-prepare. What I do is go a bit earlier and do broad networking with the attendees—get the freshest, newest events in their lives, perspectives about the latest news. I keep that as part of my conversation toolkit, and mention it during moderation to get people talking about it. When you do this, it’s not to make attendees repeat the usual thing they talk about. Instead, we force them to talk about the new things in their lives, which they are more interested in or excited to talk about. That elevates the whole energy of conversations. People are more keen to hear about things related to the latest trends because they are curious about what’s going on in their lives or in the world. That usually has a good success rate, and that’s what I did for Ortus Club moderation as well.”
How has executive leadership changed in the AI era?
Adaptation and continuous learning define executive leadership in the AI era.
“Senior leaders are in a particular industry for the longest time, and we are used to certain things. Usually, people have the preconceived notion that senior leaders don’t really adapt fast, don’t learn new things, and keep doing things the way they are. But what surprised me this time around is that all the senior leaders are heavily involved with the latest AI tools and are trying to continuously reskill themselves and learn new things—actually trying things beyond just the knowledge phase. These senior leaders know that the times are moving extremely fast and new technologies are just popping up everywhere. They are on their toes to improve themselves and adapt to the times. The new developments that are happening, the world is just moving so fast that we cannot remain complacent. What the senior leaders are already doing is truly impressive.”
How has moderation influenced your leadership?
Facilitation builds confidence, attracts opportunity, and deepens professional networks.
“Moderating within events and professional settings, in business meetings and so on, gives me confidence in myself—that I can go anywhere or any event and contribute in terms of knowledge and how to set narratives and create productive meetings or sessions. That confidence boost helps me. But it’s also from other people towards me. Some of the big names and leaders provide more opportunities for me to moderate or do panellist discussions because they know that if a particular event is hosted or moderated by me, it is going to be a successful, productive session. It gave me a lot more opportunities to shine. The confidence boost just helps me in many parts of professional settings.”
What does The Ortus Club offer that other events don’t?
Private settings create the conditions for authentic, ongoing relationships between peers.
“The Ortus Club is one of the events where it’s really done in private settings. The amount of follow-ups I’ve had with members who attended Ortus events is a lot higher. Some members I’ve actually met outside for follow-up lunches or dinners and then continuously engage. The senior leaders I’ve met and continue to engage with, and just learn more new things from each other, potentially lead to productive business outcomes. That is boosted by the fact that I have to do the moderator role as well, because people have more confidence in my ability. It’s easier to connect with senior leaders and follow up afterwards.”
What still makes you nervous before an event?
Unpredictability and the tension between flexibility and boundaries define the emotional reality of moderation.
“Compared to when I was younger, I tend to feel less nervous. But the key part is still the fact that when I go to an event, it’s still full of people I do not know. How people are going to react to certain things is not certain. That unpredictability is something that is always at the back of my mind. If I ask a particular question, I need to make sure I don’t touch anything sensitive. I need to keep within the boundaries so that the atmosphere of the conversation is still positive. Being flexible and creative about discussions and topics or narratives is the key thing a moderator needs to do, but keeping it within the boundary is also a very important part. What is the boundary, and how should I keep within this, is something I always think about.”
How will moderation develop in five years?
Cross-industry generalism becomes the strategic advantage of mature moderators.
“Looking at myself five years ago compared to now, the amount of experiences and knowledge I’ve gained in different industries is something I’ve accumulated over the past five years. Now with AI and whatnot, I hope and plan to do more in the next five years. When I look at myself five years later, I think that I will have a lot more experience in a lot of different things. When we do moderation, it’s critical to be able to draw from past experiences and empathise better with somebody because you’ve done something similar in their field. That becomes a lot better. I hope five years later, that version of myself is able to do that with different people from all walks of life, not just specific people in specific industries, but more of a generalist. That is something I’m envisioning.”
What question will you never stop asking?
A deceptively simple question that reveals the complexity and passion within everyone.
“What do you do? It’s a key question, and I’m just always very interested in what people are doing in their lives. In a limited time on earth, we can do so many different things, and what I can do is also limited by time. So I’m just so curious about what other people are doing in their time. Learning about it is like reading a book, where I get to experience, to some extent, what that person has gone through just by knowing what they do and more details about what they do in their lives. That is a question I will never stop asking, and I ask almost everybody that I meet. It’s because when I ask what you do, it’s not just a question of what the organisation that you’re with did, like what do you do. It’s more than that. You’re more than the organisation you’re with. How do you spend your time? Who’s this person? It’s a story.”
Join the Conversation: The Ortus Club’s Executive Network
Soon Kon Chun’s insights reveal a deeper truth about executive engagement: the most productive conversations emerge when moderators step back from control and lean into curiosity. This approach creates space for authentic peer dialogue—precisely what senior leaders seek when they gather in structured, intimate settings.
At The Ortus Club, we host curated roundtables designed to spark exactly this quality of conversation. Rather than generic networking or scripted panels, our format brings together leaders who are hungry for genuine peer dialogue, fresh perspectives, and the kind of relationship-building that moves beyond the event itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between moderation and facilitation?
A: Moderation typically involves guiding discussion within a defined structure (such as a panel); facilitation is broader and focuses on creating conditions for the group itself to solve problems or make decisions. Soon uses both, with facilitation underpinning his approach to moderation.
Q: How do senior leaders stay relevant in a rapidly changing market?
A: According to Soon’s experience, continuous reskilling, active engagement with emerging technologies like AI, and participation in high-level peer forums are non-negotiable. Complacency is not an option at the executive level.
Q: Why is pre-event networking so important for a moderator?
A: It allows moderators to gather fresh, current information about attendees’ lives and interests. This insider knowledge becomes a toolkit during the session—shifting conversations away from rehearsed talking points and towards genuine, energised dialogue.
Q: How do you balance flexibility with boundaries when moderating sensitive topics?
A: The key is preparation without over-preparation. Know your attendees, anticipate potential sensitivities, but remain responsive in real time. Ask yourself: does this topic serve the group? Is the conversation still positive and respectful? That constant calibration is what keeps moderators effective.
Q: What makes The Ortus Club events different from other executive forums?
A: The private, curated setting fosters deeper relationships and higher-quality follow-up engagement. Attendees are more likely to connect outside the event, exchange ideas, and build ongoing partnerships—outcomes that generic networking events rarely achieve.
