Spend five minutes with Paul Baptist and you’ll know this: he’s not your typical corporate leader. Equal parts sharp strategist and candid storyteller, Paul leads Partner Success at Salesforce ASEAN with a style that’s as people-first as it is performance-driven.
Based in Singapore and deeply embedded in the nuances of a region that defies one-size-fits-all approaches, Paul has spent years navigating the rich diversity of ASEAN — where every country brings its own rhythm, expectations, and way of doing business.
It’s this hands-on, cross-border experience that’s helped him shape a leadership philosophy rooted in trust, empowerment, and adaptability.
After years of building partnerships, growing teams, and learning what truly moves the needle in this part of the world, Paul has distilled his approach into three guiding principles — each grounded in real moments, real relationships, and the belief that how you lead matters just as much as what you deliver.
Let’s dive into these three pillars that have led to Paul’s success:
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Principle 1: ASEAN is not one region, it’s many — but all center around relationships
One of Paul’s most defining leadership principles is his insistence on deeply understanding the cultural nuances within the ASEAN region. While the world may treat ASEAN as a unified bloc, Paul sees it for what it is: a tapestry of distinct cultures, business norms, and expectations.
He shares a vivid anecdote of attending a project kick-off in Vietnam, where the event was attended by over 100 people, complete with walk-up music and speeches.
“Meanwhile, I can go for a project kick-off in Singapore and there’ll be 10 people in the room and they’ll be white-boarding and going, ‘let’s go’,” he laughs. This ability to embrace and celebrate regional differences helps Paul tailor his leadership style and build genuine partnerships.
Beyond cultural sensitivity, Paul places immense value on the human connections that drive collaboration. Whether it’s his fellow leaders within Salesforce or external partners in Global Systems Integrators, Paul believes in cross-pollinating ideas and supporting one another through open dialogue.
A moment of humility and insight came when a Vietnamese colleague challenged his hiring decision in Thailand, encouraging him to seek Vietnamese-speaking talent based there — something he admits he hadn’t considered, but deeply appreciated.
Principle 2: Success comes from empowerment, not control
As a leader, Paul is candid about not knowing everything — and that’s precisely what makes his leadership magnetic.
“My job is to go build a team of incredibly capable people and then get out of their way,” he says.
He’s not afraid to challenge the status quo.
In fact, one of his biggest undertakings since rejoining Salesforce has been transforming his team from a reactive unit to a proactive force. Rather than stepping in only when problems arise, Paul’s team now anticipates customer needs — drawing on market signals, regional nuances, and a mix of AI tools like Agentforce and Gemini to surface partner insights, track requests, and even guide internal change conversations.
Paul also restructured KPIs for partner success managers — from simply ensuring certifications to certifying the right people at the right time for the right regions, based on anticipated demand.
He practices what he preaches — and he’s embraced the tools that reflect where Salesforce is headed. Agentforce, the company’s cutting-edge AI platform, has become a key part of how Paul works.
“I recorded myself pitching our corporate messaging directly to the camera, then getting Agentforce Sales Coach to listen to me. It comes back and gives me feedback. I didn’t have to book time with my manager… I got coached by AI!” He shares with enthusiasm.
He even admits to having an ongoing working “relationship” with ChatGPT, which he talks to daily for leadership advice — even for tricky conversations, such as telling a friend their outfit wasn’t quite working.
This foresight is particularly valuable in the rapidly evolving space of generative AI. When discussing implementations of agentic AI in Thailand, Paul’s team works ahead of time with partners to ensure readiness — whether it’s certifications, reviewing statements of work, or designing the right architecture.
Principle 3: Define impact by the people you uplift
Paul believes that leadership is really about uplifting others — helping people grow, evolve, and succeed, whether or not their path stays within his team.
“My job is to help people grow — ideally within the team, but if their journey takes them elsewhere, then I will support them in getting there too.”
Sometimes, this belief takes shape far beyond boardrooms and business goals.
Early in his Salesforce journey, Paul’s manager encouraged him to make time for volunteering. At first, he resisted — like many of us, he felt too busy. But he eventually signed up for a volunteer trip to Cambodia to help build homes for families in need.
The experience was nothing like he expected.
On that first trip, Paul and his team helped build a home for a widow and her five children, who’d been living under a tarp. Working in the heat, racing the rain, and sharing long hours with colleagues from across the region, the team was determined to finish the house — it wasn’t just a task; it was personal.
A year later, Paul returned to visit the same house. This time, he noticed something new: an electricity line running to the home. A small TV flickering inside. Signs that the family was doing better. The home they’d built had become a foundation — literally and emotionally — for a fresh start.
What began as a single trip grew into something much bigger. With Salesforce’s support and its 56-hour annual volunteering benefit, the homebuilding program expanded year after year. From one house to hundreds, Paul and his colleagues have now helped build nearly 400 homes in Cambodia through the initiative.
The experience stayed with him. It reminded Paul that leadership isn’t just about delivering outcomes — it’s about showing up, being human, and meeting people where they are.
That perspective has shaped how he leads today. Even in a high-performance environment, he believes empathy matters just as much as execution. “What’s really unfair,” he says, “is if I set an expectation on you, but you never agreed to it.” For Paul, leadership works best when it’s built on trust, open conversations, and a genuine commitment to help others grow.
A perspective forged in practice
In the ASEAN region, where cultures blend and partnerships fuel innovation, Paul Baptist is more than a business leader — he is a connector, a mentor, and a catalyst. His leadership stands out not because he commands the loudest voice, but because he listens deeply, adapts readily, and leads with purpose.
Whether it’s transforming team structures, leveraging AI, or building homes in Cambodia, Paul embodies the spirit of empowerment — because as he reminds us, “You don’t look back to see how far you’ve come; you look back to see how much you can help the person behind you.”
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