Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In this episode of The CEO Serieswe got a front row seat to it head lessons from Stan ChiaCEO and Director of the Board Living places. Vivid Seats is an online ticket marketplace that did over $500 million in 2022. Stan shared amazing insights into running a large company with over 500 employees and his personal passions outside of the boardroom that keep him energized and engaged .
Below are some highlights from our conversation, which you can watch in the full video above.
The best aspect of being a CEO
“For me, the best part of being a CEO, you're getting to work in an industry you love and with people you love every day. It is a privilege to decide the direction and vision of the company”.
Connected: Inside Potbelly's recipe for quick casual success
On his career path
“I grew up thinking I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. I loved it spaceship and the concept of going into space. I was born in Singapore and raised in New York. After high school, I was asked to return and serve in the Singapore Army. I did this for about three years. I was very scared, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences I've had in terms of formulating who I am. After that, I had the opportunity to study industrial engineering at Georgia Tech. Part of this journey helped me realize that I didn't think a specialized field was something I wanted to do. So I went back to a more general space that allowed me to see more of the world, see more businesses and industries and eventually landed here at Vivid Seat.”
Connected: 'Becoming a unicorn is really just the beginning' Leadership lessons from Tech CEO Godard Abel
On the power of diversity
“My leadership skills stem from the ability to learn, listen, understand and appreciate the diversity of culture. Singapore is a wonderful, multicultural society with many different people calling it home. This great fusion of cultures I think helped defining a lot of who I am today. I've had the opportunity to go and try to build different teams everywhere I've worked, and I'm super proud of the fact that when you look at our leadership team at The C-suite level, we have more than 50 percent female leaders. And when you look at the board we put together at Vivid Seats, we came out of the gate with a majority diverse board.”
For his personal motivation
“The people I'm privileged to lead motivate me. You know that old military phrase, you go into battle with them every day. You have to love the troops you're with and I love the team we're with.” I came here and, of course, the family that supports me in the background. The desire to do a good job for all of them motivates me. And at the end of the day I really believe in the mission of what Vivid Seats is, and that is to make sure everyone can experience and see the things they love live.”
See more profiles of innovative and influential leaders by visiting The CEO Series the archives.