e27 has been nurturing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs since its inception. Our Contributor Programme offers a platform for sharing unique insights.
As part of our ‘Contributor Spotlight’ series, we shine a spotlight on an outstanding contributor and dive into the vastness of their knowledge and expertise.
In this episode, we feature Kristen Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Rockrose, an executive search firm focused on top talent in Emerging Tech, Fintech, and Web3. With over a decade in headhunting, she has placed 120+ senior leaders across 30+ global firms and brings cross-cultural insight from working with corporates, startups, and remote teams across Western and Asian markets.
Thoughts, goals, and journey
Lim began her career in finance but made a deliberate shift into recruitment driven by a personal desire to understand and master sales. What started as a curiosity quickly became a long-term calling — one she has never looked back from. Today, she is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rockrose Executive Search, a firm she built to continue her mission of connecting exceptional talent with the right opportunities.
Passionate about both people and technology, Lim operates at the intersection of these two domains. She works closely with companies to identify and place leaders who will drive innovation and shape the future through technology. “My personal goal is to become a thought leader in leadership, recruitment, and entrepreneurship,” she said.
Lim sees GenAI as a major force transforming industries and is closely following its impact on talent, leadership, and the workplace. “The most recent trend is GenAI. It is evolving at lightning speed, and I believe the future of work will look very different from today,” she added.
The driving force
Lim has been an active contributor to our thought leadership community since joining the programme last year. Drawing from her experience in executive search and her deep interest in people and technology, her writing delves into themes such as the future of work, evolving trends in human resources, and navigating modern career paths.
“A friend told me about this programme, and I felt it was a great opportunity to share my insights with readers who are just as passionate about technology as I am,” she said.
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Her advice to those beginning their thought leadership journey is simple: “Just start contributing — your future self will thank you for it. Writing helps shape our thoughts and ideas, and it helps us grow in ways we may not see immediately.”
Juggling too many things?
Work-life balance plays a critical role in entrepreneurship. Unlike traditional jobs, running a business often blurs the line between work and personal time, making it essential for founders to consciously create space for rest, reflection, and non-work pursuits. Maintaining this balance isn’t just about well-being—it directly impacts clarity of thought, resilience, and the ability to lead effectively over time.
Lim believes that work-life balance, especially for entrepreneurs, is less about maintaining strict boundaries and more about creating a fluid integration of personal and professional priorities. She sees entrepreneurship not as a means to escape work demands, but as a way to design a more intentional and flexible lifestyle that aligns with her values and energy.
She said, “Entrepreneurship allows me to balance work and personal life more effectively, and it becomes work-life integration rather than just work-life balance. My strategy for growth is to have an open mind and stay curious. If we seek to learn from others, the learnings will present themselves, we just need to keep an open mind and have the willingness to learn.”
Staying in the loop
Staying current in a fast-evolving industry like tech and recruitment requires more than just reading the news or attending events. For Lim, it’s about being in constant dialogue with the people driving those changes. She believes that staying connected with peers, clients, and leaders across sectors is one of the most effective ways to understand where things are headed and how to adapt.
“Through conversations with the leaders in my field. I talk to leaders and executives day in and day out. These conversations help me stay ahead of the curve on the latest developments in technology and how they impact workplaces and culture,” she said, explaining how she remains informed and relevant.
For those who want to stay informed, she recommends subscribing to Rockrose Pulse on Substack, a platform she curates to share observations on the job market and the evolving relationship between technology and people.
Take a look at her articles here for more information and perspectives on her expertise.
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The post Work, tech, and talent: Kristen Lim on the evolving nature of leadership appeared first on e27.