Former YouGov Chief, Sundip Chahal, joins Milieu Insight as new CEO to drive global expansion; Gerald Ang to spearhead innovation

This article was first published in Business Insider.

In Asia's vibrant tech ecosystem, disruptive Milieu Insight continues to raise the bar. The consumer research and analytics company, known for its cutting edge approach to market insights, has just announced a leadership change. Sundip Chahal, a market research industry expert with over two decades of experience, steps into the CEO role. This transition marks a change in leadership and a bold statement of intent as the company aims to transform consumer insights worldwide.

‍A New Chapter in Data-Driven Decision Making

Milieu Insight's journey from a Southeast Asian startup to a company with global ambitions mirrors the data analytics industry's rapid evolution. Founded in 2016, the company quickly established itself as a disruptive force, utilizing mobile-first research methodologies and real-time data collection to provide more timely and nuanced insights than traditional market research could offer.

Chahal's appointment, with his extensive experience scaling research and commercial operations globally, signals a new phase in this journey. "What drew me to Milieu Insight was their impressive growth in Southeast Asia but also their technology and approach. We are already best in class & we have the capability to empower businesses to launch and collect real time data and insights at a global scale. Competitors say they can and then often disappoint clients with clumsy tech and poor data quality," he asserts.

This shift towards instant launching of surveys, real time results and analytics represents a significant trend in the industry. As businesses are faced with increasingly complex and fast-moving markets, anticipating consumer behavior and market trends has become a critical competitive advantage. With its agile end-to-end survey and community engagement capabilities, Milieu Insight's Canvas platform gives clients the opportunity to move to one integrated system and even own the entire research process if they wish.

Speaking on his appointment, Chahal takes on his new role with excitement and determination, "The opportunity to lead Milieu Insight at this juncture is thrilling and humbling," he reflects. "We're not just looking to grow; we're going to change how businesses understand and connect with consumers globally and crush any current supplier who isn't cutting it."

Bridging East and West: A Global Vision

Chahal's vision for Milieu Insight extends far beyond its Southeast Asian roots. With plans to expand into the U.S., U.K. and other key markets, the company is set to challenge established players globally. Chahal sees the expansion as a natural evolution of the company's vision and ambition.

"The beauty of our approach," he notes, "is that it's inherently scalable. The knowledge and iterative improvements we've gained from operating in diverse Southeast Asian markets have prepared us well for global expansion. We are not just exporting the best platform in the industry, we're bringing a new perspective about consumer research to markets and jaded clients, hungry for innovation."

Milieu Insight supports this global ambition. The company has hinted at upcoming features that utilize artificial intelligence to streamline the research process further. An AI survey assistant named Flash, set to be integrated into the Canvas platform, promises to once again push the boundaries of survey design and analysis.

The Human Element in a Data-Driven World

Despite focusing on technology and global expansion, Chahal emphasizes the human element underpinning Milieu Insight's success. "Our business is about understanding people. The technology we develop, the data we collect – it's all in service of gaining deeper insights into human behavior and preferences", he reflects. 

This philosophy is reflected in Milieu Insight's approach to panel management. The company boasts one of Southeast Asia's most extensive active survey panels, with over two million users. "We're constantly thinking about how to engage our panelists more meaningfully," Chahal explains. "It's about creating a community, not just a data source."

Chahal's enthusiasm for the future is palpable. "We're at a fascinating intersection of technology, data, and human insight," he muses. "Our goal is to make data-driven decision-making accessible but indispensable for businesses of all sizes, across all markets."

The Founder's Vision and the New CEO

Gerald Ang, the founder of Milieu Insight, sees Chahal's appointment as a fantastic opportunity to accelerate the company's global ambitions, freeing him to focus on innovation and business strategy, alongside the new CEO. "With Sunny on board, we're entering a new phase of growth," Ang states. "His experience and network will be invaluable as we expand into new markets, particularly the U.S. and U.K."

Ang's vision for the company remains focused on product development and skill enhancement. "We've built a great team and a powerful platform," he says. "Now, with Sunny's leadership, we can scale up rapidly while maintaining our commitment to innovation."

For his part, Chahal is eager to build on the solid foundation laid by Ang and the founding team. "My focus is on enabling the vision already in place," he explains. "We're taking what's been articulated locally and expanding it globally. The potential here is enormous, and I'm excited to help realize it."

Cultivating Company Culture During Rapid Growth

Ang emphasizes the critical importance of company culture, especially during rapid expansion. He recalls hearing at a conference that "culture eats strategy for lunch," a principle that has guided Milieu Insight's approach to growth. Maintaining a strong culture has been necessary as the company expanded from five to 70 employees across six markets.

Ang explains, "We've focused on aligning our vision and mission with corresponding values to create common ground for all employees. Leading by example has been crucial in embedding these values into our daily operations and decision-making processes."

This focus on culture has enabled Milieu Insight to maintain its inventive spirit and collaborative environment, as it scaled rapidly across Southeast Asia & became a regional leader.

Future Innovations in Consumer Research and Data Analytics

Ang takes a nuanced view when asked about the next significant innovation in the industry. While acknowledging that many will point to AI as the future, he believes Milieu Insight's approach goes beyond simply adopting new technologies:

"At Milieu Insight, we fundamentally want to change how research is conducted. We optimize the entire research supply chain, making our customers' lives easier at every process step."

Milieu Insight's advantage lies in its ground-up approach to reimagining the research supply chain. It aims to lead the industry in creating more efficient, accurate, and actionable consumer insights by streamlining and improving each aspect of the research process, from survey design to data analysis and visualization.

This approach aligns with the company's upcoming features, such as the AI survey assistant Flash and the Milieu Reports data visualization tool, designed to simplify and enhance various stages of the research process.

Advice for Founder-CEOs

As Ang transitions from his role as CEO, he offers advice to other founder-CEOs considering similar moves to support their company's growth. "It's crucial to remain founder-first but also to make the best decisions for the company," he reflects. "Bringing in someone with the right energy, sincerity, and skill set to scale up is key. It's about remembering why you started the company in the first place and being realistic about the needs of the business as it grows."

In today's data-driven world, Milieu Insight is not just collecting information – it is crafting it into powerful business tools. Under Chahal's leadership, the company will take its approach that turns raw data into game-changing insights to organisations across the globe, giving its clients that crucial edge in a complex market. As this Asian success story steps onto the world stage, the industry is watching closely, eager to see how Milieu Insight will continue to disrupt and shape the future of consumer understanding.

Milieu Insights excels as one of the top panel research companies in Singapore, helping brands capture valuable consumer opinions.