Launch Point Malaysia: leadership, market growth and the future of Horizontal APAC
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Article
Article by Jeremy Langevin
Dec 2, 2025
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit our team in Malaysia and be a part of our larger APAC leadership meetings. During my time in Kuala Lumpur, I sat down with our APAC leaders, Sreejith (APAC VP), Vijay (India Country Director), Michelle (Malaysia Country Director) and Rob (Australia Country Director), for a series of conversations about growth, culture, regional opportunities and the future of Horizontal’s talent, team and project solutions.
What emerged was a powerful look at how far we’ve come as a region: how this team built a $20M operation from the ground up, how collaboration across countries strengthens the customer experience and why APAC will play a central role in our next chapter.
Below is a recap of the insights that surfaced from those conversations.
Sreejith, who oversees India, Malaysia and Australia, walked me through how APAC has evolved under his leadership: from a small staffing footprint into a unified professional services engine. His focus on consistency, scalable delivery and high-quality customer experiences is a major driver behind our regional momentum.
Vijay, our Country Director in India, shared a candid story about taking a risk seven years ago when he stepped away from a stable career for a leadership role with us, a company just getting started in India. The result? India has grown into both a delivery powerhouse and a strategic center of technical excellence.
Michelle, our Country Director in Malaysia, talked about her journey from owning her own company to building one of Horizontal’s fastest-growing offices. She emphasized how critical it’s been to hire locally, build culture intentionally and adapt to Malaysia’s fast-evolving GBS landscape.
Rob, our Country Director in Australia, spoke about relocating to Melbourne and building a strong, quality-first brand presence. He’s focused on deep client partnerships, offshoring collaboration with India and expanding our professional services offerings across the region.
Together, their stories formed a clear picture: APAC succeeds because of leadership that learns fast, works collaboratively and leads with heart.
With India, I heard how our team shifted from traditional staffing to a more consultative, scalable professional services model. Investments in talent, capability building and training positioned the team to deliver higher-value solutions for clients.
With Malaysia, Michelle walked me through how the team carved out a strong identity in a highly competitive market. Building trust, delivering quality service and nurturing local partnerships helped establish Horizontal as a standout name in KL’s growing GBS ecosystem.
With Australia, Rob highlighted the work behind balancing personal transitions, client expectations and brand-building in a new market. His focus on quality, credibility and the right relationships has helped us build a foundation that mirrors Horizontal’s global standards.
And across all three markets, Sreejith emphasized how collaboration accelerated growth: teams learning from each other’s missteps and milestones, sharing best practices and operating as a unified region rather than isolated countries.
That spirit of learning together continues to make APAC more connected, agile and aligned.
Across all three markets, AI came up consistently, not as a replacement for people, but as a catalyst for smarter workforce planning. Every leader underscored that while automation increases efficiency, human connection remains the true differentiator.
What emerged was a powerful look at how far we’ve come as a region: how this team built a $20M operation from the ground up, how collaboration across countries strengthens the customer experience and why APAC will play a central role in our next chapter.
Below is a recap of the insights that surfaced from those conversations.
Meet the team
Across APAC, our leadership is shaped by shared purpose, entrepreneurial drive and a deep commitment to excellence. As I spoke with each of our leaders, I was reminded of just how much passion and intentionality goes into building this region.Sreejith, who oversees India, Malaysia and Australia, walked me through how APAC has evolved under his leadership: from a small staffing footprint into a unified professional services engine. His focus on consistency, scalable delivery and high-quality customer experiences is a major driver behind our regional momentum.
Vijay, our Country Director in India, shared a candid story about taking a risk seven years ago when he stepped away from a stable career for a leadership role with us, a company just getting started in India. The result? India has grown into both a delivery powerhouse and a strategic center of technical excellence.
Michelle, our Country Director in Malaysia, talked about her journey from owning her own company to building one of Horizontal’s fastest-growing offices. She emphasized how critical it’s been to hire locally, build culture intentionally and adapt to Malaysia’s fast-evolving GBS landscape.
Rob, our Country Director in Australia, spoke about relocating to Melbourne and building a strong, quality-first brand presence. He’s focused on deep client partnerships, offshoring collaboration with India and expanding our professional services offerings across the region.
Together, their stories formed a clear picture: APAC succeeds because of leadership that learns fast, works collaboratively and leads with heart.
The Horizontal journey
A shared theme across every conversation was that APAC’s growth hasn’t happened by accident, it’s the result of intentional evolution.With India, I heard how our team shifted from traditional staffing to a more consultative, scalable professional services model. Investments in talent, capability building and training positioned the team to deliver higher-value solutions for clients.
With Malaysia, Michelle walked me through how the team carved out a strong identity in a highly competitive market. Building trust, delivering quality service and nurturing local partnerships helped establish Horizontal as a standout name in KL’s growing GBS ecosystem.
With Australia, Rob highlighted the work behind balancing personal transitions, client expectations and brand-building in a new market. His focus on quality, credibility and the right relationships has helped us build a foundation that mirrors Horizontal’s global standards.
And across all three markets, Sreejith emphasized how collaboration accelerated growth: teams learning from each other’s missteps and milestones, sharing best practices and operating as a unified region rather than isolated countries.
That spirit of learning together continues to make APAC more connected, agile and aligned.
Market insights from across APAC
Each leader provided a unique lens into what makes their markets both distinct and full of opportunity.India
With one of the world’s most skilled technical workforces, India remains a strategic engine for talent delivery. Vijay explained how clients, especially GCCs, are now prioritizing quality, speed and capability depth, not just cost. AI and automation are becoming competitive advantages, enabling smarter, faster delivery.Malaysia
Malaysia’s GBS sector continues to grow rapidly with strong government support. Michelle emphasized how companies want partners who understand local culture, evolving regulations and talent expectations. Local leadership is essential here, and it’s been a major differentiator for us.Australia
Rob shared that Australia is seeing increased demand for integrated solutions: staffing complemented by offshoring, managed services and project delivery. Clients want tailored, quality-controlled solutions that leverage both local expertise and APAC-wide capability.Across all three markets, AI came up consistently, not as a replacement for people, but as a catalyst for smarter workforce planning. Every leader underscored that while automation increases efficiency, human connection remains the true differentiator.
Looking ahead: The future of Horizontal in APAC
All our conversations ultimately pointed to the same conclusion: APAC will be central to Horizontal’s global evolution.
Here’s what we’re focused on next:
- Expanding professional services across India, Malaysia and Australia
- Embedding team and project solutions as core offerings, not add-ons
- Strengthening cross-country collaboration to move faster and smarter
- Investing in AI and automation to build a future-ready delivery model
- Developing leaders and deepening succession planning across the region
- Pursuing a major milestone: APAC as a $100M region in the next 3–5 years
It’s an ambitious vision, but one rooted in the foundation this team has already built: collaboration, quality and a shared commitment to helping clients achieve meaningful outcomes.
APAC’s story is one of people-powered growth: leaders who build intentionally, teams who care deeply and a region that continues to elevate the Horizontal brand worldwide.
If you’re exploring how our talent, team or project solutions can support your workforce strategy, let's chat!