Rick Yvanovich, Founder & CEO, TRG International
Resilient leadership is a paramount quality that influences, inspires, and steers organisations towards success. To weather the storm of today’s technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences, companies need resilient leaders who can embrace challenges head-on with their unique blend of problem-solving skills, ingenuity, and innovation—an amalgamation that transcends conventional approaches. Such business leaders not only demonstrate mental resilience but also push the envelope by rewriting the rules and navigating uncharted territories with a bold vision that defies convention.
An embodiment of such exemplary leadership is Rick Yvanovich, a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, renowned executive coach, and the founder and CEO of TRG International, an IT and talent solutions company based in South East Asia.
With over 40 years of diverse industry experience spanning multiple sectors, Rick is a pioneer of transformation, having built TRG International from the ground up based on his vision of empowering continuous improvement.
Under Rick’s leadership, TRG International has grown exponentially to support over 1,000 clients across 80 countries. However, Rick’s journey was not without challenges.
From Academic Setback to Career Discovery
Rick demonstrated strong academic skills throughout his youth. At 17, he began his hustling journey working as a part-time chef in a restaurant during school holidays. Falling short when facing the UK’s final set of A-Level exams, at 18, he moved to stacking shelves and learning the ropes of people management as a Management Trainee at Sainsbury’s, a UK supermarket chain.
Rick soon realised there was a mismatch between his interests and the demands of his work in retail management. He recalled his academic strengths in mathematics and physics and felt more inclined towards quantitative analysis than interpersonal management duties. Shortly after, he turned to Accounting school and the world of debits and credits and landed a trainee accountant job in a small accounting practice in Covent Garden, London, and never looked back.
From Finance Manager to Serial Entrepreneur
Rick’s determination to continuously learn and develop himself led to his career progression. In 1990, an important milestone saw Rick relocate to Vietnam to take on a Finance Manager role with BP Exploration—a brave move that set the foundations for the next chapter of his journey. It also made Rick one of the longest-standing British expatriates in the country.
In 1994, Rick founded TRG International out of his kitchen. Starting humbly, the company focused on providing accounting solutions. Through Rick’s visionary approach, TRG International has since evolved tremendously, offering an extensive portfolio of cloud-based software and talent management solutions tailored to global clients.
Core to TRG International’s success is Rick’s emphasis on developing a culture deeply rooted in six values: passion, integrity, innovation, coaching culture, collaboration, and kaizen (continuous improvement). These are also the DNA that defines TRG International and the “Why” behind the business.
He leads through empowerment and example, always embracing challenges as opportunities to enhance one’s skills and evolve personally through professional coaching qualifications.
Now celebrating TRG International’s 30th milestone, Rick’s aims extend beyond merely surviving to proactively shaping impact and legacy. By cultivating an inclusive, empowering, and adaptive culture, Rick prepares the organisation for tomorrow’s challenges with resilience.
Beyond building a successful business, Rick remains an active entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded startups and holds multiple executive roles, including at Great People Inside, where he’s a co-founder, CFO and board member. With deep expertise built over many industry cycles, Rick shares his knowledge globally as a sought-after inspirational speaker on topics like digital disruption, change leadership, doing business in Asia and his favourite, Business As UnUsual.
Being the Architect of Change in a Business As UnUsual World Today
There is a fundamental concept that Rick strongly advocates for — the potential for each person to be an Architect of Change.
In today’s Business As UnUsual world, defined by constant change and transformation, reactionary responses are common as people struggle to keep pace. However, to truly embody being an Architect of Change, individuals must take proactive measures to shape their own destiny. Simply surviving or reacting to changes is inadequate; the goal should be to actively influence and steer the course of events.
Every day, our actions, no matter how big or small, can shape our future.
Each person becomes their own brand, and every decision they make becomes a part of the unique story they’re crafting for themselves. How they react, adapt, and innovate in the face of change will define their story and legacy. This belief forms the foundation of Rick’s work and life purpose.
Rick positions himself ahead of the curve, clearly defining his desired trajectory. Each decision made and taken supports shaping his identity, character, and, ultimately, legacy. It is unsurprising that Rick fully embraces an infinite growth mindset, perceiving every failure as an opportunity for learning, as small, incremental improvements can lead to significant impacts. Members of TRG International simply cannot innovate a better solution to meet the client’s needs without having a passion and the ability to collaborate with others. They cannot grow without accepting failures and without the right coach to guide them to overcome hardships.
For Rick, we are not mere participants or passengers but catalysts in an ever-changing business landscape. Laser-focused on his life purpose to inspire and transform people, Rick expresses that he is on a never-ending learning journey, sharing his knowledge with others and providing solutions to their problems and easy ways to remember them.
“You need to move out of that comfort zone and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Just like a caterpillar needs to let go of being a caterpillar to become a butterfly, you also must let go of your inhibitions to fly. This is what I want people to believe in, and this is part of the legacy I want to leave behind,” opines Rick on a concluding note.