A JS Maloney Scholar turned startup founder, Mr Liam Thomas (09-02), reflects on the leap from Wesley’s boarding halls to leading a global tech company in Hong Kong.

You started at Wesley in 1998 in Year 8. Can you share how you came to be a Wesley student?
My father was an Old Boy, but there were no plans for me to follow in his footsteps. Then a family friend – who happened to be the Registrar at the time – suggested I sit the scholarship exam and just see how I went. Luckily, I must have had my Weet-Bix that morning – the exam went well and the rest is history! I was awarded the J.S. Maloney Scholarship and even had the privilege of catching up with John Maloney himself on a recent trip to Perth. That was a really special moment.

What are some of your most memorable experiences from your time at Wesley?
Being a boarder was a priceless experience, and many of the guys from Tranby House are still mates I catch up with weekly. I rowed for a couple of seasons, including a very successful year for the College in 2001, when the 1st VIII won the Head of the River for the first time. I was coxing the 1st IV, which was also a great crew. We won a couple of regattas, and the camaraderie of the whole rowing team and the College at the time was really special. Before the Head of the River, all the rowers were called onto the stage for a send-off – and I received my one and only stomp!

Was there a particular teacher, mentor or experience at Wesley that had a lasting impact on you?

I wouldn’t say I was the quintessential model student, so there were definitely a few teachers and mentors who kept me on track – and I’m forever grateful to them. People like Peter Reidy, Head of Tranby; Neil Rumble, who worked in Boarding and was a particularly encouraging Science teacher in my early years; and Wayne Doney, who joined the boarding school later and always had a lot of belief in me. Mentors like these were critical throughout those years, and I have a lot to thank them for.

When you first left school, what were your initial steps? Did you have a clear plan, or did your path evolve over time?
Definitely an evolution! Even when I graduated from university, I wasn’t entirely sure what direction I wanted to take. Like many others, I followed the well-travelled path to London and landed a role in sales at a fintech company. That opportunity turned out to be more transformative than I expected. They ended up sending me around the world to set up sales teams – and that’s how I eventually ended up in Hong Kong!

Can you describe your current role and the kind of work you do day to day?
I’m currently the Hong Kong Country Manager for a Series B-funded startup called Sleek. We help entrepreneurs set up their own companies and then support their back-end operations through digital corporate secretary and accounting services. We’ve grown to over 5,000 customers and a team of 100, so my day-to-day now focuses heavily on process optimisation and data. A big part of my role is finding smarter ways to measure performance and customer satisfaction across the entire journey, so we can quickly spot where things aren’t working – and fix them fast.

As someone in a leadership position, what do you believe are the most important qualities of an effective leader?
Without a doubt, it’s making sure you have the right people around you – and that they’re in roles where they can truly thrive. At a certain level you simply can’t be across every detail, so it’s essential to build a team that can operate independently and confidently. And when things aren’t going well, being able to make quick, decisive calls is critical. Problems rarely fix themselves – you have to step in and make the big decisions when it counts.

What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self, or to current students thinking about their future paths?
I would tell him to take the hardest and most high-risk option you can. You’ve got so much runway ahead of you that you can afford to make a few mistakes along the way. If a high-risk, high-reward opportunity – like joining a startup – pays off, it can completely change the trajectory of your career. It’s all about backing yourself early and being willing to take a leap.

Looking ahead, what are you excited about, either professionally or personally, in the next few years?
I’m really excited about what’s ahead with Sleek. We participated in a major fundraising campaign this year, which has put us on a fast-growth trajectory and potentially headed towards launching on the stock market. If I get to be part of a second major tech-startup exit, that’s like the luckiest of the lucky – so I’m just enjoying the ride!

This article was originally published in the Summer 2025 edition of The Wesleyan. To read more, click here.