Soon Ang

Soon Ang is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Leadership & Management at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence (CLCI), where she leads cutting-edge research on cultural intelligence and leadership. Her work bridges management, psychology, and information systems, with global impact on organizational effectiveness.

Her research focuses on Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and leadership in multicultural environments. She pioneered foundational theories and tools in CQ, including the first validated multimedia intercultural situational judgment tests (iSJTs) used to assess individuals, teams, and organizations. Her interdisciplinary work spans cross-cultural management, organizational behavior, and information systems, contributing to both academic theory and practical applications in global business and defense sectors.

Soon Ang's publications appear in premier journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, MIS Quarterly, Management Science, and Organization Science. Her editorial leadership includes being a founding Associate Editor of Academy of Management Discoveries, promoting abductive, evidence-based research. Her work shows a consistent trend toward innovation in measurement, cross-disciplinary integration, and real-world application of cultural intelligence frameworks.

Scientific Awards:

• Distinguished Leadership Award for International Alumni (University of Minnesota)
• Distinguished Walter F Ulmer, Jr Award (Center for Creative Leadership, USA)
• Inaugural Nanyang Award for Research and Innovation in the Social Sciences

She mentors PhD students and leads multidisciplinary research teams investigating culturally intelligent leadership in situ. Her research initiatives have attracted substantial funding from international agencies including IATA, ISO, and multi-year, multi-million dollar grants from Singapore’s Defense Science and Technology Agency and the Prime Minister’s Office. These grants support sustained inquiry into leadership dynamics in complex, multicultural organizational settings.

She leads the Centre for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence (CLCI), a research hub fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. The center develops evidence-based tools and training programs to enhance cultural intelligence across industries and national contexts.