In the world of private capital, no one talks about panic attacks. But Sean Lim will.
“Anxiety has been a relentless teacher, gripping me in my everyday life,” recounts Lim, 35. “I lived my days with a heavy heart full of worries and sadness for three decades thinking it was normal. I only realised how serious the condition was when a huge panic attack landed me in the A&E.”
That moment came in 2021, when a full-blown panic attack struck while he was on a work trip in Bangkok. “I couldn’t breathe. My head was spinning. I thought I was going to die,” he recalled in another interview.
Artist’s impression of the soon-to-open mixed-used development in Penang, which will include a Radisson Blu hotel.
It’s this candid mix of vulnerability and fire that sets Lim apart. Sure, he’s spearheading a RM1 billion mixed-use development in Penang that includes Asia’s first Radisson Blu hotel. And yes, he’s an up-and-comer in the Southeast Asian investment landscape.
But if there’s one thing that Lim is quietly reimagining, it’s what leadership can look like: Ambition, backed by empathy. And men who heal, not just hustle.
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- ROOTS AND RESOLVE
- SELF-TAUGHT, SELF-MADE
- A NEW KIND OF DEVELOPER
- THE NEXT STAGE
Roots and Resolve
Lim’s origin story begins far from the gleaming skyscrapers of Singapore’s CBD. Raised in a three-room HDB flat in Tiong Bahru with his parents and sister, he describes his teenage years as a crucible of self-doubt.
“Low self-esteem, faltering grades, and tensions with my parents during my rebellious years left us all bruised,” he shares.
But the constant was love. “My family is the heartbeat of my purpose,” he maintains. “Despite our modest means, they sacrificed to provide opportunities – enrichment classes, even piano lessons where I obviously had little patience.”
“Ours is a country built on visionary leadership and principled governance, and with that inheritance comes both opportunity and responsibility. I wish more young Singaporeans understood just how blessed we are to call this place home.”
His maternal grandmother, who raised him, looms large in his memory. “She wove love into every meal, every stern word, every small gold trinket she gifted.” A tattoo of her on his forearm honours that resilience, as well as the values that drive him to this day.
“As a teenager washing dishes for $5.50 an hour, I learned that every labour, however humble, carries profound dignity,” he offers. That work ethic carried him into his early career as a professionally-trained chef in Michelin-starred kitchens and luxury hotels.
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- ROOTS AND RESOLVE
- SELF-TAUGHT, SELF-MADE
- A NEW KIND OF DEVELOPER
- THE NEXT STAGE
Self-taught, Self-made
Lim’s entry into real estate development wasn’t traditional. He didn’t study property or finance at university. Instead, he studied people, places, and purpose.
His experience in hospitality gave him a nuanced understanding of service, design, and the rhythms of guest experience – insights that would serve him well in his approach to hospitality development.
In 2015, he joined NWD Holdings, a private investment vehicle focused on real estate and growth equity, initially working on M&A and investor relations.
More than just a hotel, the upcoming Radisson Blu will also feature a variety of wellness spaces to address guest’s various needs.
“Despite not having a real estate degree, I dove into Penang’s market while studying its rhythms alongside veterans we hired in the respective fields,” he explains. Resilience, humility, and his commitment to growth were what guided him on his journey, he reflects.
Meanwhile, the wisdom of his mentors – whom he declines to name – as well as books like Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning shaped his worldview. “Frankl’s philosophy – that meaning can be forged in suffering – resonates with my own battles against anxiety,” he says.
- ROOTS AND RESOLVE
- SELF-TAUGHT, SELF-MADE
- A NEW KIND OF DEVELOPER
- THE NEXT STAGE
A New Kind of Developer
The Penang project includes the 243-key Radisson Blu hotel, a 475-unit serviced apartment block, and a retail podium. Designed by Hong Kong-based P&T Architects, the development spans over 660,000 square feet and is slated for completion by Q3 2028, according to EdgeProp.
But for Lim, the point isn’t scale; it’s soul. “Ambition sparks the vision; responsibility roots it in care,” he says. “[The project] will create jobs for Penang’s locals – bartenders, cleaners, the everyday folks – while embracing green designs and local food sources.”
As a Singaporean, he says he brings both “discipline and warmth” to the regional stage. “Our success is a pathway to opportunities: Jobs in Penang, mentorship for Singapore’s youth. It’s about opening doors for the hungry ones, those who start with grit and dreams, just as I did.”
Outfit by Brunello Cucinelli
“I feel incredibly privileged to be a Singaporean,” he adds. “Ours is a country built on visionary leadership and principled governance, and with that inheritance comes both opportunity and responsibility. I wish more young Singaporeans understood just how blessed we are to call this place home.”
For Lim, that sense of duty extends beyond borders. “Whether it’s creating jobs in Penang or mentoring youth back home, it’s all about paying forward the chances I was given. It’s personal — I’m simply passing on the same opportunity that once shaped me.”
The Radisson Blu will include wellness spaces inspired by his own journey. “Picture a tranquil space with privacy-curtained breakout rooms, weekly mindfulness workshops, calming scents. A space where the working man can share struggles through talks, meditation, and mentors who’ve walked the same path.”
- ROOTS AND RESOLVE
- SELF-TAUGHT, SELF-MADE
- A NEW KIND OF DEVELOPER
- THE NEXT STAGE
The Next Stage
On the personal front, Lim is working on the restoration of a circa-1927 conservation shophouse in Joo Chiat that once belonged to a multigenerational family. When that family’s matriarch passed on, the younger generation collectively decided to part ways with the home.
Attracted to its solid bones and beautifully preserved timber floors and ceiling rafters, Lim felt that it would make a perfect dwelling to house his parents and grandmother. “It’s more than a house; it’s my humble abode that I’ve dreamed about since my secondary school years,” he says. “Restoring it is a labour of love.”
Outfit by Coach
Next on his radar? A sustainable urban wellness hub. “A place where green design, mental health support, and community converge,” he says. “It’s my vision to reshape Southeast Asian cities, creating spaces where the average Joe finds solace and strength.”
Legacy, for Lim, is measured not in assets but in impact. “It’s the careers I’ve created, help I’ve rendered, decisions I’ve made to better the lives of my niece and nephew. Legacy to me is the echo of lives touched during my time here.”
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