HE NEVER APPLIED FOR A JOB.
HERE’S WHAT HE DID INSTEAD.
The story behind CTN
Christopher Kong has never successfully applied for a job.
Not because he didn’t try … but because every role he’s ever held came through a person, not a portal. A mentor who made a call. A colleague who opened a door. A stranger at an event who turned into a career-defining connection.
That insight (that opportunities come through people, and you need to be ready to grasp them) shaped the next 17 years of his career.
He spent those years working across China, Singapore, and Australia. He led multimillion-dollar teams. He became a Director at Fortune 500 companies (Cadbury, Nielsen and Danone) not through applying upward, but through building sideways: relationships, trust and a reputation for delivering through people.
Then he came home to Melbourne.
And he saw the same quiet achievers he’d been all along: technical professionals who were brilliant at their work but invisible in the room. Skilled migrants who had rebuilt their careers once and were having to do it again, without a network. Client-facing professionals who were great at the job but hadn’t learned how to win the trust that brings the business.
He’d also seen something else in his career: that most networking training was built on a kind of performance. Work the room. Collect the cards. Hustle. It felt fake because it was. And it didn’t work for the people who needed it most.
So he built something different.
Crouching Tiger Network is built on the belief that authentic networking (the kind based on genuine curiosity, generosity and strategic thinking) is a skill that anyone can learn. Not a personality trait. Not a gift. A skill.
And that when quiet achievers learn it, they don’t just get promoted. They open doors for others.
A little more about Chris
Former Director at Cadbury/Kraft, Nielsen, and Danone across Asia-Pacific
17 years working across China, Singapore, and Australia
Recognised as one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians (2020)
Winner, Australia China Alumni Award for Corporate Achievement
Board Member, Enactus Australia
Committee Member, Asian Australian Foundation
Honorary Fellow, University of Melbourne
BCom/LLB (Hons), University of Melbourne | Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Outside of work: board games, interactive fiction, and running (slowly).
Meet the Team
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rita wang
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Zinuo (Aurora) Zhou
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Carmen Xu
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Vaishnavi Babu
The CTN teaM
CTN is built by quiet achievers, for quiet achievers.
Chris is supported by a small, talented team (primarily in marketing and community) who bring their own experience of navigating complex professional environments as cross-cultural professionals and career changers. They don’t just work on the mission. They’ve lived it.
Our delivery partners
CTN also works with a select group of expert partners to co-design and co-deliver programs, bringing specialist depth where it matters most.
Fish Talk Global is one of our key partners, collaborating with CTN on cross-cultural communication programs for professional and corporate audiences.
Chris on behalf of CTN has been appointed as an entrepreneur in residence at Wade Institute
If you’re an expert facilitator, coach, or organisation interested in partnering with CTN, we’d love to hear from you.
OUR FRAMEWORKS
S.I.G.N Framework
Strategic • Ice-breaking • Giving • Nurturing
The SIGN framework is the foundation of the Art of Connection Mastermind and Client Engagement Workshops. It turns networking from a vague concept into a repeatable system: one that works for introverts, cross-cultural professionals and anyone who wants to build relationships with intention.
L.E.A.P Framework
Learn • Express • Align• Perform
The LEAP framework is the foundation of the Communication for Success Bootcamp.
It gives professionals a clear process for navigating tricky workplace situations (from difficult conversations to high-stakes presentations) with composure and clarity.
Ready to open some doors?
Whether you’re a professional looking to rise, a migrant rebuilding your network, or an organisation wanting to unlock your team’s potential … we’d love to talk.