“Nobody is afraid to fail at Intellect…We back each other up and even if we fail, we pick each other up and we move on. That’s the spirit of a startup that Theo has successfully built for Intellect…We’re willing to push further and take risks together.”

What kind of organization and culture does it take to foster the growth of a business driving mental health care access globally? 

Our conversation continues with Intellect VP of Partnerships & Solutions Cassandra Loh.

This episode we delve deeper into the inner workings of Intellect’s organization and how that has impacted her role driving global growth of the company. How do they marry the B2C and B2B2C features of the business? How do they ensure strategic partnerships are long-term? How does the partnerships team align with product, clinical, operations teams? 

How has she evolved as a leader in Intellect and what has she learned from working alongside leaders like CEO and co-founder Theo as well as CEOs of their partner organizations? 

Missed part one of the conversation? Watch the episode here.

Timestamps

(00:00) Have you watched part 1?

(00:10) Highlights;

(01:44) Driving global growth through Intellect’s unique approach to its B2C and B2B2C features;

(08:19) Partnerships for the long-term;

(10:17) Keeping a global company agile;

(12:15) Cass’s Make or Break Moment at Intellect;

(16:10) The psychology of working at mental health startup;

(18:48) Rapid Fire Round;

About our guest

Trained academically in communications, with a strong interest and solid experience in Healthcare and Wellness, Cassandra Loh is an advocate of demystifying healthcare and making healthcare accessible for all. She has been working in the healthcare and wellness space for the last decade. 

As the VP of Partnerships & Solutions at Intellect, she builds and maintains Intellect’s strategic and distribution partnerships regionally, builds Intellect’s regional expansion markets’ growth strategy, oversees Intellect’s consulting and solutioning arm, and oversees Intellect’s chain of clinics. She was Health and Wellness Lead at Cigna Singapore, and before that Manager of Innovation and Growth at Parkway Pantai Limited, under IHH Healthcare. 

She received her Bachelors’ in Communication from the University of Buffalo, her Master’s in Communications Management from Singapore Management University, and her postgraduate diploma in Counseling Psychology from the College of Allied Educators. 

Transcript

Driving global growth through Intellect’s unique approach to its B2C and B2B2C features

Paulo: I have with me the VP for Partnerships and Solutions at Intellect, Cassandra Lo. We’ve been having a great conversation about how Intellect has been bridging gaps in different markets, from Japan to the U.S., largely due to its ability to localize. I think a lot of this localization has roots in the synergy between having both a B2C and B2B value proposition. 

Theo, the CEO, once described it as a scenario where with B2C, people gain awareness through the app, and eventually, some of them, as employees, would recommend it to their bosses. Some might be bosses themselves and want to get the B2B solution rolled out across their whole organization. I always thought that was an interesting aspect of Intellect from the get-go. 

So I wanted to get your take on this synergy within the B2C and B2B model. How has it helped? You’ve touched on it a little bit earlier, but how has it helped with your work in partnerships, and what does it mean for Intellect moving forward as a global company?

Cassandra: To me, honestly, whether it’s B2B or B2C, we’re fundamentally serving the user. Of course, there are certain things we understand that businesses need—like aggregated data and better insights. 

These are some of the solutions we’ve pushed forward, such as better training workshops and mental health first aid training, which are targeted at the workforce. We definitely have a whole team that looks at how we can add value to our services for businesses.

For example, we have a real-time dashboard that benefits businesses because now, instead of relying on a yearly employee engagement survey and then thinking of solutions to intervene based on last year’s results, we can offer them a real-time dashboard on the wellbeing, utilization, and engagement of the workforce. 

This is an example of a solution that’s targeted at the business. But at the end of the day, what we care a lot about is the user experience, whether it’s B2C or B2B2C. That’s undifferentiated for us.

So, I would say we develop a lot of solutions for our users. Earlier, I spoke a little about how we create solutions for mothers who have just been discharged from the hospital—that was a B2C conversation, as it was direct to patients via hospitals. 

However, we realized this solution is also suitable for any company or organization because their employees might have gone through the same maternity phase and parenting transition. So, what we created for our B2C market is very applicable to our B2B market as well. Now, much of what we plan and strategize to do has strong synergies between B2C and B2B.

Paulo: When a problem statement from B2C and its solution bleed into the B2B2C side as well. Rethinking ways of doing things that might have been institutionalized, like how even a conversation about maternity leave might lead to rethinking the right amount of leave. You also mentioned how B2B provides a lot of aggregated data and insights.

One of the initiatives Intellect recently put out, the “Intellect Dimensions” report, is a product of this—coming from the B2C app and then aggregating it across the different industries you serve in B2B. Maybe you could talk a little about that report. What does it mean for you and for the partnerships you have? Is it something that a lot of strategic partners refer to and discuss in conversations?

Cassandra: Sure. It’s been the most talked-about report. It’s already July, and people are still asking for it.

I think the report gained traction because of how the app was created and the size of our user base, which gives the report more weight when it comes to industries and segmenting by countries. 

We also have so many experts within the company who can provide insights into why the report or statistics might look a certain way. People have been really interested in reading the benchmark report.

What’s next for the benchmark report is integrating these benchmarks into the dashboard so that B2B companies can understand their results better. We challenged the product and clinical teams with questions like, “So what if my engagement score is low? Maybe it’s just an industry thing. 

What if everyone in this industry, particularly, is less engaged?” The benchmark report will help with this and we will continue to refine it with more data. This allows organizations to compare themselves against industry standards, rather than just a singular score.

Paulo: With that understanding, I guess it helps build trust and credibility in what Intellect is doing, because you have this depth of insight. The scale of it also lends more credence to your localization capabilities.

Partnerships for the long-term

Paulo: One thing I wanted to ask is—it’s one thing to set up these partnerships, get into these conversations, and win them over with the Intellect Dimensions report. 

But it’s another thing to actually keep these partnerships going across multiple years and really show them the results of this partnership. How do you approach customer success or partner success when it comes to this at Intellect?

Cassandra: When it comes to partners, I always tell my teams that I wouldn’t want to be in a partnership where it’s a one-way street. So, we engage our partners very regularly and always put ourselves in their shoes to understand what a win looks like for them. 

In fact, just in a meeting before this, my team members were asking, “Why are they doing this? What’s in it for them? What’s the win for them?” They’re trained now—all of us are. We want it to be a two-way street, and we want these partnerships to be long-term. 

Whether we’re pushing out a program together or brainstorming, it’s instinctive for us to look at things from both sides and find a win-win solution that benefits all parties. I firmly believe that there are solutions that can satisfy everyone involved. 

It takes more brainstorming and experience, but it can be done—and we have done it. That’s why many of our partners have been with us since day one, and our partnerships just grow stronger. I’m really grateful for that.

Paulo: Especially when you have partners coming inbound, it’s easy to just accept that they probably like what we’re doing and forget about what’s in it for them. That’s an important conversation, especially with inbound partnerships.

Cassandra: Exactly. At Intellect, we have a team dedicated to looking after our partners. Their whole role is to keep them engaged, continue sharing insights, and keep innovating and collaborating together. You’re right—it’s extremely important.

Keeping a global company agile

Paulo: You’ve mentioned multiple times that you work a lot with other teams, like your product and technical teams. How do you manage relationships with those teams? 

You hear a lot of demands and insights from partners, and you see a lot of things on the ground with users and customers. How do you keep these teams sane, level-headed, and focused on the right priorities so that you can still deliver what’s best for partners and users?

Cassandra: My response to this question is actually similar to my previous one. At the end of the day, for all of my colleagues, it’s about understanding where they’re coming from—what their motivations are, what their OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are—and aligning them with ours. That’s extremely important. 

At Intellect, our team is very tight-knit. The leadership team works very closely with everyone, so it’s really a collaborative environment. We come together—three or four of us, whoever’s involved—to discuss how to prioritize things and understand the importance of a project in relation to other tasks. 

At the end of the day, we all want what’s best for Intellect and our users. So, with that mindset, we can easily shift our OKRs if something else becomes more important at a given moment. Being agile is essential, especially in a startup. 

I’d say our approach is both top-down and bottom-up. We encourage our teams to collaborate, and we have many projects that require multi-team collaboration, so they’re used to working together. From the top down, leaders lead by example. 

We ensure that we’re never siloed in anything we do; we make sure everyone is aware, involved, and has a say in how things are done. At the same time, we respect the executive decision-maker for a particular project. This approach makes working together much easier and more enjoyable.

Cass’s Make or Break Moment at Intellect

Paulo: Since you joined Intellect, could you share with us the biggest “make or break” moment of your journey, especially in building partnerships and growing into your role at Intellect?

Cassandra: I think it was when IHH told me, “Yes, we’re going ahead to be a strategic investor and strategic partner.”

Paulo: Was that something you had pushed for and led from the very beginning?

Cassandra: Absolutely. After I joined Intellect, I started pulling the strings together. The corporate venture team that’s responsible for investments was the team I used to belong to, and my former colleagues were still there. 

We had built a lot of trust—they knew how well I understood the market and the ecosystem, and that probably helped in a lot of the decision-making. Of course, it wasn’t just me; the entire team also showed its credibility and value. 

But really, being on the other side now, thinking about why IHH should invest in Intellect, and then explaining to the team—who weren’t that familiar with healthcare—why we should have IHH on board as a strategic investor, that was a very memorable experience for me. 

It took a while, but building that connection and bridge, and then finally being able to not only be strategic partners but also to provide Intellect to all 20,000 employees across IHH markets—that’s very meaningful to me. I’ve been with IHH for 10 years, and to see them embrace this and say, “Yes, our employees need a good solution, and we’re going to invest in it,” makes me very proud. 

Dr. Pram, the group CEO, actually won the CEO of the Year award at 2024 WorkWell Leaders awards. I was in the ballroom when he received it, and afterward, he went on national TV to highlight various examples of how IHH cares about employees’ well-being. 

Intellect was one of the solutions mentioned. I just felt so proud of how much IHH has done for its employees and how far Intellect has come in building this partnership. So, that would be, hands down, the most memorable moment for me so far.

Paulo: That’s certainly a huge effort and a game-changer for Intellect in terms of showcasing to the world what it can achieve on such a scale. Hopefully, we’ll see more of these down the line. Speaking of which, what are you most excited about when it comes to Intellect these days? What keeps you up at night—in a good way, of course?

Cassandra: There’s so much we want to do. Right now, it’s about managing that excitement and prioritizing. Sometimes I have to be careful when I bring an idea to Theo because he’s quick to say, “Let’s do it!” And I’m like, “Wait, let’s prioritize a little.” 

We’ve already made great strides in the B2B space. One exciting challenge is expanding beyond Asia and APAC to the global stage. It’s about understanding what more we need to know—whether it’s their payer models, insurance systems, or healthcare structures. 

It’s a constant learning process because understanding how benefits schemes play out in different markets is crucial for knowing where we fit in.

The second part that excites me is the entire healthcare side of things—the clinics, the ecosystem, the insurance integration. We’ve started in Singapore, but how do we bring this to other markets in the next 12 months? Those are the projects that really excite me.

Paulo: It sounds like a lot of the work you’ve done in Singapore is now being extended to other markets. There’s so much happening in Singapore, and I can’t wait to see it replicated elsewhere.

The psychology of working at mental health startup

Paulo: You mentioned something interesting that I wanted to explore further: your work dynamic with Theo. You initially reached out to him from the IHH perspective, and now you’ve been working together for the past two-plus years. 

How would you describe that dynamic? What have you learned from him, and what do you think you’ve imparted to him during this time?

Cassandra: I’m saying this genuinely, not just because Theo might listen to this, but Theo truly leads by example. He’s been a champion of empathy while still being decisive, striking a very nice balance between being a fellow coworker and a leader who brings us together and pushes us forward, even when things get tough. Theo’s endurance rubs off on everyone. 

His optimism, too—he recently mentioned in an interview that being somewhat delusional can be beneficial. It makes sense because sometimes that naive optimism spreads to those of us who’ve been in the industry for a while, and we find ourselves asking, “Are you sure this is going to work?” But his journey alongside us helps.

I’ve worked with a lot of startups during my time in corporate ventures, and I always tell Theo that what sets him apart from many others is how he leads with his heart, no matter how big Intellect grows or how busy he gets. He still cares deeply about his people, and he holds onto the same values regardless of the company’s size or the challenges we face.

At Intellect, no one is afraid to fail. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that because it’s so collaborative. We make decisions together, back each other up, and if we fail, we pick ourselves up and move on. That’s the spirit of a startup that Theo has successfully instilled at Intellect, and it’s why we’re all so comfortable working here—we’re willing to push further and take risks together.

Paulo: Who knew that working at a mental healthcare startup would be good for your mental health as well!

Watch Part One: