Getting to know... Steven Kang

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Steven Kang, vice president and general manager EMEA at London-based HR and people management platform Lattice, talks about solving problems, fulfilling a dream to be a businessman and playing golf with Tiger Woods.

We know you as the vice president and general manager EMEA at Lattice, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick... 

I love solving problems, at a high level seeing how different teams come together to achieve our overall business goals, and at a detailed level of really understanding how and why things work.

The complexity of thinking about how we best serve customers to manage their people and performance – working with product, marketing, sales, customer experience, ecosystem partners and many others – is fascinating.

It’s a combination of solving a puzzle and being an orchestra conductor at the same time.

I also love detail; as a child, I would take apart calculators and put them back together.

Today, I like to geek out on seeing how a marginal gain in one part of how we interact with customers (an extra call or email touch) can improve the value they receive from us. 

Did you always want to work in tech? 

Not exactly, but I did end up where I always wanted to be.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a businessman.

My dad was a small business owner working in a non-office environment.

But I had always seen career success as being in a suit and tie, and going to work in an office.

Maybe it was the influence of the original Wall Street movie!

I’m not in a suit and tie anymore, but I do work in ‘business’. And tech is the icing on the cake.

I love the innovative and fast-moving nature that the industry offers, even more so with the advent of artificial intelligence, and having the opportunity to work for companies like Lattice that have literally changed the way we live and work. 

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst? 

The best bit is the people.

Internally, the people in our London office are some of the best I’ve ever worked with.

More than the talent, it’s the collaborative culture they’ve all built.

It’s the first place in a long time where I feel like I can bring my full, authentic self to work every day.

It brings me so much joy when I get to see and celebrate when the team succeeds.

It also pains me (the worst part) when we go through more challenging times. 

I love it when customers rave about how we’ve been able to help them improve operations, like helping free up time spent on manual support with administrative HR work to focus on helping employees grow, managers lead and their company to succeed.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? 

This most certainly has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with my wife, but my three girls have grown up (or are still growing up) to be the most loving, kind and generous people.

I feel incredibly blessed to have them in my life. 

How do you relax outside of work?

Being a father of three girls gives me little time to myself.

But in between all the activities, I find running and exercise help clear my mind.

I’ve even stopped listening to music and podcasts on runs: it forces me to appreciate the scenery around me, spend time reflecting and be grateful for being healthy.

What makes London such a great place to live and work?

Having been born and raised in Los Angeles, I’m always asked why I’m still in London.

I’ve been here for almost 20 years, and I only find myself loving it more and more every day. The diversity, history, culture, arts and food scene is unrivalled globally.

It’s also a hub for global business that represents many industries; I love the diversity of customers I get to work with.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

My wife tells me I need to come up with a new line for this question, but I’m holding on to it for now.

I played a two-day junior golf tournament in the same group as Tiger Woods.

He stuck with golf. I gave it up to become a businessman. No regrets.

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