Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
Career Coach | Sports & Performance Specialist
Gary Chao is a certified career coach and counsellor with over 20 years of experience helping professionals, individuals, and teams navigate pressure, transitions, and personal growth. Holding a Master’s degree in Guidance & Counselling and recognised as a certified professional coach, he combines extensive corporate experience with evidence-based psychological practice to help people perform at their best in both their personal and professional lives.
At APU, Gary’s work focuses on developing the psychological foundations that support sustainable performance, resilience, confidence, emotional well-being, self-awareness, and purposeful decision-making. His approach helps athletes, students, and professionals build the mental skills needed to adapt to change, overcome self-doubt, and perform consistently under pressure.
Drawing on positive psychology, mindfulness, counselling, and coaching methodologies, Gary provides practical strategies that empower individuals to navigate career transitions, enhance mental wellbeing, strengthen leadership capabilities, and achieve greater alignment between their personal values and performance goals. His experience supporting recent graduates, working professionals, and organisations allows him to bridge psychological insight with real-world performance challenges.
Gary is also the author of The Human Survival Blueprint: Finding Your Irreplaceable Edge in the Age of AI, a practical framework that explores the uniquely human strengths that remain essential in an increasingly technology-driven world. His work reflects his belief that meaningful performance is built not only on skill and achievement, but also on resilience, adaptability, and continuous personal growth.
Known for creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental environment, Gary helps individuals discover their strengths, develop practical action plans, and build the confidence to thrive in sport, education, career, and life.
Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in Guidance & Counselling
- Certified Professional Coach
- Training and experience in Counselling and Coaching
- Training in Positive Psychology and Mindfulness