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After eight years at Auction Technology Group (ATG), where he helped build one of the largest digital platforms in the industry and managed relationships with over 125 auction houses, Tien could have chosen any of the big names. He chose NCM, the disrupters moving faster, thinking bigger and proving there is a smarter way to handle surplus assets.

“This team isn’t tweaking the model,” Tien says. “They’re tearing it down and building something better and they’re delivering outcomes that actually matter. That’s what made me want to be part of it.”

Founded by Emma McSkelly in 2012, NCM has grown from zero to a £10 million turnover in just over ten years. All starting from a single idea, every business and organisation has surplus assets, but no one offered a solution to the whole problem, so she built it herself.

The auction industry had lost its way. Businesses had grown tired of hidden fees, poor service, weak returns and a lack of transparency. NCM flipped that. Instead of leaving clients to juggle different providers or pick a single objective, they created the complete solution. Auctions and private sales, asset management, inventory tracking, decommissioning, logistics, redeployment, waste management and entire site clearances, all managed by one expert team, end to end.

The approach earned NCM a place in the Financial Times’ list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies, the only auction house to make the cut. More importantly, it has earned them the trust of clients including Aston Martin, Claridge’s, HelloFresh, Speedy Hire and Everton FC.

Behind those projects and many more is a twenty-five-strong team. On the ground, planning, delivering and solving problems for clients across every sector. From heavy engineering to high street chains, foundries to football clubs. The team makes complex projects look simple while generating stronger returns and sustainability benefits than the old-school auction houses ever could.

In 2022, Emma brought in Andy Smith as a partner, now her right hand in running and scaling operations as NCM’s Executive Director. With Tien’s commercial firepower and industry experience in the mix, they’re ready to reach more industries, clients and countries.

“We’ve built the foundations,” Andy says. “Now, welcoming Tien to the team, it’s about scale. Clients come to us because they want to do the right thing, but they also need to see a return. We’ve proven they can do both. Sustainability and profitability can work together.”

NCM isn’t just evolving auctions. They’re reprogramming how businesses think about surplus. Circular economy principles are built in, not bolted on as an afterthought. Every project is designed to keep valuable equipment in use, cut waste and deliver strong financial returns.

Tien’s arrival marks the next step in that journey. He brings the perspective of someone who has experienced the industry from every angle and chose NCM because he saw firsthand that they are the ones changing it.

Rebels by nature. But now, NCM is ready for what comes next.