MEMBERS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
PETER BARBER
CEO OF ComCrop | Currently pursuing Master of Leadership at Deakin University
Peter Barber, owner and CEO of ComCrop, proudly calls Singapore home for 32 years. A seasoned entrepreneur, he transformed local businesses into global brands, establishing deep community connections. Since 2017, Peter has led Singapore's food security mission through ComCrop.
Our 30x30 goal is to nourish Singapore with SG Locally Grown leafy greens from the only 3 Star Clean & Green certified greenhouses. Committed to meaningful employment, we empower seniors, individuals with disabilities, and the disadvantaged, fostering self-sufficiency and delivering superior quality at lower prices. Explore our vision at www.sglocallygrown.com and find the Living Dot range in your favorite supermarket.
DANIEL LEE
Professional Speaker, Trainer and Coach | Monash University Graduate
Daniel Lee is a professional speaker, trainer, and coach. He enables team leaders to engage their teams with effectiveness and enthusiasm.
He was an aspiring leader responsible for a USD5 million training budget in 2015. Despite that apparent success, one day he was told by his manager to 'show more leadership’.
Unable to show what he did not know, he went on to interview 220 successful leaders from 37 countries in 6 continents, and identified 30 principles of successful leaders. Together with his co-author, Avi Liran, they published a book titled 'First Time Leadership' in June 2021. Find out more about him here: www.firsttimeleadership.com.
Daniel has a Double Master Degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He is married with a young family, and was a former police officer who patrolled the streets of Singapore.
If you would like to find out more about Daniel or First Time Leadership, feel free to connect via daniel@firsttimeleadership.com
SANJANA HOLLA
Marketing Professional | MBA | Valedictorian | James Cook University
Sanjana is a certified marketing professional characterised by academic excellence with a proven track record in diverse industries and a passion for all things culture.
Sanjana holds an MBA degree from James Cook University, Singapore. She majored in Creative Marketing and earned a coveted spot on the Dean’s List in all 3 terms and was ultimately named the Valedictorian owing to her consistent academic performance. She also holds an Engineering degree from one of India’s premier universities.
With over 7 years of cross-sector experience spanning telecommunications, sustainable food, and non-profits, Sanjana has honed a unique skill set that combines marketing strategy with a deep interest in consumer behaviour. She is now looking for her next marketing endeavour and is excited to take her career to new heights in Singapore.
Beyond this, Sanjana is an avid reader and an active member of local book clubs, fostering a love for literature and vibrant discussions. Her cultural curiosity extends to arthouse cinema and she appreciates the nuanced storytelling and artistry that this genre offers.
She is married to Skanda Lokeshwaran and this adventurous duo loves to explore new countries and experiences together.
RUBY LYDIA CHAN
PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR | SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE
Ruby Lydia Chan, MSoc Sc (Professional Counselling) is a trained counsellor and an associate trainer with several Approved Training Organisations. She graduated from Swinburne University of Technology in November 2011. She is a Life Member with Australian Alumni Singapore, an Associate Member of Adult Education Network at the Institute for Adult Learning Singapore and an Associate Member with Singapore Association for Counselling.
Her work experience spans over more than 30 years in fast food, insurance, office administration as office secretary and manager, counsellor and soft skills training.
She also volunteered as an Independent Director for the Board of Red Shield Enterprises (business arm of The Salvation Army) from 2018 – 2022.
She is also a volunteer mentor with Agape Connecting People Pte Ltd.
As the Chair of CSR, she hopes to bring in more activities for the members of AAS and organize more events to increase community engagement and membership renewal.
Her very first project was in May 2023, a Mother’s Day event, co-organised with Boss Group Ltd. With volunteers from the AAS Management Committee and fellow AAS members, they were distributing handmade carnations to mothers in the neighbourhood of the Kovan estate, to show appreciation especially those mothers who had to work on that special day.
The day ended well with volunteers feeling satisfied and a great reminder to show heartfelt warmth and love for our own mothers.
So keep a lookout and do step up to lend a hand in the upcoming events. Please don’t come alone, encourage and inspire your alumnus, classmates, teammates etc to be part of AAS CSR projects to bring some cheer and love to the community!!
SNEHA MENON
BUSINESS STRATEGIST | Nature, Eco Adventure and fitness enthusiast |JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY GRADUATE
Passion and dedication are an approach to life for Sneha. Her personal and professional experiences across South and South East Asia have enabled her to thrive in diverse environments.
In her profession as a Senior Business Advisor, she journeys with entrepreneurs and enterprises to experience new horizons of technology and explore the little knowns of new markets. She says that one of
the most satisfying moments of her role is when an enterprise witnesses the positive outcomes of their new ventures.
She is also passionate about giving back to the community when she is able to. She plays a pivotal role among organisations that contribute to uplifting the community in areas such as skills development and event coordination.
Sneha has completed a graduation in International Business and Marketing and a post-graduation in Human Resources Management from James Cook University. She also holds a Certificate in Community Engagement and Leadership.
She is an avid reader, enjoys eco adventures and has a flair for the fine arts.
Sneha is married to Girish, a graduate of the University of Newcastle.
They enjoy culinary experiences and discovering the natural wonders of the world.
DR VICTOR TAY, AAS CHAIR OF MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME UNITED NATIONS GCNS CHAIRMAN| M&A ADVISORY| VENTURES| BOARD DIRECTOR| SUSTAINABILITY | CURTIN UNIVERSITY | OXFORD SCHOLAR
Victor Tay is the Group CEO of RHT Consulting Asia, CEO at Global Catalyst Advisory and also the Managing Director of Stout Asia, Investment Banking group managing on South East Asia office. He is also CEO of China-ASEAN Business Alliance which promotes investment and trades.
He was Acting CEO/ Chief Operating Officer of Singapore Business Federation, with an in-depth understanding of global strategic developments. He was Group Director of SPRING Singapore, where he oversaw eight industry sectors comprising of Transportation, Logistics, Environmental, Engineering Services, Biomedical, Chemicals, Education and Business Services in which he had assisted Singapore enterprises in a variety of areas such as M&A advisory, technological R&D, private equity investment and internationalization.
Victor was appointed as Singapore representative to ASEAN Young Business Leader platform. Victor has developed deep understanding of future science and technology trend and sustainable development strategies as the Chief Development Officer of Nanyang Technological University.
He was also a committee member of the Technology and Innovation Committee with Singapore Business Federation. His previous board appointments include Chairman of the United Nations GCNS, Chairman of the Environmental and Water Centre for Innovation at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and Honorary Advisor of the Singapore Digital Chamber of Commerce. He has a passion for vulnerable group when he volunteered as a Chairman for Association for Persons with Special Needs establishing social enterprises and schools for 1,500 special needs.
He also sat at a series of government committees including SME Committee, REACH, Tripartite, PDPA Appeal Committee, as well as, a series of awards committee like Singapore Infocomm and Innovation Awards, Enterprise 50, SME 1000, E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, Singapore Productivity Awards, Singapore Sustainability Awards. Victor studied at Curtin University, Harvard University and has received a scholarship from University of Oxford.
MARIBEL COLMENARES MARTINEZ, Director - Marketing & Partnerships at upGrad |4 x International Best Selling Author |
AAS Chair of Events
Alumna of La Trobe University
Maribel Colmenares Martínez is a multi-talented individual with accomplishments in various fields. She is a 4-time international best-selling author and has co-authored books with renowned authors like Brian Tracy and John Gray. Her expertise lies in partnerships, business strategy, deal facilitation, sales, marketing, and consulting.
Maribel was born in Puebla, Mexico, and holds a bachelor's degree in Foreign Trade and Logistics from UMAD. She pursued further education and obtained a master's degree in International Business from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. She is fluent in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, Portuguese, and French.
Currently, Maribel serves as the Director of Marketing & Partnerships at upGrad, a leading integrated learning, skilling, and career development company in Asia. She plays a key role in establishing partnerships, driving business strategy, and facilitating sales and marketing initiatives.
In addition to her role at upGrad, Maribel is the Co-founder and CEO of Ashirel Business Solutions Pte Ltd, which focuses on facilitating strategic business alliances between Asia and Latin America.
Maribel is also known as the founder of Tamales Mexicanos en Singapur, a venture that specializes in making traditional Mexican tamales wrapped in banana leaves. These tamales, based on family recipes from Puebla, are gluten-free and offer vegan and vegetarian options. Her tamales have gained recognition and have been featured in publications such as Time Out Singapore, Ger TV, Embassy of Mexico in Singapore, and Media Corp.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Maribel volunteers at Australia Alumni Singapore as the Chair of Events, contributing to community-building and supporting various events. She has a passion for travel and has lived in eight different countries. Her hobbies include writing, cooking, traveling, reading, dancing, and singing.
MICHAEL AW, | Management Consultant|
Corporate Governence|
Channel Sales Specialist
AAS Treasurer & Co-Chair of CSR
Alumnus of La Trobe University
As an engineer by training, Michael believes in dedication and discipline, dedicated 21 years in a single US MNC, changed 6 portfolios from engineering, marketing to sales management in Asia. He loves risk taking, excels in opening frontier markets and building up trust among business partners. Highlights include serving government security agencies in Afghanistan during Osama bin Laden days, Sri Lanka during Tamil Tigers days and emerging markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, etc.
Moving out of comfort zone, he kickstart Mekong Group PL as the founding CEO to link business opportunities from Singapore region to Laos, PDR. Business match making in kind, linking investors, JV partners, Consultants and Talents to this little known land locked nation in Indo-China. Under his leadership, his team convinced Surbana Jurong to masterplan a township project, Rajah & Tann for JV partnership, Deloitte to set up new composite Insurance company, co-hosted several business missions with Singapore Business Federation, Singapore Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Ngee Ann Poly!
Subsequently, he was entasked to restructure a 25 year SME with new business plan, HR program to retain talents and software automation, ERP system to monitor cash flow. Eventually, he becomes Registered Management Consultant, RMC. He also helped a listed company in business development.
To diversify risk, he founded 38 Investment PL since 2011, investing properties in Australia, UK, Singapore and Malaysia. Recently, he renamed it, 38 Consulting PL to focus on business consultancy. He enjoys acquiring new skills, currently the Chairman to Katong Shopping Centre Management Team.
“Healthy Is Wealthy”, as a sports fanatics, he has several interests including Taekwondo, Scuba diving, mostly focus on golfing and badminton now. He regularly organises golf tournament for his private estate golfers and holds the position of the badminton captain for his Community Grassroots Interests Group.
“Give and Take”, he believes in giving back and volunteers in several capacities including setting up his own university chapter in Singapore as the founding President, District Councillor for Singapore Central District region promoting green and sustainability practices, community chairman to his private estate etc. He enjoys networking, hosting friends in his private club or house for social gatherings.
He is happily married with 3 grown up children. Do contact him for a catch up!
Girish Jagajeevan, Fieaust, Mies | M&E Consultant | Marketing Lead | Management Professional | Strategist | Public Speaker | University Of Newcastle Graduate |
AAS Chair of Membership
Alumnus of University of Newcastle
Having 15 years of experience working is Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and Singapore, Girish is well versed in client relations, contract negotiations and providing engineering solutions. He works for CASY Engineering Consultancy as their Marketing Manager.
As a student in the University of Newcastle, he played cricket for the Uni 5th Side and coached the University’s Women’s Football Team. He is interested in sustainability and is actively involved in encouraging companies and societies to go green.
As Honorary Secretary of the Engineers Australia Singapore Chapter, Girish meets members regularly to arrange networking opportunities, continuous professional development (CPD) events and mentoring. He also guest-lectures final year students at the University of Newcastle (Singapore) on post University life and career options.
Girish holds an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle and a post graduate certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers and Member of the Institution of Engineers Singapore.
Girish is married to Sneha Menon, a graduate of James Cook University. They love to travel to new locations and explore the world.
CHARLES TEE, CEO | Marketer | Strategist | Educator | Consultant
Macquarie Graduate School of Management
Alumnus of Macquarie University
Over thirty four years of varied, success-proven experience in the hospitality and service industries in on-line travel, corporate travel management, hotels & resorts, leisure and tourism, destination management & event marketing in the areas of sales, marketing, operations & strategic management covering South East Asia and other areas of Asia Pacific.
Presently contributing also as an associate lecturer and educator in higher learning institutions that include RMIT University and Murdoch University and as a corporate trainer in the hospitality and tourism industry in Singapore and internationally.
Previously he was also an associate lecturer in James Cook University, teaching the Master’s Degree in Marketing and Business Current Affairs.
He is also the CEO of T3E Global, a Company incorporated in Singapore in 2005, providing meaningful and effective solutions to our clients to solve their business needs and challenges. We have access to talents, resources, and network, acquired through involvement in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in APAC.
He also keeps in touch with the students he has taught over the years with regular meet ups and also is a enthusiast for trainings and social service. He has also received the Champion of champions 150 donation certificate.
Paul Tham, CEO & SVP, Lifelong Learning GloApp Human Capital Pte Ltd
Alumnus of Curtin University
Paul Tham is a seasoned professional in managing partnerships for large multi-national companies. With more than 30 years in the IT industry, Paul is an experienced and highly knowledgeable consultant & facilitator. During the years, he has held various senior positions, from sales and marketing, customer service, business management to partnership management with leading IT multi-national companies.
Overall, Paul's extensive business management in Asia Pacific covering Japan, Australia and People’s Republic of China working in large US multinational companies including HP, Compaq, Digital Computer Corporation, Sun Microsystems Inc, Polycom and Oracle Corporation.
Paul has been a mentor and coach to his team of executives. In recent years, Paul has provided HR consultation to a number of SMEs in Singapore and is also on the faculty of NUS School of Computing Strategic Technology Management Institute
Outstanding Australian University Alumni Association Award, 2022
Paul Tham, despite a busy work schedule and active volunteerism in grassroots work, is equally passionate in active leadership in the Curtin University Alumni Singapore Chapter (CUASC).
Paul and his team members steered CUASC to win the Outstanding Australian University Alumni Association Award, 2022 from Australian Alumni Singapore
.
Serving the Larger Community
In 2013, Paul joined the People’s Association as a volunteer in serving the community. Having been engrossed with career building during his younger days, Paul decided to embark on a new chapter in his life. Paul was appointed the Chairman of Seletar Hills West Neighbourhood Committee in January 2014. He spearheaded a team to promote neighbourliness and community bonding, connect with people to forge multi-racial harmony and social cohesion and inculcate a sense of belonging among Singaporeans. The team acts as the bridge between the Government and the people by providing feedback and helping to explain and implement government policies. Paul was conferred the Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) at the 2022 National Day Awards.
Michael Lam,
Alumnus of Australian Maritime College - University of Tasmania, Australia
I am a proud graduate of the Australian Maritime College (AMC) (Newnham Campus) in Launceston, Tasmania, where I studied Bachelors of Business in Maritime and Logistics Management. The specialized Maritime Institute was conglomerated with University of Tasmania (UTAS) a couple of years after I graduated.
The Institute offers one of the best Industry–specialised degree in the world. The modules were practical and professionally structured, and covered almost every important aspect of the Maritime Industry. The assignments are still challenging, encouraging the students to work ground–up, develop resilient and growth mindsets, and build critical thinking, survival, business, and problem solving skills.
The courses were also very relevantly updated, in line with current market developments and skill sets. Sometimes, the researches even goes beyond and foresee possible future industry developments. I discovered this through contacting my Lecturers and Professors until today. Current and future students, even former graduates, would definitely benefit a lot in their careers from the University’s education in applying what they’ve learnt to today’s business world.
Studying at AMC was almost like ‘Top Gun’ or a F1 driver, pushing over the edge beyond limits, breaking through multiple assignments, to the point of challenging myself to party more than studying, just to see if I can still make it after much parties. My classmate even hilariously commented:” You’re the craziest Asian I’ve ever met”. In general, I was a serious, 200% focused, yet notorious student.
Through ups and downs, lesson learnt was there is nothing to fear from pushing beyond limits and still fail (I was almost washed out for being unable to catch up in year 2 and had to do Summer Classes in Singapore during semester breaks). I would stay in the office after midnight during my job attachments to pursue my assignments. As with the Universal Question:” What’s your Why?”. Our Life Purpose, Mission, Duties and Responsibilities, Accountabilities, Dreams and Focus is the Key Answer and Motivation, as opposed to procrastination. AMC taught me that. The institute really pushes us beyond our limits and break through what we thought we were only limited to do.
Being born into a small family-owned business environment doing coastal shipping in Indonesia and SEA region, I’ve seen my parents managing the business since I was a kid. It was a business my late father left behind in 2013, the night before my birthday.
We were in ship-owning and operations, transhipping Indonesian iron ore and coal, and trading between Indonesia and China. In 2014, we diversified into ship agency, serving our Indonesian clients’ vessels in Singapore. Late 2018, we ventured into ship chandelling, delivering ship supplies to our industry friends’ vessels. In October 2019, multiple sources and reports provided Intel of an upcoming Pandemic. Economic pressures, and unforeseen circumstances caused business disruptions.
Through situational analysis and hindsight, and anticipating the Pandemic, I made the call to stop the Ship Supply arm before the lockdown in early 2020 to prevent losses and risk being infected while boarding the ships when COVID was not well examined at that time. I also had to take care of my mother. The rest was to look for alternative opportunities.
While the family business was undergoing revamping decisions, we’re still in touch with our Indonesian and Chinese counterparts. However, infections, manpower crunches and disrupted supply chains inhibited developments. Considering Industrial and Technological advancements, and keeping up with skill set trends, I’m currently pursuing a Business and Data Analytics Course.
I only began golfing during polytechnic days under peers’ influence. One lesson learnt – Interests can be developed through constant practice and open, growth mindsets. You’ll be surprised you’re actually interested in something once you see improvements. As G.O.L.F also means “Go On Learning Forever”, we’re our only limitations. There’re no limits, with non-judgemental, non-biased, non-prejudiced and open growth mindsets, for lifelong learning in personal and professional development.
My Key Takeaways:
Ø Most important is to adopt a limitless, lifelong learning, open and growth mindset without prejudice, and being at peace with yourself.
Ø Resilience, Never Limit yourself and never give up, especially through these hard times. There’re always opportunities and alternatives.
Ø Teamwork, Collaboration, Mutual Understanding and Communication without prejudice
Lim Qihan,
Alumna of University of Tasmania, Australia
Meeting Qihan is anything but a dull experience for any individual. A great many things would strike you about her, perhaps her bubbly personality, her confident stride or perhaps her-ever present smile upon her face. You would never think that this petite lady that stands before you battles for her life every single day against an incurable disease.
Qihan was diagnosed with lupus (SLE) in 2015 whilst she was a student right here at the University of Tasmania. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues limiting an individual’s physical, mental functions, triggering fatigue and fever among other symptoms. Understanding that, I’m very sure that for most of us, being able to cope with the disease is already an achievement in itself.
However, Qihan refused to let this limit herself from achieving her dreams. She had a vision for herself and nothing was going to stop her from realizing it. That included being hospitalized for long durations at multiple junctures through the year all while coping with her studies and working towards the lofty goals she set for herself. She graduated in 2017 from the Australia Maritime College, University of Tasmania in the year of 2017, serving as an exemplary President of the college’s student association.
She is a proud entrepreneur that never falters in the face of obstacles or failure. Starting her very first restaurant in the ultra-competitive F&B space in Singapore, her incredible enthusiasm for life and drive for achievement is truly inspirational. She started and operated 4 more restaurants every single year from 2019 to 2021. Her newest novel venture springs from her hospitable personality and her desire to curate unforgettable experiences for her guests as the owner and CEO of a whisky bar aptly named, The Hidden Story.
As you sit across this career woman, you can’t help but be drawn into her charm, marvel at how capable she is and how very much she has achieved at such a young age. Not many, except her close friends and family are aware of the horrible disease that she battles with every day of her life. The reason behind this is because she never expects sympathy and never allows for herself to be held to a lower standard simply because of something like this. She carries an aura of positivity and never fails to light up a room with her energy.
A perfectionist at heart who strives for paramount quality in everything she does. She still never fails to make time her peers who seek her advice and guidance. She’s patient, empathetic and above all genuinely happy to be able to of assistance to anyone that she cares for. An individual truly beloved by her friends, peers and her employees.
We hope that Qihan’s story inspires you to be courageous, positive and above all displaying the undisputable power of self-belief. Her message to us to all of us is that even as we face what may seem to be insurmountable obstacles and challenges in life. We must all strive to live every single day like it’s our last so we can have no regrets. We can allow our circumstances to destroy us or we can be a living testimony of how we can conquer and achieve through our trials and tribulations. It’s all in the mind.
Raymond Lau Poo Seng,
Alumnus of University of Tasmania, Australia
If you were at our 67th anniversary gala dinner, you would have watched Raymond Lau Poo Seng perform his piece at the AAS Got Talent. Many of us were in awe of his performance, and he won the first prize that night. Little did we know that Raymond suffers from Tourette Syndrome and has stage 3 throat cancer.
We only found out later that Raymond is a cancer patient and decided to seek his permission to share his story.
Raymond graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1995 with an advanced degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts. He is currently an artist at a non-profit organisation, ART:DIS, where he mentors and donates his works. He wished to assist and empower artists with disabilities to confidently express themselves through the arts so that they could make a sustainable living from their abilities.
During his free time, Raymond would cycle or dance to keep fit and stay active. He used to be a martial artist too and was in the lion dance troupe both as a performer and an instructor. He started dancing at the age of 22. He signed up for dance classes because he wanted to build his confidence back then.
We admire his enthusiasm for life (if you stayed for the last segment of the gala, you would have seen Raymond's energetic performance that night). He shared that the reason he has decided to live his life to the fullest is because it is his way of being grateful for the life he has.
In addition to having Tourette Syndrome, Raymond was given a stage 3 throat cancer diagnosis by his doctor in 2021. He was informed that persons with his diagnosis often live for five years. This led Raymond to make the decision to live his life to the fullest, regardless of how many years he had left.
We hope that reading about his tenacity would inspire you in the same way. His message to all of us is that we should stay true to ourselves. We should give our best in everything we do and spread love to others. Be helpful. Be genuine. Be Superman!
Mo Dirani ,
Alumnus of University of Melbourne, Australia
We had the honour of speaking with fellow alumni, Associate Professor Mohamed Dirani, and we'd like to share with you all the amazing stories we learned about him! Fondly known as Mo Dirani, he graduated with a PhD from the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), University of Melbourne, Department of Ophthalmology at the age of 26 years. Mo is the founding Managing Director of Plano, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, an honorary principal investigator at Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and CERA. As you can tell by now, Mo is an expert in eye research. He has led notable studies, including Australia's first nationwide study to assess the burden of blindness in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Mo’s move into entrepreneurship was strongly influenced by his drive to translate his research outputs into real-life solutions. The more we chat with him, the better the stories are! Mo then sets off to start Plano in Singapore, a health technology company that empowers people to achieve their best vision and eye health through education and science-driven technological solutions. Plano echoes and amplifies Mo's effort in tackling myopia. The company launched its ecosystem, which included the world’s first science-based and award winning parental control application, planoApp, with a vision to “Keep all eyes healthy in our digitised world”.
Plano’s ecosystem consists of three main components to assist in myopia management: Bridging the knowledge gap in eye health Innovative technological solutions Predictive and prescriptive analytics After listening to all the great work he is doing, we were very curious as to what drives Mo to be the person he is today. Mo rose from the school of hard knocks. His parents migrated from Lebanon to Australia in the 70s. He is the third youngest of 12 children. Mo credited his work to the education he received coupled with his upbringing and very loving parents. Here are his motivations (which are truly inspiring by the way!): to create an impact on people's lives to do good as a form of being appreciative of the life he is given to be grateful and take advantage of the opportunities at hand, particularly if you are awarded the luxury of being born in an affluent country. Advice to alumni: Don't get caught up too much trying to make sense of everything. As long as you are productive and happy, the pieces to your story will come together in time. We hope you are inspired by Mo's story as much as we did and we are pleased to have met fellow alumni who is doing great work in the community. Thank you, Mo for the great sharing!
How Plano came about Mo decided to start Plano during his training runs for his ten marathons (a series of marathons he had dedicated to his late father). While jogging, he was constantly checking his phone, bordering on some sort of device dependency. Constantly checking his phone was disruptive, uncomfortable and affecting his vision. He then related this back to his PhD studies in myopia and decided to turn the ‘problem’ into the solution.
Lee Haoming ,
Alumnus of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Australia
As the Managing Director of Huggs, Haoming maps out the company’s vision and spearheads its strategy and growth. He is responsible for levelling up the brand value exponentially and building a brand culture that focuses on Flavour, People and Doing Good.
Haoming joined Huggs at the start of COVID-19, in June 2020. Since then, he restructured the company’s business model and direction, completed a full rebranding transformation, secured over 5 million SGD in various capital investments and 12 new outlets across Singapore. Huggs has since grown to become Singapore’s largest homegrown specialty coffee cafe chain to date, with close to 30 outlets (including the upcoming new outlets) found across the island, serving up to 400,000 cups per month.
As a proud local brand, Huggs is the only cafe chain that serves “East meets West” beverages, i.e. local Kopi to western Latte and even fusions like Latte Gula Melaka, making Huggs uniquely Singaporean. Haoming’s introduction to Huggs has fuelled its rapid growth as he looks to launch Huggs Roastery, Bakery and Training Academy at its new headquarters in Jan 2022 to expand its B2B business arm. This is part of his expansion plan into regional markets and beyond. Prior to joining Huggs, Haoming co-founded the wildly popular Artbox Singapore which garnered over 700,000 visitors during the 6-day event. As the Regional Head of Strategy for Invade, he brought Artbox to Kuala Lumpur and brought Taiwan’s Shilin Night Market to Singapore.
Due to the success of Artbox Singapore, Haoming was a recipient of Prestige 40 Under 40 in 2017. Besides his current role as the MD of Huggs, Haoming has a keen passion in youth development. This passion drives him to pledge as a mentor for youths with the Mentoring Alliance of Singapore. He is also the Strategic Advisor for Event Midas which is the organizer of this Esports event - Nexus Your Playground. Haoming is also a partner of a tuition centre. He hopes to create a positive impact for youths and students in what little ways he can. Academically, Haoming has a Bachelor’s degree with triple majors in Banking and Finance, Accounting and Business Management from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Australia. Upon graduation, he was invited to be a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Roland Utama,
Alumnus of University of New South Wales
Roland Utama was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. He moved to Sydney, Australia to attend high school at De La Salle College, Ashfield. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy from UNSW in 2006 and a PhD in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy from UNSW in 2009.
Afterwards, he came to Singapore to join the Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) Solar, a Norwegian solar panel manufacturer to set up their first solar production line in Tuas. He left REC in 2012 to set up Thirsty, a craft beer retail business. Since then, he has built Thirsty into Singapore’s largest online craft beer store. He also founded The Drinkery, a craft beer import and distribution business as well as TAP, a chain of craft beer bars currently with 5 outlets in Singapore. The businesses work with and regularly import craft beers from a growing number of Australian independent breweries.
Roland also maintain close ties with the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW and its alumni network both in Singapore and overseas.
Shun Jie Neo,
Alumnus of University of Newcastle,
A wine and technology enthusiast, Shun Jie Neo works as a Salesforce Developer.
He completed his Diploma in IT from Temasek Polytechnic and joined as an Application Developer in an SME, to convert what he has learned into hands-on experience.
His zeal for technology continues to grow and he pursued his Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology from the University of Newcastle.
It was during this time he got exposed to Salesforce and followed the ever-growing sector of Salesforce as a developer.
Currently, he is working with Aodigy in a team lead position where he gets to code as well as manage the team and teach and train his juniors.
During his free time, you will find Jie Neo at wine tasting events, an indulgence he picked up while studying in Australia. He also spends time sharpening his skills on Trailhead. When required, he sets aside time to go back to college to speak to the graduating students and shares first-hand experience about the working world.
Lynn Wong,
Alumni of Murdoch University, President, Singapore Alumni Chapter
Lynn is currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Director with Siemens Logistics of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. She has worked for more than 20 years with Multinational Companies (MNCs), headquartered in Germany, Japan, and the United States mostly deal with Business to Business (B2B) models involving the sales and distribution of industrial products/systems, turnkey solutions projects and research & development projects. She has performed functions in the areas of Accounting & Finance, Mergers and acquisitions, Business Administration, Commercial Management, Supply Change Management, Risk Management, and Business Process Transformation among other duties.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Business (BBus) from Monash University, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) from Murdoch University.
Passionate about advocating for women’s welfare & development as well as wanting to contribute back to the community, Lynn volunteers in Grassroots Organization and is currently serving as a Chairperson in the Women’s Executive Committee (WEC) of a Community Club (CC) in the Northeast District. She is a Council Member with the Women’s Integration Network (WIN) Council of People's Association, the Honorary Treasurer with the Singapore Business & Professional Women’s Association (SBPWA), and the Business & Professional Women Federation (BPW Singapore).
Having served in the Murdoch University Alumni Singapore Chapter for the past 4 years as the Honorary Secretary, she is extremely excited to be appointed as the President of the Murdoch University Alumni, Singapore Chapter to continue her passion for fostering a sense of community and support among alumni.
She is looking to meet with most of you during her serving term.
Steffie Vanessia,
Alumni of James Cook University
Steffie joined Tribeca Investment Partners in 2022 as an Investor Relations Associate based in the firm's Singapore office. In her role, she is involved in capital raising activities, new fund launches as well as managing relationships with existing and prospective investors. Tribeca is an Asia Pacific-based and Australian headquartered investment and advisory firm which has been partnering with sophisticated clients across asset management, private wealth management and corporate advisory for more than two decades.
Before joining Tribeca, she worked with Endowus, Singapore’s leading digital wealth platform, as Business Development Associate. Steffie was earlier a Dealing Support Specialist in the Singapore office of Western Union Business Solutions, a global leader in foreign exchange and international payment solutions. Steffie holds a Bachelor of Business and Environmental Science from James Cook University. During her undergraduate years, she was part of the Dean’s List for outstanding academic performance and immersed herself in campus involvement as the Secretary of the JCU Orientation Committee and JCU Student Council.
Steffie is the Secretary of the James Cook University Singapore Alumni Association. In her free time, Steffie regularly plays Dungeons and Dragons with friends and hopping around pet-friendly cafes with her husband and Pomeranian, Sylvie (who is also incidentally becoming the JCUSAA mascot). Come join JCUSAA and say hi to Steffie and Sylvie!
Goh Geok Lin, Cliff
Alumni of Curtin University
Before joining AAS as the Honorary Auditor, Cliff has managed a portfolio of clients in diverse industries both locally and internationally in SME
and MNC.
Cliff's professional experience includes reporting accountant, internal auditor and reporting auditor, providing due diligence to companies, providing transaction support services in acquisitions, as well as
providing advisory services to companies, corporate turnaround and recovery, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions.
Cliff joined a well-established local and international CPA firm in 1999 where he obtained his qualification as a certified public accountant. He was the financial controller of a group listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange in 2004. He was admitted to the partnership of Assurance Partner (now Assurance Partners LLP) in 2013 as co-founder of the CPA firm, a member firm of PrimeGlobal, the 5 largest associations of independent accounting firms in the world.
Cliff’s professional affiliations include memberships in the Certified Practicing Accountant Australia (CPA Australia.), Chartered Accountant Malaysia (MIA), Practicing Management Consultant Singapore (PMC), Institute of Internal Auditors Singapore and Accredited Tax Practitioner (ATP (income tax). Cliff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, majoring in accounting and finance from the Curtin University of Technology, WA, Australia.
He is also a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.
Wiki Lim
Alumni of Murdoch University
Wiki decided to it was time to venture into something with greater responsibility and challenges, he joined Excellence Singapore Pte Ltd as a partner and a co-owner of the company.
“Working as a Director for Excellence Singapore Pte Ltd, I have a strong passion for working with Values based organizations to achieve Pragmatic solutions. Driven by my own value sets around integrity and doing the right thing, i strive to partner with peers and the business to meet business and people related goals.”
He did his MBA from Murdoch University to amplify his skillset in his personality and his overall experience.
Wiki was previously from Price Solutions (S) Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Group which specializes in consumer banking such as consumer personal loans, business loans and both residential and commercial mortgages.
Wiki first joined Price as a telesales doing consumer personal loans. Within 7 months, he was able to secure a position in SME banking and was being transferred from handling personal loan to corporate loan.
Kevin Chow
Alumni of The Queensland University of Technology
Recently shifted from Australia to Singapore with a job in Meta, Kevin is an alumnus from the Queensland University of Technology, with a bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics.
Currently, at Meta (previously Facebook), he is working as the Account Manager for Australia and New Zealand, partnering with businesses across Australia and New Zealand to solve challenges, drive deeper customer connections and scale their organization using Facebook tools.
He is a passionate traveller and likes to network and connect with people to widen his horizon of understanding and cultural exchange.
An experienced and results-driven transaction advisor with over 7 years experience in Technology Sales, Investment Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions,
and Corporate Finance; passionate about helping companies drive growth
and realize value.
Strong focus and deep experience in the Technology Services and Software industry, having previously advised and executed buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions at Equiteq and Telstra. Most recently acted as VISEO's lead transaction advisor on their acquisition of Cludo (a leading Australian
Salesforce consultancy), before joining shortly after to lead Sales and Business Development for VISEO's Salesforce and Digital practices.
Justin Holm
Alumni of Monash University
From the city of Niagara Falls to the City of Merlion, Justin Holm's journey had been a great adventure.
Currently working as the Client Engagement Manager in a renowned company that is a global leading provider of investment management software solutions designed to optimize operational and investment alpha throughout the entire investment process, Justin is in charge of the Client engagement with his great interpersonal skills.
Justin is also involved as a Partner in True Global Ventures, a company engaged in global technology equity Venture Capital firm that invests in Serial Entrepreneurs in over 20 cities. He is engaged to work with budding entrepreneurs in establishing their ground in this world.
Justin took a specialized study on East Asian Economics and International Marketing from Monash University, to cater better to the market he was entering. This study helped him to bring an edge in his expertise.
Justin is a technology enthusiastic. He also cares about children safety and progress and is involved with lending his time in meeting those causes.
He quotes " no one is busy enough to not care about someone or something other than themselves. Go out there and leave a mark in other's life"
Mun Nee Ng
MuleSoft Strategic Sales at Salesforce
MBA in Marketing from The University of Western Australia
Mun Ee Ng graduated with a MBA from The University of Western Australia in 1998. Her MBA was a feather to the hat and a lot helpful in the career development. She is also a double Bachelors degree holder from NUS in Psychology.
With more than 20 years of customer-facing experience in servicing large strategic accounts and selling complex IT solutions to large enterprises including airlines and airports in Asia Pacific through engagements with C-level executives to derive compelling value propositions.
She started working in 1990 and started from small, but always aimed big and wanted to get into the wing of sales and business development. Over the period of time she carved out her career from being a Manager to Strategic Sales in one of the top company of Salesforce.
She is very enthusiastic and actively involved with animal welfare and environmental causes. She is actively involved with different organisation for serving this cause. She also enjoys good food and traveling and likes to explore for more.
In her words "I am the citizen of the World"
Stanley Eu
Director at Parasoft SEA |
Graduate of Murdoch University (Double Major in Computer Science and Mass Communications) &
RMIT University (MBA, International Management)
Stanley Eu graduated from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia with a double Major in Computer Science and Communication Studies in 1992. He started working in GE Information Services and made his way from the Technical team to Sales Manager in EC1/SCS and then to Progress Software. In 2003, he enrolled for the MBA (International Management) course at SIM-RMIT while working at EC1/SCS. After graduation in 2005, he was headhunted to lead the startup subsidiary of Parasoft Singapore. He has since been the Regional Director for Parasoft South East Asia where the business grew for the last 16 years. He continues to spearhead the growth in South East Asia; working with distributors in the region while speaking and presenting at various events on Cybersecurity, Compliance and Automated Testing.
Since his days in Murdoch University, he has been active in Student Organisations such as the Association of Overseas Students (AOS) and Overseas Students Association of Western Australia (OSAWA). In 2017, he was roped in by Chun Hoy Yuen to help with the planning and organising of events to celebrate and commemorate the 130th Anniversary of RMIT & the 30th Anniversary of SIM-RMIT in Singapore. Together with a group of alumni volunteers, he was able to find a way to pay it forward and enjoyed the camaraderie and teamwork in organising events to celebrate the anniversaries.
Subsequently, when Hoy Yuen stepped down as President of RMITAS in 2018, Stanley then took the helm and has since been leading RMITAS to build on the good work by previous committees to have better engagements with the Alumni. He continues to represent RMIT alumni in Singapore to RMIT in Australia and Vietnam; and works to have more interesting events and activities to enable more graduates to be connected. The 5 pillars he tries to espouse to the community in RMITAS are Career Development, Personal Development, Networking, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility.
In 2021, RMITAS is celebrating its 20th Anniversary since its registration as an association with Registry of Societies (ROS) in Singapore. While COVID-19 has disrupted many face-to-face activities, we were nonetheless able to organise some activities such as the Logo Design competition, Photography competition; and online activities such as Celebrate Australia Day, Virtual Wine Tasting and Talks on Human Resource management and Industry Networking on a new platform called Gather Town. We are hoping that we can end of this year with a small dinner celebration in Dec 2021 to mark a milestone in RMITAS’ young history.
Andrew Wong
Author of An Oily Man | Graduate of University of South Australia in Adelaide (Master in Business Administration
Vivek Anand
President, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY Alumni Association Singapore |
Programme Executive, Selarang Halfway House |
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Thomas Ang
Business Owner & Entrepreneur, Stratbiz International Singapore.
Graduate of University of Wollongong (Master of International Business)
Andrew Pang
President University of Queensland Alumni Association Singapore; Regional Brand President University of Queensland Alumni Association Singapore; Regional Brand
Andrew firmly believes in following your passion. In 3 year stints, he worked and travelled with Singapore Airlines and owned and operated a whisky and cocktail bar. As a maverick with boundless imagination and a relentless desire to experiment, reinvent and grow, Andrew marries his unique background in psychology with his extensive expertise in the cocktail scene to create experiences like no other. Andrew now consults bars and restaurants and represents some of Beam Suntory’s biggest brands as their Regional Brand Ambassador. In his role as brand ambassador, Andrew conducts brand training for restaurant and sales staff and hosts dinners for the brands - the few times he can enjoy drinking on the job. Andrew is also a coach with Fleek Image, a personal branding and date coaching agency that helps individuals develop stronger self-confidence, social skills and personal branding.
Andrew balances his time with community work. In 2019, Andrew sat on the Youth Action Plan panel under MCCY and the National Youth Council which was co-chaired by Senior Minister of State Sim Ann and helped visualise their 2025 mission statement. Andrew mentors youth groups focused on solving national social issues. He is the President of the University of Queensland's local alumni chapter (UQAAS) and sits on various committees that work to tackle matters pertaining to the environment, mental health and inclusivity.
UQAAS is focused on 2 main areas; Social and Economy. For the Social track, the association aims to build a strong alumni community here in Singapore through virtual and in-person networking events. UQAAS advocates and will promote the importance of good mental health through programmes and partnerships. We are also exploring collaboration with organisations to provide scholarships and bursaries to low income and vulnerable individuals. Through the Economy track, we want to support graduates in their transition from final year students into the working world. We will be working more closely with UQ’s Alumni to Alumni (A2A) programme that provides international mentorship to all who are seeking mentors. We also want to support local alumni-run businesses and freelancers especially in this uncertain covid landscape.
Join the UQAAS online community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/UQSGgraduates
JOSHUA HO
Senior Executive Campus Activities of James Cook University Singapore campus
Joshua currently works for the Singapore Campus of James Cook University as a staff in the Studdent Affairs, Campus Activities department. Campus Activities looks after clubs and societies as well as other student life aspects on campus. He has worked for JCU Singapore campus for no less than 6 years and counting.
Joshua studied diploma in IT in Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and after 2 years of working in the industry after National Service (NS), he left as it did not suit his personality. He then pursued his Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Hospitality and Tourism management at Singapore Campus of James Cook University. And right after graduation, he started working for JCU Singapore campus. He has been a mentor, adviser and friend to numerous students who have come and gone at James Cook University Singapore campus.
Outside of his professional career Joshua’s favourite pastimes are watching anime, playing mobile and PC games, as well as playing board games. He plays board games bi-weekly with the JCUSAA executive committee team at each other’s homes before the enhanced COVID-19 safe management measures, and currently Jack Box games on Discord. He is also into Science Fiction tabletop miniature game Warhammer 40000 and its lore. So, if you are interested to chat with him more about the above topics, feel free to hit him up on Facebook.
Joshua is also the current president of JCU Singapore Alumni Association (JCUSAA). The objectives of the association are a) To create and develop opportunities for the alumni members to maintain contact through meaningful events, activities, and social platforms. b) To promote and foster the continuing involvement of the alumni members. c) To promote and enhance the reputation of the alumni members. d) To promote activities that meet the needs of the members of the Alumni.
If you are a James Cook University alumni reading this, please join us at https://jcusaa.sg/#membership!
MATHILDA D'SILVA
Sustainability & Social Media Strategist | Plastic Pyrolysis (Plastic to Fuel) Advocate I Community Management & Advocacy Mentor | Ocean Lover & Paddler
Mathilda, who graduated from Murdoch University is the Chief Purpose Officer at Ocean Purpose Project (OPP), which is a proudly Pasir Ris-based social enterprise driving ocean conservation and plastic pollution prevention via disruptive and creative projects with mass-scale impact.
Mathilda started after a water pollution incident in 2015 left with intense autoimmune conditions. OPP’s unique selling point is to use innovative technology that is yet to enter the Singapore market, such as Plastic to Fuel and Bioplastics.
The organisation also holds frequent offline and online events to educate Singaporeans on its sustainability efforts. When COVID-19 hit last year, OPP was unable to carry out its usual projects as the beaches were closed. This, however, did not deter the organisation from contributing to social causes in Singapore. Its projects that aimed to help the migrant worker community saw it win the silver award in the Marketing Excellence Awards 2020, for the category “Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility”. Its efforts were also recognised in the category of Excellence in Mobile Marketing as a finalist.
Dr Anthony PH Tang
Dr Anthony is a specialist Breast Cancer surgeon, with clinical interests in Breast Conservation Surgery, Breast Reconstruction (Oncoplasty) and Sentinel Node Biopsy (for minimal lymph node removal).
An ASEAN scholar in his pre-university days, Dr Anthony was subsequently awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship for Medicine for his undergraduate medical education in Melbourne, Australia. He went on to complete his postgraduate surgical training and was conferred a joint specialist fellowship with the Singapore and United Kingdom (Edinburgh) boards. Apart from his surgical training, Dr Anthony also attained 2 postgraduate Masters degrees, in Medicine (Surgery) and in Public Health (Clinical Epidemiology) respectively.
As a published scientific author, Dr Anthony is a frequent speaker at many local and international conferences. He also often organizes and speaks at public symposiums in Singapore as he is an avid advocate for breast cancer screening. He has a strong research interest, particularly in the field of medical device innovation. In 2011, he was awarded the inaugural Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Fellowship. He was also the Fellowship Head at Singapore Stanford Biodesign, and the Clinician Consultant to I²R, A*STAR, and has trained over 400 budding medical device entrepreneurs. As the Clinical Principal Investigator, he was working with grants totaling over $4 million. As a result of his research work, Dr Anthony was also conferred an A/Professorship with NUS.
Dr Anthony is accredited with Admission Rights to:
• Mt Alvernia
• Mt Elizabeth Orchard
• Mt Elizabeth Novena
• Farrer Park Hospital
Personally, Dr Anthony enjoys using his professional skills to benefit the underprivileged. He is passionately involved in surgical outreach programs to the underprivileged parts of Asia, and was the co-founder of the surgical volunteer and charity organization within the National University Health Systems (NUHS).