BOOTSTRAPPERS

DR LYNDA WEE

How can business leaders be more effective?

Effective leaders are curious, creative and adaptive. They scan external factors in the environment to seek opportunities or challenges that can scale their companies to greater heights. They move fast, smart and win now. They purge irrelevant activities and focus on tasks that matter most.

Effective leaders also grow their own trees by focusing as much time on people issues as they do on business issues. They seek the right people, keep them smart, align them to the same strategic priorities and empower personal transformation.

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Dr Lynda Wee is a Specialist in Design Thinking, Leadership Development and Channel Value Creation. She is a Certified Senior Practising Management Consultant, Certified Workplace Learning Specialist, InnovDev Consultant, Certified Lego® Serious Play® Facilitator, Certified Everything D.i.S.C.Workplace® Facilitator and Certified IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner.

Prior to founding Bootstrap, a business consultancy boutique, she was the Senior Vice President of Learning and Development at CapitaLand Limited where she led the People and Leadership Development initiative.  She held the concurrent post of Founding Principal for CapitaLand Institute of Management and Business. She spearheaded the Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Initiative to develop and implement radical new business ideas for the group. She also served as the founding member of Temasek-Linked Companies Organisation Development Network.

At Bootstrap, her clientele includes Bally, Coach, Calvin Klein Asia, Christian Dior, Dairy Farm International, DP Architects, Far East Flora Group of Companies, Far East Hospitality, Salvatore Ferragamo (Asia), Grand Indonesia Mall, Honeywell, Institute for Adult Learning, Jumbo Group of Restaurants, Kingsmen Creatives, Louis Vuitton, LVMH, Moet Hennessy, OSIM, Pansar, Suria KLCC Mall, The Skin Pharmacy and the Spring Mall.

For leading innovation, she was bestowed four SkillsFuture Singapore’s innovation projects for innovating learning technologies in various industry sectors. She also served as an independent Director of a public listed firm.

As an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, she lectures to local and overseas students from Norway and France’s EDHEC Business School. She is a Fellow at The Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom and held the Chartered Marketer Status since 2001.  She was bestowed The Innovator Award (2000), The Enterprise Challenge Shield (2003) and the TEC Champion Award (2003) from the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office for her innovation in piloting Problem-Based Learning in Tertiary Education.

Dr Wee received her Doctor of Philosophy (Retailing) from the University of Stirling (UK). She obtained her Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Highest Honours) from the Southern Illinois University, USA. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. She received her Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) in 2009 and Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance in 2020. She is a recognised Specialist Adult Educator (Curriculum Development),  Adult Education Professionalisation from SkillsFuture Singapore.

DR DANNY POO

Why should I care about Big Data in my business?

Data come from multiple sources and in multiple forms. It can come from both within and outside an organization. It can be both structured and unstructured, in a whole palette of flavours. It comes in fast and furious and fill up databases with no time at all.

Not knowing data is like a bird with its wings clipped. Your organization is mobile but it cannot fly.

The use of Big Data and Big Data Analytics could enable your organization create valuable business information and insights that would lift you up far beyond the competition!

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Dr Danny Poo is an Associate Specialist in Big Data Analytics at Bootstrap. He is also a tenured Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore. As the Curriculum Chair of the Department of Information Systems, Dr Poo has been instrumental in the development of three degree programmes at the School of Computing: Information Systems, Electronic Commerce and Business Analytics. These degree programmes produce graduates highly sought after by the industry.

He serves in the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Software Engineering Conference (APSEC) since 1994 and was the Vice-Chairman of the APSEC Steering Committee from 2003 to 2005. He was the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of two highly successful International Conference on Big Data and Analytics in Healthcare in 2013 and 2014.

Prior to founding Standices in 2013, Dr Poo was involved in research and development of technologies in Information Management, Health Informatics and Big Data Analytics. He has published many research articles and has turned the technologies into solutions that Standices now provides to its clients. Dr Poo is the Director of the Centre for Health Informatics at the National University of Singapore. The Centre is the lead provider of human capital in Health Informatics and its mission is to train healthcare and IT professionals to use Health Informatics to find new and better ways of delivering healthcare to achieve enhanced patient care and satisfaction. The Centre also serves as a hub for Health Informatics research and information exchange. Dr Poo is also the director and founder of Cicada Cube Pte Ltd, a Software Engineering company specializing in the production of biometric solutions for all industries.

His consultancy portfolio includes Deutsche Bank AG, OCBC Bank, Tech Semiconductor, Micron Semiconductor, Gemplus, Rhodes-Schwarz, Port of Singapore Authority, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ministry of Defence, Singapore Polytechnic, Sema Group, FTMS (Malaysia), Standard Chartered Bank (Malaysia) and Neptune Orient Line.

Dr Poo received his Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computation from the University of Manchester in 1988, 1985, 1983 respectively.

DR LEK HSIANG HUI

How can data help in a business?

“Data! Data! Data! … I can’t make bricks without clay.” – Sherlock Holmes (by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In today’s economy, Data remains of utmost importance to any company wanting to remain competitive. The goal in collecting data is to derive knowledge and insights so as to aid in decision-making. This can be achieved through data analytics. Data analytics spans various disciplines such as statistics, artificial intelligence and information technology with the main aim of transforming data into patterns, and patterns into knowledge. Knowledge can then help decision makers gain insights about their business operations and make better, fact-based decisions.

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Dr Lek Hsiang Hui is an Associate Specialist in Big Data Analytics at Bootstrap. He is also a Lecturer at the School of Computing in the National University of Singapore.

Prior to founding Standices, he was involved in a few start-ups. He is a mobile application developer and has produced more than 10 mobile apps on multiple platforms.

He has been involved in the teaching of various computing courses at School of Computing, National University of Singapore (NUS) since 2006. Some of the courses include programming methodology, enterprise systems analysis and development, and data mining. He has also conducted various training courses in the area of business analytics to professionals.

Dr Lek received his Doctor of Philosophy (Information Systems) from NUS in 2013. His research area is in Natural Language Processing (Sentiment Analysis). He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree (1st class honors) in Computer Engineering from NUS.

MS RACHEL POO

Why is understanding our customers important?

It is vital that we know and understand our customers to be able to create and provide for them the appropriate solutions to their challenges. Without understanding who our customers are, and what they really need, we will not be able to recognise their real needs, issues and gaps. Our recommendations may only be short-term solutions if at all. Through data, we will have better and deeper insights of our users and that gives us the capability to see more opportunities to better our customers’ lives and business. Our depth of knowledge and understanding of our customers determines our capability to deliver more innovative solutions for them.

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Ms Rachel Poo is a Big Data Analytics Associate Specialist at Bootstrap. She has been actively involved in projects and research for F&B, Malls Studies, Consumer Retail. She is also a Certified ACTA Trainer, where she provides mentorship programmes on Social Media Sentiment Analysis, Digital Marketing and helps business understand their Branding and Operations better.

Prior to her joining the team, she was in To The New, an integrated Digital Marketing Agency for 6 years, servicing clients and the organization in various roles as an Account Manager, Project Lead, Campaign Specialist and Team Manager. She also rose to be the Assistant Vice President of the Digital Marketing arm of To The New, S.E.A in the last 2 years and managed the organisation’s operations.

Through the various Digital Marketing projects, she has conceptualised and managed Digital Campaigns and Engagements targeted to both local and international audience, oversaw the implementation of Digital Advertisements. She is also proficient in analytics on Google, Flurry, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter. Her expertise in the Digital Marketing Landscape also includes Email Marketing, Mobile App Development, Integrated Digital Marketing Campaigns, Website Development, SEO and Search Campaigns and more. In addition, her interest in Big Data and Social Media allows her to engage Business Owners in understanding more about their Consumers through Insights Research on the Online Space.

Her clients include the National Trades Union Congress, Sony Pictures Entertainment, LG Electronics Singapore, CNBC and Changi Airport.

Ms Poo graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in Management and Marketing in 2011. She received her Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) in 2018.

MR JOHNNY ONG

How does one realise one’s full potential?

Many people don’t reach their full potential because of the mindset they have. They have self-limiting beliefs that compromise on the ability to achieve more than they think they are capable of. This is further reinforced by the opinions of their peers and family members.

Actually, it is relatively easy to banish such a mindset with the 3R Approach:

Renew:     Take a new perspective on how you see yourself. The choice to challenge conventional wisdom is yours. Develop a Growth Mindset instead of having a Fixed Mindset.

Realign:   Create a plan of action that leads to fulfilment. It’s about Resources (What), Processes (How) and Priorities (Why).

Resolve:   There must be firmness of mind in order to achieve the ongoing process of renewal.

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Mr Johnny Ong is a Peak Performance Associate Specialist at Bootstrap. He specialises in Personal Development, Self Confidence and Peak Performance. Besides holding training and speaking sessions for adults, Johnny also conducts motivational and personal development workshops in schools, as well as parenting and teacher development. He is also an adjunct lecturer in counselling psychology.

Mr Ong has served as the Sales Director in both music and hospitality industries. He has led and trained sales teams in various multinational companies for more than fourteen years in senior sales management positions, and have led these teams to top market share positions. He left the corporate world in 2007 to pursue his passion in writing, speaking and training. He is the author of “How to be A Hero Dad: – 70 Essential Tips on Being the Best Father for Your Child” as well writing his personal development book, “Don’t Live Your Life in One Day – 100 Effective Rules to Live a Meaningful Life”.

Mr Ong’s academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Hull (United Kingdom) and a Master of Social Science (Professional Counselling) from the Swinburne University of Technology (Australia). He also has a Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (United Kingdom), an Advanced Diploma in Mass Communications from Oklahoma University (United States), a Diploma in Business Studies from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Singapore), and a Diploma in Psychotherapy from the School of Positive Psychology. He also obtained the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment from the Institute of Adult Learning.

MS GRACE LEONG

How can one become a better learner?

Many people think that learning is dependent upon the external environment, such as the settings we are in or the people teaching us. Although this is true to a certain extent, I personally believe that we have to be independent in learning. Passion and motivation give us the extra boost we need when it comes to learning. In fact, learning takes place most effectively when we consciously relate what we have learnt to our lives. This is when we practise better learning: by unlearning, modifying, adapting and then relearning. In essence, learning starts from you.

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Ms Grace Leong is a Specialist in People Management and Development.

Prior to joining Bootstrap in 2011, Grace lectured in various educational institutions specialising in People Management and Development. Some of these institutions include Thames Business School, Temasek Polytechnic, Lasalle College of the Arts and Republic Polytechnic. She has also taken on multiple management roles in various private educational institutions.

Ms Leong was also a consultant to a locally owned education institution which started its school in China, Shanghai. She focused mainly in the training and development of a team of Chinese nationals in the setting up of the operations of the school in China. Since 2011, she has expanded her area of specialisation as she moved onto the training and development of volunteers. She developed the course in Volunteer Management where she trained volunteers from non-profit making organisations – including Grassroot leaders from the People’s Association (Singapore).

In Bootstrap, she spearheaded with the team for Innovation and Capability Voucher Project (Customer Insight) for Yang Kee Logistics, 2Form Interior Design, Lightrus Pte Ltd and BluTrust Pte Ltd. She is also an assessor and facilitator for the SkillsFuture Singapore approved courses.

Grace graduated from the Hawaii Pacific University, USA, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (majored in HRM) (Second Class Upper Honours, 1993). She received her Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) in 2010.

MS AUDREY KANG

How does Technology come into learning?

“Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can. There will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.” – Sarah Caldwell

Technology has disrupted just about every industry, why not harness its power and potential to fuel our employees’ learning journeys?

With these thoughts in mind, start with what the employees have to LEARN, and the vehicle(s) through which learning can be most effectively cascaded through will then become clear. We work with our clients to create customised solutions supported by both pedagogy and technology that allow employees to learn and grow new capabilities or close performance gaps, at any time and from anyone.

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Ms Audrey Kang is a Senior LearnTech Specialist at Bootstrap.

Prior to joining Bootstrap, she was a Marketing and Communications Executive with ST Cosme Pte Ltd. She developed marketing strategies for their online social networking platforms. She helped the start-up in the setting up of marketing practices in areas such as pricing, communications and retail.

At Bootstrap, she has spearheaded projects specialising in Retail. Her clients include K.BLU, Snacks4Me and Pacific Paper. By conducting strategic analysis of their customers, she developed retail strategies for clients for both online and offline platforms.

She also served on three innovation projects from SkillsFuture Singapore’s innovation projects for innovating learning technologies in various industry sectors.

Ms Kang graduated from the Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Business with Second Class Honours, specializing in Marketing in 2015. She is currently pursuing Certified Workplace Learning Specialist programme with the Institute of Adult Learning.

MR MARCUS SUAW

What does the airport mean to you?

Historically airports, just like its maritime cousin were venues where people and goods were prepped for embarkation and disembarkation. With increasingly affordable air travel, airports have since evolved to become leisure destination themselves.

Behind the seamless passenger’s travel experience, there is a network of aviation businesses that operate in perfect unison. At a strategic level, an airport is beyond the terminal buildings or physical boundaries. It is the matrix that holds the entire aviation industry together and propels it forward. It reaches out to other industries, searches for new best practises and technological developments, and then incorporates them to make air travel safer, more secure and pleasant.

For a state-of-the-art airport, these businesses are industry leaders, leveraging on technologies to bring ever new innovative and improved products and services for their customers. Businesses work together with their stakeholders to push the boundaries of the industry. Cross-fertilisation of ideas within and across the industry helps to grow and anchor Singapore as a leader in aviation.

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Mr Marcus Suaw is an Expert in Airport Commercial Revenue Management.

Previously, he served as the Associate General Manager in Changi Airport Group Changi East cluster, where he oversaw the conceptualisation of operations and commercial planning for Changi Airport’s Terminal 5. He led his team in engaging stakeholders to design the future passenger experience and identify potential business and productivity opportunities in order to scale Changi Airport’s future commercial revenue.

In Changi Airport Group, Mr Suaw held various key Commercial Revenue Management portfolios in Changi Airport including the management of retail, food and beverages, offices and even cargo warehouse leases. In 2008, he successfully concluded the commercial leasing and operationalisation of a diverse portfolio of Retail, Food and Beverages shops, including the prized Liquor and Tobacco concession as well as hundreds of office spaces for the opening of Changi Airport Terminal 3.

He previously led the Land Lease Management section where he negotiates Changi Airport Group’s commercial leases for land plots, concession and license agreements of airport partners. He was also involved in managing aeronautical fees and charges, including key landing, parking, passenger service and security charges of Changi Airport. During his stint as the Section Head for Aero Revenue, he successfully pushed through a 33% increase in the Passenger Service Charge with minimal resistance from Airlines.

Mr Suaw also contributed in Changi Airport Group’s overseas investment projects as a Commercial Revenue Consultant. Most notably, he played a pivotal role in structuring a Retail joint venture for the Retail spaces of investee airports in south of Russia. He also assumed the role of Residential Commercial Director for an airport in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he successfully doubled the commercial revenue of the airport over 2 years.

With more than 10 years of Airport Commercial experience, Mr Suaw has trained numerous commercial managers and executives who has since risen up the corporate ranks to assume management positions in the Changi Airport Group.

Prior to joining Changi Airport, Mr Suaw was a facilitator in Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic, one of Singapore’s Institutes of Higher Learning, focusing on developing and preparing young Singaporeans with the right industry skills to join the Singapore workforce.

Mr Suaw graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Masters in Business Administration in 2003, and Bachelor of Engineering with Second Class Honours in 1993. He completed his Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment with the Institute of Adult Learning.

MS PEGGY SITOH

How important is a team to a great business?

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs

Each and every individual in the team has their respective parts to play. We bring in different expertise, experience and abilities to the table. All of us are partially super, partially crazy, and 100% the glue that makes the business great.

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Ms Peggy Sitoh is a Senior Administration Specialist at Bootstrap.

Prior to joining Bootstrap, she has worked as a Clinic / Administration Assistant at Healthway Medical Group where she oversaw the clinic’s front desk customer service operations and procedures.

At Bootstrap, she liaises with government agencies such as SkillsFuture Singapore and Enterprise Singapore. She manages the company’s finances and ensures compliance with auditing standards. She also reviews and enhances operational and auditing procedures.

Ms Sitoh completed her CIDESCO Diploma in Beauty Therapy in 1999.

MR LESLIE CHANG

How does the course “Provide Advice on Clock and Watch Products (PAC)” enhance Singapore’s key position as a major importer in the Clock and/or Watch Industry?

The strong demand for such a course is a clear reflection of Singapore being consistently one of the world’s major importers of quality timepieces in recent history. The continuous growth of PAC will no doubt enhance the existing pool of talents. Most importantly, it provides the necessary skill and knowledge for newcomers to the clock and watch industry. I am extremely pleased with the successful implementation of Provide Advice on Clock and Watch Products since November 2010.

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Mr Leslie Chang started his career in the clock and watch industry at the age of nineteen, and has since built a company that exclusively distributes major international brands, including Orient and Mido.

Mr Chang is an Executive Committee Member of the Singapore Clock and Watch Association and was also the Organising Chairman of the Association’s Annual Ball for six consecutive years from 2001 to 2008.

To date, Mr Chang is the only Singaporean to have successfully competed in the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship events. He served on the Executive Committee of the Singapore Motor Sports Association as President and Chef-de-Mission of Team Singapore for the China-ASEAN International Touring Assembly since 2006.

Mr Chang also serves as a Patron of Pink Spartans, a dragon-boat team consisting of cancer survivors and supporters who fight for the betterment of life after cancer.

Mr Chang is a qualified facilitator who believes in continuous improvement, and has completed the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment in order to further his contributions to the Clock and Watch Industry by sharing the knowledge he has acquired through year of experience.

MR JOHNNY WEE

Why is Hospitality (Food & Beverage) Industry important in Singapore?

Singapore’s Hospitality (Food & Beverage) Industry has continuously been growing tremendously. It remains as a strong contributor to Singapore’s economy as well as culture and heritage.

With ever-increasing demands from consumers and a major shortage of manpower in the industry, it is critical to develop enough professionals to run and manage the business.

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Mr Johnny Wee is a Specialist in Food and Beverage Management & Operations.

Prior to joining the education sector, he worked in various international hotels in Singapore, Tokyo, California and Hawaii for over 25 years. During his tenure at the hotels, he rose up through the ranks from a Server, Captain, Assistant Manager, Manager, Training Manager, Restaurant General Manager and Director of Restaurants.

Prior to his conversion to Associate Lecturer at Republic Polytechnic, he was a full-time Lecturer, Reporting Officer and Industry Immersion Programme Coordinator for 6 years at the institution. He was responsible for the operations and procurement processes of three training restaurants.

Some of the modules that he lectures includes Food and Beverage Management, Catering Management, Wine and Beverage Management, Restaurant and Culinary Operations, Restaurant and Culinary Practicum, and Restaurant Operations Analysis.

Mr Wee received his Bachelor of Business Administration (Travel Industry Management) from the University of Hawaii, Manoa. He obtained his Associate in Science (Hotel and Restaurant Operations) from City College of San Francisco. He received his Advance Certificate in Training & Assessment (ACTA) in 2010 and Workforce Skills Qualification for Conduct Food & Beverage Hygiene Audit in 2015.