EDS - I Make Business Happen

INVESTIGATION REPORT : CAREERS ATSPRING SINGAPORE REFERENCE NO.:4579-00-201-MCVII



To discover the exciting and meaningful careers at SPRING Singapore

The Inside Out of aSPRING CareerSPRING officers play an active role in shapingthe future of Singapore’s economy. From growinglocal enterprises and taking them beyond ourshores, to developing and promoting world classstandards for our industries, SPRING officers makea meaningful impact wherever they go. SPRING officers get to... 1 Work with movers and shakers Partner business leaders and decision makers in shaping local industries. 04341077087-8 Douglas FooCEO, Sakae Holdings Ltd 2 See the world and build networks 04341075080 - 9 SPRING officers travel to various countriesSPRING officers on an overseas mission trip. for mission trips and conferences.

3 Develop world- class enterprises and learn from the best in the industry. 04341077081-5 Promoting internationally recognised quality and standards infrastructure.4 Enjoy a growing career Develop through job rotations, sponsored studies and secondments to other enterprises and agencies.

SPRING’s Vision Global Singapore Enterprises Sakae Sushi Healthway Medical GroupPan Asia Logistics Racer Technologies Khong Guan Markono Print Media SPRING’s Mission To help Singapore enterprises grow and to build trust in Singapore products and services

Decoding the DNA ofSPRING Officers Enterprising Resourceful, dynamic, and innovative individuals, constantly seeking new opportunities and striving towards better results. Nurturing Caring and supportive of one another so that everyone can achieve their full potential. Team Player Collaborative people who build trusting relationships and enjoy working across boundaries. Professional Perform quality work with integrity and a sense of responsibility

An Inside Scoop onSPRING’s Business GroupsIndustry DevelopmentGroupDrives enterprise growth anddevelops Singapore’s industrysectors. Works with industryassociations and partners todevelop strategies, infrastructureand create new marketopportunities for local enterprises.Capabilities &Partnership GroupSupports SPRING’s enterprisedevelopment strategies bydeveloping and managing capabilityprogrammes and financing schemesthat help local enterprises growand globalise.

Innovation &Start-ups GroupWorks with partners andinvestors to seed and nurtureinnovative start-ups. Aimsto build a pro-enterpriseenvironment in Singapore, withthe long-term vision of growingmore start-ups into globallycompetitive brands.Quality &Excellence GroupDevelops and promotesinternationally recognisedstandards and qualityassurance infrastructure.This enhances enterprisecompetitiveness, facilitatestrade and builds trust inSingapore products andservices. Campaign that aims to ensure th at all consu mer products sold in Singapore meet re cog nised internatio nal safety standards.

CASE No. SS0041 • 1.5 years in SPRINGNAME • Develops and manages programmes to build BERNARD POH the Business Innovation capabilityTITLE of local enterprises MANAGER, CAPABILITIES & PARTNERSHIP • Stays abreast of GROUP (CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT) Business Innovation trends throughDETAILS research and fora, as well as overseas I find my work fulfilling, watching SMEs exposure such as a Business Model“ ”grow by developing their capabilities. Innovation Masterclass in Europe Bernard drives the development of Business Innovation programmes for enterprises at different stages of growth. A typical day at work sees him meeting SME representatives, consultants and stakeholders from other public sector agencies. He also studies the latest Business Innovation models adopted by successful organisations worldwide and de-constructs them for adoption by local enterprises. Bernard finds his work fulfilling, as he is well positioned to enable the growth of local enterprises through developing their capabilities. Despite the steep learning curve in the beginning, Bernard is constantly motivated by acquiring new knowledge and overcoming challenges at work. Being in this job gives him the opportunity to work closely with experts and thought leaders in the field, accelerating his understanding of the latest methodologies and tools used globally. He has attended events such as the Singapore Business Design Summit and Singapore Innovation Conference, and also organised and participated in various courses to learn more about disruptive innovation.VERIFIED BY CODE CLEARANCE LEVEL RESTRICTED SECURITY LEVEL A1 GENERAL ACCESS 362K LIMITED LEVEL C3

CASE No. SS0052 • 1.5 years in SPRINGNAME • Conducts quantitative research on the SME SUNIL RAI landscape in SingaporeTITLE • Vantage view of SENIOR OFFICER, CORPORATE SPRING’s role; DEVELOPMENT GROUP (PLANNING) catalyses SPRING’s work throughDETAILS statistics and data analytics“ I believe that it is the people that drive an organisation, and with the friendly and • Deepens his collaborative culture in SPRING, I treasure knowledge through ”every moment of my career here. peer learning and specialised training Sunil is part of the Research and Statistics team in the Planning courses Division. He analyses the various aspects of statistics related to SMEs in Singapore and proposes various ideas to support SPRING’s mandate. Given the nature of his work, he has had the opportunity to venture into the emerging area of data analytics. He has also been exposed to various developmental opportunities such as peer learning and specialised training courses to deepen his statistical knowledge. As a Sociology graduate, Sunil wanted to gain greater exposure in the business field and saw a career with SPRING as the perfect opportunity to diversify his skills. As an officer in the Planning Division, Sunil has a vantage view of the role and work of SPRING in growing SMEs and fuelling economic growth in Singapore. Knowing that there is much to learn keeps Sunil going. Sunil believes that it is the people that drive an organisation, and with the friendly and collaborative culture in SPRING, he treasures every moment of his career.VERIFIED BY CODE CLEARANCE LEVEL RESTRICTED SECURITY LEVEL A1 GENERAL ACCESS 362K LIMITED LEVEL C3

CASE No. SS0061 • 4.5 years in SPRINGNAME • Drives restructuring efforts of the food LIM JING JUN services sectorTITLE • Travelled to the UK, US and Spain on SENIOR MANAGER, INDUSTRY business trips DEVELOPMENT GROUP (FOOD) • Seconded to a localDETAILS enterprise to gain first- hand experience of “ Having worked with enterprises across various SME operations industries, I have gained a better appreciation of how different industries contribute to the Singapore economy. My work has also taken ”me to places such as the US, UK and Spain. Jing Jun started her career with SPRING developing and managing programmes that help build the capabilities of local enterprises. One such programme is Design Engage, which helps local enterprises identify new areas for growth and learn new ways to innovate and enhance their business strategy. After 2.5 years in SPRING, Jing Jun had the opportunity to be seconded to a local enterprise in the furniture industry to experience first-hand how an SME operates. She was involved in the SME’s retail experience redesign, retail operations, social media engagement and franchising operations. This stint gave her valuable insights into the challenges that SMEs face. Since returning to SPRING, Jing Jun devotes her time to helping the food industry restructure for higher productivity gains. Her work requires her to interact and network with public sector agencies, food associations and mall developers on a regular basis. The challenges of Jing Jun’s work keep her engaged. She appreciates the extensive outlook and exposure that SPRING provides. Having worked with enterprises across various industries, she has gained a better appreciation of how different industries contribute to the Singapore economy. Jing Jun’s work also takes her places. She has travelled to the UK, US and Spain on business trips. Her trip to Barcelona was the most memorable as the city embraces the belief that mistakes do not mean failures; rather, learning from mistakes helps to foster success. In that vein, she does not let the fear of failing stop her from trying new things.VERIFIED BY CODE CLEARANCE LEVEL RESTRICTED SECURITY LEVEL A1 GENERAL ACCESS 362K LIMITED LEVEL C3

CASE No. SS0066 • 3.5 years in SPRINGNAME • Supports a multi- agency committee to KANG AIK MENG formulate innovation strategies forTITLE commercialisation and the technology SENIOR MANAGER, INNOVATION & transfer of public R&D START-UPS GROUP (STRATEGY & POLICY) • Preparing forDETAILS secondment to an external organisation“ The work of SPRING impacts the entire to broaden insights enterprise ecosystem in Singapore. into intermediary This is a challenge that I find the most and technology ”fulfilling and one that I fully embrace. commercialisation work, and bridge One of Aik Meng’s key duties in the Strategy & Policy Division of the technology with Innovation & Start-ups Group is to support a multi-agency committee businesses in formulating innovation strategies for commercialisation and the technology transfer of public R&D. The group focuses on growing innovative start-ups and supports the national innovation strategy, giving Aik Meng exposure to a wide range of areas such as emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, and the role of venture capitalists. An engineer by training, Aik Meng is intrigued by the physical sciences area of his work and is passionate about understanding technology, seeking out the technological needs of the industry and sourcing for potential game-changers. Through his work, Aik Meng has the opportunity to see the entire spectrum from research to business, and is able to better appreciate the intermediate processes. He also gets to further his understanding of business models pertinent to technology businesses. Aik Meng feels that his time in SPRING is like a learning journey. Due to the nature of his work, he has the opportunity to experience innovation and technology first-hand, such as the recent hype of 3D printing. As part of the developmental opportunities offered by SPRING, Aik Meng is currently preparing for his secondment to an external organisation to learn about intellectual property intermediary work, to bridge between technology and businesses. Aik Meng appreciates that the work of SPRING impacts the entire enterprise ecosystem in Singapore. This is a challenge that he finds the most fulfilling and one that he fully embraces.VERIFIED BY CODE CLEARANCE LEVEL RESTRICTED SECURITY LEVEL A1 GENERAL ACCESS 362K LIMITED LEVEL C3

CASE No. SS0073NAME VERON HUANGTITLE HEAD, QUALITY & EXCELLENCE GROUP (POLICY & PROMOTION)DETAILS • 7 years in SPRING • Develops promotion“ I particularly enjoy the candid exchanges and communication with SME bosses, where apart from business strategies to instil acumen, I also gleaned important lessons on a quality mindset ”values, as well as good old wisdom. among enterprises and consumers Veron’s first posting in SPRING saw her driving entrepreneurship in Singapore to encourage more start-ups via the Action Community CLEARANCE LEVEL for Entrepreneurship (ACE), a private/public sector-led movement SECURITY LEVEL A1 for which SPRING was the secretariat. She was entrusted with the GENERAL ACCESS 362K role of spearheading publicity and branding of ACE, and executing LIMITED LEVEL C3 national-level campaigns and events. She was also instrumental in the launch of several entrepreneurship initiatives and schemes. With her passion in publicity and marketing, she was next posted to the Corporate Communications Division. This posting broadened her perspectives and allowed her to gain greater exposure to the various divisions in SPRING, as well as deepened her competencies in communications and publicity. Veron is currently in the Policy & Promotion team in the Quality & Excellence Group. She leads a team of officers to develop promotion and communication strategies to encourage the adoption of quality and excellence initiatives. This includes identifying opportunities to increase awareness and adoption of standards and conformance, and good business practices, as well as develop platforms and promotional collaterals for select industry sectors and consumers. She also works with stakeholders to educate various customer groups on the importance of quality and excellence. Veron joined SPRING because of her passion to grow local enterprises. Almost seven years on, her love for these “made in Singapore” enterprises is still going strong. She particularly enjoys the candid exchanges with SME bosses, where she acquires important lessons on business acumen, values and good old wisdom.VERIFIED BY CODE RESTRICTED