In 2016, a first for Private Educational Institutions (PEIs), Kaplan Singapore set up six Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) from various sectors to help align its programmes with the needs of industries that were at the top of the Government’s SkillsFuture agenda.
The intention, being primed on industry requirements, was to produce industry-ready graduates, equipped with skills for the 21st century and the 4th Industrial Revolution, who could walk into various industries and add value immediately without having to be retrained.
The six Boards comprise:
- More than 40 external senior executives
- Over 460 years of senior management experience
- A collective representation of companies employing over 22,000 employees in Singapore alone
- Representatives from diverse organisations: 43% MNCs, 41% SMEs, 12% startups and 4% large local companies
- Representatives with a Singapore/Regional role, 51% local and 49% foreign in nationality
- 42% representation of female leaders, well above international averages for Boards
The IABs advise Kaplan on the latest trends in various industry sectors and provide valuable input towards the curriculum. This makes it current and based on practical experience. The input is then used to modify its programmes to make them of industry standard to meet Singapore’s labour needs and prepare their graduates to be career-ready.
The IABs also reflect on industry viewpoints, and provide valuable input on employment demands and the qualities that employers look for in graduates. This ensures that the programmes remain relevant to the real world.
Additionally, the IABs suggest ways of engaging the industry to ensure the relevance of programmes and recommend novel ways that industry intelligence can be inculcated into the curriculum. Uniquely, every one of the boards has a technology leader in its membership, capable of injecting the industry’s requirements towards the vision of a Smart Nation.
Hear from Associate Professor Rhys Johnson, Chief Operating Officer & Provost, and Mr Christopher Harris, Executive Dean, Academic and Industry Engagement, as they share on how our students can benefit from the IABs’ valuable contribution, as well as some of the significant achievements and plans for the year 2019 respectively.
Note: The Members serve and give advice to Kaplan through the Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) as individuals. Therefore, the IAB Members’ opinions are their own and do not represent the views of their employer.
Kaplan Industry Advisory Board Members
| ACCOUNTING, BANKING & FINANCE | |
| Mr Thomas Meacham (Chair) | Independent Consultant (Previously Head – FX Options, Malayan Banking Berhad) |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Tan Choon Ngee | Group CEO, aZaas Pte Ltd |
| Mr Jason Hughes | Global Head of Sales, ADS Securities |
| Mr Linus Lim | Co-Chief Investment Officer, Phillip Capital Management (S) Ltd |
| Mr Mervyn Song | Senior Financial Services Consultant, Professional Investment Advisory Services Pte Ltd |
| Mr Matthew Campbell | Executive Director – Indirect Tax, JP Morgan |
| Mr Ng Chong Yang | Managing Partner, Digital Advisory Group LLP |
| Ms Sheena Fu | Head of Education Technology, Kaplan |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA & PR | |
| Mr Iain Twine (Chair) | Founder and Managing Partner, Harrup Advisory |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Alan Soon | Founder & CEO, Splice Media |
| Mr Ben Heyhoe-Flint | CEO, Asia Sponsorship News (ASN) COO, Vuulr |
| Mr Fong Kwok Shiung | General Manager and Chairman Awards Organising Committee, PTL Group Pte Ltd |
| Mr Lionel Chok | Creative Technologist, iMMERSiVELY |
| Ms Wendy Walker | Senior Director, Marketing Asia Pacific, Salesforce |
| Mr Ng Chong Yang | Managing Partner, Digital Advisory Group LLP |
| Ms Novita Jong | Regional Head of Sales, GrabAds |
| Ms Gemma Manning | Founder & Managing Director, Gemstar Technologies |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| HOTELS, FOOD & BEVERAGE, TOURISM & EVENTS |
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| Mr Marcus Hanna (Chair) | General Manager, Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Emmanuel Benardos | General Manager, Food & Beverage, Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford |
| Ms Janise Tan | Developer Space Lead, Developer Relations Ecosystem, Google Asia Pacific |
| Mr Kevin Teng | Executive Director, Sustainability, Marina Bay Sands |
| Mr Felix Yeo | General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview |
| Mr Zak Muysken | Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay |
| Ms Yap Xinling | Head of Strategic Meetings Management, APAC, Carlson Wagonlit Travel |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| RETAIL, LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | |
| Ms Elim Chew (Chair) | Founder, 77th Street Co-Founder, FastFast Delivery & Elim Chew TV |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Ben Robinson | CEO, Raffles Quay Asset Management Pte Ltd |
| Ms Hien Lane | VP of Partnerships, APAC Hello Health Group |
| Ms Anne Lepissier | South East Asia Consumer and Devices General Manager, Microsoft |
| Mr Yap Cheng Hua | Independent Consultant (formerly Portek) |
| Mr Stephen Ho | Group COO, SkyLab Holding Pte Ltd |
| Ms Rachel Lim | Co-Founder, LoveBonito Singapore Pte Ltd |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| ENGINEERING, IT & PROJECT MANAGEMENT | |
| Mr David Siah (Chair) | Vice President (SEA-Australia), Center for Strategic Cyberspace and Internation Studies |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Amolakh S. Calais | Regional Director – Hotel Solutions, Asia Pacific & Japan, TripAdvisor |
| Ms Anna C Mallon | Founder & CEO, Startup2Life Founder & CEO, The Creative Experience |
| Mr Duncan Tan | Project Manager/Technical Controller, United Singapore Builders Pte Ltd |
| Mr Garth Trathen | Senior Project Manager, Faithful+Gould |
| Mr Lionel Chok | Creative Technologist, iMMERSiVELY |
| Mr Ng Chong Yang | Managing Partner, Digital Advisory Group LLP |
| Ms Novita Jong | Regional Head of Sales, GrabAds |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Healthcare, Nursing, Psychology & Counselling | |
| Ms Tan Li Li (Chair) | Independent Consultant (Formerly Executive Director, Singapore Association for Mental Health) |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Ms Karina Tay | Consultant Educational Psychologist, PINES Educational Psychology Services |
| Ms Shirley Tay | Director of Nursing, Mt Alvernia Hospital |
| Dr Dianne Sainsbury | General Dentist, Smilefocus Family Dental Specialist |
| Dr Maha Sawahly | Director of Business Development, Singapore & SEA, Content Ed Net Pte Ltd |
| Ms Jane Chua | Training Manager, Spa Menu Pte Ltd |
| Mr Nelson Ang | Director, Curriculum & Assessment Team, Kaplan |
| Mr Desmond Teo | Deputy Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Mr Benny Mak | Assistant Director, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Ms Femmy Lais (Secretariat) | Assistant Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner
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Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner 2018
To commemorate 3 years of partnership, industry leaders from our Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) came together for the Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner, held at the SKAI Restaurant. At the Dinner, Mr Christopher Harris, Executive Dean, Academic & Industry Engagement, was grateful for the members’ contributions thus far, & also welcomed new members. Our COO & Provost, Associate Professor Rhys Johnson also shared major initiatives launched with the backing of the IABs’ inputs, which play a crucial role in our students’ employability.
Representing the collective IAB members, Mr Marcus Hanna, General Manager at Fairmont-Swissotel, and Chairperson of our Hotels, F&B and Tourism & Events Board, spoke on the importance of the relationship with Kaplan, and the upcoming plans for 2019.
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Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner 2017
Our team of experts from our Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) had a get-together at Meat Smith to celebrate 2 years of partnership in bettering our students’ learning outcomes. These industry leaders worked with our academic team and provided insights on the latest trends and developments in their respective sectors, with the common goal of shaping an industry-relevant curriculum. We thanked our IAB members for giving their time generously to help us nurture the next generation of industry professionals. We deeply appreciated hearing from Iain Twine (Vice-Chairman – APAC, Middle East & Africa, Edelman PR), when he spoke on behalf of the IAB members that being part of the board “has been a wonderful experience and a nice opportunity to give back.”
Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner 2016
The members of our Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) gathered for a fun evening at Cocotte Restaurant for the inaugural Kaplan Alliance Networking Dinner, to round up the year of collaboration and exchange of ideas that would enhance our students’ learning outcomes.
Drawing on more than 460 years of senior management experience, the 42 industry expert members were driven with the common purpose of enabling our students to succeed in academics and employability. Working hand in hand with our academic team, they shared their experience, expertise and advice on industry employment needs to ensure our programmes help our students build industry-relevant skillsets.
