In 2016, a first for Private Educational Institutions (PEIs), we 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: 52% MNCs, 38% SMEs and 10% startups
- Representatives with a Singapore/Regional role, about 50% local and 50% foreign in nationality
- 40% 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 to ensure our curriculum and employability services are relevant to industry demand. This makes it current and based on practical experience. The input is then used to modify our programmes to make them of industry standard to meet Singapore’s labour needs and prepare our 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.
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) | Head of Sales APAC – Fenics Direct |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Tan Choon Ngee | Group CEO, aZaas Pte Ltd |
| Mr Linus Lim | Co-Chief Investment Officer, Phillip Capital Management (S) Ltd |
| Mr Matthew Campbell | Executive Director – Indirect Tax, JP Morgan |
| Mr Ng Chong Yang | Managing Partner, Digital Advisory Group LLP |
| Ms Suprita Vohra | Director, Risk Solutions Group
Barclays, Singapore |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Marketing & Communications | |
| Mr Iain Twine (Chair) | Founder and Managing Partner, Harrup Advisory |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Ben Heyhoe-Flint | 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 |
| Ms Ruth Beattie | Country Operations Manager, Southeast Asia
Marketing, Google Asia Pacific |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Hospitality, Tourism & MICE | |
| 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 |
| Ms Yap Xinling | Regional Account Director, Asia Pacific, BCD Meetings & Events |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Retail & 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 |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| IT & Engineering | |
| Mr David Siah (Chair) | Vice President (SEA-Australia), Centre for Strategic Cyberspace and International Studies |
| Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Executive Director, Kaplan |
| Mr Amolakh S. Calais | Regional Director – Hotel Solutions, Asia Pacific & Japan, TripAdvisor |
| 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 |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
| Healthcare & Social Services | |
| 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 |
| Ms Sywell See | Manager, Employability and Industry Engagement |
Networking Events
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Annual Get-Together Lunch 2019
With the induction of new partnerships and for year-end updates on developments at Kaplan, industry leaders from our Industry Advisory Boards (IABs) attended the Annual Get-Together Lunch held in SKAI Suites at Swissôtel The Stamford.
We announced the formation of the Employability and Industry Engagement (EIE) department, as well as the latest initiatives and employability services to give our students a competitive edge when they enter the workforce.
We also introduced new partnerships signed and honoured existing partners that have helped us produce industry-ready graduates equipped with the latest skills required for employability. We hope to continue to inspire, guide and nurture the next generation of industry professionals.
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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. Apart from showing appreciation to our members’ contributions and welcoming 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 Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford, 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.
Members’ Contribution
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#1MinuteInsights – Disruptive Technologies in Real Estate |
#1MinuteInsights – How can we address Cyber Threats? |
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