New programme to lift aspiring S’porean leaders in biopharma, energy and other sectors

SINGAPORE⁠ – Promising local leaders in Singapore’s key biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry can apply to join a 12-month programme meant to prime them for higher roles with cross-border scope come November.

They will be the first to benefit from the Singapore Leaders Network’s (SGLN) Industry Interest Groups initiative, which Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong launched at a Sept 8 event to mark the SGLN’s third anniversary.

SGLN said the industry interest groups are an effort to strengthen Singapore’s leadership pipeline in key industries such as biopharmaceutical manufacturing, energy and chemicals – plus others in years to come.

“They may not be stationed overseas, but they may also need to know how to operate in these overseas markets,” said DPM Gan, on the importance to Singaporean professionals of gaining overseas exposure.

Even firms that operate only here may still work with customers which operate abroad, he noted.

He was speaking at a dialogue attended by around 150 SGLN members and programme participants at Rochester Commons in Buona Vista, where the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI) offices are.

The SGLN is

a networking group

backed by the Economic Development Board, managed by HCLI, and set up in 2022 to help Singaporeans prepare for global corporate leadership roles.

The biopharmaceutical manufacturing track of the initiative is a joint effort between SGLN and the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Advisory Council.

A parallel track is in the works for energy and chemicals, with a launch target of early 2026.

The programme is open to Singaporeans and permanent residents with 10 years or more of work experience, and who are identified as high-potential employees on the leadership track within their industry.

Over 12 months, they will get to visit leading firms here and abroad, put their learning into practice with projects, showcase their projects to C-suite leaders and industry bodies, network with peers and also get one-to-one mentoring opportunities.

Under another programme launched by DPM Gan at the Sept 8 event, those who aspire to or have clinched work stints abroad can join a new structured programme intended to let them gain the skills, confidence and networks to flourish overseas.

The Overseas Transition Support (OTS) programme is jointly run by SGLN and the Singapore Global Network (SGN), an EDB division that aims to build and deepen people’s ties with Singapore.

The programme is open to both Singapore citizens and PRs who are SGLN members.

Under the programme, participants will join a one-day workshop prior to departure to learn practical strategies navigating cultural differences in communication, hear from global business leaders with overseas stints under their belts, and connect with peers.

While overseas, participants can access a range of online resources from readings on expatriation and repatriation, to resources on global leadership and cultural intelligence.

There will also be community support including from SGN’s platforms and SGLN virtual community gatherings, on top of networking opportunities in the country they are working in.

Upon their return to Singapore, participants will be able to take part in the SGLN Global Village, a one-day event featuring Singaporeans who have returned from their overseas stints sharing their stories and insights.

There are also other optional paid electives, such as pre-departure workshops, executive coaching and a course module to support reintegration back in Singapore.

During the dialogue at the launch event, DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, urged global and regional leaders to resist the temptation to “cut and paste” their solutions in their ventures abroad.

For instance, even though China and India are both developing countries, they have very different cultures and economies that require different ways of doing business.

“So you need to have that flexibility, have that nimbleness to look at every region you operate in afresh.”

He also shared his own experience with overseas exposure in corporate life, as an executive vice-president handling NatSteel’s international investments, before his entry into politics.

He said the company set up 10 companies in three countries, only to later shutter all of them due to either differences between partners or the business not serving local needs.

To him, this experience showed the importance of understanding the local operating environment and finding the right local partners with the same business philosophy for long-term sustainability, which matters more than short-term profit.

Mr Joel Shen, 45, head of the Indonesia practice for global law firm Withers, is one of the 60 in the inaugural batch of OTS participants.

While the lawyer has worked in Hong Kong and Jakarta before, Mr Shen said he joined the OTS both to gain more insight for his next stint in Jakarta, as well as help guide those with less experience.

Another participant, Ms Khoo Choon Yen, 35, director of people operations at software platform provider Workato, said the most beneficial part of the programme for participants like her are both the wealth of knowledge from others about relocating, and greater clarity on the impact she hopes to make at her workplace.