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 (Asia-Pacific) Fenics Direct |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Mr Alvin Aloysius Goh | Executive Director Singapore Human Resource Institute |
Mr Matthew Campbell | Executive Director Global lead for Indirect Tax Technology & Manager of Indirect Taxes in (Asia-Pacific) JP Morgan |
Mr Mohammad Nizam bin Ismail | Founder & Chief Executive Officer Ethikom Consultancy |
Mr Sarjit Singh S/O Sarmukh Singh | Chief Executive Officer InCorp Global Pte Ltd |
Mr Tan Choon Ngee | Group Chief Executive Officer aZaas Pte Ltd |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability & Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
Marketing & Communications | |
Mr Iain Twine (Chair) | Founder and Managing Partner Harrup Advisory |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Mr Fong Kwok Shiung, PBM | Independent Director SecureFood Pte. Ltd |
Ms Gemma Manning | Founder & Managing Director Gemstar Technologies |
Ms Ruth Beattie | Country Operations Manager (Southeast Asia) Marketing Google Asia Pacific |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability and Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
Hospitality, Tourism & MICE | |
Mr Marcus Hanna (Chair) | Managing Director Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Mr Benjamin Tan | Chief Executive Officer Mandai Global |
Mr Emmanuel Benardos | General Manager Food & Beverage Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford |
Mr Kevin Teng | Executive Director Sustainability Marina Bay Sands |
Ms Yap Xinling | Regional Account Director (Asia Pacific) BCD Meetings & Events |
Mr Felix Yeo | Adjunct Lecturer East Asia Institute of Management London School of Business & Finance Singapore Institute of Management |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability and Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
Retail & Supply Chain Management | |
Ms Elim Chew (Chair) | Founder 77th Street Co-Founder FastFast Delivery & Elim Chew TV |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Ms Anne Lepissier | General Manager (Southeast Asia, Korea, India) Consumer Sales & Marketing Microsoft |
Mr Stephen Ho | Group Chief Operating Officer SkyLab Holding Pte Ltd |
Mr Eddie Siow | Chief Executive Officer IM Holdings |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability and Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
IT & Engineering | |
Mr David Siah (Chair) | Vice President – Channels, AMEA (Asia-Pacific, Mid East, Africas) Trend Micro |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Mr Abdul Wahab Mohamed Yusoff | Vice President (Asia Pacific & Japan) Delinea |
Mr Ivan Chang | Consumer Payments, (Asia-Pacific) The Walt Disney Company |
Mr Lionel Chok | Startup Founder/Creative Technologist iMMERSiVELY |
Mr Ng Chong Yang | Product Lead Lead Product Innovator NCS Group |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability and Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
Healthcare & Social Services | |
Ms Tan Li Li (Chair) | Independent Consultant Formerly Executive Director, Singapore Association for Mental Health |
Mr Mike Christie (Deputy Chair) | Chief Operating Officer Kaplan Singapore |
Ms Karina Tay | Consultant Educational Psychologist PINES Educational Psychology Services |
Ms Shirley Tay | Director of Nursing Mount Alvernia Hospital |
Mr Yong Keng Kwang | Group Chief Nurse National Healthcare Group |
Ms Sze-Yunn Pang | Chief Executive Officer Neurowyzr |
Dr Fermin Diez | Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Group Director Sector Capability and Transformation Group, National Council of Social Service |
Ms Charlotte George | Deputy Director Employability and Student Affairs Kaplan Singapore |
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
#1MinuteInsights – Disruptive Technologies in Real Estate |
#1MinuteInsights – How can we address Cyber Threats? |
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