Distinguished guests, graduates, ladies and gentlemen
My heartiest congratulations to our graduates! We are honoured to celebrate this special occasion with you today. I applaud each and every one of you for doing remarkably well to reach this important milestone. Well done!
Commencement signifies a major turning point in your life, where you will embark on a new journey to become a responsible individual who can contribute and make a difference in the corporate world and society.
Over the past years, NUS Business School has nurtured and equipped you with an entrepreneurial spirit, industry-relevant and soft skills to navigate a volatile future. Today, the world is facing unprecedented times of uncertainty arising from global issues and technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI). Businesses are racing to keep up with the rapid changes and to stay ahead of the competition. Amid these events, I am confident that you are work-ready and able to leverage the Business School experiences to ride out the challenges and thrive in every circumstance.
I would also like to encourage you to have an insatiable appetite for knowledge and make continuous learning your life-long goal. The world of work will continue to evolve, so are the skills that you need to succeed. Keep a pulse on the business landscape and see what may come next and the skills required. Then, take advantage of the many post-graduate programmes that the university has to offer and upskill yourself. This way, you can constantly re-invent and stay relevant.
As you join our 350,000-strong University alumni network, take a moment to reflect on your achievements and ask yourself how you can build on the wide network to collaborate and create innovative solutions for the betterment of our businesses, our society and our living environment. As a business graduate, you are in a unique position to integrate different ideas and be a trailblazer. I also look forward to your return to NUS Business School and give back as an alumnus, continuing the legacy of your predecessors.
Leading from Asia, NUS Business School is committed to nurturing the next generation of business leaders who are also global citizens. You are an exemplar of our quality education and now is your time to go out to the world and be a game changer. We will be rooting for you.
You are now our alumni and our pride. Our faculty, staff and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you!
Andrew K Rose
Distinguished Professor DeanNUS Business School
Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours (Major in Finance) Winner of the DBS Medal
Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) with Honours
Bachelor of Science (Real Estate) with Honours Winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal, Amos Koh Medal and Outstanding Undergraduate Research Prize
Master of Science in Finance
Master of Business Administration Winner of the Reginald Quahe Memorial Medal (Gold)
It’s important to be bold, take a leap of faith, and pursue what you like. It’s essential to stay true to yourself and, when it gets tough, remember why you wanted to do it in the first place.
Stay hungry for new skills and knowledge, and always be bold and venture out of your comfort zone. Embrace risks as opportunities for growth. Remember, it’s crucial to maintain a balance between your career and personal well-being. Cherish the moments with your loved ones, as they are the foundation of your support and happiness.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024! As we stand on the brink of a new journey, let us embrace the challenges ahead with open hearts. Always try your best, never give up and stay humble. And may your efforts be rewarded with success and fulfilment.
As we stand on the brink of new beginnings, remember that the most valuable investment a person can make is in themselves. The skills and knowledge we gained at NUS are assets that will stay with us for a lifetime. Class of 2024, hold your heads high with pride because the odds are in your favour. As we move forward, have faith in how far you can go and the incredible journeys ahead.
Commencement marks the beginning of the next chapter of our journey. Remember the lessons we have learned and the skills we have acquired. These experiences will be our compass, guiding us with confidence and grace as we navigate the ever-changing world ahead.
Regional Director SE Asia GM of Singapore and Malaysia Tencent Cloud International UCLA-NUS Executive MBA (EMBA), Class of 2014 *Mr Siow will be speaking at Ceremony C28 on 20thJuly at 10:00 AM
Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific CDPQ Global NUS BBA, Class of 1985 *Ms Leong will be speaking at Ceremony C32 on 21st July at 2:30 PM
Chairman Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority NUS B.Eng (Chemical Engineering), Class of 1985 *Mr Ong will be speaking at Ceremony C33 on 21st July at 07:00 PM
Mr Siow is currently the General Manager, Singapore, Malaysia and SE Asia Regional Director for Tencent Cloud International of Tencent.
Mr Siow’s career spans 25 years of experience in Sales, Business Development, Sales Management, Partner Development, Professional Services & Consulting Services Delivery. Prior to Tencent, Mr Siow worked in various leadership and functional roles on both the Enterprise Sell side and Buy side with Google Cloud, Cisco Systems, Intel as well as Royal Dutch Shell at the forefront of the Internet, Data Analytics, Cloud and AI revolution.
Throughout Mr Siow’s professional and academic life, he had also spent considerable time in Singapore, China, United Kingdom, Mongolia, Australia, and the USA, and considers himself a true global citizen with a local heart.
Mr Siow also serves as the current Chairman of the Programme Advisory Committee at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), as well as Advisor to the Industry Consultative Committee at the NUS (National University of Singapore) Business School.
Mr Siow holds double MBA degrees from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) degree in Information Systems and Telecommunications Management from Murdoch University at Western Australia, and an Executive Education Certificate in Digital Business Strategy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT Sloan School of Business.
Leong Wai Leng is responsible for the regional management of CDPQ Global in Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, she coordinates all CDPQ activities in the region and ensures optimal positioning and outreach. CDPQ has offices in Singapore, New Delhi and Sydney in Asia Pacific.
Ms Leong has over 30 years of experience in the finance and banking sectors, including 13 years in China, where she built a commercial banking business from the ground up. She has an extensive business network in China and in South-East Asia, including in Singapore. Over the course of her career, she has worked in both the buy and sell sides of the industry, in developed and developing financial markets.
Before joining CDPQ in 2018 as Managing Director, Strategic Partnerships, Asia, Ms Leong was Managing Director and Head of Business Management Unit at the Bank of Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of OCBC Bank. Prior to that, she was the Chairman and CEO of OCBC Bank (China). In 2010, she became the first banker from a non-Japanese Asian bank to win a Gold Magnolia Award, one of the highest recognitions from the Shanghai government. Perhaps most noteworthy was the fact it was the Chinese regulatory body, CBRC (Central Banking Regulatory Commission), that nominated her for this award.
Ms Leong was also Managing Director and Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at HSBC China. Previously, she held senior positions at multinational corporations such as Philips Electronics China Group, as well as at JP Morgan Bank and at Citibank, in Singapore.
Mr Ong Chong Tee was with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from 1986 to 2021. He held senior positions in the areas of reserve management, central banking monetary operations and market development. He was most recently MAS’ Deputy Managing Director of Financial Supervision, overseeing the financial sectors of banking, insurance, capital markets, payment services as well as the supervision of technology and money laundering risks from 2014 to 2021.
Mr Ong had served on numerous boards of public agencies including Singapore Land Authority, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Central Provident Fund and Housing & Development Board. As the MAS representative, he was also an advisory member of the Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics of SMU, Risk Management Institute of NUS, the EDHEC-Risk Institute and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Office. Mr Ong also served as a member of MINDEF’s SAVER-Premium Board of Trustee and MHA’s INVEST Board of Trustee.
Presently, Mr Ong serves on various boards in the public and private sectors, including as Chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. He is also a member of the GIC Risk Committee.
Mr Ong graduated with an Honours Degree in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore in 1985 and attended the Advanced Management Programme of Harvard Business School. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2007 and Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2021 by the President of Singapore.
Commencement ceremonies for the School of Business (BIZ) will be held on 20 – 21 July 2024
at the University Cultural Centre (UCC). Find out how to get there with this guide.
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