Celebrating 40 Years of SIM-UoL: Alumni Stories of Impact and Achievement (Part 5)

As we celebrate 40 years of the Singapore Institute of Management and the University of London (SIM-UoL) partnership, we spotlight graduates who have progressed into management roles across diverse industries.

Their journeys demonstrate how a UoL education can equip them with the knowledge, skills and global perspectives to take on greater responsibilities, lead with confidence and make a meaningful impact.
 

Foo See Yang
Managing Director and Strategic Business Group Head at PERSOL APAC
BSc Economics and Management | 2000

  
See Yang (centre) with his team at PERSOL Singapore

I was drawn to SIM because of its flexibility in allowing students to tailor their studies according to their interests and career goals. I chose this programme because it combines two areas that deeply interest me: understanding how the world works through economics, and how organisations achieve success through management. I am particularly fascinated by topics such as markets, decision-making, business strategy, and global economic issues. Through this programme, I hoped to develop analytical thinking and strategic insight that can be applied to real-world challenges in business and beyond.

One of the defining experiences during my time at SIM was pursuing my studies part-time while working full-time. Attending evening classes after a full day at work was not easy. It required time management, self-discipline and perseverance. Balancing professional responsibilities with academic deadlines taught me how to prioritise, stay organised under pressure and maintain focus.

Through this experience, I developed stronger resilience and a greater sense of accountability. My studies also taught me to view business and market trends through a broader, interconnected lens, understanding how global economic and political events influence organisational decisions and performance.

Since graduating from SIM, my career journey has been dynamic. I have had the opportunity to take on leadership roles that allowed me to manage and develop diverse teams from different cultural and professional backgrounds. Learning how to bring people together, aligning perspectives, work styles and beliefs towards a shared goal, has strengthened my leadership, communication and empathy skills.

A defining moment in my career has been the progression from managing a single department to leading a country operation and eventually overseeing a cross-country business group. Each transition brought new challenges, broader responsibilities and opportunities to influence regional growth.

I take great pride in being recognised for my contributions and leadership along the way. Among the most meaningful milestones were receiving the Golden Circle Award, a global award from Kelly Services in 2011, and being honoured with the Best Country Head Award by PERSOL APAC in 2023.

These milestones reflect my commitment to driving performance through teamwork, integrity and innovation. They have reaffirmed my passion for developing people and growing businesses across markets.

 

How Meng Hock
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at OMS Energy Technologies Inc. / OMS Oilfield Services
BSc (Econ) in Management Studies | 1996

 
Meng Hock celebrating OMS's Nasdaq listing

The opportunity to study at SIM-UOL came through VETCO GRAY. After completing my Diploma in Building at Singapore Polytechnic, I joined the company, which had sponsored my final year at the Polytechnic. Nearing the end of my two-year bond, VETCO GRAY offered me another scholarship to support my degree education. As the sponsorship required part-time study, SIM-UOL was the programme that suited my working environment.

The programme gave me a sound grounding in management, economics and finance. The subjects I learned gave me a foundation that I could leverage as I grew my career. They were not the perfect answers to every issue and challenge, but they allowed me to think things through and apply what I learned whenever possible. Achieving the degree was one thing, but the learning from it helped my career.

I was with VETCO GRAY for more than 21 years, and throughout this period, I was given the opportunity to take on different roles and grow from operations to management. I had always intended to manage and run a company on my own, but as VETCO GRAY was a multinational corporation, that opportunity was slim.

When I joined Sumitomo Corporation, I was given an entire company, OMS, to run and grow. I subsequently led a management buyout of OMS from Sumitomo Corporation and took OMS to be publicly listed on Nasdaq. The main reason for the buyout was to save 600 jobs, as the previous shareholders intended to liquidate and shut down the business.

Looking back, the experience taught me the importance of staying power, resilience, a disciplined mindset and staying focused on the end goal. SIM-UOL was an important part of that journey, giving me the opportunity to continue learning while progressing in my career.

 

Caroline Fong 
Head of Commercial / Strategic Partnerships at Sunway Property
BSc Banking and Finance | 2001

I never had a specific ambition to become an investment banker, fund manager or work for a particular organisation. Compared to my friends who knew exactly what they wanted, all I knew was that I preferred numbers, as they tend to make more sense to me.

Over the years, my career has taken me through many unexpected milestones: leading a team of more than 20 colleagues in a foreign bank in my early twenties, saying no to job opportunities that offered blank cheques, going through a series of interviews in Mandarin, and joining a company pre-initial public offering before eventually becoming its Deputy CEO after its listing and restructuring.

I have also had the privilege of working alongside giants who guided me, and teams who believed in my vision and ran alongside me. It’s always about the people.

Halfway through my career, I became clear that I wanted to pivot out of my sector and skillset. I had a good run but didn’t see myself doing it for life. I started acquiring new skills and trying new roles. When I succeeded and was rewarded for those efforts, I was very thankful that I had taken that leap of faith.

Looking back, my three years at SIM played an important role in shaping my approach to work and life. I was shocked during orientation to learn that the failure rate for Economics was 40%. I studied from 9am to 9pm, Mondays to Fridays, while also participating in activities and heading the Sports and Welfare Committee. It was a great training ground for discipline and character building.

Those three years reminded me that there is no shortcut in life. Consistency, hard work and perseverance matter. Once you recognise your strengths, you can shine.


SIM-UoL alumni are finding their own ways to lead, drawing on what they have learned to navigate new responsibilities, support the people around them and make a difference in the work they do.

This is Part 5 of the SIM-UOL 40th Anniversary series. Catch up on the stories here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4