Conference - YP Panel 1

Young & Successful: Secret of YP Success

What does it take for a young professional to make his or her mark in their professional career development? Does success equates money made? Can success be measured in terms of work and job satisfaction? It is almost a fact in life that many young professionals struggles in their early years when they first graduate and join the workforce. The panelists, which is made of young professionals who have managed to survive their first tumultuous years, will share the secret of their success.

---

Panelists

Ms. Lee Peh Gee

Peh Gee, 33, is an army officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. In the NATAS Singapore Women’s Everest Team, Peh Gee plays the role of the communications coordinator, where she is in-charge of the communication devices such as satellite phones and internet connection on all our expeditions. In May 2009, Peh Gee successfully reached the summit of Mt Everest together with her team.

Peh Gee summited Mera Peak (6654m) in Nepal in 2005 and ‘Er Feng’ in the Siguniang mountain range in China within the same year with the team. She has also attended the Technical Mountaineering Course in New Zealand in 2004, on top of an ice-climbing course in China 2006, before going on to summit Mustagh Ata (7,546m) in Xinjiang, China. She was also part of the team who made a successful ascent of Cho Oyu (8,201m) in Tibet, China in 2007.

Recently, Peh Gee also had the honour of being awarded the NTU Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Peh Gee has a myriad of wide-ranging pursuits which include trail cycling, swimming, reading and watching theatrical works. A believer in living a purposeful existence, she is inspired to be of service to others through her life.

Ms Sim Yi Hui

Sim Yi Hui, 27, is an experiential education officer with Raffles Institution (Junior College). In 2004, together with team leader Jane Lee, Yi Hui formed the first all-women’s team to climb Mt Everest, the world’s highest peak. She is also the team’s co-leader. Following a rigorous training schedule over a period of five years, the NATAS Singapore Women’s Everest Team (NATAS-SWET) successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest in 2009, placing 5 Singaporean women on top of the world. Together with her team, Yi Hui has also summited Island Peak and Mera Peak in Nepal, Mustagh Ata in Xinjiang, China, Siguniang Mountains in Sichuan, China as well as Mt Cho Oyu in Tibet. NATAS-SWET has also entered the Singapore Guinness Book of Records for climbing above the infamous "Death Zone" in excess of 8000m in altitude (Mt Cho Oyu, 8201m, 6th highest mountain in the world).

Recently, Yi Hui also had the honour of being awarded the NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Award. The team has also been sharing their experiences through the Aspiring Mountaineers Programme which they pioneered. They hope to encourage and inspire more people to pursue their passions and to climb their own ‘Everests’ in life.

Mr. Terence Kok

Terence graduated from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Bachelor of Business with distinction. He was invited to be a member of the Golden Key National Honours Society which is an esteemed organization for top scholars from United States of America, Canada and Australia. He also holds two diplomas; Electronics and Computer engineering diploma (Ngee Ann Polytechnic) and Diploma in Computer Studies (UK). Terence have a wide history of enterprising , he is currently the managing director for FX1 Capital which is responsible for securing, testing, installing and improving the various financial model systems and be instrumental in providing a robust platform for automated trading technologies     to be applied by full-fledged funds managers in the near future.

Mr. Koh Seng Leong

Seng Leong is conferred the Singapore Youth Award 2009 for Sports and Adventure. He was one of the few national sailors who qualified for the Beijing Olympics 2008 on merit. He has made his mark in Laser class, having secured the top three placing in the Southeast Asian Games and advancing from the fifth position in 2002 to second position in 2006  in the Asian games.

Seng Leong outstanding achievements are not limited to sailing alone. An all-rounder, he is currently pursuing a tertiary degree in business management and has started a business n events management. His ability to juggle the rigours of both high performance sports and studies as well as manage his business truly reflects his determination and strength of character.  

In addition, Seng Leong finds time to actively contribute to the community. For example, with three other national sailors, he initiated and organized a fundraising event for Myanmar sailors affected by Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Seng Leong also donated $5,000 to the Singapore Management University Sports Scholarship Fund with fellow national sailor Renfred Tay. Beyond sailing, he currently serves as a Board Member of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, focusing on youth engagement.

Prof. Soon Loo

Soon Loo is Bruneian, with Singapore PR. Currently an Adjunct faculty at Singapore Management University. He is also the director of real estate Investment Trust. Recently featured on the Her World Magazine, Soon has come a long way since his MBA days in Harvard Business School. Shortly after he graduated, he worked with 2 schoolmates and raised US$38M, starting an IT venture in Silicon Valley. He moved on to ventures in Canada and Brunei, and eventually settled to becoming the one of the youngest Vice President in the regional office of AXA Japan & Asia Pacific. Focusing on Strategy and Business Development, Soon managed regional projects for AXA covering 11 countries, and oversaw the S$120M personal line portfolio for AXA Insurance Singapore.

Soon currently sits on the board of directors of a publicly listed real estate investment trust in Singapore. Soon also lectures at the Singapore Management University on technology innovation. As a pastime, Soon enjoys movies, books and his computer.