Gallery of IT Leader Career Paths

This gallery provides real-life examples of the career paths of prominent professionals and leaders in Singapore.

The people in this gallery are current or former members of our SMU School of Information Systems Board of Advisors. They have been closely involved with using information technology in business or government settings in a variety of ways.

Take a look at the career path for each of these people. Note the following:

There are many different types of paths represented.
That a number of these people have moved back and forth across job roles, or across industries, or across both.
That many of these people started out as some type of IT software professional or business IT professional, and later ended up as a senior executive, responsible for a business group, or for an IT function within a business.

Name: Arvind AGARWALLA

First Job

(1982)

~5 years later

(1987)

~5 years later

(~1992)

~5 years later

(~1997)

~5 years later

(~2003)

Current Position

(2009)

Job title or role

Manager

Managing a gas station

Founder & CEO

Started a software application company

Marketing Director

Created first overseas subsidiary
700 installations

CEO

Operating in four countries
~3,000 installations

CEO

Expanded to Middle East
~7,000 installations

CEO

Expanded to Europe – operating in seven countries ~15,000 installations

Organisation

Janupath Service Station

Vedika Software Pvt Ltd (India)

FACT Software International Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Name: Eugene CHANG
First Job (1986)	~5 years later (1993)	~5 years later (~1995)	~5 years later (~2000)	~5 years later (~2006)	Current Position (2009)
Job title or role Air Engineering Officer, Deputy OC in charge of communications system in an Air force unit	Head of Communications Branch in Air Logistics Department in charge of all ground and air communications systems in the Airforce	Senior Manager in CSO, DTG in charge of communications projects in MINDEF	Division Manager in CSO, DTG in charge of Corporate Planning and Corporate Services and concurrently the Division Manager in charge of Integrated Information Systems	Chief Information Officer of Defence Science and Technology Agency and concurrently, Deputy Director in charge of the Infocomm Infrastructure Programme Centre	Director of MINDEF Information Systems Division, managing the Corporate IT portfolio for the Ministry of Defence, Singapore
Organisation Republic of Singapore Air Force	Republic of Singapore Air Force	Defence Technology Group in MINDEF	Defence Technology Group in MINDEF	Defence Science and Technology Agency	Ministry of Defence

Name: Raju CHELLAM
First Job (1980)	~5 years later (1984)	~5 years later (~1989)	~5 years later (~1994)	~5 years later (~1998)	Current Position (2009)
Job title or role Cub Reporter	Technology Editor & India's 1st Computer Columnist	Editor: Dataquest Magazine, India's 1st & largest selling ICT fortnightly	Managing Director South-East Asia, based in Singapore	BizIT Editor: The Business Times, Singapore	Head: Influencer Relations, part of Corp Marketing
Organisation The Economic Times (part of the giant Times Of India Group of Publications)	The Economic Times	Dataquest is part of India's listed CyberMedia India Ltd Group	Gradiant Infotech (SEA) Pte Ltd, SIN offered managed services, ITO/BPO	Part of SPH Ltd Flagship financial daily. In charge of BizIT, Mon & Thurs	Hewlett-Packard Asia-Pacific-Japan: In charge of all external and internal communications/ engagement

Name: Nariman KARIMI

First Job

(~1982)

~1 year later

(~1983)

~5 years later

(~1995)

~5 years later

(~1997)

~5 years later

(~2005)

Current Position

(2009)

Job title or role

IT Support

IT sales, development and support of turn key systems on mini computers aimed at Small enterprises- UK

Systems Manager

Lead the team on Design and development, writing and supporting in-house manufacturing planning systems

Regional systems manager

Regional project manager, manage the resources and program for implementation of standard ERP package in SEA countries for Unilever

VP Global Infrastructure AP-Unilever

Established Asia Pacific IT centre for Unilever in Singapore managing 15,000 user base across 19 countries

SVP & CIO

Establish IT strategy, IT organisation and define and deliver services across multi country organisation measured against business Revenue, profit and business market performance

CIO

Organisation

MMC (small start up as an extension to existing mailing business)

Elida Gibbs- Unilever UK

Unilever – SEA (Sydney Australia)

Unilever Asia Pacific

DHL –Express Asia Pacific

Alghanim Industries, Kuwait

Name: LIAK Teng Lit
First Job (1977)	~5 years later (1982)	~5 years later (1985-1991)	~1 year later (1992)	~5 years later (1997)	Current Position (2009)
Job title or role Pupil Pharmacist	Pharmacist	(i) Director of Pharmacy and Materials Management (ii) Operations Manager (iii) Chief Operating Officer	Chief Executive Officer	Chief Executive Officer	Chief Executive Officer
Organisation Singapore General Hospital	Singapore General Hospital	(i) National University Hospital (ii) Kandang Kerbau Hospital (iii) Singapore General Hospital	Toa Payoh Hospital	Changi General Hospital	Alexandra Hospital

Name: Steve LEE
First Job (1988)	~5 years later (1993)	~5 years later (1998)	~1 year later (2003)	~5 years later (2008)	Current Position (2010)
Job title or role Air Defence Officer	Head of Budget & Management Accounting Branch Project Manager for Airforce Simulation Systems and Intranet	Head of Joint Force Information Systems Department Project Director eBusiness Office	Deputy Director CIO office	Chief Information Officer	Chief Information Officer & Director (Technology)
Organisation Republic of Singapore Airforce	Republic of Singapore Airforce	Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)	Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF)	Kuok (Singapore) Ltd	Changi Airport Group

Name: Benjamin MAH
First Job (1997-1999)	~2 years later (2000-2005)	~5 years later (2005-2007)	~1 year later (2007-2008)	~ Less than 1 year (2008-2008)	Current Position (2009)
Job title or role Consulting Manager Information Technology/ Services Industry	Director Product Management/ Business Development	Sales Manager Information Technology/ Services Industry	Director Asia Pacific & Middle East	Software Group, Tivoli Security Information Technology/ Services Industry	General Manager Computer & Network Security Industry
Organisation Pacific Technology Pte Ltd	e-Cop	CA Singapore	Encentuate Pte Ltd	IBM	e-Cop (S) Pte Ltd

Name: WONG Yuet Nan
First Job (1980)	~5 years later (1986)	~5 years later (~1990)	~5 years later (~1996)	~5 years later (~2000)	~5 years later (~2006)	Current Position (2009)
Job title or role System Analyst	Systems & Services manager	VP, IT (CIO)	VP, IT & Operations	Director, Information management	VP, Asia Pacific & Japan IT	Executive Partner
Organisation Systems & Computer Org, MINDEF	National Computer Board	Times Publishing Ltd	Abacus Distributions Systems (Airlines reservation system)	Compaq Computer Asia Pacific	Hewlett Packard Asia Pacific	Gartner Advisory

Name: YAP Chee Yuen
First Job (1981)	~5 years later (1989)	~5 years later (~1993)	~5 years later (~1998)	~5 years later (~2001)	Current Position (2007)
Job title or role System Analyst	Application Services Manager	Director and VP, IT and Corporate Svcs, Asia Pac	Director and Group CIO	Director and Group CIO/CKO	SVP and Head, IT
Organisation IBM Singapore	IBM ASEAN	Acer Computer International	JIT Electronics	JTC Corporation	Resorts World @ Sentosa