Her World Mentorship Programe 2024: Meet the mentors

Introducing the mentors of the Her World Mentorship Programme 2024

By Karishma Tulsidas - 4 Jul 2024

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Being a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) can often mean being the lone female voice in meetings, or the unintentional target of unconscious biases. For the second year of our Her World Mentorship Programme, we want to empower young women by providing them the tools, guidance, and support needed to break down these barriers and overcome limiting beliefs.

Nine exceptional mentors – each with a wealth of experience and expertise – tell us why they are passionate about giving back and share the wisdom they’ve gleaned throughout their careers.

Jessica Fun, managing director of Shiseido Singapore

In 2017, she made history by becoming the first local managing director for Shiseido Singapore, a role typically held by a Japanese. In 34 years, she’s had her fair share of achievements, but she believes the three that stand out include launching the first Cle de Peau Beaute boutique in Singapore, transforming Shiseido Singapore’s business performance and return to profitability, and lastly, building a powerful, productive and efficient team.

At Deloitte’s Center for the Edge in Southeast Asia, she engages and advises business leaders in the region on how to navigate disruption. Most people choose jobs based on their expertise, often finding themselves stuck in a particular job identity and fearing change. Michelle approached her career transition differently. “In a world where disruption is accelerating, a varied career path gives me confidence in my ability to adapt. Now, versatility is my biggest strength, and that gives me limitless opportunities to keep growing,” she shares.

Many might not be aware that Singapore has a space industry, and there is one woman who is responsible for building our aerospace capabilities: Lynette Tan, head of Singapore Space and Technology, Singapore’s first space organisation dedicated to pioneering space technology. “I built the Space Faculty to make space ubiquitous. There are no geographical boundaries, and we are limited only by our imagination,” says the gregarious innovator.

The former director for community, partnerships, product and programmes at Meta has sunk her teeth in several endeavours, cementing her reputation as a community builder and serial entrepreneur. Her latest project is Designing Communities, which is dedicated to helping businesses build communities. Some of her notable companies also include The Change School, a career development platform founded in 2014, as well as Untam3d, a collective of women in the Web3 space.

At Mercer, renowned for its data-driven insights across careers, workforce health and institutional wealth, Peta’s role as a strategic leader spans 11 diverse markets across Asia. Her mission is clear: to tailor Mercer’s solutions to meet the unique labour market demands of each region. Reflecting on her journey, Peta offers invaluable advice for those looking to switch careers: “You must think about your career as a game of skill acquisition. Every job you take should be about gaining new skills and learning. The more skills you acquire, the faster you’ll move up the career ladder, and the more opportunities you’ll have.

Angela Toy brings a diverse range of experiences to the table: Before joining Golden Gate Ventures (GGV) in 2014 as a specialist, she worked in various areas of financial services, including audit, wealth management and broking. She then ventured into the start-up community by launching her own e-commerce business in pet products. “Starting my own business gave me a glimpse into the world of start-ups and VC. I struggled with the challenges of running a business, and wanted to learn the formula for success,” she says.

With 25 years of experience in the industry, Lee Hui Li has a deep understanding of the ins and outs of the tech world. Now the managing director for Microsoft Singapore, she has held leadership positions at the likes of IBM, Dell, Ernst & Young, and more. She shares: “My background is not the most traditional for someone in tech as I was an Economics graduate, not IT. However, this has become the most exciting and fulfilling career journey for me. Technology is constantly evolving, always presenting new opportunities to learn and explore. That’s what truly energises me as we drive innovation for value creation, and solve complex real world problems with technology.”

Anna Haotanto believes in leveraging tech to address the challenges that women face at work. That’s why she established Zora Health, a platform for fertility, reproductive and family health, in 2023. The start-up connects patients, employers and care providers to ensure accessibility and inclusivity, partnering with top corporations to offer employee benefits. Earlier this year, it raised $1 million in funding to launch a one-stop fertility care platform, including egg freezing, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and fertility testing. It will also offer corporate workshops, consultation services and fertility financing.

The digital innovation leader for PwC is a firm believer in the power of upskilling and learning from challenges. In her current role, adaptability and flexibility are two of the most crucial skills. She says: “Innovation is an ongoing journey, much like Transformation, where it is important to never rest on your laurels, and continuously seek new ways to add value to your firm and clients. “Additionally, a large part of innovation cannot succeed in the absence of people skills. This is because even the best ideas or best technology can fail without securing stakeholder buy-in, making it essential to build rapport and trust with colleagues, clients and other key stakeholders.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Veronica Tay
OFFICIAL BEAUTY PARTNER Cle de Peau Beaute
ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay & Adeline Eng
STYLING Neo Lirong, assisted by Sabrina Kong
HAIR & MAKEUP Benedict Choo, Aung Apichai and Clayton Goo, all using Cle de Peau Beaute
LOCATION Mandala Club

Her World Mentorship Programe 2024: Meet the mentors

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Jessica Fun, managing director of Shiseido Singapore

Michelle Khoo, center leader of Deloitte Center for the Edge, Southeast Asia

Lynette Tan, head of Singapore Space and Technology, and Space Faculty

Grace Clapham, director and founder of Designing Communities, Untam3d, and co-founder of The Change School

Peta Latimer, president of Mercer Asia

Angela Toy, partner and COO at Golden Gate Ventures

Lee Hui Li, managing director at Microsoft Singapore

Anna Haotanto, founder and CEO at Zora Health

Carolyn Chin-Parry, digital innovation leader for PwC

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