March 8, 2009
Wonder Women make their mark
More are rising to managerial and leadership positions, surveys show
By Melissa Sim , Ang Yiying
Women in Singapore have good reason to cheer as International Women's Day is celebrated today.
Consider this: Last year, women made up 24.3 per cent of employers here - the highest in the last decade. This is up from just 14.8 per cent 10 years ago, last year's report on the labour force in Singapore noted.
More women have also risen to senior positions and even become bosses, recent international surveys and a Sunday Times poll showed.
One Asian survey sponsored by American Express (Amex) found that in 10 companies polled in Singapore, an average of 17.3 per cent of senior positions were filled by women.
And Singapore women did better at clinching top posts compared to their counterparts in China, Japan and India.
Another survey, by Grant Thornton International, found that women in management positions in Singapore went up from 21 per cent in 2007 to 28 per cent this year. It surveyed some 7,200 businesses in 36 countries, including 150 here.
A Sunday Times poll of 11 companies from the transport, finance, retail and leisure industries found that between 18 and 50 per cent of their senior-level positions were held by women.
For instance, at home-grown shoe retailer Charles & Keith, women held five of the 14 senior management positions. Of Amex's 45 vice-presidents and higher positions in Singapore, 13 are filled by women.
Four firms reported at least a 10 per cent jump from five years ago.
Women here also feel more confident about their role in the workplace and their earning abilities.
MasterCard's Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement found that more women perceived themselves to be in a managerial position and to be earning an above-median income, compared to a year ago.
Member of Parliament Jessica Tan, Microsoft Singapore's managing director, said Singapore's comparative regional advantages - such as access to education, career opportunities and pace of development - have contributed to its having a higher proportion of women in leadership.
On this subject of more women snagging top jobs, Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) member Lelia Lim-Loges felt that Singapore's transition from a male-oriented manufacturing economy to a more service- based one was a factor.
Standard Chartered Bank's global head of group premium banking, Ms Foo Mee Har, 43, who has held leadership posts in China and Thailand and is now based here, said women here can rise to leadership positions: 'If they choose to, I don't think anything in the system will block them.'
Ms Foo, who has two teenage sons, believes that family support and domestic help mean that women here 'can have their cake and eat it'.
There is of course room for improvement, women leaders say. MP Halimah Yacob said there were still very few women at the very top.
A recent Watson Wyatt study found that 72 of the 100 largest companies here did not have a single female non-executive director.
Official statistics also show a gender gap when it comes to wage disparity.
Madam Halimah said that maintaining work-life balance is still a key challenge for women. 'It is not uncommon for men in top positions to have homemaker wives but women at the top continue to worry about whether they are neglecting the family. There is no easy solution and will persist unless there is greater sharing of responsibilities at home.'
'For me, work is a form of creative expression. I'm happy to bring new ideas into being and to shape the way people see their work. In the labour movement, I am happy just to help the workers. Everything else - promotions, recognition - they are bonuses.
'On the domestic front, I value the quality of relationships with my parents, my husband, my kids and my best friends. Everything else - for example, good academic performance by my kids - is a bonus.'
MRS JOSEPHINE TEO, an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
Driven by passion and interest
'Say 'no' to situations and offers which diminish you; say 'yes' to work that engulfs your passion and interest and use that as a platform for nurturing your central life pursuits and personal development.'
MS CLAIRE CHIANG, managing director for retail operations, Banyan Tree Holdings
Staying focused in every situation
'Be 'fully present' in what you do...If you are relaxing and spending time with family, don't start worrying about what you didn't complete or could be doing at work. Likewise, when you are at work, don't be worrying about the chore you forgot to do or could be doing.'
MS JESSICA TAN, an MP for East Coast GRC
Play to women's unique strengths
'I'm a big believer that women need not sacrifice their femininity in the boardroom. They don't need to 'out-man' the man. They can be themselves, play to their strengths and rise above the stereotypes. Each gender brings different uniqueness and strengths.'
MS FOO MEE HAR, global head of group premium banking at Standard Chartered Bank
Celebrate achievements
'Compared to decades ago, women in Singapore have come a long way. In the past, I knew of some families that encouraged sons but not daughters to pursue higher education because the daughters would eventually get married and be homemakers. Thankfully, times have changed. Women are now better educated and this has facilitated their inroads into various professions.
'International Women's Day is a day of celebration of the contributions of women in our history, how far we have come and what more can be done to enhance the status of women. Ultimately, a progressive society is one where the women are empowered and are able to fulfil their aspirations, whether it is in the workplace, the community or the home.'
MRS YU-FOO YEE SHOON, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Mum of two, an MBA student and CFO at 37
Only 37 years old, Ms Lim Cheng Cheng is one of the youngest chief financial officers (CFOs) here.
Her ability to multi-task must have been a ticket to her rapid rise to that position at transport giant SMRT.
Apart from her work, she is doing a Master of Business Administration degree course part-time and also expecting a child.
Ms Lim, a mother of two, thinks nothing of this, saying: 'At certain times I wondered what I was doing to myself, but it was the decision I took and I didn't regret it.'
The Nanyang Technological University accountancy graduate's first job was with the then Price Waterhouse, where she audited banks and worked with many people in corporate finance.
'But I didn't want to be on the other side of finance looking in all the time. I wanted to be part of a company, making decisions and seeing them come to fruition,' she said.
She then joined Singapore Power, where she closed an A$2.1 billion (S$2 billion) deal, at the age of just 29.
'It was my first big deal and it felt fantastic,' she said, attributing her success to the opportunities she has been given and to her colleagues.
At Singapore Power, her boss always felt that age did not matter. 'He felt that even if you had not done something before, a smart person would be able to do it.'
This is the philosophy she applies to her work.
'If I look at young people in the company and see a bright spark, I'm happy to let him try.'
It's sweaty, dirty work but job satisfaction keeps her going
Ms Ng Shi Yun, 25, is among a small but growing pool of women breaking into the male-dominated marine and offshore industry.
She is responsible for ensuring that offshore rigs are built on schedule, workers' safety is taken into account and the project is kept to budget.
She raised eyebrows when she first walked into the shipyard in her boiler suit, even eliciting well-meant advice to go back to the comfort of an air-conditioned office.
The men did not understand why a woman would want to take up such a job, she said.
Later, as they got to chat with her, they enjoyed her company, she said.
Up till her fifth month of pregnancy, the Keppel FELS project superintendent was on site for up to five hours a day. The rest of the day would be spent in meetings.
'It's definitely not a clean job. You don't come here 'pretty, pretty', then go back 'pretty, pretty' too.
'You would expect to sweat, definitely, because we have to go out no matter what the weather conditions are like,' she said.
This meant staying put on the site even when it rains.
But her preference for a non-routine job and the satisfaction derived from watching a project completed keep her going.
'You see changes in the project's progress each day. This motivates you. Every day you're seeing it grow; it's like your baby,' she said.
Due to deliver her first child - a girl - in two weeks, Ms Ng said she wants to return to work after that.
Asked whether she would encourage her daughter to follow her career choice, she said with a laugh: 'It'll be up to her!'
High-flier speaks her mind
She was made a vice-president at American Express at the age of 31, when all her peers in that banding were, on average, aged 44.
Ms Rachel Yeow, now 36, will be one of the speakers at a conference on Thursday to discuss the findings of an American Express study on gender diversity as part of International Women's Day.
Ms Yeow has never been afraid to speak her mind, even if she risked offending her senior colleagues. She recalled a time when she was a business analyst for an account, which was clearly not doing well. But at the end of the day, the sales team was still ranked as top performer.
She took this up with her general manager, who had a different point of view, causing her to walk out of the office to 'take a breather' when the discussion got too heated. 'The next day, I walked back to his office and told him that we were going to disagree, but that was okay.' In the end, the team's performance band was changed.
She felt that incident was a turning point in her career. 'It gave me the courage to not be afraid to confront someone if something was wrong.'
The Malaysian, who grew up in Australia and moved to Singapore for work about 10 years ago, admitted it was not easy being in top management, especially when it came to layoffs. 'It's heartbreaking. You get sleepless nights,' she said. But at the end of the day, it is a reality companies have to deal with. 'You just have to be genuine and not short-change people.'
And while she manages a team of seven finance professionals now, and supports a division of about 90, when she is at home, her husband is the boss. 'I'm fairly traditional. The man has a lead place at home,' she said. 'But my husband will probably say I'm the boss.'
Embracing her 2 loves
Ms Juliana Yeo, 48, has two loves: Sentosa and her family.
After graduating from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, she taught for two years before joining Sentosa as an executive in its attractions department in 1984.
She has stayed on there since, rising to become assistant director of admission operations. 'It's an unusual job. It's a unique environment on the island,' she said.
In 25 years with the Sentosa Leisure Group, she managed new attractions and also managed to raise four children, aged 12 to 18.
On top of two months' maternity leave for each child, she took additional two to eight months' leave to stay home to bond with them.
But she knew she was returning to work. 'I can't stand staying at home every day. I like to work. I prefer it this way - the balance.'
She has not felt limited by being a woman. 'To me, as long as you know your job, gender does not make a difference.'
Her work philosophy is simple: 'I just want to do what I enjoy doing. I give my best.'
Her work interest spills over into her choice of family outings. When her children were younger, she took them to all the local attractions on weekends 'because if you work in an attraction, you want to know about the other offerings in Singapore'.
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