WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2011

MY PAPERS

EXEC LOOK

ROUND-UP
UNITED NATIONS OF MY
PAPER EXEC LOOK FINALISTS
TWO finalists are Singapore
permanent residents while two
are foreigners.
Indonesia-born Jun Mardian
Sugandhi, 33, is here on an
Employment Pass, while
India-born Prannoy Chowdhury,
27, is a Singapore PR who has
been here for four years.
France-born Sylvie Khau,
28, is a Singapore PR who has
lived here for 21/2 years, and
Ms Christine Tran, 30, is a
Dutch national who has lived
in Singapore for five years and
plans to apply for PR status soon.

ITS RAINING SINGLE MEN

IN THIS YEARS CONTEST
ITS all bachelors this year,
compared with two married
guys last year.
As for the women, four are
happily married, compared with
three last year.
Ms Zarina Yusof, 37, deputy
director of Youth Health Programme Development at the Health
Promotion Board, has been married for 12 years to an Institute
of Technical Education collegerelations manager. They have
two boys, aged six and nine.
Dr Tiffiny Yang, 27, an
aesthetic doctor, has been
married for three years to her
lawyer husband.
Regional sales executive
Jeanne Lee, 25, married her
auditor boyfriend in 2008 when
she just turned 21, while
manager Joanne Chong, 32, has
been married for eight years to
an F&B director and they have
two boys aged three and six.

AGE AINT NUTHIN BUT

A NUMBER...
THE youngest finalist is Ms
Jeanne Lee, who is 25. The most
senior is Mr Jeffrey Chng, 37, a
training facilitator at a bank.

BANKING AND FINANCE

FOLK RULE
SIX out of the 16 finalists, or
about 38 per cent, are from the
banking and finance sector.
While that is a dip from last
years 44.4 per cent, the sector
still provided the lions share
of this years finalists.

CONTEST YIELDS BROMANCE

AND BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
MALE finalists Jun Mardian
Sugandhi, 33, and Amos Kwok,
28, have become best buddies
after getting to know each other
in the competition.
The pair regularly meet for
meals or drinks to discuss
matters in the finance industry.
We have a lot in common.
We love the same things, such
as women, joked Mr Kwok.
He even asked if he could
be told Mr Sugandhis replies to
my papers questions, quipping:
Its okay, hes my brother.
JOY FANG

A16

WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2011

A17

SENSATIONAL SIXTEEN
THE WOMEN

BY VICTORIA BARKER

NTELLIGENCE.
Multiculturalism.
Confidence.
These are some
characteristics the 16 finalists
of this years my paper
Executive Look competition
possess.
The multi-talented bunch
which includes, for the first
time, a doctor are excellent
examples of the go-getting
executive.
Handpicked from a record
530 applicants, the 16 also
lead dynamic lives outside
their corporate walls, said Mr
Tommy Lim, associate creative
director of Singapore Press
Holdings creative services
marketing division and the
events chairman.
Aside from several bank
relationship managers, there is
also a hedge-fund trader, a
technology specialist and even
a chief operating officer among
the finalists.
This years crop continues to
maintain the high standards
that have epitomised the my
paper Executive Look competition in the past, Mr Lim added.
Now in its fourth year,
the contest seeks the ideal
executive, who is eloquent,
confident and has high office
quotient.
The finalists, who were
shortlisted after a closed-door
audition last month, will vie for
the top prize of $10,000 in
cash among other prizes at
the finals, which will be held at
Zouk on April 28.
The second- and third-place
winners will get $5,000 and
$3,000, respectively.
vbarker@sph.com.sg
For more on the finalists,
check out http://executivelook.mypaper.sg from Monday.

HELPDESK
Characteristics: t zhng
Go-getting:
j j r yu y xn de
Hedge-fund trader:
du chng j jn jio y yun
Epitomised:
j zhng t xin

JEANNE LEE, 25
Regional sales executive, Dow
Jones & Company
What she thinks her edge is: My
attitude. Studying theatre in the
past has helped me to relate to
people more and influenced the
way I present myself to people.
Having been married since I
was 21 has also given me a
different perspective it has
made me a much more selfless
person.
The ideal executive should be:
driven, empathetic and have a
balanced mind and perspective.
Its not all about chasing
money and status.

CHRISTINE TRAN, 30
Relationship manager, Citco; and
founder, HFAlliance Group LLP
What she thinks her edge is: Im
unique I have an international
story to tell.
Work life in Singapore is very
cosmopolitan. I was born and
raised in the Netherlands. My
heritage is Chinese, Vietnamese
and French. I can relate to the
Asian way of life and also
understand the Western aspect.
The ideal executive should be:
passionate about what she does.
She must be persistent,
professional and driven.

SYLVIE KHAU, 28
Vice-President, Institutional
Derivatives Sales for Asia, Exane
Derivatives
What she thinks her edge is: I
was born in Paris and have lived
in London and Hong Kong and,
now, Singapore. I speak many
languages, including French,
Mandarin and Cantonese.
I think being able to communicate in many languages will
give me an edge.
The ideal executive should be:
a team player, but she must also
be a decision-maker. The world
doesnt wait for people who take
too long to think.

JACLYN NG, 25
Relationship manager, ANZ
What she thinks her edge is: Im
one of the youngest contestants.
Im outgoing and dont mind
laughing at myself. To put my
best foot forward and let my
personality shine, its important
that I am able to articulate what
Im thinking and feeling.
The ideal executive should be:
personable, eloquent and able to
connect with people from all
walks of life. She must be able
to strike the perfect balance
between being a professional
and not losing the spark that
makes her special.

ZARINA YUSOF, 37
Deputy director, Youth Health
Programme Development, Health
Promotion Board
What she thinks her edge is:
I have worked longer than the
other contestants.
So my experience and my
maturity, as well as my understanding of not just corporate
but also government organisations, should give me an edge.
The ideal executive should be:
professional not just in the way
she looks, but also in the way
she conducts herself.
She should also reflect a
maturity and speak well.

FIONA CHEONG, 27
Public-relations and editorial
specialist, Robert Walters
What she thinks her edge is:
I can relate to people from
various professions. My years of
experience in communications
will give me an advantage. Im
also quite adventurous when it
comes to travelling, and have
interests in music and animals.
The ideal executive should be:
able to accept constructive
criticism. Thats an important
quality as its the only way one
can truly learn.

JOANNE CHONG, 32
Manager, Defence Science &
Technology Agency
What she thinks her edge is:
Ive just rejoined the workforce
after five years of raising my
family. Im one of the more
experienced ones here.
I understand when its
important to slow down and
when to forge ahead.
The ideal executive should be:
an encouraging person who
can bridge differences between
people. She should be open
and maintain her cool under
pressure.

TIFFINY YANG, 27
Medical doctor, TCS Clinic
What she thinks her edge is:
My confidence, eloquence and
attractiveness will help me stand
out. Besides being an aesthetic
doctor who enjoys making
people look beautiful, I have a
keen interest in fashion and I
model on a part-time basis.
I also keep a blog about my
hobbies.
The ideal executive should be:
confident, eloquent and
good-looking. Its about being
able to present a good image
of yourself.

JEFFREY CHNG, 37
Training facilitator, UBS AG
What he thinks his edge is: I am
passionate about my work. I am
energetic and very positive
about life. Im a people person
and I am able to communicate
well and be a mentor to others.
My age also means I have
experience and have been
through more stages in life.
The ideal executive must:
have intelligence quotient,
emotional quotient and
office-intelligence quotient. He
must also be hardworking and
have determination, because
champions are people who
never say die.

STANLEY TOH, 33
Chief operating officer, Cubix
International
What he thinks his edge is:
I have tried out many organisations and work roles so I have
different experiences which I
can share with others.
I also like to participate in
challenging and unique activities.
I was a torch bearer at the
Youth Olympic Games. Im a
marathon runner and Ive done
scuba diving and sky diving.
The ideal executive must: be
confident and have passion in what
he does. He must be a well-rounded
individual and be able to balance
his career with family and friends.

RIKESH SUPRA, 29
Corporate relationship manager,
online shopping platform
Deal.com.sg
What he thinks his edge is: In
my line of work, I need to
speak to high-level figures.
Im good at breaking the ice
and making people feel comfortable. I believe in having a
positive attitude and being
thankful for what I have.
The ideal executive must: have
a positive mindset when
approaching clients. Also, when
things dont go right, he should
learn from failure and not take
it too hard because every day
is a learning process.

WILLY FOO, 30
Project manager, Ministry of
Defence
What he thinks his edge is: I
have maturity and charisma.
My job requires me to
interact with people and be a
mediator between different
parties. This provides a good
training platform for my communication skills and makes me
more confident when dealing
with others.
The ideal executive must: be
dynamic and adaptable to all
situations. He should also be
confident and have good
communication skills.

THE MEN

PRANNOY CHOWDHURY, 27
Technology specialist, Sembcorp
Industries
What he thinks his edge is:
I have a diverse background,
which gives me an edge in terms
of cross-cultural experience. I
was born in India, and I studied
in the United States and Singapore. I have confidence and I
give my best in my work and
personal life.
The ideal executive must: be
able to do whatever job that is
given to him. He must have the
courage to learn from challenges
in life and to keep trying until he
can solve looming problems and
achieve his target.

KEITH TAN, 28
Application consultant, Fiserv
(ASPAC)
What he thinks his edge is: Im a
very easy-going person. I need to
interact with people in my work
and am good at creating rapport.
I get along well with people. I
remain calm in difficult situations.
I also listen well, am very
adaptive and learn fast.
The ideal executive must: be
motivated and resourceful in
challenging situations. He should
be driven and be able to maintain
his composure under stressful
conditions.

JUN MARDIAN SUGANDHI, 33

Hedge-fund trader, MGC
Partners
What he thinks his edge is: I
have lived most of my life in
many countries overseas, so I
know how to adapt to different
cultures.
I have high interpersonal
skills, Im hardworking and witty,
and I think very fast on my feet.
The more pressure I have, the
better I perform.
The ideal executive must: be
flexible and adaptable to
changes in the environment. He
must be able to comprehend the
needs of different situations.

PRESENTER: HTC Official Hair & Salon: Redken Official Make-up: Shiseido

AMOS KWOK, 28
Relationship manager, ANZ
What he thinks his edge is:
Good looks? (laughs) I am
confident, charismatic and
extremely humorous. Im a
people person, eloquent,
intellectual and I have a good
sense of fashion.
The ideal executive must: have
essential leadership qualities,
be well-mannered and welldressed. He should also have
an intriguing personality.
He must be able to hold a
conversation and be of a respectable status for people to look
up to. If he cannot converse well,
people wont think highly of him.

PHOTOS: Veronica Tay, assisted by Mark Lee, Her World, SPH Magazines TEXT: Victoria Barker and Joy Fang