A Cuppa With...

A Cuppa With Krishna Worotikan | Season 2, Episode 8

For alumnus Krishna Worotikan (BBM, 2009), management is about prioritisation - be it time management, shaping one’s profession, or decision making. It is important to pace oneself, and more often than not, different things get prioritised at different stages in life while something else gets sacrificed during this period. For instance, as the current Chief Financial Officer in Microsoft Indonesia, he sees technology and digital transformation as the future. Thus, he prioritised adapting and mastering the relevant technology skills over the core finance routines and eventually enabled himself more time on value-adding activities that created greater impact for the company. Krishna also uses the same mindset on other aspects such as when leading the company for diversity and inclusion, and eventually influencing others in the ecosystem, such as customers and partners, to embrace the same concept. Tune in to the final episode of A Cuppa With… (Season 2) for more sharing from Krishna on his invaluable insights and experiences that led him on a journey to success.

A Cuppa With Emily Poon | Season 2, Episode 7

To pioneer alumna Emily Poon (BBM, 2004), having access to opportunities is a critical factor in forging one’s path and journey.   Looking back at her life experiences, Emily revealed that she had been given many invaluable opportunities at different points in life, and these dots had connected, leading to where she is now. She felt very fortunate to have met good bosses, mentors and people who taught her many important lessons. However, these access to opportunities were not simply given by chance – one needed to have the willingness to speak up, the ability to embrace and accept rejections, and empathy. Having learnt and practiced all of these, Emily has successfully risen through the ranks to become the President of PR & Influence at Ogilvy Asia today, a role she relishes.   Hear from Emily on how she would consciously remind herself everyday to give her time, voice, and energy to encourage positive change, and provide others with access to opportunities just like how she had received them through the years.

A Cuppa With Benjamin Twoon | Season 2, Episode 6

If you are wondering whether entrepreneurship is the right path for you, here’s some advice from SMU Alumnus Benjamin Twoon (BBM, 2013): Ask yourself what your convictions are, what is your purpose, why you are embarking on this journey and if this is what you still want to pursue. Benjamin made a transition from banking to fintech industry, and co-founded Fundnel, a platform where companies can leverage on for capital raising. He hoped to support entrepreneurs through this daunting process as they embark on their startup journey towards success. Benjamin’s support doesn’t end here - in the same year, he also established the P.A.K. Entrepreneurship Fund with a fellow alumnus Jeff Tung to empower students to explore their entrepreneurial dreams, helping them achieve their goals. Yet that’s just the tip of the iceberg in a startup journey. How can we prepare to face the other challenges? How did Benjamin reach success? Find out more about his story in the 6th episode of the alumni giving podcast series, “A Cuppa With…”.

A Cuppa With Karen Cheah | Season 2, Episode 5

“You have to put your money where your mouth is. If you're passionate about something, you invest not just your money, but also your effort, time, and resources to build your business.” Our 5th episode of alumni giving podcast series, “A Cuppa With…”, revealed many interesting insights from alumna Karen Cheah (MI, 2019) on how she stepped into her journey to become the Founder & CEO of AlterPacks. Different chance encounters led Karen to look at the opportunity of tackling the problem of waste management. She now creates a new compostable material made from food loss in manufacturing to replace plastic food containers. AlterPacks was thus born. From incubation at the SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to winning awards globally, starting one’s own venture hasn’t been the easiest but it has been most fulfilling to Karen. Tune in to find out the challenges she faced, how these were overcome, and the advice this tour de force alumna has for budding entrepreneurs.

A Cuppa With David Isaac Mathews | Season 2, Episode 4

☕ "Everybody has a different way of being part of society and I think that’s something you choose for yourself." Get a flavour of our latest episode of "A Cuppa With..." featuring insightful perspectives shared by one of SMU's pioneering alumni, David Isaac Mathews (BBM, 2004). As Chief Growth Officer at GrowthOps, David is heavily involved in innovating key processes and driving growth for the company and its partners. 💼 Apart from actively seeking to create impact through his work and helping companies achieve greater successes, he is likewise deeply committed to supporting and guiding youths as they chart their own paths. 🤝