Now and Then

SPMS/2016
Lead of Fraud Management, Shopee Philippines 

Guoyi and her son.

As President of the NTU Students’ Union and the Organising Chairman of NTU Fest 2014, GuoYi was the driving force behind the mega event held at the Padang that comprised a carnival, a marathon and a concert featuring local celebrities and K-pop stars Kang Gary and Jung-In. Her friendship with a hall mate who was a beneficiary of a bursary for needy students at the Institute of Technical Education sparked the decision to have all proceeds going towards the bursary too.

NTU Fest 2014 was one of GuoYi’s most memorable events.

K-pop star and Running Man alumnus Kang Gary embraces Lyon to the delight of GuoYi and the 8,000 visitors at NTU Fest 2014.

As a chemistry graduate, GuoYi took an unusual route. She found her interest in fraud management from her first job in investigation work, and attained her Certified Fraud Examiner credential during the pandemic in 2020. She moved to Manila late last year to take up a leading role in Shopee’s fraud fighting squad.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to go on an overseas exchange in NTU because my dad was ill and I had to take care of him. Now, I finally get to experience life outside of Singapore. The decision to work in the Philippines was a bold one for my family. My husband and I firmly believe that my career doesn’t have to take a backseat now that I’m a mother. In fact, I hope that my son will appreciate growing up in a different country and having unique childhood stories to share with his friends in future.”

Bolong Chew

NBS/2017
Co-founder & CEO, Solar AI Technologies

Bolong was actively involved in different student clubs and projects during his days as a business student. He represented NTU in events abroad as well. Passionate about sports and community work, he was part of the NTU Sports Club and participated in Earthlink NTU’s overseas community involvement programme.

“My days with NTU Sports Club was probably the most memorable. They say the toughest times form the strongest bonds. As a member of the main committee of NTU Sports Club, leading and organising three national sporting events in a year also meant trading in a lot of long nights, time for studies, sometimes even classes. However, the experience also taught me a lot in leadership, perseverance, sales, operations management and more.” 

Bolong with JC student-volunteers at Surf N Sweat 2015 in Sentosa.

Today, Bolong is the co-founder of Solar AI Technologies, a clean energy start-up funded by renewable energy giant Engie that facilitates the installation of solar panels on buildings. His company is the first in Singapore to launch a zero-upfront subscription-based programme catered to landed homeowners as well as small commercial property owners, enabling them to have solar panels fixed and maintained while avoiding the hefty fees involved in purchasing and installing solar panels.

Bolong with one of Engie’s Group Vice Presidents (left) and a representative from his client, Fragrance Foodstuff (middle).

"It was a privilege to be at NTU during the time when it was transforming into a world-class university. Coming to NTU is so much more than just studying the courses. The supportive environment, mentorship, interdisciplinary learning, and its culture to innovate enabled undergrads to excel and go beyond what’s expected of them," says Alain.

Receiving his certificate at the 2012 NTU Convocation.

Alain set up his first start-up healthtech company, eDoctor, in 2018 to provide home healthcare services. About a year ago, he decided to venture into regenerative medicine where he works with scientists and partners in Singapore to implement technologies relating to stem cells and microbiome in Asia. He is also the Chief Operating Officer (Vietnam) of the Singapore biotech firm KenCare Holdings.

Alain and his growing family returned to Singapore for a holiday last December.

Abhimanyu Bhola

NBS/2005
Vice President, Growth, EXL APAC

Abhimanyu representing his company at an awards ceremony last year.

Abhimanyu had a wonderful time pursuing his MBA in NTU. His days at NTU were full of memories, including the fantastic study experience at the Nanyang Business School, the enjoyable on-campus living experience in the Graduate Hall, hanging out with amazing friends, and going on an exciting exchange programme in Germany.

“Living on the NTU campus was wonderful. I fondly remember the festivals and the humble food courts with a wide variety of food. My favourite was ice kacang for sure,” he recalls.

He might have graduated 18 years ago, but Abhimanyu (centre) still looks back fondly on his NTU days.

Abhimanyu is now the Vice President of Sales and Growth at EXL APAC, a leading global analytics and digital solutions company. Based in Australia, the proud NTU alumnus has served as the President of NTU Alumni Association (Australia) since 2017 and has organised numerous activities for alumni, including a virtual networking session amidst the COVID-19 lockdown in Australia, partnering with the Singapore Global Network.

Now with everything back to normal, Abhimanyu shared that he has learnt about “human resilience” from the pandemic and believes that there are always solutions to the challenges he meets in life.

Abhimanyu (front) led the NTUAA (Australia) in organising a picnic session for alumni based in Melbourne in March 2022.

Melisa Hendrawati

NBS/2007 & 2011
Chief Financial Officer, Superbank

Melisa is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Superbank.

Melisa will never forget rushing out a project presentation with her classmates late into the night. This stressful situation prepared her well to face deadlines in the fastpaced corporate world.

“Studying in NTU has provided me with invaluable opportunities to experience a best-in-class curriculum and learn from a diverse cohort. Taking part in eyeopening discussions with lecturers and classmates has helped me to be able to think innovatively to solve real-life issues. The organisational experiences gained through various CCAs have also shaped my leadership style and interpersonal skills, which has undoubtably enabled me to excel in the corporate world.”

Melisa says her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at NTU played a role in making her more resilient and agile.

Melisa shares that studying, and later on working, in Singapore has inculcated her with adaptability and the willingness to embrace changes. As the CFO of Superbank, an emerging digital bank, Melisa is part of the key management team overseeing a large-scale digital transformation that the bank is currently undertaking. The part that excites her the most is the ability to shape the company culture and recruit talented professionals.

Zeng Peng

NBS/2009
Founding Managing Partner, Chuang Capital

At the four NTU Alumni Associations (Hong Kong SAR, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan) joint alumni gathering in Haikou, Hainan, in December 2019.

Zeng Peng arrived in NTU in 2007 for the Executive MBA programme. He remembers the sports networking session organised by the programme coordinators where he participated in the 4 x 100 metres relay run, and his team clinched the champion title. “The sports event helped us to strengthen our friendship, and gain a sense of team spirit and honour.”

Zeng Peng (fourth from right) and his relay run teammates at the sports networking session in 2007.

Zeng Peng is the Founding Managing Partner of Chuang Capital in Zhuhai, China, and has served as the President of NTU Alumni Association (Guangdong) since 2015. Apart from organising and supporting alumni activities, he helps NTU start- ups to expand into the Chinese market through the NTU alumni networks in China, and creates investment and business development opportunities for both sides. 

Zeng Peng (second from right) on a trip to Sentosa with his classmates, organised by the EMBA programme in October 2008.

This article first appeared in issue 3 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.