How lifelong learning shaped Dr Ho Leng Woon's success
From sleeping under a bed to leading a mainboard-listed company, NTU alumnus Dr Ho Leng Woon proves how far lifelong learning can take you. Today, he is determined to help others improve their lives, too.
Text: Christine Teh
In a rented room of about 7 square metres, four family members shared a single bed, with a young boy sleeping underneath it.
That boy would one day become Dr Ho Leng Woon, Executive Chairman of AP Oil International Limited.
Born in China, Dr Ho arrived on Singapore’s shores in 1959 to reunite with his father. His family had little, but he carried a quiet conviction that education could change the course of one’s life.
Dr Ho Leng Woon graduated from Nanyang University in 1972. (Photo: L+M Magazine)
He studied hard through primary school to pre-university, consistently topping his class with distinctions.
In 1972, he graduated with first-class honours in Geography from Nanyang University – the predecessor institution of NTU Singapore. His studies were supported by a government merit bursary.
Dr Ho said: “That merit bursary, awarded to only 11 recipients in the entire university that year, was a recognition of my academic performance and diligence. It gave me the opportunity to receive a university education, which was a major turning point in my life.”
His outstanding results earned him a fellowship from the Ministry of Science & Technology to pursue a Doctorate in Hydrology at the University of Hull, UK. After returning to Singapore, he began his career as a hydrologist with the Public Utilities Board.
But Dr Ho was already planning his next move. After five years in public service, he left to join an oil trading company with his wife in 1981. He established the first Singapore-owned lubricant plant in the country the following year.
“I love learning,” he says. “To become a learned person, one must embrace continuous learning at every stage of life – after graduation, during working life and even in retirement. And we must focus and learn the right things.”
He studied humanities in high school and majored in geography at university. For his doctorate, he pursued hydrology, an interdisciplinary subject.
Dr Ho continuously taught himself new knowledge, including chemistry and petrochemical engineering, and later obtained a management diploma from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Dr Ho attended a company anniversary event in Vietnam in 2023. (Photo: AP Saigon Petro Joint Stock Company)
In the process of setting up a factory in Vietnam, he taught himself Vietnamese. At present, out of the 170 employees at the Ho Chi Minh City joint venture company, Dr Ho is the only one from Singapore. He conducts routine conversations and meetings in Vietnamese.
He says: “Lifelong learning has changed my course of life, and it is time for me to pay it forward and to help others. I believe in equal educational opportunity for all.”
With keen business acumen and strong entrepreneurial spirit, he expanded the company’s market presence from local operations to a customer base spanning 20 countries, including the US, Australia, Greece, Japan, China, Bangladesh, the Middle East and ASEAN.
He has achieved success in his career and has always remained committed to giving back to society. Over the past few decades, he has served as a board member of the management committees of Hwa Chong Institution and Anglican High School. He has also participated in admission selection panels at NTU, provided career guidance to students, and lectured at Nanyang Business School, sharing his experience with students.
Dr Ho (left) received the prestigious Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award from NTU President Prof Ho Teck Hua in 2024.
Dr Ho was also the founding chairman of the Asian Lubricants Industry Association (ALIA), and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Djibouti in Singapore.
Remembering the bursary that enabled his university education, Dr Ho established the AP Oil International Limited Bursary at NTU Singapore with a S$500,000 endowed gift in 2024 to support students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
He says: “It is good to read, and one must read good books.”
With this in mind, he has donated to school libraries in Singapore and Malaysia, hoping to inspire in others the same love of reading that has shaped his own journey.
In recognition of his professional achievements and contributions to society, Dr Ho was awarded the Nanyang Alumni Achievement Award in 2024.
To the young students, he advises: “Applying knowledge is more important than simply studying. Do not wait for opportunities to showcase your talent; opportunities come to those who are prepared. Go seek chances to work and learn on the job, as practice makes perfect. Networking is also important, so befriend like-minded peers at university -- they may one day become your partners down the road.”
Today, at 78, having stepped back from daily operations, Dr Ho continues to read widely and explore new areas of knowledge, from quantum engineering to plant-based proteins, keeping his passion for learning alive.
