The newly-appointed member of the Management Committee (MC) is no stranger to the Society. He’s an active alumnus who has served in the sub-committees for five years. We speak to Mr Daniel Chia Han Yong to find out what he hopes to achieve during his tenure.
This year’s election process had unique challenges
“It was definitely a humbling moment to be appointed, especially because this year’s process was different from previous years due to COVID-19. We had less opportunities to engage the voters in person, so it came down to innovative e-campaigns and one day of face-to-face interaction on voting day. The sense of satisfaction I felt after being elected into the Management Committee was elevated due to these circumstances.”
He’s had a five-year head start
“I’ve been in various Sub-Committees for five years; Marketing & Membership, Intellectual Pursuit, and Food and Beverage. I joined two Sub-Committees each year and the experience allowed me to see how the Society is run. So, when I was appointed Co-Chairperson of Community Care & Culture, I already had a better and deeper understanding of how the committees work and the learning curve wasn’t as steep. The five years really helped in building my confidence, especially, when it comes to speaking up and voicing out my views during the Management Committee meetings.”
He hopes to create an impact through his work with NUSS
“My predecessor in the Community Care & Culture Committee has laid a good foundation and I plan to build on that by focusing on three key areas: children, youth at risk, and the silver generation. Instead of spreading ourselves thin doing numerous events, we will be targeting our efforts into forming long-term partnerships supporting two to three beneficiaries. We believe that by doing this, we can leave a deeper and greater impact on our adopted charities.”
He supports holistic development of the alumni
“Together with Chairperson Mr Eugene Tan Zhi Zhong, we are planning to improve the NUS-NUSS Mentorship Programme to create better experiences and learning outcomes for both mentors and mentees. Another area I will be focusing on is our competency building plan which aims to support alumni should they endeavour to acquire new skills or upgrade their current competencies.”
He aims to bring the NUSS Human Capital Communities of Practice Committee to a national level
“Our core objective for this newly-formed committee is to create a platform where human resource practitioners or anyone with an interest in human capital—business owners, entrepreneurs, or executives—can go should they need any news and resources on the latest developments and updates related to human capital. In time, we hope to build up our Committee to become an HR body that is recognised within Singapore, where government groups or authorities can come to us for valuable and insightful feedback on matters relating to human capital.”
He may wear many hats but he is a family man at heart
“When it comes to juggling all my responsibilities, it’s about having the passion in whatever I’m doing and then knowing how to prioritise. My family will always come first above all things, and if I have to choose between work commitments, volunteer work, and other events, I try to be selective because you can’t be doing everything and be everywhere—you’ll burn out. My personal philosophy is to choose your battles and learn how to say ‘no’.”
Daniel Chia Han Yong
- Newly elected MC 2020/2021 member
- Co-Chairperson, Community Care & Culture
- Deputy Chairperson, Alumni Development
- Vice Chairperson, Human Capital Communities of Practice
Credentials:
Bachelor of Applied Science, National University of Singapore
Served on the Marketing & Membership Sub-Committee from 2016 to 2018; Intellectual Pursuits Sub-Committee from 2018 to 2019; and the Food & Beverage Sub-Committee from 2019 to 2020
