Left: Marcus Teo Kai Hsiang, Senior Investment Analyst, ST Engineering Ventures, is an ST Engineering Overseas Scholar with a Master of Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London. In his current position, he scouts deep-technology start-ups and technology trends.
Right: Lam Ka Ying is involved in the capture and pursuit of defence export programmes as part of the Business Development Office of ST Engineering. She is an SgIS Scholar and has a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial and Systems Engineering) from National University of Singapore.
ST Engineering prides itself not just on its expertise and established global presence, but also on its place as an employer of choice for young engineering talents. The scholarship sponsors a full engineering degree, and the scholar has the autonomy to pick his or her route based on job rotations and learning opportunities.
Ka Ying, an Engineer under the Business Development Office who joined the organisation via SgIS Scholarship, summed it up: “The reason why I choose ST Engineering is that it is a global technology, defence and engineering powerhouse, with businesses in the defence and commercial space. I am impressed by the plethora of opportunities in my career, and how I can provide my value-add to the company.”
Marcus Teo, an ST Engineering Overseas Scholar who is currently a Senior Investment Analyst at ST Engineering Ventures, spoke from his experience in two job rotations, “ST Engineering has a huge commercial component to it. When I was reading through the website, it was all about the international projects, and the businesses in different cities, and that piqued my interest.”
From managing aircraft rotables, to his current role in the Corporate Venture Capital arm of ST Engineering, scouting for promising deep technology start-ups and keeping an eye on the latest technology trends, Marcus is excited to leave his footprint globally. He said, “I was really keen in that because, I have always wanted to be exposed to what's happening around the world.”
A Plethora of Opportunities
“There are two career tracks where you can specialise in – the technical track or managerial track. There are definitely opportunities to rotate and one can even go as far as securing a posting overseas. Opportunities here are diverse and aplenty! ”
The fact that ST Engineering has something for everyone was particularly important to her, as her degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering was of a niche field of engineering. Despite her specialisation, she is currently contributing to the business development team. “I'm involved in the capture and pursuit of some of the defence export programmes that we are choosing, and my focus is in the Europe market as well as the Terrex platforms,” she went on.
Lam Ka Ying
Ka Ying recalls how the organisation trusts her as a fresh graduate to participate in extensive negotiations, a task normally granted only to the senior management. She swelled with pride as she remembers how she was supported and encouraged to voice her opinions, and she is now more determined than ever to contribute to ST Engineering.
Marcus has similar experiences too, especially with ST Engineering's practice of rotating its scholars for exposure to different job scopes.
After learning about theories and reading research papers in Imperial College London, he was assigned to manage several aircraft component services programmes in the Aerospace business. This involved a crash course in supply chain logistics and financial modelling, which he took on with aplomb.
His current role in the Corporate Venture Capital arm of ST Engineering, requires him to conduct technical and financial due diligence on start-ups, analysing market trends, assess the potential of disruptive technologies and also, networking with industry and investors in the ecosystem.
“I would definitely say having a job rotation is a good opportunity for young hires because you will never know your strengths and what you need to improve on until you experience more,” Marcus mused.
Marcus Teo Kai Hsiang
A Supportive Culture
“I've never had a bad boss or unsupportive teammates since I joined three years ago!” Marcus laughed. He went on to express his appreciation for how technicians were willing to teach a rookie like him about supply chain logistics and practical issues, while at the management level, HR and his superiors are always looking out for his work-life balance.
In Ka Ying's case, she works closely with engineers and product directors to work out how they can modify their offerings to fit users' specifications. She finds camaraderie with her teammates and they even collaborate “off the clock” too, through recreational activities outside of working hours.
So, What's in it for You?
Both Marcus and Ka Ying have different defining points in their career at ST Engineering.
A Memorable Endeavour
Ka Ying memorised 200 digits of Pi back in primary school, now she has about 100 left in her memory.
“As ST Engineering is headquartered in Singapore, there are opportunities to interact with the senior management to have a better understanding of their thought processes. With the many businesses, I am able to easily discover my strengths and provide my value-add to the organisation,” Kai Ying said.
In Marcus' case, it is the myriad of project offerings that makes the greatest draw to him. “If you're interested in science and technology, and you want to be at the forefront of the latest developments, ST Engineering is the place to be.”
ST Engineering is where the journey begins for many – that much is plain to see.
