After graduating from SMU, John Cheng decided to work in a bank – like many of his cohort – before joining his family’s business, Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory. In the bank, he looked at improving business processes and creating new opportunities for the institution through Six Sigma, a set of well-known techniques and tools for process improvement. "This in a way equipped me with the foundation and helped me in making many decisions to manage the family business right. Along the way I associated with next generation business leaders from the Business Families Institute @SMU and this network helped me form a group of next gens who I meet regularly, network, share and collaborate with," said Mr Cheng, director of business development and trading at Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory. He belongs to the third generation now running the family business.