Carolina Yeo (BBM 2004), or Carol, as she affectionately refers to herself, is a graduate from the pioneer batch of SMU’s Bachelor of Business Management programme. Since then, she has lived and worked in a few countries, including Belgium, Austria, Portugal and Abu Dhabi. Currently based in Germany, Carol recently worked with the Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) to engage the overseas SMU Alumni community in Europe.
Carol supports multi-national companies on talent management strategies; bringing talents into companies and helping both talents and clients grow within the organisations. Given her passion for people and development, she eventually decided to leave the corporate world and become an entrepreneur. Her brainchild, AndAhead, helps mid-career professionals and those who have taken a break from work transition back to working life.
When asked why she decided to live and work abroad, Carol cited two reasons, the first being her strong curiosity for different cultures. As a student, Carol was part of AIESEC, a not-for-profit organisation that provides cross-cultural internships and global volunteer exchange experiences. Carol started the first AIESEC in SMU and had a lot of questions about cross-cultural communications. Through AIESEC, Carol got her first internship in Belgium. She was also involved in a few outreach programmes. One of her most memorable experiences was when she spent three months in a rural part of Thailand to help build a shelter for children.
Carol cited the diverse nationalities of the student body and teaching staff as the second factor that led her to decide to live and work overseas.
“There was always an active drive from the faculty to get us to broaden our horizons, so I appreciated the push to explore overseas programmes!" Carol revealed. All these eventually led her to decide to travel abroad upon graduation.
Living and working abroad is not an easy decision to make for many. Carol candidly admitted that being part of the pioneer batch might have influenced her in some way, as she and her peers had the unique opportunity to shape, to some degree, how she wanted her university life to be like. Carol continues to be inspired by her peers and the general SMU community, and was heartened to know that the spirit of internationalism, globalisation, and curiosity to explore is still going strong in SMU.
Detailing her overseas stints, Carol shared that she spent two years in Berlin, three years in Frankfurt, and a year in Wiesbaden. Germany holds a significant place in her heart as that was where her entrepreneurial journey began, and where she started a family, with two daughters being born there. All things considered, Carol has had quite a few firsts in Germany and said that those experiences would stay with her for life.
Recalling her entrepreneurial experience, Carol shared that Berlin had an advanced and supportive start-up system. There, Carol had the opportunity to experience entrepreneurship in an ecosystem that encouraged her to try new things and not be afraid to fail. “How many times in life do we have someone who says ‘so what if you fail?” Carol remarked. The accelerator programme that Carol joined also provided her with support and friendship, and she felt a sense of belonging. Even though she had her doubts initially when she made the career transition – the lack of a community, structure and identity in the beginning – she managed to move past these and forge ahead with all the support she received.
Carol identifies herself very strongly as a Singaporean. Having left Singapore at the age of 24, she has always been thinking about building a bridge back to Asia. The opportunity arose when she co-hosted a virtual event with OAR in June, connecting the strong Singaporean community in Europe.
Acknowledging that networking is an important aspect of building business opportunities, Carol adds, “Networks are also how we stay rooted as a core part of our identity and in my case, having children, I also want them to have that identity.”
“I think networking among the new generation is now very different. I have a brother who is 10 years younger and I saw how he was very connected in building virtual networks - it is a pity but that is how the world has evolved,” Carol said.
As much as she felt that virtual networking was no substitute for face-to-face interactions, she has an eye fixed firmly on the future and is already considering how best to use these platforms.
Carol believes that networking for the SMU Alumni in Germany is important. According to her, the alumni there are generally younger and so need the ability to connect, network and help each other settle down. In addition, creating that network allows the alumni a platform to share both professional and personal opportunities. Finally, the opportunity to network with fellow-SMU alumni preserves the qualities of having an inquisitive mind and the ambition to challenge the status quo, since it was at SMU that most alumni would have had that shared experience.
Reflecting on her time as a student at the SMU Bukit Timah Campus, Carol recalled the natural scenery fondly and how students would go to the lake and take a break by watching the swans during break time. The pioneer batch was only 300+ strong, and it was a close-knit community. The campus had an intimate feel and many were able to forge close relationships that continue to this day.
When asked if she might have any advice for current SMU students, Carol strongly advocated for students to gain overseas exposure. “It’s not just about passing your grades - not that we do not take the grades seriously - but there are different learning experiences such as the overseas exposure through Business Study Missions (BSM) and Overseas Community Service Programme (OCSP). They may not seem important now, but these experiences ultimately leave an impact in your lives, not grades,” Carol said.
Carol also advised students to focus on building relationships, especially during these overseas experiences. She urged, “Have the courage to try new things. It is only here in SMU that you will have a safe environment to try new things. Continue to follow up on these relationships because they will take on more significance as you progress in life.”
