Internship opportunities and gearing undergraduates for work life have been fundamental to SMU’s approach to a holistic education. Our alumni, having experienced such benefits, are naturally more than happy to share these opportunities with their juniors.
Adrian Tan Theng Wai (BBM 2004, BAcc 2004 and MAF 2012) is an alumnus from the pioneer batch of SMU students in 2000. During his four years as an undergraduate, Adrian was very active in CCAs, serving as SMU Students’ Association (SMUSA) Business Manager from 2001 to 2002, President of BIZCOM, and the SMU Motoring Club. He was also active as the captain of the SMU Tennis Club and a member for the Basketball Club, and Pool Club.
Several years after graduating in 2004 with a double degrees in Finance and Accounting, Adrian returned to SMU not once, but twice to upgrade his skills. He signed up for the Master of Science in Applied Finance (MAF) programme and graduated in 2012 with LKCSB; and came back again in 2019 to join the Asian Financial Leaders Program, as well as to pursue an Advanced Diploma in Data Analytics and Machine learning with SMU Academy.
Adrian considers himself a beneficiary and an advocate of SMU’s unique style of interactive learning. As Chief Risk Officer and a member of the founding management team at Asia Pacific Exchange (APEX) – Singapore’s third derivatives exchange and clearing house licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Adrian is committed to the growth of the company. His role also sees him heavily involved in the development of APEX's talent development programme.
Together with APEX HR, Adrian worked closely with Joanne Teo and Veronica Yeow from the SMU undergraduate and postgraduate career offices, respectively, to offer full-time employment opportunities to SMU students.
APEX participates regularly at SMU's career fairs and networking events, and Adrian himself has also conducted a few career talks at SMU in the hope of securing good talent. At present, APEX employs close to 10 SMU graduates across its various departments through its talent development associate programme. When asked to comment on the APEX talent development programme, Adrian shared that the programme started, with rather stringent selection criteria that only saw the best from well-known local and foreign universities chosen. Over the years, more of APEX’s new associates have been recruited from SMU as, according to Adrian, SMU graduates were observed to be more confident and competent, with the drive and motivation to work hard, and also learn quickly on the job. One apparent trait was that SMU graduates are also highly participative and involve themselves in various projects to augment their learning and exposure.
From Adrian’s perspective as a veteran in the corporate world, the APEX experience has benefited SMU associates immensely in terms of gaining opportunities for learning, exposure to the exchange business, and the commodities trading industry.
Besides on-the-job training as well as career mentor arrangements, these associates are also given opportunities to network with large commercial trading firms, conduct research, and design potential contracts for listing on APEX exchange. There are also opportunities for engagement and networking with many of APEX’s counterparts in China and other parts of the region. Adrian revealed that many of the earlier hires from SMU remain with APEX today and are performing well in their roles.
Adrian believes he has been very lucky in his career, and a large part of his success is due to the education and formative experiences during his time at SMU. His undergraduate years in SMU provided the foundation for a rigorous education, giving him the opportunities to develop leadership capabilities, galvanise people to start new clubs, and try new things. These experiences helped define Adrian and shape many of the values and strengths that have helped him. Some of these include courage, adaptability, and resilience, all of which have been instrumental in his professional growth and career development in the banking and financial services industry. Moving into his current role three years ago was a huge opportunity for Adrian, and with it, a huge responsibility. Despite his apprehension, Adrian took the plunge, guided by the old adage, “It’s better to have tried and failed, than to live life wondering what if."
