Invest in the future of others (22 Nov 2010)

Everyday flipping thru the biz times usually its always on which share gain or drop, which company is doing bigger and which MNC juz head hunt some high profile executive who many sought after.

But this catch my attention on news today...

Would you do this with your own wealth?
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Business Times - 22 Nov 2010

Investing in the future of others

Alumnus donates $100,000 to NTU's endowment bursary fund. By NARENDRA AGGARWAL

'Education provides hope to break out of the poverty cycle, opens doors for a better future and enables one to contribute more significantly to our society.'
- Daniel Chew

WE usually invest our hard earned money for a better future - for ourselves and our family. This is an uplifting story of a young man from a modest background giving away $100,000 of his hard earned money to invest in the future of university students who are motivated to excel in life but need financial assistance.

Daniel Chew, an alumnus of Nanyang Business School (NBS) at Nanyang Technological University, has donated the money to the university's endowment bursary fund in honour of his parents.

At 37, Mr Chew is the only Asian in petrochemical giant Shell's global tax leadership team. He is regional business tax manager, Upstream International Asia, at Shell's regional headquarters in Singapore.

'Having benefited from bursaries myself during my school years, I know at first hand how important such help is for those who do not have the financial means to pursue their educational dreams,' says the father of three children aged 10, seven and three.

'The bursaries and the money I raised by giving tuition helped see me through my first degree which was instrumental in providing me a headstart in my career,' says Mr Chew, who obtained his Bachelor of Accountancy degree with first-class honours from NBS.

'Education provides hope to break out of the poverty cycle, opens doors for a better future and enables one to contribute more significantly to our society. Thus, I find it gratifying to reach out to promising youths who need that helping hand to complete their university education and fulfil their dreams in life. This is one way of giving back to society,' he adds.

At Shell, Mr Chew says, he enjoys the challenges at work, learning and contributing, and leading regional and global teams to deliver significant value to the business.

'While no doubt the work is very demanding, I always strive to achieve excellence, have a work-life balance and aim to make a difference in whatever I do,' he says in an interview.

Mr Chew has fond memories of the time spent at NBS as he led an active life both in and outside the classroom. In year one, he was honorary general secretary of the NTU Students' Union and in year two, he became president of the union. In the third year, he founded and chaired the NTU Students' Fund.

While at NTU, he learnt to manage his time well, spending 40 hours per week on union activities and studying for the same number of hours every week. In addition, he gave tuition, which provided him financial independence since his army days, and spent time on keeping fit.

Mr Chew says NBS equipped him well for his working life as the scope of studies was wide. It gave him exposure and awareness, as well as technical skills. He has turned out to be confident, able to self-manage and be responsible in decision-making. NBS also honed his communications skills as well as his ability to think analytically.

After graduating from NTU with a Bachelor in Accountancy degree, Mr Chew started his career at Arthur Andersen as a tax consultant. It was a busy life as he put in an average 60 to 80 hours weekly - and sometimes working more than 100 hours a week.

Despite his busy schedule, Mr Chew wanted to spend time paying back to society by serving the less privileged. And with support from his employer, he started a mentoring programme for underprivileged children in 1996. He continues to manage the programme today.

After Arthur Andersen, Mr Chew worked with Caltex, Johnson & Johnson and Avago Technologies. He joined Shell Petroleum in 2008.

Mr Chew plans to continue his career at Shell, looking out for global headquarters and overseas postings to enrich his professional life and also to establish stronger organisational connections, while achieving strong financial independence.

Mr Chew says his home-maker wife Joanna is his strong and unwavering supporter and advisor. As such, he owes much of his success in life to her.

The writer, a former Singapore Press Holdings journalist, is Director for Public Affairs at Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University


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