With over 30 years of cross-sector experience, Su-Yen Wong has shaped Singapore’s leadership landscape from the boardroom to the classroom. As a global board director, Adjunct Professor at NUS Business School, and former CEO, she has operated at the intersection of governance, strategy, and human capital across industries and markets.
A Certified Speaking Professional (a designation held by a small percentage of professional speakers worldwide) Su-Yen combines high-energy, inspirational sessions with real-life, actionable takeaways.
In this SG60 Showcase, drawing on boardroom experience, C-suite leadership, and strategy and human capital expertise, Su-Yen shares how organizations can navigate disruption, lead meaningful change, and drive transformation. From C-suites to summit peaks, she delivers wisdom forged in experience and powered by purpose.
Highlights
Transformational Leadership Rooted in National Purpose
Q: How does Singapore’s story shape your view of transformation and the leaders we need now?
A: Singapore at 60 is a reminder that clarity of purpose and consistency of effort compound. We decide why, then we do the work. Inside organizations, that shows up as three habits: make clear choices, build capable people, and tell a story everyone can carry.
My role is to help leaders connect those dots – turn strategy into specific decisions, build teams that adapt without drama, and communicate change in plain language. What got us here won’t get us there.
Programs That Redefine Leadership for a Disrupted World
Q: Which programs are organisations most drawn to right now – and why?
A: The same themes repeat across industries, so these land:
- Leading Through Disruption & Transformation – We unclog decision paths and reduce change fatigue. Leaders leave with practical ways to keep momentum without breaking trust.
- The Future of Work: Managing Talent in the New Workplace – How to reshape roles, rituals, and learning so diverse teams perform and grow.
- Global Leadership Unleashed – Ways of working that travel across borders: decision protocols that respect culture and still deliver pace.
Across keynotes, masterclasses, and offsites, these efforts collectively drive future-ready leadership, agile transformation, and personal reinvention – exactly the qualities Singapore needs for sustainable growth.
A Global Lens with Local Impact
Q: You’ve led across strategy and human capital, the C-suite and the boardroom. How does that show up in your work here – and what did being named a Prestige Woman of Power 2025 mean to you?
A: A global lens helps me spot patterns fast. Tech or consumer, finance or healthcare; geopolitics or talent development – I bring a strategic view to business pressures, then I tailor to local constraints so leaders avoid unintended consequences.
The Prestige nod was generous. For me, it’s not about the label; it’s about impact. I mentor, build communities like the Remarkable Reinventors Community, and keep one foot in the academic world so that ideas ripple and multiply.
Transforming by Design, Inspiring by Example
Q: You often say transformation must be designed – and lived. How do you model that?
A: I don’t ask leaders to do what I won’t. Climbing Kilimanjaro and completing my first full marathon at the age of 53 taught me the same lesson work does: pick the next altitude, set a cadence, and rehearse the hard parts before they happen.
In the room, that becomes simple tools and deliberate practice – pressure-testing choices, role-playing stakeholder conversations, and agreeing on how we’ll behave when it’s tough. People remember what they do, not just what they hear.
Always Evolving to Meet What’s Next
Q: How do you keep your content – and your clients – ahead of the curve?
A: I stay close to live issues through board roles which cut across sectors and geographies. I also learn a lot from peers in the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Singapore Institute of Directors; those conversations are a reality check. Every engagement is bespoke.
I start with your objectives and desired outcomes, then tailor the narrative, cases, and exercises to your industry and realities.
Final Thoughts: A Next-Chapter Mindset for SG60 and Beyond
At SG60, the question isn’t whether change will come – it’s whether leaders can turn disruption into direction, and direction into delivery. Su-Yen Wong represents a rare convergence of board owesoextives, real-world business transformation, and deeply personal reinvention.
Su-Yen is passionate about helping leaders navigate disruption, lead change, and deliver results. Her work helps organizations choose well, move faster, and keep trust intact, so change isn’t a campaign; it’s culture.
This article is part of the SG60 Showcase series—spotlighting leaders, changemakers, and visionaries shaping Singapore’s next 60 years.
Highlights
Read the Chinese article here.
