Resources: Stories of Honourees

It is often assumed that talent in certain trades is inherited, but Tan Lih Woei forged his path in construction through determination, vision, and resilience. He comes from a lineage of contractors. The family business originally began in 1979 under his father, Ah Tze, who taught himself gas pipe laying.

Vivienne Ong-Lin’s journey into fashion was never straightforward. After years of academic accolades, including six consecutive ASEAN Pre-University and University Scholarships and being part of the pioneer cohort of the National University of Singapore’s School of Design and Environment, she held what many considered a dream career in marketing communications.

For some, resilience is a skill built over time. For Hendy Ono Djunaedi, it became a way of life, shaped not by comfort, but by upheaval. When he graduated in 1997 with a degree in Banking and Finance, he anticipated a straightforward path into the financial sector. Instead, the Asian Financial Crisis shattered markets and erased job prospects overnight.

Some stories begin with a spark so small you could almost miss it. For Esther Kim Sim, it was a simple piping bag in a secondary school cake-decorating competition.