Skills Mastery Award winner inspires with commitment to development and mentorship

As far back as Ms. Ong Tun Kim can remember, her life has been shaped by her relentless pursuit of higher knowledge.

The reward: a fulfilling and rewarding career – and, last month, recognition with the awarding of the SkillsFuture Scholarships.

Ms. Ong has held a variety of roles during her 30 years at tech giant IBM, from administration and procurement to operations and supply chain management.

Today, Ms Ong, 53, is managing director of IBM Manufacturing Solutions, where she oversees supply chain operations in Singapore.

Outside of work, she is also a certified neuro-linguistic programming practitioner, professional career coach, and has skills in data science and design thinking.

It is driven by a fundamental principle: never stop learning. “The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing,” says Ms Ong.

Her commitment to learning and personal development was recognized by two of her managers at IBM, who nominated her for the 2021 SkillsFuture Fellowships.

One of them is Mr. John Dell’Arciprete, Director, Supply Assurance at IBM Systems Group, who has worked with Ms. Ong for about 10 years.

“Tun Kim has an extraordinary ability to inspire and influence people,” he says. “She has dedicated her time to developing herself, developing leaders and sharing her expertise for many years.”

Created by SkillsFuture Singapore, the SkillsFuture Scholarships reward individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to mastering skills in their work and who contribute to the skills development of others. Last year, 18 winners – including Ms. Ong – received $10,000 each to further develop their skills.

Ms. Ong plans to use her prize money to pay for a psychology course and formal animation training.