Ms Siew Yim Cheng: IT is always about driving workplace innovation, discovering new ways to apply technology.

From research and development to vendor to user – when Ms Siew Yim Cheng describes IT as a versatile career, she certainly speaks from experience. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) of JTC talks about her entry into the IT industry and highlights the depth and diversity of opportunities in this field.

Describe how you began your IT career.
I didn't start with wanting to be in IT per se. I studied Engineering because I was stronger in Mathematics and the Sciences and I am curious about how things work - I love the idea of solving problems and making an impact with the solution. That’s why I studied Electronic/Electrical Engineering in NUS (National University of Singapore). When I graduated, IT was the hottest sector. I chanced on the Information Technology Institute, the research arm of the then-National Computer Board (NCB), and seized the opportunity to join IT.

What were some of the R&D projects you worked on while at NCB?
I spent 11 years in NCB and was given the opportunity to take on many different roles. I started as a software developer, writing programs for a product called proFAX - faxing from your PC without going to a fax machine. It was probably the first IT product to be exported from Singapore. I went on to do conceptualisation and design for an IBM office automation product.

Then I took on Artificial Intelligence at the JSAIC (Japan-Singapore Artificial Intelligence Centre). It gave me the opportunity to evangelise the use of technology in improving the productivity of everyday business. I designed and built prototypes of expert systems for real businesses. One of my prototypes was subsequently deployed and is now part of Corenet, the construction and real estate network that is used by the Building Control Authority.

How did you make the switch to the private sector?
From R&D, I went on to do industry promotion at NCB, working with both promising local enterprises (PLEs) and multinational corporations (MNCs) - PLEs to support their growth and MNCs to attract foreign direct investments into Singapore.

My last project in NCB was to attract Microsoft to relocate their Asia Operations Centre from Japan to Singapore. That was a significant investment into Singapore. After that, I had the opportunity to join Microsoft to do sales and marketing and I took up the challenge.

Describe the roles you played in Microsoft.
I spent 12 years in Microsoft and have been in at least seven different sales and marketing roles – both in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. I worked with different customer sets - big and small software developers, hardware and services partners, venture capitalists, enterprises and medium sized customers. The last six years were spent as sales director, driving revenue growth focused on the public sector and commercial large enterprise markets.

Why did you re-join the public sector and what does your current role entail?
After spending so many years in a selling role, I decided to take on a different role - as a user and a buyer – so I joined JTC as its CIO.

At JTC, I play many roles - a translator, converting  business needs to IT; a negotiator, driving  discussions between vendor, user and staff; a people developer, focusing on building up skills and energising staff so that they remain passionate about their work; a project manager, ensuring that projects keep to specifications and are both on time and on budget; and a technologist, being constantly on the look-out for applicable technologies that will drive efficiency and effectiveness and also to enhance the value proposition of JTC’s products.

The bulk of the job as CIO is actually working with people – perhaps only about 30 per cent of it is technology. My key priority is building up a strong and diverse team – people with different skills, backgrounds, experiences, expectation and needs. Their diverse opinions keep ideas fresh.

Having worked in both the private and public sectors, how do they compare?
Governments are generally known for red tape but much of this is due to compliance and governance requirements. This is similar in large, global companies in the private sector.

In the private sector, the pace can be very fast – due to the need to respond to market changes and the focus on driving revenues to grow and sustain the business. There must be a deep understanding of the different markets, clear and stringent accountabilities, frequent and accurate reporting of the business.

In the public sector, the goal and role are bigger – we serve the national interest and the public.  So there must be a more deliberate and guided process to ensure accountability.

Looking back, are there any myths you would like to dispel about IT as a career?
The default image of IT is that it involves a technical programming job, and is probably boring and tough. But in reality, there are myriad opportunities in IT. It is a very versatile career, and it is exciting. IT is always about driving workplace innovation, discovering new ways to apply technology.

The mindset is important. You have to be open to take on new challenges and embrace change. The potential is always there. It is up to the individual to realise it.