PSA’s Management Associate Programme nurtures young talent and future leaders to lead our business transformation and innovate solutions to enable global supply chain orchestration and lay the foundation for greater sustainability.
The programme also offers two exciting career tracks – the Business track and the Professional track (covering Information Technology, Engineering, Civil Engineering, Finance or Human Resource). The Professional (IT) track under the MA Programme is now known as the S.E.A.L (Structured Enrichment, Accelerated Leadership) Programme.
You can look forward to a structured career development path, tailored experiences that broaden your horizons, and the opportunity to work alongside diverse teams to shape the port and supply chain ecosystems of tomorrow.
Management Associates (MA), Chew Boshen and Jay Lim share more:
Structured and customised career development
Boshen (B): The MA programme exposed me to the breadth and depth of the business, and was invaluable in accelerating my personal growth. I started my journey in Terminal Operations where I built foundational knowledge of our core business, planned and orchestrated container movements, and led teams and projects which honed my leadership and interpersonal skills.
Now, after four job rotations, I am in the Tuas Port Development Team, designing and building the world’s largest automated terminal!
Jay (J): The structured job rotation helped me develop unique and diverse perspectives. I was rotated across different information and communication technology (ICT) and business areas, which developed my strengths while also catering to my career interests.
These opportunities gave me a chance to experiment, ideate and create innovative solutions for challenging projects, including digital platforms for the port community and the Internet of Logistics.
A strong support network
B: A definite draw of the programme was the opportunity to regularly engage with senior management during networking and dialogue sessions. These gave us a macro-level understanding of PSA’s business strategies and sharpened our critical thinking.
I was also privileged to have the Head of Commercial as my mentor, who shared deep insights about our businesses and customers. A piece of advice that I’ll never forget is the importance of understanding our customers’ needs, as this is the differentiating factor that keeps our customers coming back.
J: One of the first things that struck me deeply about PSA was our warm and friendly colleagues, who are always willing to share knowledge and go the extra mile to lend a helping hand. Many of us became close friends who hang out for drinks, attend each other’s weddings and celebrate birthdays together! The cohesion and strong camaraderie are what I greatly appreciate about PSA. It is a huge part of our DNA!
Broadening horizons
J: In late 2019, Boshen and I had the opportunity to do a short global development stint in PSA’s other flagship terminal in Antwerp, Belgium. We learnt about the competitive landscape and how port operations in Antwerp are influenced by the different nature of cargo flows in Europe.
We also expanded our understanding of PSA’s cargo solutions business in Europe, which involves multimodal transport over sea, truck and rail, and learnt about the strategies in place to grow the business and develop our human capital.
B: The attachment really broadened our horizons, strengthened our business acumen and provided a global perspective of PSA’s business. The interactions I had in a different operating environment halfway across the world also improved my cross-cultural competencies and gave me a chance to network with colleagues from another business unit.
Work that excites
B: The maritime industry is a cornerstone of Singapore’s economy, and PSA, as one of the world’s leading port operators, plays a global role in orchestrating cargo movement. Knowing that my efforts help to put Singapore on the global map excites me!
I am also truly thrilled at the possibilities that the future Tuas Port will bring. It’s a massive project that will be fully operational in the 2040s, and I’m eager to play a part in integrating the latest technological and engineering advancements – some of which may not even exist now – to realise Singapore’s next-generation port.
J: Indeed, a global role means making a global impact, and that’s exciting to me too! I’ve worked on innovations and technology products that improve the operational efficiency of our terminals and our port community, building business resilience and sustainability.
For example, we leverage machine learning and data science to help global shipping lines optimise routes and reduce waiting times, thus cutting down on fuel consumption and reducing carbon emissions. My current role focuses on product development for PSA’s Cargo Solutions initiatives, a new field of emphasis for our business to enable cargo and trade flow visibility and better orchestrate the global supply chain. I like how this role has the transformative potential to make the logistics industry more efficient and sustainable in the long run.
