Seah Kay Siong
How did you get into your current line of work?
I was never an aviation geek. What drew me to the leasing and operations role in Changi Airport Group (CAG) back in 2014 was the opportunity to have a say in determining the mix of retail and food and beverage (F&B) within the airport. Being a huge foodie myself, this was the perfect job.
Fast forward seven years, and I feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to dabble in many different areas of work. While I dealt with brick-and-mortar businesses mostly back then, many of my side projects involved looking at how digital trends disrupted such businesses. For instance, I spent the last two years working on digitalising F&B for passengers and customers visiting the airport. It was these accumulative experiences that prepared me for my current role as a Product Manager for iChangi app, as well as the Product Owner for CAG’s new food delivery service, Changi Eats.
The industry then and now
Back in 2014, Changi Airport served 54 million passengers. In 2019, it grew to 68 million, the highest it has ever been. However, years of hard work was decimated by COVID-19 in 2020, and passenger traffic plummeted to its lowest. I think it is fair to say I have witnessed both the highest and lowest points in Changi Airport’s history.
But what is important is how we capitalise on this crisis to position ourselves for success in a post-COVID world. For instance, I was glad my past experiences in F&B digitalisation allowed us to launch Changi Eats quickly and offer our F&B merchants food delivery service during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker.
What made me choose to be a leader?
I see leadership more as an entrusted responsibility than a choice. As the scope of my work grew over time, as in the case with Changi Eats, it became apparent that a team was needed to meet the business objectives, and I was privileged to be given that responsibility.
One key takeaway I had working in different teams over the years was how it is possible for the team to be greater than the sum of its parts, but only when there is a good leader who understands the importance of a collaborative team, and is able to steer the team in the right direction. While leadership is no doubt a learning journey for me, I constantly try to remind myself how my words and actions might have a disproportionate impact on my teammates, and to be more measured and mindful in that.
What I enjoy most about my job
The opportunity to work on different projects is something I truly appreciate as it keeps things fresh and exciting. While challenging, I am constantly pushed out of my comfort zone, which allows me to grow. In addition, I am glad that there is a lot of autonomy given, which instils a greater sense of ownership. Knowing that my decisions and actions have material impact, be it deciding what brands to introduce to the airport or how to design the operations model for Changi Eats, is a strong motivator for me to work harder.
Essential skills
I think there is no more important skill than the ability, and more importantly, the willingness to learn. You will find yourself in situations where you do not have perfect knowledge of the subject matter, which is extremely common and normal. Being able to be resourceful to equip yourself with the relevant knowledge and find the answers you need fast is extremely important as a first step. Of course, retaining what you have learnt thereafter, and connecting the dots, be it within the business context or larger ecosystem, is something that comes with time and experience.
Advice for graduates
As a fresh graduate, embrace failures and rejections. Whenever one door closes on you, some other door is opened somewhere. As a new hire, be hungry. Be hungry to learn, be hungry to do more. It is only when you are hungry that you will push yourself beyond what you think you can achieve.
