Trading Places: Forging Ahead with The Next Generation of Built Environment Managers

When the pandemic broke out, Ian Lim was working as a flight attendant while Heather Lin has just completed her master's degree in finance from South Korea’s Sogang University. Choosing to pivot into the technology sector, both Ian and Heather joined Johnson Controls Singapore through the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. 

Today, Ian is excited about his part in shaping the future of Singapore’s built industry and leads the company’s train-and-place programme targeting at individuals who are keen to pivot into the built environment sector. Heather relishes in analyzing sales figures and margins to develop data-driven strategies and insights for the Digital Solutions team. 

Ian Lim: From Cabin Crew to Digital Built Technology Enthusiast

When the travel industry took a hit during the pandemic, Ian Lim traded his flight attendant uniform for a position with Johnson Controls through the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme in 2020. A tech enthusiast, Ian has always been interested in the latest innovations in smart homes, gadgets and technology trends. With digitalization playing a bigger role in many sectors, pivoting into tech was “the obvious choice” for Ian.

During the nine-month traineeship, Ian worked with various departments teams — from customer-facing projects to team operations — and learned about digital transformation in the built environment. Recounting his first foray into the digital space, Ian said: “One of my earliest assignments was testing out indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors to be used in the OpenBlue Innovation Center. It was an interesting project because I was extremely curious to find out how an IAQ sensor work and to understand the various metrics to define and measure air quality.”

With his interest piqued, Ian continued to work on more projects at the OpenBlue Innovation Center. These included testing out facial recognition sensors and installing prototypes to test new digital concepts for a smart sustainable workplace. “Digital transformation is not about installing the latest innovations in a piecemeal fashion. It’s using technology to integrate different systems to work together in a cohesive manner. I’ve also learnt about project management process and the importance of good teamwork,” said Ian.

His experience as a cabin crew helped him engage with customers easily. “I’ve always enjoyed meeting and interacting with people. So it was quite natural that I took on an active role in showcasing products to visitors at the Center,” said Ian. For him, it was ‘immensely satisfying’ to help visitors learn about the Center’s range of advanced digital technology that meet new demands for safety and sustainability in connected spaces.

It was this same ‘can-do’ attitude that saw Ian through his transition to a corporate environment. “To be honest, it took me about three months to adjust to working in an office,” he said. “I’ve to get accustomed to using email and desktop applications for team communications, and also internal discussions and consultations on projects that I’m involved in.” He credited Alvin Ng, vice president of Digital Solutions, APAC and Leslie Wong, lead for eco-system partnership, for helping him adapt to working in Johnson Controls.

Today Ian is a commercial program analyst with the Digital Solutions team. In this position, Ian is leading the train-and-place programme of six months duration targeting at job seekers and mid-career individuals who are interested to pivot into the built environment sector. He is responsible for developing the training curriculum and managing the trainees, as well as being the key liaison with multiple external partners involved in the programme.

Ian looks forward to welcoming the new age of smart buildings and sustainability initiatives. His interactions with visitors to the OpenBlue Innovation Center have made him aware of the huge potential for digital transformation to enhancing the occupants’ experience in indoor spaces. “I’m excited to be a part of the conversation that is shaping the future of the built industry in Singapore,” he enthused. 

Heather Lin: Finding New Horizons in Built Environment Sector 

A veteran in the F&B, hospitality and event management, Heather Lin didn’t hesitate to change career track through the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. She has just completed her master's degree in finance from Sogang University in South Korea when the pandemic broke out in 2020. 

The tech industry offers a refreshing change from her previous jobs. Drawn by the diversity of talents and opportunities within the tech industry, Heather knew that individuals without relevant experience, including herself, can build a rewarding career in technology companies like Johnson Controls. She was impressed by the company's vision of bringing about transformational change in the built environment industry, as well as its commitment to sustainability. “It’s equally important for me, too, that Johnson Controls values work-life balance and inclusivity,” said Heather.

During her traineeship, Heather was given the opportunity to work with the Digital Solutions Business & Sales Ops team and the Transformation Office. Her first assignment was to develop a series of customized videos to be used at a partner’s virtual summit targeting the education sector. She said: “We took a different approach to present our materials and wanted to focus on our flagship products and deployed solutions for customers. I coordinated with colleagues in different regions and time-zones to develop eight videos for that event. Imagine getting all these done within 10 days!”

Getting used to technical jargon and acronyms was another feather in Heather’s cap. She admitted that the abbreviations were confusing initially. “It took me a while to realize that ‘BT&S’ in the company refers to ‘Building Technologies & Solutions’ division — and not the Korean boyband BTS,” she mused.

She believed her ‘soft skills’ gained from working in the hospitality and event management industry helped smooth her transition to the tech sector. She shared her observations that people in the service industry are trained to multi-task and be quick on their feet. “The acquired skill to read a situation quickly helps with team discussion and negotiation in my current job,” she noted. 

Heather’s work at Johnson Controls has rekindled her love for numbers. Currently working full-time as a business operations executive, she enjoys analyzing sales figures and margins to develop insights for the team. Her responsibilities include helping Harsh Bajpai, the business operations lead for Digital Solutions, on process design and assisting Alvin Ng, vice president of Digital Solutions, APAC, on developing performance improvement strategies. Heather also plays an active role in supporting regional special marketing projects and highlights the importance of a ‘human-centric’ approach when pushing forth on digital transformation.

Describing herself as an ‘agile learner’ Heather impressed upon the importance of continual learning. She said: “The Digital Solutions team is constantly tweaking strategies and adapting new processes whenever better ideas surface. The ability to learn, assimilate and integrate new ideas from various sources is critical to the success of our team.” 

Summing up, Heather has this to offer. “The tech sector is unique in that it provides individuals with more learning opportunities and new experiences. A genuine interest for collaboration, coupled with a positive attitude and commitment to learning, are critical to creating a rewarding career in the tech space,” she said.