Ready for Life 2024

A holistic retirement plan involves more than just financial security. Join us as our distinguished speakers share personal stories on the importance of staying active and building social connections alongside a secure financial retirement plan.

Hosted by former Channel News Asia anchor Yvonne Chan, get ready to redefine your retirement.

Guest of Honour:

Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower

Panellists:

Dr Wong Sweet Fun, Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital

Deputy Chairman, Medical Board (Community Care & Population Health), Yishun Health

Soh Chin Heng, Executive Director, Hope Centre

Jeslyn Su, Group Director, CPF Board

Dr Wong Sweet Fun

Senior Consultant, Geriatric Medicine, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital

Deputy Chairman, Medical Board (Community Care & Population Health), Yishun Health

Dr Wong Sweet Fun, a senior consultant geriatrician, actively promotes functional longevity and ageing in place for community-dwelling older adults. As Deputy Chairman, Medical Board (Community Care & Population Health) at Yishun Health, she provides clinical guidance and oversight for new clinical care models in the community. Her work extends to improving the health of the population within the Yishun Health and National Healthcare Group catchment. With 14 years of community involvement, she has established programmes addressing population health needs and received awards for her contributions.

Soh Chin Heng

Executive Director, Hope Centre

Mr Soh Chin Heng, former Deputy CEO at CPF Board, played a pivotal role in implementing major CPF reforms. With a wealth of experience at CPF Board and various ministries, he currently serves as the Executive Director of Hope Centre, an Institute of Public Character charity catering to children, youths, and seniors. Additionally, he contributes as an adjunct trainer at the Institute for Financial Literacy and as an Associate Trainer at the Civil Service College, showcasing his commitment to financial education and public service.

Jeslyn Su

Group Director (Policy, Statistics & Research), Central Provident Fund Board

Ms. Jeslyn Su is the Group Director at CPF Board, overseeing Policy, Statistics & Research, and its Chief Data Officer (CDO). With over 13 years of public sector experience, she has played a key role in shaping Singapore's retirement, housing, and healthcare financing policies. As CDO, she is dedicated to advancing CPFB's data science capabilities, fostering a data-driven culture, and strengthening data governance and security measures. Her commitment includes leveraging data to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and service delivery at CPFB.

What do inflation, high interest rates and volatile markets mean for investors? How can investors build portfolio resilience and protect their investments amidst uncertainty? Hear our industry experts provide an update on the market outlook and discuss different types of investments to future-proof your portfolio.

Speakers:

Vasu Menon, Managing Director, Investment Strategy, Wealth Management Unit, OCBC

James Cheo, Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia and India, Global Private Banking and Wealth, HSBC

Abel Lim Chin Hoe, Executive Director, Head of Wealth Management Advisory and Strategy, UOB 

Choo Oi Yee, Chief Executive Officer, Climate Impact X

Vasu Menon

Managing Director, Investment Strategy, Wealth Management Unit, OCBC

Vasu Menon is the Managing Director, Investment Strategy at OCBC’s Wealth Management unit. He has more than three decades of experience. Vasu speaks regularly at seminars and is sought-after by the media for his insights.  In 2017 Vasu was conferred the designation “Fellow for Wealth Management” by the IBF – a title conferred upon industry veterans who have demonstrated mastery of a profession and exemplify thought leadership and commitment to industry development.

James Cheo

Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia and India, Global Private Banking and Wealth, HSBC

James Cheo, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia and India for Global Private Banking and Wealth at HSBC, spearheads investment strategies across all asset classes. He is a member of the Global and Regional Investment Committee and has a strong media profile, frequently appearing on notable financial media. With previous roles at Bank of Singapore, Barclays Wealth Asia, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, his wealth of experience and knowledge make his investment views highly sought after.

Abel Lim Chin Hoe

Executive Director, Head of Wealth Management Advisory and Strategy, UOB

Abel Lim, Head of Wealth Management Advisory and Strategy at UOB, leads a team overseeing portfolio advisory and strategic investment direction for the bank’s Personal Financial Services segment. With 26 years of experience, he plays a pivotal role at the UOB Privilege Banking Forum and represents the bank in external speaking engagements on investment advisory matters. Abel holds a Masters in financial management from the University of London.

Choo Oi Yee

Chief Executive Officer, Climate Impact X

Choo Oi Yee, with over 25 years of capital markets experience, contributed significantly to new financial products and asset classes. She is currently the incoming CEO of Climate Impact X, a global carbon markets solutions provider.  Prior to CIX, she was the CEO of ADDX, a digital private markets platform and she has a deep passion for leveraging technology to enhance financial inclusion and Singapore’s capital markets capabilities. Previously, she held roles in investment banking, including as the head of Singapore Investment Banking for UBS.

How can you make your money work harder for you? Our speakers will share how you can leverage the power of compound interest with CPF and provide tips to get you started on investing.

Speakers: 

Serene Goh, Senior Deputy Director, Retirement Savings Department, CPF Board

Jolene Ong, Trainer, Institute for Financial Literacy

Serene Goh

Senior Deputy Director, Retirement Savings Department, CPF Board

Serene is a Senior Deputy Director in the Retirement Savings Department in CPF Board, with 11 years of audit experience. She believes that planning is the key to success and is passionate about getting more CPF members to plan ahead for retirement. She leads the team that helps Singaporeans achieve retirement adequacy through CPF top-ups and matching grants. 

Jolene Ong 

Trainer, Institute for Financial Literacy

Jolene has been a trainer with the Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL) since 2020, delivering talks/workshops and administering personalised Financial Health Clinics to make financial planning accessible to all. Passionate about empowering learners, she promotes self-directed learning through IFL’s e-Learning Management System. Through her work, Jolene has reached diverse groups, including the general public, workplaces, and the social service sector, finding great fulfilment in empowering learners to take charge of their financial planning journey.

Embark on a journey into the realm of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with Pornsak, a renowned TV host and now a full-time TCM physician. Discover tips on harnessing the potential of simple ingredients and age-old wisdom to craft effective remedies for common ailments.

Speaker: 

Pornsak Prajakwit, Left Profile Artiste, TCM Practitioner and Live-streamer @ ICHIGO

Pornsak Prajakwit

Left Profile Artiste, TCM Practitioner and Live-streamer @ ICHIGO

Pornsak has delivered standout presentations for top companies like Microsoft, Intel, and Lenovo, and government agencies such as the Institute of Lifelong Learning. He has also spoken as a TCM physician at MediaCorp’s Annual Health Fair. Known for his exceptional ability to engage and inspire, Pornsak offers practical insights that resonate with diverse audiences. 

Legacy planning can be complex. Our speakers will simplify and help you navigate this journey so that you can ensure the well-being of your loved ones amidst life’s uncertainties.

Speakers:

Regina Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Immortalize

Caster Teoh, Assistant Director, Nominations & Accounts Closure, CPF Board

Regina Tan

Chief Executive Officer, Immortalize

Regina, a former Bloomberg journalist, left her job to start Immortalize.io after experiencing the complexity of end-of-life planning during her own illness. Immortalize.io is an elderhood planning platform for seniors, caregivers, and those growing older, aiming to simplify end-of-life, legacy, and elderhood planning into a seamless journey.

Caster Teoh

Assistant Director, Nominations & Accounts Closure, CPF Board

Caster has been guiding CPF members to plan for their retirement since 2016. In his previous role as a CPF trainer for financial institutions, he worked with partners to nurture members’ interest in making the most of their CPF savings to live a meaningful retirement.

Currently, Caster and his team focus on processing CPF nomination payouts. His daily review of cases has highlighted legacy planning as an often-overlooked part of financial planning.

The role of fathers has evolved along with times. Be inspired by how our speakers embraced the magic of fatherhood and balanced their careers, passions, and family.

Speakers:

Yuen Chee Onn, Chief Operating Officer,  Centre for Fathering

Alexander Yuen, Co-Founder of Meta Illusions and Be The Magic

Yuen Chee Onn

Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Fathering

Mr. Yuen Chee Onn has been with Centre for Fathering since 2016 where he has significantly contributed to expanding the Dads for Life and Mums for Life movements. Prior to his transition to the social service sector, Mr. Yuen spent 20 years in the banking industry, covering different aspects of banking including wealth management and financial planning. He is a father of three adult children.

Alexander Yuen

Co-Founder of Meta Illusions and Be The Magic

Alexander Yuen, an internationally renowned iPad Illusionist, innovates magic with digital technology. Passionate about improving the quality of life and intergenerational connections for seniors, he designed a programme to engage and help seniors strengthen their bond with their families, especially their grandchildren, through magic. The programme is a success, and it is introduced to the healthcare sector, where Alexander coaches healthcare professionals on using magic for engagement and therapy.

Expenses are unavoidable, but with strategic spending, we can maximise benefits without falling into a debt trap. Join us as our experts share how you can spend responsibly and be rewarded with travel adventures.

Speakers:

Aaron Wong, Founder of The MileLion

Tan Huey Min, General Manager, Credit Counselling Singapore

Aaron Wong

Founder of The MileLion

Aaron Wong is the founder of The MileLion, Singapore’s authoritative source on airline miles, credit card points and hotel loyalty programmes. He provides in-depth analysis of loyalty trends, premium cabin products, and luxury hotels, along with tips for maximising spending.

Each month, The MileLion teaches more than 300,000 readers how to travel better for less, with tips and tricks for getting the most mileage (literally) out of their spending. 

Tan Huey Min

General Manager, Credit Counselling Singapore

Huey Min, General Manager of Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS), is a founding member who started as a volunteer. She is dedicated to assisting debt-distressed borrowers and believes in equipping individuals with financial knowledge for greater resilience and self-reliance. Prior to CCS, she was a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic and worked at The Association of Banks in Singapore.

Find out how you can avoid sleepwalking through life and work hard to achieve your dreams through good money management tips.

Speakers:

Lena Teng, Outreach and Partnerships, CPF Board

Lena Teng

Outreach and Partnerships, CPF Board

Lena has more than 20 years of experience in the financial/retirement planning field, having worked in both the private and public sector. She attained her Certified Financial Planner accreditation in 2020. In 2022, she took a break from her corporate job to fulfil a lifelong goal of running her own anime themed café. Through this business venture, she hopes to develop her entrepreneurship skills while engaging with the youths of today to better understand their struggles and support them in their adulting journey. Currently she is part of the CPF Board’s Youth Engagement Team which is responsible for designing programmes and initiatives targeted at youths. 

Catching Insomnia (Semi-Finals and Finals)

Join us in supporting our Dreamcatchers as they race to awaken the sleepers. With 10 teams competing, find out who will emerge victorious in our Season 3 tournament of Catching Insomnia.

Join us for a town hall to find out how to kick-start your investment journey. Hear from our guest speakers and industry experts, as they provide an interesting take on building a diversified investment portfolio and how you can take charge of your investment journey. Our exciting line-up also includes a networking session with the speakers.

Speakers:

He Ruiming and Goh Wei Choon, Co-founders of The Woke Salaryman

Ms So Sin Ting, Chief Client Officer, Endowus

He Ruiming and Goh Wei Choon

Co-founders of The Woke Salaryman

The Woke Salaryman, founded in 2019 by He Ruiming and Goh Wei Choon, uses visual and digital storytelling to simplify personal finance for newcomers and young professionals. Their book, Crash Course on Capitalism & Money, melds personal finance, economics, sociology, and psychology. With 478k Instagram and 320k LinkedIn followers, they have a strong social media presence.

So Sin Ting

Chief Client Officer, Endowus

So Sin Ting is Chief Client Officer and part of the founding team at Endowus, Asia's leading digital wealth platform. The firm's mission is to bring 'endowment investing to all of us'. Sin Ting brings over 15 years in the wealth management industry at leading banks across Hong Kong and Singapore, including Morgan Stanley and Nomura. She wants to make the best of investing accessible to everyone, and leverage technology to bring institutional-quality investment products and solutions to investors at scale through Endowus.