As the Chief Commercial Officer of Star Learners, Jessica has led the charge in expanding the brand’s portfolio and taking on new challenges in the industry. With a background in banking, her journey to the early childhood education sector was met with surprise by many, but her dedication and vision for the business have helped it become a recognisable name in the field.
In this interview, she shares her experiences of starting out as a supporting role, her evolution to overseeing business growth and expansion, as well as her thoughts on the challenges facing the preschool industry today.
I graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Business and went on to work at American Express Bank, which was later acquired by Standard Chartered Bank. It was during this acquisition that I met Meng Wei (CEO, Star Learners), who became my Reporting Officer. During my first appraisal session with him, we started talking about our career aspirations and it was then I learnt about his involvement with Star Learners, a childcare brand he founded in 2003. I was considering leaving the banking industry then and early childhood education had crossed my mind as a potential career change. So when Meng Wei offered me the opportunity to be a part of Star Learners, I was intrigued. In 2010, I left my banking role to fully focus on Star Learners. Throughout my career, having a supportive mentor has always been important to me, and Meng Wei’s guidance and encouragement were main factors that have led me to where I am today.
When I first joined Star Learners, I mainly supported Meng Wei in the day-to-day tasks such as payroll and administration, including the physical collection of fees, which at that time which was by cash or cheques. As we grew, we also grew our corporate functions to streamline and manage the financial aspects of the business. My role then took on a different shape; I became one of the core members of Star Learners’ first Management team, liaising with government agencies and other institutions to ensure the growth and development of the business. Throughout the many changes, acquisitions have always been one of my primary responsibilities. Now as Chief Commercial Officer, it is my focus to develop and grow Star Learners, both locally and abroad.
The preschool sector is grappling with a significant shortage of teachers, but the government is taking steps to address this issue, such as increasing salaries for graduates in early childhood education. As part of my role, retaining the educators at the centres we acquire is vital. It is very heartening to see these staff members continue their early childhood education journey with us. We have a good number of them who have stayed on after our acquisitions, and have even grown with us to take on leadership positions in the organisation! This shows that Star Learners has much to offer, and there are certainly many benefits for them to reap when they stay on with us.
Another challenge would be how the early childhood sector can incorporate technology into the curriculum in a way that is developmentally appropriate and beneficial to our young ones. Mediums like iPads can be a powerful tool for learning. We employ them through our Apple Initiative, but we always emphasise to children that it is meant for them to create, rather than to just consume. While it is important for children to learn the skills required as we move to become a digital nation, I always feel it is challenging to ensure that such technology does not become a distraction in our classrooms.
When I left the banking industry to join Meng Wei, it was met with surprise by many, particularly my former colleagues. The fact that I was moving to a totally different industry and that Star Learners, at that time, with only a handful of centres, made my move very baffling to them. As Star Learners grew, they became aware of the brand. They would drop me a note to tell me when they saw our centres, and I found this to be very gratifying.
Most recently, I was so proud to see our first-ever out-of-home advertising campaign. My daughter, who takes the train to school, would tell me that she saw Star Learners advertisements lining the platforms at Dhoby Ghaut train station. When driving on the roads, we would also keep a lookout and point out our bus stop ads. It struck me then that we had grown so much; that our brand could be so visible today. This, as opposed to when I was struggling to explain Star Learners to my friends and ex-colleagues when I first joined. It was a truly satisfying moment.
There are always opportunities to learn and grow here. It is this stimulating environment and the people who keep my fire for Star Learners blazing. But I must say Meng Wei plays a huge part. His thought-provoking questions during meetings and conversations challenge me to think outside the box and look at things from a different perspective. His mentoring approach inspires me to constantly re-evaluate my work and improve on it, which I find fulfilling. I value the continuous learning process, which motivates me to persist even during the most challenging times. Additionally, the long-term employees at our HQ who have accompanied me on this journey to grow Star Learners give me a sense of belonging and pride.
My heartfelt wish for Star Learners is to expand its reach beyond the shores of Singapore. It is my desire to see our brand recognised globally! I hope that our vision of inspiring heroes will continue, as we build an ever-growing community of Star Learners alumni.
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