This is a past event. Registration is closed. View other Young Women's Leadership Connection events.
Grace Fu
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations; YWLC AdvisorMs Grace Fu is the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. She is concurrently the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council.
In 2025, Ms. Fu was recognised on the Forbes Sustainability Leaders List and the TIME100 Climate List for her contributions to addressing climate change.
Ms. Fu was first elected as a Member of Parliament for the Group Representation Constituency of Jurong, Yuhua Division in June 2006 and has since been re-elected in the 2011, 2015, and 2020 General Elections. In the 2025 General Election, Ms. Fu led the People’s Action Party team in the newly formed Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC, securing a clear mandate and returning to Parliament.
Ms. Fu has held several significant ministerial roles. In 2006, she was appointed Minister of State for the Ministry of National Development, later becoming Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Education in 2008. In 2011, she was appointed Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. In August 2012, she was appointed Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources. She was also appointed to lead the Municipal Services Office in 2014.
In 2015, Ms. Fu became the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, making history as the first woman in Singapore to lead a ministry. She also chaired the National Integration Council, National Youth Council, and served on the board of the People’s Association. Additionally, she was involved in various committees, including the Singapore-Zhejiang Economic and Trade Council, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city Joint Steering Council, the Ministerial Committee on Ageing, and the Economic Strategies Committee.
Before entering politics, Ms. Fu began her career in 1985 at Overseas Union Bank and later worked with Haw Par Group in corporate planning, financial controls, and business development. She joined PSA Corporation in 1995, where she held various responsibilities in finance and marketing, eventually serving as Chief Executive Officer of PSA Southeast Asia and Japan, overseeing operations in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Japan.
Ms. Fu graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours), and subsequently obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. She enjoys an active lifestyle, including running, yoga, and hiking. She is married with three sons.
Cecilia Tan
Vice President, Global Government Relations & Public Policy of Procter & Gamble Asia Pacific, Middle East & AfricaCecilia Tan is the Vice President of Global Government Relations and Public Policy (Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa) for the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), based in Singapore. She has been with P&G for over 20 years, starting her career in 2004 as a leader in real estate acquisition and divestiture in Asia. Prior to joining P&G, she began her career in 1996 at JTC Corporation, a government agency responsible for Singapore's industrial progress under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. In 2001, she was seconded to Ascendas Shanghai, a subsidiary of JTC Corporation, where she led the development of business space solutions for customers establishing operations in China.
Since 2013, Cecilia has led the Government Relations and Public Policy advocacy work at P&G Asia Pacific, working with a team of professionals. Her responsibilities expanded in 2020 to include the Middle East and Africa region. In her current role, she is responsible for protecting and growing P&G's business through strategic advocacy in the areas of legislation, regulation, and public policy. She collaborates with senior P&G executives to establish partnerships with government stakeholders, external thought leaders, and organizations.
Cecilia is a strong advocate for talent development and is passionate about inspiring individuals to pursue possibilities and reinvention. As a mentor with the Singapore Young Women’s Leadership Connection, she actively supports young women in their personal and professional growth. Cecilia serves on the Board of Trustees at the Singapore University of Technology and Design and is a member of the Singapore Eco Fund Advisory Committee, where she champions sustainability initiatives.
Emily Tan
Country Director and Chief Executive Officer of Thales SingaporeAs Chief Executive and Country Director in Singapore, Emily leads over 2,000 Thales employees working across the Group’s diverse businesses including Aerospace, Defence & Security, Cybersecurity & Digital Identity, while also overseeing Thales’ Research, Technology and Innovation initiatives in the country. She drives the company's growth across multiple sites in Singapore, including the Group's largest multi-module Digital Identity & Security Manufacturing Competence Centre located at Ayer Rajah Crescent, the Group's largest avionics production and Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility at Changi North Rise, Innovation labs and Cybersecurity
team at Suntec.
Prior to joining Thales, Emily spent 14 years with Shell, mostly recently as General Manager, City Solutions for Shell's Renewables and Energy Solutions business. In this role, she led global teams based in Asia, Europe and the United States, supporting global clients in navigating energy transition and developing cities' decarbonisation plans. As General Manager for Shell Bitumen from 2013 to 2017, Emily played an instrumental role in establishing the company's market lead in Asia and the Middle East.
Starting her career with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Emily brings a keen understanding of Singapore's public sector where she spent three years in London as Director of EDB's London Centre, and later as the Head of International Policy and Lead Negotiator for International Trade Agreements.
Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from INSEAD.
Harmin Kaur
Co-Founder and Chairperson of Women Venture Asia, Founder and CEO of STELLAIRE, Board Member of United Women SingaporeHarmin is the Chair and co-founder of Women Venture Asia, dedicated to advancing women's economic empowerment and fostering an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. With over 15 years in the banking industry, she recently specialized in ultra-high-net-worth clients at Goldman Sachs and led impactful diversity initiatives across Asia Pacific for the Bank. Harmin also serves on the board of United Women Singapore, supporting women and girls in STEM and Fintech, and mentors future female leaders at the National University of Singapore’s Women in Business.
Harmin regularly speaks on topics focused on supporting the pipeline of women leaders and her work around paving the way for women in business was featured on the cover of The Peak magazine. She is also a “Women of Power 2024” Singapore honouree (by Prestige Magazine).
In 2023, she founded Stellaire, a brand & marketing agency focusing on strategic client engagement for financial services and lifestyle sectors. Stellaire collaborates with top global brands and banks, including DBS Bank, Bank of Singapore, Champagne Taittinger and Pierre Hermé Paris.
A noted tastemaker, Harmin’s culinary expertise has been featured in prestigious publications, including a feature on a Food Lover’s Guide to Paris, and she serves on the Tatler Dining Review Panel and Tatler Asia’s Best jury. She is also honored as an Officier of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne.
Nancy Mehrotra
Vice President, APAC Haircare & AMA Personal Care Product Supply of Procter & Gamble Asia Pacific, Middle East & AfricaNancy Mehrotra is a seasoned global supply chain leader with over 27 years of experience across Procter & Gamble and GSK. Currently, as Vice President for Product Supply at P&G, she leads a multi-country, multi-disciplinary organization delivering value for a $1.2 billion business across Asia. Nancy is a visionary leader, known for transforming complex supply networks through AI, automation, and end-to-end synchronization. She has lived, worked and led large teams across Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and India, and brings deep expertise in Network design, Manufacturing, Innovation delivery and organizational transformation. Nancy is passionate about building high-performing teams and shaping future-ready supply chains that create sustainable shareholder value.
Gloria Arlini
CEO of Generation SingaporeGloria Arlini brings nearly 20 years of social impact leadership in the public, private and people sectors across Asia. As the CEO of Generation Singapore, she oversees the Singapore operation of Generation: You Employed, a global nonprofit network founded by McKinsey with presence across 17 countries that supports over 147,000 people to achieve economic mobility and improve their lives through employment.
Having served at various national-level organisations in Singapore—including as a futurist and strategist at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, and pioneering roles at women’s empowerment organsations SG Her Empowerment and Chapter W—Gloria combines her management experience with her background as a keen social researcher and advocate, holding a B.Soc.Sci. (2nd Upp Hons) and M.Soc.Sci. in Sociology from the National University of Singapore.
Sugidha Nithiananthan
Director, Advocacy and Research of Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)Sugidha is a lawyer who graduated from the National University of Singapore. She has more than 15 years of experience in private practice as a litigator and corporate lawyer, during which she conducted numerous trials in the High Court and appeals at the Court of Appeal.
She also has 10 years’ experience as an in-house lawyer. She was the General Counsel for the Tolaram Group, helming its infrastructure project in Africa, the Lekki Port Project. The project won the PFI Award for “Infrastructure Deal of the Year - Africa” in 2019.
Sugidha was a long-time volunteer with AWARE, in its legal clinic and as a trainer, before becoming AWARE’s Director for Advocacy and Research in 2023, where she oversees robust research and leads its advocacy efforts.
Wai Lan Tan-Soh
President, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts SingaporeWai Lan was appointed President of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) in 2021 and helped establish the Academy as a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore in 2022. She has driven its NAFA100 Strategic Vision Masterplan and a 2022 brand refresh anchored by “Courage to Create”, strengthening practice-led, interdisciplinary research. NAFA has been recognised in The Straits Times’ Singapore Best Employers rankings for five consecutive years, ranking #63 overall and #4 in education in 2024.
Previously, Wai Lan held senior roles in Singapore’s Ministry of Education and was Principal of CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School and Anderson Secondary School. In 2023, she published her memoir An Attitude of Gratitude, as a clarion call on the importance of authenticity, integrity and gratitude.
Nazish Zafar
Change Management Strategy with the Public Service, and ex-Head of Design Research, GrabNazish Zafar is a sociologist who earned her PhD at Johns Hopkins University, where her research explored how government policy and informal networks shape how small businesses survive and grow. Her research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
During her fieldwork, she founded Shopkeeper Stories, a visual storytelling project that shares the lived experiences and practical wisdom of microentrepreneurs around the world.
Drawing on years of experience in human-centered design, Nazish operates at the intersection of insight, strategy, and change, translating complexity into thoughtful action. She previously led the regional Design Strategy & Research team at Grab, and later opened a neighbourhood snack shop, Global Village Market. She now works in change management within Singapore's Public Service.