In this alumni spotlight feature, Class of 1997 BBA alumnus Daren Kang reflects upon the paths his career has taken since graduation. Daren shares how he started in the maritime industry and eventually found his passion in education and now more specifically, sustainability education.
Q: Please tell us more about your career journey since graduating and how you came to join Global Green Connect.
I graduated from NUS Business School in 1997 and started my first job with PSA Corporation as a Passenger Services Executive at the Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC). I rose steadily through the ranks for eight years to become the Assistant Vice President overseeing the International Cruise Terminal Operations, Business Development and Marketing. After honing some business development skills, I joined Abacus International to head its non-air content business to drive partnerships with cruise lines, ferry operators, travel insurance companies and hotels.
After Abacus International, I joined InterContinental Hotels Group as their Regional Director of Agency Sales, contributing more than US$100 million in revenue annually until 2008, when the global financial crisis hit. I then decided to pivot into the education industry and started running colleges for Raffles Education Corporation in India. This is where I found my passion for education management and continued to take up leadership roles in PSB Academy, Nanyang Technological University, Skills Union, and most recently, in sustainability consulting firm Global Green Connect as their Chief Operating Officer.
Daren (extreme left) with colleagues in New York City, USA
Daren receiving an award during his time in the education industry
Q: Tell us more about what Global Green Connect does and your day-to-day work.
Global Green Connect is an integrated sustainability network that helps to re-engineer the business ecosystem. We provide sustainability consulting, training and market entry advisory. We partner with companies and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to embark on their sustainability journey. We have a subsidiary, the Global Green Economic Foundation (GGEF)—a purpose-driven social enterprise headquartered in Singapore. This company empowers future leaders with innovation, sustainability and leadership through its events, awards, and Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) Open Hack programme, amongst others.
My role as the COO of Global Green Connect is to scale up the sustainability education business by nurturing talents in the sustainability areas. We partner with universities and polytechnics to co-develop and co-deliver sustainability training programmes to narrow the talent skills gaps in the industry.
Daren (second from right) posing for goofy photos with his Global Green Connect colleagues after an event
Q: What inspired you to go into the sustainability space?
There is an urgency to make this world more sustainable to ensure the continued survival of humankind. The United Nations has developed a blueprint for peace, partnership, people, planet and prosperity for the world by setting 17 SDGs and over 100 targets to be achieved by 2030. Singapore has also aligned itself with this by announcing the Singapore Green Plan 2030 – a nationwide sustainability movement. The country now faces an acute talent shortage in this space – a gap I am committed to filling in my present capacity.
Q: How has your NUS Business School education prepared you for your career?
My time at NUS Business School has developed my cognitive skills in business planning and operations. It has also given me a strong foundational framework to apply in various job roles across different industries and the ability to appreciate the business transformation trends throughout my career.
Q: What are your career aspirations, and what do you hope to achieve in your current role?
After 25 years of career development and advancement, I hope to find greater purpose in my role as COO of Global Green Connect. I hope to nurture more talents in the field of sustainability to lead the change in mindset, thereby transforming the way we live and do business.
Q: Do you have any advice for NUS Biz juniors passionate about sustainability?
I have three young children, and I constantly worry about how to equip them well to navigate the complex and chaotic world we live in. I hope the future leaders from NUS Business School can make sustainability a passion and priority in how they live and work. This is something to be cultivated early in life.
