Sarah Ong is currently the Government and Regulatory Affairs Executive for IBM Singapore. In this role, Sarah leads Government Affairs engagement in Singapore, including driving IBM differentiation on issues such as digital trade, education and skills, sustainability, AI ethics and emerging technologies (i.e. Quantum), supporting IBM’s Singapore and Asia Pacific leadership, and accelerating market support to drive business growth. She is also a member of Singapore’s Alliance for Action on Corporate Purpose.
Prior to this, Sarah was leading IBM’s Corporate Social Responsibility for Singapore and Malaysia, managing social impact programs and community engagement. She joined IBM from Citi and had the opportunity to work in the Philippines and New York to advance her learning and passion in social impact work.
Working with the ecosystem
Social impact work is particularly important to me and I'm grateful and lucky to have the opportunity to marry my passion and my day job - using and driving technology for good. For example, rolling out training programs to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic and working with the ecosystem to help them find jobs upon completing the programs and supporting the launch of IBM Traffik Analysis Hub to accelerate the work to curb human trafficking around the globe.
Highlights of working with amazing people
The most interesting aspect of my career is the people whom I get to work with. From colleagues to external partners, I've had the pleasure of working with some of the most brilliant and compassionate people. I've learnt a lot from them, not just about work-related issues, but life's challenges. It's truly exciting to be in the technology space where things are ever-changing, and learning never stops. For example, I'm now very much into the Quantum space and the infinite possibilities that Quantum can help with the world's pressing challenges, and of course, matters relating to Sustainability which is a tough nut to crack.
Being an international student can be daunting
What made my university experience were my friends and lecturers - and it also helped that the campus is beautiful! Coming from the Arts faculty, I truly appreciate the historical references and maintenance of our campus. Being an international student can be daunting at first but the beauty of it is that it forces you to go out and make new (and if you're lucky), lifelong friends from around the globe. I've also had some wonderfully genuine and knowledgeable professors. Professor Jie Chen and Samina Yasmeen were particularly helpful during my honors year with very interesting backgrounds.
Digging deeper for experiences
It's not just my degree but the entire experience that shaped who I am today and allowed me to be on my current career journey. My degree gave me an understanding of the political realm and the nuances of international relations, but the personal stories from my professors and coursemates added so much more colour. If you are willing to dig deeper, there are out-of-class workshops and seminars that you can attend as well - providing more knowledge and valuable connections.