Volunteer of the month – Jan 2018 – Chee Yong Chia

Volunteers at are truly the spirit and the lifeblood of our organisation.   In the last six years, we have worked with close to 1000 volunteers, both student and professional, to strengthen the social good organisations in Singapore. It is heartening for us to see the effort people make to give back to society, and we feel blessed to be a driving force for volunteers to be associated with.

We are starting 2018 with celebrating one of our key and most dedicated volunteers – Chee Yong Chia. Chee Yong has been a Conjunct professional volunteer for the last two years. He is currently supporting us in the role of Vice President – Training. Read this interview with him, to know more about his volunteering journey.

What is your day job and work area?

I am a Management Consultant in my day job and primarily focused on leading transformation and restructuring projects across various industries in the region. Before this role, I was managing cross-functional teams to deliver multi-million engineering projects for the Singapore government.

How did you hear about Conjunct and what prompted you to start volunteering with us?

I first heard about Conjunct through a recruitment post for mentors at a Case Solving Bootcamp organised by Conjunct Academy in September 2016. During the two days Bootcamp, I guided two teams of students to solve live cases and develop their problem-solving skills.

I found volunteering at Conjunct particularly interesting as Conjunct functions at the intersection of non-profit organisations, working professionals and youth. Conjunct provides me with the opportunity to apply my skills to lead the Conjunct training crew, serve the non-profit organisations and help develop the working professionals and students in my team.

Tell us a bit more about your volunteering journey – Do you volunteer elsewhere? Some details?

Following my first volunteer role as a mentor at NTU Case Solving Bootcamp, I have continued volunteering in Conjunct in training roles, first as Deputy Vice-President for Training and Development, where I led the training team to deliver training programs to equip student consultants with varied level of expertise from consulting basics to leading consulting engagements, and now as Vice-President for Training and Development.

Other than volunteering at Conjunct, I also serve as a mentor at NUS University Scholar Program, Manchester Business School and NTUC Youth Career Network. I have coached, provided career and self-improvement advice and developed close relationships with my five mentees from the various mentorship programmes.

How does volunteering impact you personally?

In making a difference in the lives of others, I am also transforming myself and widening my social circle. Volunteering offers me new perspectives and makes me more socially aware of the varied needs of the different groups in our society. Such awareness encourages me to give back to the community in a meaningful and impactful way and enriches my life experiences! It is also a great feeling to be appreciated by thankful individuals whose lives I have made a difference to.

What is your role at Conjunct?

I serve as Vice-President for Training and Development at Conjunct, where I devise strategies and work plans to build Conjunct Academy to serve the training needs of Conjunct’s social sector partners as well as government and corporate clients. At the same time, I continue to lead my training team to develop social impact consultants who will offer consulting services to non-profit organisations.

What has been your best/favourite experience while volunteering with Conjunct?

My favourite experience while volunteering with Conjunct is working with highly committed volunteers who are passionate to serve the society at large. I have continuously been amazed by the professional volunteers, including my trainers and project advisers, who have found time to generously offer their services and time, despite their busy work and personal life. It is indeed a very satisfying and motivating experience to work alongside like-minded individuals who are genuinely excited about making a positive social impact.

Can you share one high point from your volunteering experience:

One high point from my volunteering experience was the Youth Corps Leaders Programme last year. Driven by our mission to develop high-impact socially conscious leaders, I led the Conjunct Academy to prepare and deliver a three-day training workshop for Youth Corps Singapore (YCS).

I was proud and delighted that we received great feedback from the participants, who enjoyed the training sessions, found the skills highly useful and improved their exposure to the realities and challenges of Singapore’s social sector.

Tell us a bit more about yourself – some interests, hobbies, things that matter to you:

Other than volunteering at Conjunct, I am interested in reading up on news and current affairs to find out what is going on around the world. I enjoy learning about things relating to my areas of interest and am currently learning to recognise the right market and develop the right business model to launch a technology innovation into the market. I exercise regularly and enjoy sports activities, such as swimming and cycling.

Your message to other volunteers:

Martin Luther King. Jr once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” If you have the heart, do not hesitate to be the change you wish to see in the world and make a difference in the lives of others.

Thank you, Chee Yong, for your hard work and dedication. Conjunct Consulting is grateful to have you as a part of our team, and thank you for all that you do! If you would like to connect with Chee Yong, his LinkedIn profile is: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chee-yong-chia-icp-pmp-8805433/

If you would like to volunteer with Conjunct Consulting, check out our page here.