'Singapore's Water Queen' becomes a proud member of Sookmyung
- Views 1862
- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2013-11-18
"A women being employed at a large company or multinational company used to be something to brag about. But, times have changed. Now is the time when businesswomen and female entrepreneurs should get respect. I hope your youth can be the time of passion and challenge to seek out your true dreams."
Olivia Lum, CEO of Singapore's Hyflux, which is a global water treatment company, visited our university. On September 26 (Thurs) at the Centennial Memorial Samsung Convention Center, CEO Lum received her honorary doctorate in business administration and gave a lecture with the theme 'Building a global business - one woman's journey' for women who are dreaming of becoming future leaders.
CEO Lum is a self-made woman and the first woman to receive the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' Award in 2011 given by a global accounting firm, Ernst & Young. She has over 3,000 employees all over Europe including Southeast Asia, China, Middle East, North Africa, etc., and she is the founder and CEO of Hyflux which recorded $450 million won in revenue, as well as, serving as a member of the National Assembly. She is also the star of a Cinderella story as she grew up to be a CEO with $240 million from an orphan of a poor mining town.
She was abandoned by her parents as soon as she was born and was adopted by an old lady who was a perfect stranger, and grew up in a poor mining town. Then, she graduated from the National University of Singapore entirely on her own and started working for a multinational company. In 1989, she left the company at an age of 29, and started the Hyflux Company with two employees and $15 thousand. She recalled those times as she said, "I kept on telling myself that 'tomorrow will be a better day' knowing that in order to fulfill a grand dream and passion, I would need the effort and attitude that can match my goals." The business which specialized in water purification, desalination of seawater, renewing water resources, etc. became a huge success in Southeast Asia and China to operate the largest desalination plant in Asia and grow into a top 5 desalination company in the world.
CEO Lum has served as a member of the national assembly from 2002 to 2004, and received the Women of the Year Award in 2003. Currently, she is a board member of SPRING Singapore, National University of Singapore Council and Singapore Exchange. She is also the President of Singapore Water Association and a member of UNESCAP Advisory Committee and 2012 Singapore Green Plan Coordination Committee.
Our university decided to award CEO Lum with the honorary doctorate as the leadership and spirit of challenge that was shown by her closely touches on Sookmyung's founding ideology of 'Serve and Love the Country through Women's Education'. President Hwang Seon-hye said, "Olivia Lum's story of becoming one of the most successful person in Southeast Asia by overcoming her difficult environment and through endless efforts and challenge is not only an inspiration to us, but also moving us toward a new challenge." and "I am looking forward to the story which she will create as a proud member of Sookmyung."
Meanwhile, our university signed an agreement with the Hyflux Company to implement human resource exchange programs such as student internships. CEO Lum said, "I am very honored to receive an honorary doctorate from such a prestigious school like Sookmyung Women's University." and "I will continuously cooperate in cultivating future women leaders with Sookmyung Women's University."