DATE
Wednesday, 13 January 2027
TIME
8.30 am - 4.00 pm
VENUE
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore
9 Bras Basah Road (S189559)
FORMAT
Full Day Conference
Breakfast & Lunch Included
ABOUT
Where heritage
inspires innovation.
1852 is the year St. Joseph's Institution was founded. It is more than a date. It is the beginning of a legacy that has shaped generations of leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers across Singapore and beyond.
The 1852 Symposium is the inaugural flagship platform of the Josephian community, a gathering of consequence, built on the spirit of Ora et Labora.
This is not a reunion.
It is an activation.
Curated for Josephians across generations, the Symposium brings together thought leaders, business owners, senior executives, and emerging young professionals to exchange perspectives, build meaningful connections, and explore how our collective experience, values, and networks can shape the future.
THEME 2027
Navigating the New Polarised World
Leadership, Enterprise & Nation-Building. We are operating in an AI-powered, complex environment. The 1852 Symposium brings together Josephian leaders to exchange perspectives and explore what it means to lead with purpose in uncertain times.
AT A GLANCE
The 1852 Symposium in numbers
200
Josephian leaders, business owners and decision-makers
12
Speakers and moderators across three industry tracks
8
Discussion topics spanning technology, talent and globalisation
1st
Inaugural Josephian leadership platform of its kind
GUEST OF HONOUR
Class of 1972
Teo Chee Hean
CHAIRMAN, TEMASEK HOLDINGS
Mr Teo Chee Hean was appointed Chairman of Temasek Holdings on 9 October 2025, after joining the Board as Deputy Chairman in July 2025. He also serves as Senior Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of the Republic of Singapore.
Mr Teo was appointed Singapore’s Senior Minister from 2019 to 2025 and served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2009 to 2019. He also concurrently served as Coordinating Minister for National Security from 2011. In these roles, he oversaw the National Security Coordination Secretariat, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group, the National Population and Talent Division and the National Climate Change Secretariat under the Prime Minister's Office.
Mr Teo's career spans political office and the defence sector. He had served as Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Defence, Minister for Education, and Minister for the Environment, as well as Minister of State in the Ministries of Finance, Communications and Defence. He entered politics in 1992 as a Member of Parliament in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and was subsequently re-elected six times in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. Before being elected to political office, he served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) where he held various command and staff appointments in the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Joint Staff, rising to the rank of Rear Admiral as Chief of Navy in 1991.
Mr Teo had previously served on the GIC Board where he also chaired the GIC International Advisory Board. He has also served on the boards of IRAS, PSA, Nanyang Technological University and Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Mr Teo holds a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) in Electrical Engineering and Management Science from the University of Manchester, a Master of Science degree (with distinction) in Computing Science from Imperial College London, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was named a Littauer Fellow. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters by Nanyang Technological University in 2026.
PROGRAMME
A day of
perspective
13 January 2027
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore
07:30 am
Arrival & Registration. Breakfast Dialogue Guests
08:00 am
Leadership Breakfast Dialogue
by invitation · Canvas 1 Room, Level 2
08:30 am
Arrival & Registration — Symposium Participants
08:30 am
Buffet Breakfast
09:30 am
Movement to Ballroom & Sponsors' Booths Walkabout
09:45 am
Open Address
SJIOBA President, Simon Seow (Class of 2000)
10:00 am
Panel Discussion — Moderated by Dr Benjamin Mah
Navigating Shifts: Staying Competitive in a Changing Global Landscape
10:50 am
Fireside Chat with Guest of Honour
Hosted by Chua Tian Tian
11:40 am
Announcements & Launch of SJIOBA Business Directory
12:00 pm
Grace Before Meals — Fr Michael D'Cruz
Networking Lunch
01:30 pm - 04:00 pm
01:30 pm
Address by OELBC Steering Committee Chairman
Dr Benjamin Mah
01:45 pm
Industry Breakout Tracks
Six conversations across three concurrent tracks
04:00 pm
End of Symposium
07:30 am - 12:00 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION
Navigating Shifts
Staying Competitive in a Changing Global Landscape.
Panellist
Class of 1984
Lawrence Chan
GROUP CEO, NETS
SJI Board of Governors
Panellist
Class of 1984
Bernard Menon
DIRECTOR, NTUC UNION
Panellist
Tan Aik Na
SENIOR VP (ADMINISTRATION),
NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
SJI Board of Governors
Panellist
Panellist Name
PANELLIST ROLE
Panel Moderator
Class of 1992
Dr Benjamin Mah
SENIOR PARTNER,
YAMADA CONSULTING
Fireside Chat Host
Class of 2015
Chua Tian Tian
BROADCAST JOURNALIST & FINANCE PRESENTER
Fireside Chat with the Guest of Honour:
Mr Teo Chee Hean in conversation with Chua Tian Tian.
SPEAKERS
Voices that matter
Six speakers drawn from across the Josephian community — leaders who have navigated the exact terrain this Symposium is designed to explore.
TRACK 1 — TECHNOLOGY IMPACT ON BUSINESS & GROWTH
Class of 1984
Session 1A
Laurence Liew
DIRECTOR,
AI SINGAPORE
Class of 2001
Session 1B
Nathaniel Tan
CEO, ZICO CAPITAL
TRACK 2 — MANAGING TALENT IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Class of 2002
Session 2A
Sean Loke
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,PARTNERSHIPS & MARKETING INTELLIPRO
Class of 1979
Session 2B
Stephen Tjoa
CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER,
BOARDROOM GROUP
TRACK 3 — GLOBALISING ONE'S BUSINESS AROUND ASEAN & THE WORLD
Class of 1998
Session 3A
Irza Suprapto
CEO, INDUSTRY PLATFORM
ASEAN INNOVATION BUSINESS PLATFORM (AIBP)
Class of 1995
Session 3B
Jeremy Choong
FOUNDER & CHIEF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICER,
VIVOGENIX HEALTH
INDUSTRY BREAKOUT TRACKS
Three tracks. Six conversations.
One afternoon.
Three tracks run concurrently, with two sessions in each. Choose the track most relevant to where you are in your journey.
TRACK 01
Technology Impact on Business & Growth
Laurence Liew
DIRECTOR, AI SINGAPORE
SESSION 1A
The Disruption Frontier: Navigating AI and Emerging Tech Shifts
Macro shifts in autonomous agentic AI, changing software unit economics, defensive digital moats, and identifying business commoditisation risks.
Nathaniel Tan
CEO, ZICO CAPITAL
SESSION 1A
Investing in the AI Supercycle: Capital Deployment, Valuation Realities, and Building Defensible Moats
Where global and regional VC capital is actually flowing across the AI tech stack, navigating inflated valuations, and evaluating defensible unit economics versus wrapper risks.
TRACK 02
Managing Talent in Uncertain Times
Sean Loke
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT,
PARTNERSHIPS & MARKETING INTELLIPRO
SESSION 2A
Skills Over Pedigree: Redefining Hiring and Career Paths in the Age of Automation
Moving to skills-based hiring, restructuring entry-level career progression, and retaining top talent amid widespread workflow automation.
Stephen Tjoa
CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER, BOARDROOM GROUP
SESSION 2A
The Regionally Mobile Professional: Building Cross-Border Fluency Across ASEAN
Developing cultural adaptability, regional leadership competencies, and cross-border agility for Singaporean talent in emerging ASEAN hubs.
TRACK 03
Globalising One's Business Around ASEAN & the World
Irza Suprapto
CEO, INDUSTRY PLATFORM AIBP
SESSION 3A
Market Entry Playbooks: Tactical Execution and Partnerships in High-Growth Corridors
Navigating on-the-ground local joint ventures, regulatory hurdles, and commercial distribution across high-growth ASEAN and global corridors.
Jeremy Choong
FOUNDER & CHIEF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, VIVOGENIX HEALTH
SESSION 3A
HQ Governance vs Regional Footprints: Structuring for Sustainable Global Scale
Retaining Singapore as the corporate, treasury, and IP base while distributing operations, tax structures, and operational teams across overseas hubs.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
If you are a Joe navigating the future, this is your room.
The 1852 Symposium is curated for Josephians across generations — business owners, senior executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and emerging young leaders from diverse industries.
It brings together Joes at different stages of their journey to exchange perspectives, build meaningful connections, and explore how our collective experience, values, and networks can contribute to Singapore's future.
And for those navigating difficult moments in their careers or businesses, this is a room where fellow Joes show up. The spirit of Ora et Labora means we do not leave a brother behind.
52.7%
Business owners and self-employed
47.3%
Senior management and corporate employees
15+
Industries represented across finance, tech, law, healthcare, education, media and more
4
Graduation decades represented, from the 1970s through to 2000s
OELBC
Ora et Labora Business Community
A sub-committee of SJIOBA
Presented by SJIOBA · Supported by OELBC
1852 Symposium · 13 January 2027