Good afternoon,
I am quite honored to have the opportunity to give a valedictorian speech.
I joined the SIPMM’s course for Graduate Diploma in Procurement and Supply Chain Management last October.
With this occasion, please let me touch upon what I originally expected for the course and what I have learnt from it.
Firstly, what did I expect for the course? As my introduction in the SIPMM publication webpage explains, I am a business consultant specializing in supply chain management for manufacturers. In March 2020, right before the start of the unforgettable Circuit Breaker, I was dispatched to Singapore from Japan by my company. After two years, since most measures against pandemic have been lifted, I thought it was the time that I became active again. What came to my mind then was to hone my expertise in supply chain management in Singapore. Then I came across SIPMM on the Internet. Since the Graduate Diploma course covered most components of the supply chain, I instantly applied for it. I thought I would learn practical knowledge such as best practices and latest technology.
Secondly, what have I learnt from the course then? Simply put, it was much more than I had expected. True, I’ve learnt many pieces of practical knowledge on supply chain management. On top of that, I also learnt what is important as a business person or as a person in general. In this regard, I owe a lot to Professor Poh.
Honestly speaking, as some of us present today know very much, Professor Poh’s class of Management Project requires a lot. His evaluation on our project reports are very rigid and his replies to us are sometimes very straightforward.
Having said that, I also understand that he rewards utmost sincere efforts. Not only did he reward, but also he himself was the good exemplar of sincerity. Throughout his class, I’ve never seen him without sincerity as well as passion. I am in my late forties now but I’ve learnt that I should be as sincere as possible as a business person no matter how old I might be.
More importantly, I have learnt how much important it is to be thankful. I still remember the class in which Prof reiterated the importance of showing appreciation. It came to me as a shock, maybe because I forgot that simple principle and wasn’t thankful enough back then. This might sound a bit silly but thanks to this advice, I believe I have come back on the right track at least to some extent.
It is totally an unexpected surprise that I became a better person through this SIPMM course.
Even though I really thank Professor Poh’s for his teaching, my appreciation doesn’t stop here.
Thank you very much Mr. Nick Lai for his instruction of Supply Chain Strategy. And lastly but not least, I appreciate SIPMM staff’s dedication to the course and today’s ceremony.
With what I have learnt through this eye-opening course, I will make my utmost efforts to contribute to the development of supply chain management moving forward.
Once again, thank you very much.