Deeper learning to empower others

SMU’s Master of Science in Wealth Management arms executive director Sylvia Lim with deeper knowledge on succession planning

Rachel Tan
Jan 10, 2019

It started with the global financial crisis in 2008.

The event awakened in Ms Sylvia Lim a desire to redefine herself and her skillsets. She thought about how she should play her part as a banking professional to improve industry standards, to conduct her business differently and serve her clients better.

She felt that she needed to not only keep up to date with the latest financial market developments, but also refine her knowledge to offer more holistic solutions to her clients.

Having previously earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1993 and a Masters of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies in 1997 from National University of Singapore, the avid learner decided at the end of 2008 that she should not miss out on the opportunity to pursue a specialised programme tailored to her profession despite completing her studies more than a decade ago.

But with her second child born months before the global financial crisis, it was only in 2011 that she was able to put her thoughts into action.

With the support of her previous employer who sponsored her postgraduate endeavours, the Master of Science in Wealth Management at Singapore Management University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business was a natural choice as the region’s leading wealth management programme.

Currently an executive director with UBS, wealth management has been Ms Lim’s passion for over 20 years.

Through the course, with its diverse network and students from different countries, nationalities and backgrounds, she met coursemates who became her good friends, colleagues and even clients.

The programme, designed with industry partners and eminent universities in Switzerland and the US, allowed Ms Lim and her peers to interact with established international practitioners and academics.

She fondly recalls her exposure to the very rigorous Swiss approach to succession planning. This, together with her own experience of completing an extensive succession plan for a beloved client when he became terminally ill, inspired her to write a paper on the topic in fulfilment of her coursework that eventually won a university book prize.

Ms Lim graduated from the course in 2012 and now manages a team of private bankers who serve high net worth clients.

She credits the programme with giving her fresh perspectives on wealth management on a global scale.

The executive director finds great satisfaction in her role as what she and her team does impacts the well-being of their clients and families.

This year, she has also been involved in a work initiative empowering women in financial literacy.

“I have been blessed by many great women in my life, both professionally and personally. Their well-being is close to my heart,” she says.

“Empowering those who need more help in achieving financial literacy or wish to take charge of their finances but do not know how or where to begin is something I would like to do more.”