This year's SkillsFuture Month, which runs till Aug 16, kicked off last Friday with a forum discussion on how the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the world of work. These industry leaders spoke at the forum, which was attended by Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

MR CHOE PENG SUM

Chief executive officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group

Mr Choe is responsible for the expansion of the group's hotels and serviced apartments under the Pan Pacific and Parkroyal brands, and their performance, operations, marketing and brand standards.

With more than 33 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Mr Choe oversees nearly 50 properties with 14,000 keys across 27 cities in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America.

When he was the CEO of Frasers Hospitality International, Mr Choe grew the portfolio from two properties in Singapore in 1998 to more than 140 properties across some 76 cities worldwide. His last appointment was senior adviser to Frasers Property.

Mr Choe started his hospitality career in 1981 with Shangri-La International, which was managed by the Westin group at that time. He was awarded the Shangri-La overseas scholarship and went to the United States.

He graduated from Cornell University and was awarded the National Dean's List (USA), as well as the Phi Kappa Phi for academic excellence.

MS SUSAN CHONG

Chief executive officer, Greenpac

Launched in 2002, Greenpac has grown from a one-person start-up to a market leader for environmentally friendly packaging solutions in Asia that serves Fortune 500 firms.

Greenpac customises solutions to help companies reduce wastage and increase their cost savings, as businesses become more aware of the need to reduce their carbon footprint for a sustainable future.

The firm ranked fourth in the 2008 Enterprise 50 Awards in Singapore and has a winning streak in the WorldStar Packaging Award since 2009. It was also awarded the Singapore Quality Award in 2014 by the then Spring Singapore.

Ms Chong, an alumnus of Harvard Business School, was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young Singapore in 2014.

MR TOBY KOH

Group managing director, Ademco Security Group

The company is a leading provider of security and business management solutions to more than 8,000 institutional, commercial and government organisations across Asia.

Mr Koh led the group in winning the 2015 Singapore Prestige Brand Award (Heritage Brand) and the Enterprise 50 Award in 2015, 2018 and last year.

With his contributions to developments in Singapore's security landscape, Mr Koh was the overall winner of the 2017 Entrepreneur Of The Year Award (Established Entrepreneur) and the 2013 Honouree of the Spirit of Enterprise Award.

MS ADELINE SIM

Executive director and chief legal officer, HRnetGroup

Ms Sim identifies and executes investments and acquisitions as a member of the mainboard-listed recruitment firm's investment committee, on top of leading strategic and tactical initiatives.

She also oversees the technology, digital marketing, investor relations and communication functions, as well as provides counsel and guidance on legal matters across 30 business units in 13 cities.

Ms Sim has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the National University of Singapore. She is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, as well as a director of the Singapore International Mediation Centre.

Prior to joining HRnetGroup in 2008, Ms Sim was a lawyer at Drew & Napier, where she engaged in dispute resolution and capital markets work.

MR ONG TZE-CH'IN

Chief executive officer, SkillsFuture Singapore Deputy Secretary for SkillsFuture, Ministry of Education (MOE)

Mr Ong is responsible for driving the SkillsFuture national movement that provides Singaporeans with opportunities for lifelong learning. SkillsFuture Singapore is a statutory board under the MOE.

He is also a member of the boards of Workforce Singapore, Employment and Employability Institute and Learning Gateway, and a member of the governing board of Duke-NUS Medical School.

Mr Ong started his career at the Singapore Armed Forces, becoming a brigadier-general after almost 25 years of service.

He graduated from Stanford University with a masters and bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

He also received a Masters in Defence Studies from King's College London and a Masters in Business Administration from Insead.

Melissa Yip