Conversations with Jesse Satria Oeni

By Adriale Pang

Jesse Oeni is currently Director of the Transport & Logistics Division at EnterpriseSG. Jesse has had a diverse career within EnterpriseSG, covering enterprise and project financing; as well as the Southeast Asia region, where he served as the organisation's Centre Director in Jakarta. Jesse received his BSc and MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Could you share more about what EnterpriseSG does?

EnterpriseSG is part of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), which is responsible for Singapore’s economic growth.

EnterpriseSG was formed as a result of the merger of SPRING Singapore and International Enterprise Singapore in 2018. We work with local enterprises to grow them in Singapore, and also to bring them abroad.

This includes businesses of all sizes and different stages of growth, whether they are a startup or a large local enterprise. EnterpriseSG helps businesses to innovate, build new capabilities and move into new international markets.

We also look at industry development – this means that we consider how to grow and uplift certain industries to capture new markets and make them more productive. In my case, I lead this effort in the transport and logistics sector.

Facilitating trade and internationalisation is a key part of what we do, because demand within Singapore alone is always going to be limited. Hence, we need to ensure that we have an external economic wing. We do this by ensuring that Singapore is a vibrant trade hub, and also by bringing Singapore businesses overseas.

EnterpriseSG is also the national standards and accreditation body in Singapore, where we set an entire host of standards that build trust in our products and are critical for industries to function.

How does EnterpriseSG feature in our daily lives?

We work with the industry and companies on a day-to-day basis, and this is how you will see some of the impact on your daily lives.

For example – the parcel lockers you see at many public points, including MRT stations, are a way for us to receive deliveries more efficiently. Yet many data interchange standards are required to enable the different logistics, e-commerce, postal service/collection point operators to communicate with one another. This is an example of how, through the work we do on setting standards and convening industry players, we help to improve last-mile delivery processes, which consumers benefit from.

Another example – as a shopper today, you may see many retail stores adopting mobile point-of-sales systems, or even self-checkout systems. These are all part of efforts to reshape retail formats to improve the customer experience and for the industry to be more productive. These solutions have been proactively identified as part of industry digitalisation plans, and come along with support to encourage businesses to adopt them.

Tell us more about the team that you lead in EnterpriseSG. What are some of the medium-term challenges that your team is trying to tackle?

I lead the Transport and Logistics team in EnterpriseSG. We are a key enabler of other industries in Singapore, including trade and manufacturing, as we are the industry that is vital for keeping things moving.

We need to do this efficiently, for Singapore to remain a vibrant trade and connectivity hub. We work with industry partners to optimise processes at the systems level, such as by looking at the flow of containers and identifying how we can improve the efficiency at key nodes, some of which include the port and the container depots. One exciting project that the industry is working on is to get better visibility of assets at the industry level. For example, with the Container Depot and Logistics Association (Singapore) (CDAS), we launched a container tracking system. We have also supported innovations in companies that are keen to use artificial intelligence to optimise planning, such as PSA’s OptETruck programme, which facilitates smarter trip planning within the container trucking industry.

We look at warehousing, and we are working with the industry to automate and increase the intensity of land use. These pre-empt some of the manpower and land constraints we may face in the future.

We also build capabilities for the future. For example, to prepare for a world where shippers, companies, and customers expect and demand net zero transportation solutions, we need to work with logistics companies to move goods more sustainably, and electrify their fleets.

Lastly, we need to continue growing the industry. To do so, we are looking at continuing to capture high-value flows. For example, many semiconductor companies are now relocating production to the region and our neighbours, and there are great opportunities for Singapore to be a part of these flows. As pharmaceutical and medical technology evolves, there will also be greater demand for cold-chain logistics to support the delivery of vaccines and precision medicine products to the region.

Do you think that people rarely see the logistics industry as a top-of-mind career choice?

I do not think there is a lack of talent in the logistics and supply chain industry. Looking at the Discover+: Wholesale Trade & Logistics panel discussion I facilitated back in April, you see that we do have young panellists who transitioned from banking to the logistics industry, or are working on supply chain technology and digitalisation. If there is a job to do, where logistics companies are willing to pay, then people are willing to come in, so it is up to the industry to ensure it is attractive.

I think the more interesting challenge we have to ponder is whether our people still aspire to be supply chain leaders. Do we still have that ambition to achieve excellence?

Singapore has a reputation for being a good transport and logistics hub. Many of our best businesses are built on the strength of our logistics industry’s operational excellence and efficiency. For example, it is wonderful how our port is fully automated. Changi Airport was ranked as “the Best Global Air Cargo Airport for Performance, Value and Facilities” in 2018, and luggage can be dispatched to travellers within minutes. Singapore is ranked first on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index. While other industries such as technology, banking, finance, and manufacturing are alluring, many of these tap on Singapore’s strength in connectivity and excellence in transport and logistics. People who have that spirit of excellence and interest, will have great opportunities in the supply chain and logistics space.

What does a day in your life look like?

As a team leader, most of my day-to-day responsibilities involve managing teams that are working on various projects. For example, we are currently working on building a database of logistics assets across the entire industry.

There is a significant amount of business development that we need to do. This involves meeting companies — not just companies in Singapore, but overseas customers as well — to understand their needs, so that we can create new projects and win them for Singapore.

As a leader, a significant part of the day is dedicated to human resource and administration. This includes speaking to people to attract talent, mentoring staff and speaking to them to understand their developmental needs, and to create those opportunities for them.

I also have a few side gigs within EnterpriseSG. For example, we have “ESG Connects”, where we organise sports and recreation interest groups. This helps us build morale and provide staff with an outlet to destress. I am someone who enjoys many sports and recreation activities, hence I lead some of these efforts that align with my personal interests.

After a long day at work, I make it a point to spend some time with my wife and two sons, and indulge in various hobbies, especially sports – cycling is my current hobby of choice to decompress.

Did your university education help you with, or feature in, your day-to-day tasks?

I specialised in economics, which was definitely very good basic training, specifically the modules I took on statistics, corporations research, and mathematical optimisation. These are still useful in what I do today in logistics, as well as previously when I helmed some roles in finance. Some of the problems I encounter at work are related to optimisation, so it definitely helps if I know how to process these issues, create models to represent them, and use data to analyse them.

However, a university education goes beyond vocational training. I found it useful to expose myself to other perspectives during university, and take courses that helped me grow as a person and as an adult (for example, courses in philosophy). It is rare to be afforded that much freedom and time for learning later on in your life.

Learning does not stop at university. You can still continue picking up core skills as you work. For example, certifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) are helpful for a grounding in corporate finance and accounting even if you did not study a related course in university.

Could you share more about your experience picking up languages over the course of your work?

Practice is key when it comes to languages. As a kid, I picked up Bahasa Indonesia conversationally, partly because of my family background. However, it was an overseas posting at work that compelled me to brush up on the language. I needed to prepare simple speeches, and conduct meetings conversationally using Bahasa Indonesia. Since I was not seasoned in the language, I needed to spend extra time preparing talking points beforehand. I needed to read more newspapers, so that I would be more exposed to business and current affairs terminology beyond what is taught in class.

Picking up a language requires you to be unafraid of being embarrassed. I think others can tell that you are making an effort to speak in another language, and they will empathise with you. Speaking another language can give you an edge when forging business connections, because it allows you to establish a stronger relationship with someone from that particular culture or country.

How was your experience being posted overseas?

I truly enjoyed my posting to Indonesia. Those were the earlier years of Indonesia’s recent period of sustained economic growth, and we leveraged a good opportunity to bring a wide range of Singapore businesses there, whether start-ups or infrastructure companies.

I would encourage people early in their career to explore an overseas posting. You get an exposure to a wide range of businesses beyond what you would traditionally see in Singapore. For example, Indonesia is an incredibly large neighbour, and they have businesses across the entire value chain. It was eye-opening to witness the range of markets and opportunities available there, and I left the country thinking: how can Singapore businesses tap into the vast array of opportunities there?

What motivates you to do the work that you do?

Working within the public sector, we have the levers to make an impact, and the ability to tackle big problems.

Developing teams, and developing young people, are meaningful to me. To ensure that there is a constant pipeline of young people coming through, and seeing what they can build and learn, is rewarding.

Lastly, to be a good dad, to be economically productive, and to support my family.

What advice would you give to a youth weighing careers within the public, private, and people sectors?

I have been in the public sector my whole life, so I do not think I am the best person to compare all three. But I have worked with people across all three sectors.

You can make a positive impact in whichever sector you choose. In the public sector, doing so may not be one-dimensional and you may need to balance the needs of different stakeholders and constituencies as you craft or execute policies.

In the private sector, while there is a focus on the bottom line, you sometimes also have the freedom and resources to solve problems, by using the market to create products and solutions that help to get things done.

Sometimes the sectors need to come together, especially in new and innovative areas, where there may be some risks that the private sector is unwilling to shoulder alone. This is where the public sector and private sector can work together to make an impact — what they term “blended finance”. We see successful collaborations in areas such as financing public infrastructure and managing climate transition.

The people sector can be defined quite broadly, but most people I meet there value the opportunity to work closely with the people they impact. Sometimes in the other sectors, you are making decisions based on statistics, or profit and loss (P&L), and you may not have the opportunity to witness the impact you are making, nor get feedback from people on the ground. The people sector is very important in establishing this sense of connection.

Sometimes you can even have a successful career spanning across all three sectors, working on one particular problem. For example, if you are interested in sustainability, you can influence a large organisation in the private sector to make the green transition successfully, you can be in the public sector driving that, or you can be on the ground working on tangible sustainability initiatives.

Any advice for youths navigating their education and career pathways?

When thinking about building your career, it is crucial to realise that there are multiple ways to create impact.

Some companies offer relatively well-defined pathways. In order to compete for a role, you have to demonstrate competencies and deliver results.

However, there is a second way to create value in your career, which is by stacking competencies. This is where you can be more creative. I have seen some of my colleagues create value by marrying their interest in finance and knowledge of content creation. Even though they may not be subject matter experts, they are still able to blend the two, and stand out as good communicators. Others may be very good at the technical aspects of finance but lack the ability to explain them to the layperson, and that is where you can create an audience for yourself, or even develop a new business.

The importance of having a growth mindset cannot be further emphasised. You need to be willing to put yourself in the spotlight where people can see you, you need to be willing to learn, and you need to be willing to fail.