Michelle chats with Singapore Tatler about her passions and involvements outside of work, family life and the values that are most important to her.
President and the Chief Operating Officer of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Singapore, Michelle Sassoon is one dynamic woman who always has her plate (or shall we say, cup) full. Yet, whenever there is a good cause to support or an opportunity to lend her expertise, she’s always up for the challenge. For her, the learning never stops, whether on the work front, the social front or the home front.
Michelle chats with Singapore Tatler about her passions and involvements outside of work, family life, and the values that are most important to her.
1. Apart from shaping Singapore’s coffee culture, you’ve been involved in other lifestyle sectors such as entertainment and luxury watch retail and distribution. How have these various involvements shaped you?
It’s been an amazing journey. I’ve seen brands and companies go through all the different cycles. I think a good product is definitely a basis for a successful business, but, more than that, you need to have a team of passionate, committed individuals with a strong vision and ability to execute. All these businesses have exposed me to very different types of people and fields and I think it’s definitely shaped me. And I like working with people, so it inspires me.
It’s been an interesting curve for me, because I started very young when everyone was much older than I was, and now I am beginning to see that I am surrounded by a lot of younger people instead. It’s interesting to see them embark on their journey.
2. You’re an entrepreneur and businesswoman, and you’ve topped that off as a mother of five children. What’s your next challenge?
I'm trying to figure it out. I think Singapore has become a bit difficult in terms of the business environment and it’s challenging at best. So I find myself focusing a lot more on our Indonesia business where we’ve moved into the watches and fashion sectors. I think the trend of growing and developing the Indonesian business will continue over the next few years.
On a personal level, I want to learn. We learn every day, from talking to people, from listening, from reading. I'm an avid reader. I'm in the middle of the Margaret Thatcher book and the Hillary Clinton book, but I’m not a feminist, so don’t misunderstand (laughs). It just so happens that someone passed me the Margaret Thatcher book, and the Hillary one I found quite interesting and I really like to see what she learnt through the years.
Apart from that, I do want to develop further and the areas I am interested in include business, without a doubt. I think I have a lot of skills to share. I've been in so many different types of businesses and a lot have failed, so I have a lot of learning experiences I can contribute. I would like to develop myself to a level where maybe I can sit on a couple of boards and be able to share that sort of expertise. I’ve started learning about digital marketing, and being in a family business, I need to learn more about succession and how we can plan for the future.
I think it’s important to stretch oneself. For me, this doesn’t always have to be on the business side. In terms of higher learning, psychology might be an area of interest I could pursue. I also love art, but right now, I just buy what I like—that’s partly why I'm not allowed to go to any art show (laughs). I’d like to learn more about the history of art, so that I can be a better collector.
3. As a mother, what are your hopes and dreams for your children?
They’re all very different and very happy being different. Among them, I have the academics, the budding entrepreneur, the one who wants to be in healthcare and give back, so if they can all find what they really like and God guides them along their chosen path, that’s what I want. I want them to be the best that they can be in whatever they undertake.
And I hope that whatever they find themselves doing will be something they love versus what they need to do. I think in today’s world, the concept of lifelong learning is an important one; I want them to have that adaptability and flexibility to adapt to different situations.
I also hope they'll be able to give their own children the sort of close-knit family life they've grown up with. That they'll be able to give their children the stability, foundation, multi-generational wisdom and traditions that we have instilled in them. I think they'll want to carry that forward.
4. What are some of the values you’ve instilled in them?
The values are very simple: respect for elders, to be God-fearing, to always try to do the right thing, humility and to be thankful. I think they’ve all got that.
5. The past few months have seen you planning an SG50 concert with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and renowned conductor Zubin Mehta (on 11 November 2014 at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands). You also have a beautiful art collection. How did your appreciation for art and culture come about?
Art and culture are things that I am naturally drawn to. I played the piano when I was young, but it is the visual arts that I am naturally drawn to. In terms of concert promotion, it was a business (SunVic Productions); but with the IPO and Zubin (pictured below), I would say this is something I'm a little more passionate about, because it's a highly-acclaimed conductor and orchestra performing, and the concert is our way of giving back to Singapore.
6. You’re a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. How has that benefitted you?
I really enjoy the educational format that they have, and how it brings together individuals with similar interests and passions. In a way, I’ve found that it helps to cultivate my feminine side a little more, too, because I've joined a spouse forum that allows me to interact with other spouses. That really enlightens me in a lot of ways. I think that when doing business, a lot of times, I tend to be more drawn to a man’s conversation than a woman’s. Sometimes, I have to physically pull myself back, but now I'm a more balanced person and a wiser mum. But still, I've a long way to go.
7. Tell me about your other involvements and hobbies.
I enjoy travelling; I'm a foodies so I eat out a lot; and I like to cook because I entertain quite a bit. I'm also a trustee of the United World College of South East Asia Foundation, helping to raise funds for the scholarships for students. Because I have a number of things on my plate, I have to be selective of my involvements; I choose causes that are close to my heart, and this (foundation) is something I believe in because these scholars are just so talented.
Photography: Chew Chen Yang/Penoramic Publishing
Grooming: Sha Shamsi
Picture of Zubin Mehta: ©Marco Brescia
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