Patek Philippe celebrates four personalities who achieved success by marching to the beat of their own drum. We met these business vanguards.
Georgia wears a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref 5724G-001 in white gold with moonphase indicator and baguette diamonds on the bezel.
Georgia Lee, medical director of TLC Lifestyle Practice and founder of DrGL Skincare
After experiencing a fixed drug reaction to an antibiotic, which left her with hyperpigmentation on one side of her face, Dr Georgia Lee was inspired to create a cream for her own use as most lightening products in the market were not suitable for her sensitive skin. That was the start of a nine-year labour of love, leading to her proprietary skincare line, DrGL. “I wanted to create this line for my patients too as I felt that many of them were not using products suitable for their skin,” she shares.
Of course, entering the retail sector came with its own set of challenges, but Georgia was not daunted. “Risk is unavoidable, but you can’t go wrong if you stay true to the brand philosophy,” she says. “I also believe it’s important to maintain a reasonably-sized company structure to react quickly to opportunities, and I wholeheartedly believe that my team members should not have to go through 10 levels to make a decision.”
When asked if she considers herself a risk-taker, Georgia’s firm reply, “In terms of delivering what’s needed for my patients, and maintaining the quality of my skincare products, I’m not a risk-taker. But where business opportunities are concerned, my motto has always been that you’ll never know until you try.”
Photography: Eric Seow, assisted by Tang Kin Yee and Seth Ang
Art direction: Matilda Au
Location: Malmaison by The Hour Glass
Georgia wears a tuxedo by Saint Laurent.
Hair: Ryan Yap/Passion Salon
Make up: Lolent Lee using Clé de Peau Beauté
Stylist: Martin Wong
Victor wears a Patek Philippe Ref 5205G-010 in white gold with a mechanical self-winding Annual Calendar movement.
Victor Ow, chairman and CEO of Clydesbuilt Group
A trained civil and structural engineer with over 30 years of experience in real estate development and investment, Victor Ow’s most recent projects include a $320m residential development, as well as the Hakka Memorial Museum & Cultural Centre. Victor thinks that all entrepreneurs are risk-takers at heart, but feels that having a strong sense of ethics is ultimately what keeps a business going in the long-term.
“Some people in business have no qualms taking a risk on their clients’ or shareholders’ funds, but that’s not how I operate,” he says. “I always make it a point to deliver 100 per cent of what I have promised.
When a client entrusts a long-term investment to me, I am fully aware that I am also responsible for the funds that would eventually be used for his children’s education, as well as the financial well-being of his family. This is not something I take lightly.” Having built his empire on such strong ethical principles, it is little wonder that the Clydesbuilt Group has been going strong for the past three decades and has, according to Victor, stayed relatively recession-proof.
When asked what advice he would give to those who wish to emulate his success, Victor says, “There are no shortcuts. It takes a combination of being knowledgeable, innovative and creative, having street smarts, and people skills.”
Photography: Eric Seow, assisted by Tang Kin Yee and Seth Ang
Art direction: Matilda Au
Location: Malmaison by The Hour Glass
Grooming: Leae Hidayah
Jean wears a Patek Philippe Twenty4 Ref 4908/200G-001 in white gold with diamonds on the bezel.
Jean Yip, chairman of Jean Yip Group
Jean Yip has never been one to shy away from making bold decisions. After secondary school, with her mother’s blessing, she decided to go into hairdressing, which at the time, 40 years ago, was considered a profession for school dropouts.
“I had to keep it a secret from my father for a few months, and pretend that I was heading off to attend pre-university,” laughs Jean. “This went on for a while until he found out what I was really doing.” Fortunately for her, he ultimately supported her career choice, and even sent her to the UK to hone her skills. Within six months of her return, her family opened a salon, which Jean worked at before she decided to strike out on her own. “The only condition my father had was that the salon had to be named after me,” she says.
Today, that name is synonymous with beauty as Jean has salons all over Singapore. But success did not come easily. “I worked continuously for over 25 years, and only took days off during Chinese New Year and Labour Day,” she shares. However, she’s quick to emphasise that she did not build her beauty empire on her own. “I firmly believe in empowering the people who work with me by giving them the skills necessary to deliver the best possible experience for our customers,” adds Jean.
Photography: Eric Seow, assisted by Tang Kin Yee and Seth Ang
Art direction: Matilda Au
Location: Malmaison by The Hour Glass
Hair and make-up: Priscilla Boh/Pristique makeup
Michael wears a Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref 3712/1A in steel case with a moonphase display and power reserve indicator.
Michael Tay, group managing director of The Hour Glass
Michael Tay considers joining The Hour Glass the riskiest career move he’s made to date as he did so in 1999 when the region was in the grip of the Asian financial crisis. Seventeen years on, however, Michael is still with the company and jointly holds the position of group managing director alongside Kenny Chan as part of its overall succession plan. On whether he’s a risk-taker at heart, he says, “I’m fairly even-keeled. I have moments when I rely heavily on pure primordial instinct, especially when it comes to decisions surrounding my passion collections. By the same token, I’m also very much a downside type of chap, ensuring I calculate a comfortable margin of safety for any decision.”
Michael is also an art connoisseur who sits on the boards of the National Heritage Board and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, so it’s clear that he’s very supportive of those who choose to follow their passions. “We are living in what seems to be Singapore’s golden decade for the arts. Since independence, funding for the arts has never been taken more seriously by any other administration than the present one,” he opines. “This has opened up opportunities for Singaporeans to engage in the arts in a practical and critical manner, and importantly, more than survive by doing so.”
Photography: Eric Seow, assisted by Tang Kin Yee and Seth Ang
Art direction: Matilda Au
Location: Malmaison by The Hour Glass