When Xiao Le joined the Singapore Business Federation nearly five years ago, she was entering unfamiliar territory. Coming from a statutory board, she had limited exposure to trade associations or partnership development. “Honestly, I had no clue what a trade association or chamber really did,” she recalls. What stood out early was SBF’s willingness to take a chance on her potential. “They saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself.”

Instead of formal mentorship structures, Xiao Le found a culture where leaders were generous with their time and guidance. Senior colleagues, including executive directors and the CEO, involved her in discussions and encouraged her to learn by doing. “Learning by doing became very real for me,” she explains, “because I had the right people pointing me in the right direction at the right time.”

Her role quickly exposed her to a broad ecosystem of business leaders, trade associations, and government partners. Through these engagements, she developed the ability to navigate diverse perspectives and design solutions that stakeholders valued. “It’s not something you can pick up from Googling,” she says. “You can only learn it by listening, observing, and being part of real conversations.”

Over time, Xiao Le has been trusted with increasingly complex work, moving from ground-level execution to more strategic responsibilities with wider impact. Today, as a people manager, she draws on what she learnt from her mentors to create opportunities for her team members. “Different people bring different strengths,” she reflects. “My role is to help them grow in the way that works best for them.”

Seraphina, Zi Han, and Carrie, from Brand and Communications, Partnerships and Platforms, and market advisory respectively, worked together on a Singapore Regional Business Forum. While their roles differed, they were united by a shared objective: to support Singapore businesses and help them navigate regional opportunities.

For Seraphina, joining SBF during the later stages of COVID was driven by a desire to contribute beyond a single organisation. “I wanted to be part of something bigger,” she says. “Something that could make a difference to businesses.” Carrie, who had previously worked for the government, found meaning in working directly with businesses. “Now I get to see things from their perspective,” she says, “and help them think through what comes next.”

Zi Han’s work centres on building platforms such as the annual Budget Symposium and Singapore Regional Business Forums. The work is demanding, and outcomes are not always immediate. “It’s intense,” he says, “but when participants tell us the sessions helped them understand what policies mean for them, that’s when you know it matters.”

For Carrie, purpose becomes tangible when businesses succeed. “When Singapore companies grow and venture overseas,” she reflects, “we feel proud to be part of that journey.” Across roles, this connection between daily work and national outcomes is what keeps them engaged. At SBF, purpose is not abstract. Purpose is achieved through delivering impact for Singapore’s business community.

Beverly from NUS Business Administration was an Intern with SBF’s Communications Department. In a span of 3 months, she researched, collated information, and created the SBF 20th Anniversary Wall Mural which adorned the wall of SBF office.

“My greatest accomplishment in this internship is the creation of the SBF 20th Anniversary Wall Mural.

This 3-month long endeavour involved scouring for quotes, crafting blurbs and consolidating pictures to form the content of the wall, providing creative direction and ensuring that progress was made promptly according to the timeline.

I’m grateful for the trust and support my supervisor has given me to drive this initiative and I’m thrilled to leave a literal (9m) mark on our SBF office wall!”

Ryan from SMU Economics interned at SBF’s Africa, Europe, Middle East, Central & South Asia (AEMEA) Department. He gained valuable insights into the business environment of different countries in the emerging markets as he worked alongside SBF employees over a period of 3 months. He conducted research into business landscapes of these markets and assisted in the organisation of physical business events and webinars for companies.

“Before I joined SBF, I did not fully understand the importance of SBF to Singapore’s business community.

During my internship, I had the exposure to participate in meetings with businesses (local and foreign), High Commissions and several international organisations such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Through these meetings and daily interactions with my supervisors, I was able to gain insights to SBF’s role as an enabler, bridge, and facilitator for businesses.

I also received invaluable exposure to the business environments of the countries in AEMEA where I better understand the opportunities and challenges of doing business in those countries.”

Sarika joined SBF as a Business & Industries Engagement Intern, in Global Division 3. She worked closely with the (BIE) Business & Industries Engagement department, extending her support to the Singapore Women Entrepreneur Network (SG-WEN), Young Business Leaders Network (YBLN), and GlobalConnect (GC) Community.

According to Sarika, she had the opportunity to immerse herself in a professional environment that was previously unfamiliar to her.

“I have picked up valuable skills such as effective interpersonal communication and conscientiousness in a work setting, which will definitely be useful in her future career.”

On the more technical side, she honed her design skills and gained knowledge of various marketing strategies. She emphasised that the thought processes underlying these skills are of greater importance to her. She learned to think from the perspective of different stakeholders and learn how, when and what to prioritise in order to achieve desired outcomes.

Rui En joined SBF as an Intern in the Communications department, where her primary responsibility was to collaborate closely with her team to enhance SBF's presence on social media platforms specifically Instagram and TikTok.

“As a Communications intern, I had the chance to attend numerous events organised by various divisions across SBF, and this gave me a better understanding of the Singapore business landscape and even the international business landscape.”

She also had the opportunity to engage with diverse stakeholders including business leaders, members of the media, and colleagues from different divisions within SBF. These interactions enabled her to gain practical experience in the communications industry and develop valuable skills for navigating the corporate world more effectively.

Timothy joined SBF as a Human Resources (HR) Intern. His primary focus was to actively participate in HR digital transformation projects.

According to Timothy, the most rewarding part of this internship experience was supporting the HR team in their digital transformation initiatives.

“It allowed me to gain a deeper insight into the functioning and dynamics of the HR department within SBF.  It provided me with valuable exposure, enabling me to acquire hard and soft skills such as automating HR processes, working independently and collaborating effectively with the team.”