Director graduates with distinction

Graduations

As a senior manager for one of the world's largest fast moving consumer goods companies, Elaine De Velez has her hands full, juggling career responsibilities.

But the Singapore-based R&D Director for Johnson & Johnson managed to squeeze in an MBA in 2008 and also spend quality time with her husband and two teenage children.

To prove that she's mastered the art of time management, Elaine topped the University of Adelaide program offered through Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre.

Elaine's success reflects the dedication she has applied to her education since graduating as a government scholar at the Philippines Science High School and completing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry, at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños.

After working in academia for a couple of years as a Chemistry Instructor, Elaine secured a job as an R&D chemist in a food and beverage company and then worked for multinational company Procter & Gamble as a product developer.

While still based in the Philippines, Elaine joined Johnson & Johnson as part of the regional R&D team. In 2005, she accepted an assignment in Singapore to head the Asia Pacific Women's Health R&D.

Today she is part of the Worldwide Women's Health Research and Development Team, launching a range of new products in the marketplace globally.

Elaine's decision to study for an MBA 20 years into her career was based on a desire to broaden her business horizons and learn the skills to help mentor and groom younger employees with management potential.

"I did a lot of homework when researching which MBA program to take in Singapore. Ngee Ann-Adelaide has very high academic standards and ethics, it offers flexibility, lecturers with impressive credentials and there is a lot of interaction with other students. Best of all, I am applying my MBA lessons in real-life work," she said.

Story by Candy Gibson