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Dr Rosemary Tan of Genecet Biotechnologies (S) Pte Ltd

Interviewer
Name: Tok Shi Shi
Interviewee
Name: Dr Rosemary Tan
Company Address Genecet Biotechnologies (S) Pte Ltd
83 Science Park Drive, #03-02A The Curie, Singapore Science Park 1, Singapore 118258
Email rosemary@genecet.com
Date of Interview 2 April 2003, 1pm - 2.30pm

Dr Rosemary Tan was born in Singapore. She has a brother who is presently working in a company, dealing with sales and marketing. She grew up in a business-oriented family, as both her grandfather and father were businessmen. Since young, Dr Tan has been exposed to the various ways of doing business. She recalled the times in the past when she used to help out at her grandfather's shop everyday even before she attended kindergarten. She observed the way her grandfather did his business, how he handled the money from customers and the approaches to use to negotiate with his customers. Dr Tan attended St Nicholas Girls' School and Hwa Chong Junior College during her primary, secondary and junior college days respectively. She attended the University of Calgary at Alberta, Canada where she obtained a degree of science in Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology. She later was awarded a scholarship from the Economic Development Board of Singapore to pursue postgraduate training in Japan. She later obtained her PhD researching in the field of Immunology and Infectious Diseases.

For the past ten years or more, Dr Tan has been working as a scientist. Despite this, she always wanted to start a business on her own. She equipped herself with extensive experience and knowledge while doing research as a scientist. All along, she has many ideas for starting a business. About two years ago, Dr Tan realized that a lot of things have changed in the world today and one of the key technologies that will drive the 21st century is life science. In the areas of health, medicine, agriculture and even material sciences, rapid advances are opening up a whole new frontier and spawning new industries, while rendering other traditional industries obsolete. This field has not been widely explored by a lot of people and Dr Tan sees the need to educate everyone, especially children at a young age, about biotechnology give them a head start.

Dr Tan's main aim is to spur young people on and educate them about the applications of life science. She feels that it would be very sad if we Singaporeans continue to allow this kind of expertise to be monopolized by foreigners. Thus, she started her business as an educational biotech kit service provider. She designs and manufactures educational kits for children at all levels, be it primary, secondary or junior college. Then, she goes to schools around Singapore to promote her products. Her services do not end after selling the kits to the schools. She will go down personally to the schools to teach children on the usage of the kits she designed or to train the schools' teachers. Her alma maters were her first few customers and she is very grateful to them.

Dr Tan has a laboratory situated at Lavender Street and this is also the place where she designs, manufactures and produces her kits. It was not very difficult to get a license for her business. However, she must make sure that she gets the right equipments, does not exceed her calculated budgets and most importantly, Dr Tan emphasizes on the fact that the materials and equipments used and produced in her laboratory must not compromise with quality. However, not everything goes well without any worries. At the very beginning, Dr Tan had to use up all her savings to invest in her business and borrow from others too. There are times the cash flows of her company are not doing well and she has to worry about her family and staff. Despite these obstacles, she has never considered any worst days of her life in the process of doing her business as she view them as learning experiences. She learns to take things as they come and to plan ahead to minimize the risks she may occur in the course of her business.

On human resource, Dr Tan comments that even if you can identify the right person you want, it still doesn't mean that that person will join your company. You will have to explain to him the job scope and he must share the same passion in the job. This is very difficult, as if she fails, it could mean that she is pulling the person down with her. In order to get committed employees, Dr Tan emphasizes on autonomy and delegates decision rights to her employees. She never treated her staff as employees. In fact, she treats them like her colleagues, always valuing their comments and critics. She understands that everyone sees things differently and she may not be right every time. Thus, if her colleagues can do their job well, she will let them go ahead with it.

Just three months ago, she gave birth to a baby girl and this has made her life even busier. For the nine months when she was carrying her baby, it was tough balancing work with the strains of pregnancy but she enjoyed it because it was very fulfilling. Dr Tan appreciates that her family and husband have been giving her unwavering support. Moreover, her staff is very committed and goes out of their way to help her. She admits that it is not easy to juggle between work and her baby. However, she makes an effort to spend some quality time with her baby when she is not working on Sundays.

When asked about the values she would like to pass on to the younger generation of Singapore, Dr Tan said integrity, passion and commitment is the key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. She advises us to do our homework first and make sure we have the expertise and financing before moving ahead. Dr Tan strongly believes that entrepreneurship can be nurtured from young and through her business, she hopes to bring life science closer to young children and continues to contribute to the Singapore society.

Interview With DR ROSEMARY TAN

Dr Tan, thank you for granting me some of your precious time for this interview. Firstly, can you tell me more about yourself?
My parents have their own business and I have a brother, who does sales for a company.

Can you tell me more about your business?
My business deals with life science educational service. I design educational kits for schools at different levels - primary, secondary and junior college. For example, in the area of antibiotics, everyone knows what antibiotics are but do not know how they actually work for different diagnostics for different types of bacteria. I will design the complete kit and produce the kits pitched at different educational levels, after which the kits will be sold to the school on a wholesale basis.

After selling the kits to the school, is that the end of your company's value-chain activities?
No. I will continue to provide technical support and continue to provide teaching on the correct usage of the kits, be it taught by me personally or having the teachers trained by me or were already trained by the National Institute of Education.

Then what is different about your business, compared to other businesses?
This whole business about life science is a very new thing but it is definitely necessary now, as a lot of things have changed in the world, especially in the field of life sciences. For example, twenty years ago, nobody knows what is DNA and stuff like this, now we do. It is crucial that the younger generation must have a basic grasp of life sciences. It doesn't matter whether you will become a doctor, scientist or just a layman in future life sciences will impact on your life, through the food you eat (e.g. genetically modified food), the medicine you take or new ways to detect diseases even before they start to become destructive.

So, I see that your education kits are not just learning tools meant for adults. In fact, they are designed for individuals of all ages.
That's right. These kits when properly taught can teach very young children the principles behind these 'difficult' sciences. Young children need to have the avenue to explore the applications themselves and you will be surprise how fast they pick it up.

For example, in the disaster at the World Trade Centre, the huge number of dead bodies made the identification process extremely difficult. Now, there is a kit known as the DNA fingerprinting kit. The children may know that this technique is used to help identify people but they do not know what is DNA fingerprinting all about and that is not very interesting to them. Thus, through role-playing I design scenarios such as crime scenes in my educational kit, which help to put children in real-life situations to learn more about DNA fingerprinting in an absorbing manner.

So what actually makes you decide to venture out on your own?
As I mentioned, I was working as a scientist in the past. I have been doing research and I foresee the need to educate young people. That's why I started this company. I see the trend that Singapore is heavily prompting life sciences and has been investing so much money to attract foreign companies and pharmaceutical giants to come in. Moreover, competition between countries will be tough. Everyone over the world such as Malaysia, Japan, China and Taiwan are all building up their life sciences parks.

But the question is who are the people to fill up these positions? We cannot always depend on foreigners such as Europeans and Americans. If we can't do our own applications, it's very sad. If we can identify this problem early, we can actually train young people to become more scientifically inclined. Whether or not they will become scientists in future is not important. If they have the aptitude, they will know at a young age whether they are suitable or not. My main goal is to spur the younger generation on.

Do you face any difficulties in starting up the business?
In the beginning, I have to face skeptism from others, such as whether my idea will work out etc, as this area is so new to others. We don't really have the syllabus of life sciences in Singapore. How are you going to build up this type of business? You will definitely need assistance and to have that, one has to build up some credibility. Thus, when I design kits at the very beginning, I think about it and work through it. I will make sure I understand what I am designing. Interestingly, about two years ago, schools started to see the point of education children at a young age and they started to buy my kits and my services to teach. So now schools have their own life sciences in curriculum as well as enrichment programs. Of course, this opens up more revenue for me. It also provides me with more avenues to reach out to these students when implementing these interesting kits.

So far, has your business always been located in Singapore?
Yes, these products are 'Made-in-Singapore.'

Then how did you approach the government in setting up this business and how does the government categorize your business?
The government actually categorizes this as an industry business. My lab is housed in an industrial building. It is not that difficult to get the license as it is similar to how a typical laboratory gets its permit. My lab is in the production and manufacturing area so I need to get the right permit and the license to run it. This means I have to get the factory license as well as getting the right certification for my appliances and equipments. I also need to make sure my business is adhering to the regulations and guidelines and make sure that my lab is safe. In addition, the materials I make must not create accidents and fires hazards. These are all the basic matters you have to ensure when starting a business.

In general, do you think starting a business is difficult?
Well, at the beginning, yes. As I mentioned, my company is the only one in the region and this is a very new thing. There aren't any similar companies, I would say, even within South-east Asia. Thus, all the more I have to work from scratch. I have to look for a place and build up a lab all by myself. I have to get the right equipment and at the same time, ensuring that my budgets are not exceeded. Moreover, the materials and equipments that I use and produce must not compromise on quality.

Personally, I know that not everyone would like to work in SMEs. How did you manage to get the labour force you want?
Okay, this also has a very interesting story. When I first started the business, I wanted to get this girl to work for me. She is working in a big institution and is very experienced. As you know, it is very difficult to get somebody to work for you, especially when she already has a very stable job. Right from the beginning, I have to convince her of my ideas and the passion I have in my business. I sincerely hope that she shares the same thoughts as me. Knowing that she has many years of experience, I told her that I value her expertise and I gave her a lot of potential and space to help me run the company and promised that there will not be any 'red-tape'. Eventually, she took the job one and a half years ago and presently, she is still working in my company.

On top of that, I also have new staff that came on board. Many of them are very well qualified, with at least honours degrees and one is pursuing a master's degree. Again, I have to emphasize on passion for the job. If you have no passion, you cannot run the business. Of course, the pay-offs are not going to be seen in the short term. It's not like a typical job, whereby you work and you get your regular pay. In our business, we just have to share the risks together.

What are some of the things you have had to overcome to succeed?
As I mentioned earlier, the line of business that I am in is still very new. I understand that many people may think that my idea will not work out. I don't deny the possibility of it and I don't brush it away. I am open to critics and interested to see if there are any real facts about others' comments. If it's real, I have to face it because it is important to me. I have to keep questioning myself. For example, if my business fails, could it be due to the fact that schools do not liking my idea at all? If schools are not interested, no matter how good your kits and programs are, it is still no use. So you have to face the music and think of ways to make the programs more interesting or more applicable for children so that schools will accept your idea.

Now, I don't have many competitors, maybe just the Americans. The Americans have bigger and more established companies. I have to make sure that my programs are tailored for the local curriculum, my kits are better and my programs run well in the schools.

More than that, I have to know ways to get capital to set up my laboratory. Setting up the lab is not cheap. I took out all my savings from the last ten years when I was working and invested all into my business. Besides that, I have to borrow. Now, when you borrow money from someone, you have to make sure the lender believes in your idea. You need to explain to the person and ensure that he shares the same passion as you.

Another thing is finding the right employees. If you can identify the right person you want, it still doesn't mean that that person will join your company. You will have to explain and once again, he has to share the passion in the job too. This is very difficult, as if I fail, it could mean that I am pulling the person down with me. So it's kind of like a constant battle.

Does your business have any partners?
No, I have no partners, just shareholders.

Can you tell me about any worst day you had when doing this business? Have you ever feel like giving up?
Well, the worst days will be times when the cash flow is not good and I worry about my staff. Moreover, I have to make sure that things are running well. But on the whole, I don't think there are any worst days for me and I think there are no days when I feel like giving up. I just take things at my pace and treat each setback as a learning experience. You see, if you are running a business and you are the sole driving force behind it. You cannot afford to feel like giving up whenever you encounter difficulties.

Can you tell me more about your life before you became an entrepreneur?
I have been a scientist for more than ten years but I have always been interested in doing business, When I graduated and came back from overseas years ago, I thought Singapore is lacking a coffee culture. In overseas, we see coffee clubs everywhere and a lot of people are drinking coffee. The first thing I did was to go to Holland village (at that time, the place was not as vibrant yet), found a spot which I deem good and I went in to check out the rental fees. Of course, I was still very young, in my early twenties and I calculated that I don't have the money to start the coffee club. But I must say that at that time, I really wanted to set up my own business. There are also other businesses, which I am keen to go into, but again, I have to consider the limitations such as not having enough expertise. I knew the odds myself.

Can I say that going overseas has indeed motivated you into setting up a business? Or could it be since young, you have always wanted to become a businesswoman?
Actually, I have never really thought of becoming one. It was just a very natural process as I was brought up in a family where my grandfather and father were all businessmen. At a very young age, I was already exposed to the way my grandfather does his business, how he attended to customers and negotiates with his customers. So, the whole process just came so naturally to me. Now that you are telling me I am doing business, then I realized, oh yes, I am a businesswoman.

As for going overseas, I think it indeed makes a difference as it widens my horizons. However, it's not the main motivation for starting my own business.

When you first started out, how did your family think?
My father is a businessman and he can understand all the risks involved. Of course, he may still prefer me to have a stable job being a scientist. But when I've done my calculation and explain to him the risks I have taken into account of, he is for my idea to venture out.

Your father is a businessman so I think he can better understand you becoming an entrepreneur.
Yes, that's right. I think it works both ways, whether your parents are businessmen or not.

Do you have kids?
Yes, I have a three-month-old baby girl.

So how do you juggle between your work and taking care of your baby?
It's very difficult. For the nine months when I was carrying my baby, it was tough but I enjoyed it because it's very fulfilling. I think it is very important to have people around you to give support. My family and my husband have been giving me unwavering support. My staff is very committed and helps me in every way they can. That's why I emphasize a lot on giving them autonomy in their work. If they do the job well, I'll let them do it.

When I was pregnant, it's really tough and I actually don't take a lot of maternity leave. Now, it's more difficult having to take care of the baby. Luckily, my mum and maid are helping me to take care of her during the day when I go to work. But now that my baby is growing, I always feel that I don't have enough time for her. Thus, I always try to spend my Sundays with my baby so I can have some quality time with her.

Would you encourage your kid to venture out on her own in future?
Of course. As a child, I would let her do things she likes but of course, it has to be a viable plan.

So what are the values you would like to pass on to the younger generation?
Integrity, passion and commitment.

How did you manage to set up the culture in the company to make employees committed?
This is extremely important. A company is nothing if you do not have good employees. You have to respect your people. I don't treat my staff as employees but as my colleagues. You see, if someone gives you a comment and you don't take it well, you cannot expect him to participate again. In fact, a lot of my colleagues are very vocal and I always encourage them to voice out their ideas. To keep them, you have to make sure they share the same passion.

So you give them decision rights?
I actually come up with a big plan, which requires collaboration with other big companies. I usually sit down with them for discussions to weigh the pros and cons of the projects.

Why do you think someone will decide to be on his own instead of getting a stable job?
When the person wants to be in charge of his own destiny and chart his own course and has the courage to venture into the unknown.

Do you think such spirit exists in Singapore?
Yes, it does. It's just takes time for us to change our mindset. A lot of new companies are being set up and this shows that Singapore's environment is becoming more conducive for entrepreneurship.

The government is doing its part but what else can we do to change the society's mindsets to believe that anyone can become an entrepreneur as long as you have the idea and is willing to venture out?
Create platforms to let existing entrepreneurs have a chance to showcase their businesses through trade fairs. Meetings and seminars could be conducted to encouraging networking.

You mentioned about networking. How did you establish your business's network?
I actually have brochures, which I send to schools and they will call me up. My alma mater schools were one of my first few customers and it's really a great honour to help them and be a role model. Schools do call me up and I do career talks and counseling too.

So, would you like the younger generation to go into the same business as you?
Of course. That's why every year I have attachment students working in my company from NUS and Singapore Polytechnics, and they get to learn the skills and hopefully instill in them a feeling of entrepreneurship.

Who is your mentor? Any people you admire in any fields?
My father is my role model. And I think Mr George Quek, the founder of Breadtalk, is someone whom I admire. I think he is very capable to be able to make a common commodity such as bread and turned it into such a 'big' affair.

What other advice do you have for us?
Do your homework first. You must have the expertise and financing, if not you have to bear the risk of failing. If you are the first or second one to do it, that's great. If not, you will be at the tail-end. If you foresee a trend which is not going to last, you have to think twice. I think many people think the entrepreneurship is born but not bred. But I believe that it can be nurtured since young and it's very encouraging.

Okay, I guess I have no more questions to ask. Thank you, Dr Tan.

You are welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 
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