Yap Soon Guan Sam, Group Executive Chairman, Board of Directors.

Dr Sam Yap is the Group Executive Chairman and co-founder of Cherie Hearts.
At 35 years of age, he is also one of Singapore’s youngest Deputy Registrar of
Marriages (Solemniser) with the Registry of Marriages, Singapore. He holds a  BSc (Hons) in Economics. Prior to starting Cherie Hearts, Dr Yap worked for over ten years in both the public as well as private sectors. During this period, he built up a great wealth of experience in areas of management and operations. His passion and love for children eventually saw him realising his dream of setting up his own business which actualised in the founding of Cherie Hearts.

With his dynamic sense of leadership and his vision, Dr Yap has managed to bring Cherie Hearts to its present status as a key player in Singapore’s childcare industry. From just a humble single centre in 2001, Dr Yap has managed to build up on Cherie Hearts’ brand name, expanding the business island wide. Today, there are nearly 35 Cherie Hearts branches island wide, with total enrolment nearing 2000 children, serving about 1500 households.

Dr Yap was also the driving force behind building Cherie Hearts into an award winning childcare organisation. Over the years, Cherie Hearts has been the proud recipient of several quality awards – Singapore Promising Brand Award 2005, Singapore Promising Franchisor Award 2005 and Work Life Excellence Award 2006 and many others. Dr Yap is a member of the Singapore Young Business Group headed by Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Teo Ser Luck. He is also a member of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SME Committee). Dr Yap also received the very prestigious Presidential International Visiting Scholar of Wheelock College. Helping the youth, he is also the Vice Chairman of "Long Tien Pugilistic Association of Singapore", which won Champion in 2008's 14th Ngee Ann City Lion Dance Competition. To bring the private childcare in Singapore to the next level, Dr Yap formed and chairs the Association of Private Childcare Organisation (APCO) in Singapore.

"Amidst stiff competition in today's society, branding is imperative in ensuring that we stay ahead of our competitors. Branding is really the heart of any service or product. Effective branding will successfully relate the brand to its customers. And that is what we have tried to do with Cherie Hearts. We strive to build a brand that is unique and special. Here at Cherie Hearts you feel a sense of warmth and security because it is your home away from home where parents and school work in unison for our children's childhoods."

DR. SAM YAP SOON GUAN
Group Executive Chairman / Co-founder

Gurchran J Singh, Group President, Board of Directors.

Dr. Gurchran J Singh is the Group President and co-founder of Cherie Hearts. His passion and zeal for children saw him leaving the civil service, where he served for nearly ten years, to start Cherie Hearts Group. He is currently in the midst of completing his Masters in Early Childhood Education with Roehampton University, UK. Having played a vital role with regards to operational matters while in the civil service, Dr Singh has a very crucial and imperative role in overseeing the entire operations of Cherie Hearts Group, including day to day operations; parent involvement initiatives; implementation of various programmes for the children, amongst other matters.

With fine interpersonal skills, Dr. Singh is an able and motivational leader, who leads his team of over 300 staff with much panache and élan. Leading from the ground up, Dr. Singh’s approachable demeanor ensures an open working relationship between management and staff, creating an open and trusting working environment for all staff, motivating them to achieve greater heights and reaching the next zenith. His view on the importance of work life balance has seen him spearhead many staff welfare initiatives and benefits. This has resulted in a unified and satisfied workforce with an extremely low staff turnover rate. Cherie Hearts’ emphasis and active stance in ensuring balance between work life and family commitments has led to the organisation being the recipient of the Singapore Family Friendly Employer Award and the Work Life Excellence Award 2006 and 2007.

Dr. Singh also plays an active role in consulting with new franchisees who are keen to carry the Cherie Hearts logo. This ensures a smooth transition period for clients as well as ascertaining quicker success in the business. His advisory role has ensured the successful running and operations of all Cherie Hearts branches island wide. Dr Singh also leads the crisis management task team in assisting in the resolution of any matters.

With his personable style, Dr. Singh will ensure the continued success of Cherie Hearts. He has up to recently, prepared a younger and even more dynamic force of second liners to lead the Group even further.

“Too often we get caught up in the madness of everyday life and in fighting to stay ahead of competition. Such a mindset has found its way into the lifestyles of our children and their families. At Cherie Hearts we want to make a difference. We want to encourage parents to give their children a meaningful childhood. Enrolling them at Cherie Hearts is a great start because we are committed to touching hearts and moulding the lives of our children.”

DR. GURCHRAN J SINGH
Group President / Co-founder

Wenda Ng, President (Overseas Operations)
                        Board of Directors

Ms Wenda graduated with a degree in Economics and Accountancy at the City University in London and also holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. She worked as an accountant for four years in London, before moving to Asia where she built up her own business to conduct seminars and workshops on Accelerated Learning Systems for students and teachers in mainstream secondary schools. She first joined Cherie Hearts as a parent in 2001 and subsequently joined in the Board of Directors. She has held positions such as Branch Director of HQ owned centres, VP and as the Senior Vice President of the Service Quality department in HQ.

As the Executive Vice President, Overseas Operations, she oversees the expansion of Cherie Hearts beyond our shores whilst ensuring that our highest operations and quality standards are consistently maintained.

Susan Loke
                        President, Local Operations (Acting)

Ms Susan graduated with a Diploma in Architectural Technology from Singapore Polytechnic. She worked as a Designer in a Façade Consultant firm for three years before moving on to be a Management Executive for the Sales & Marketing Department of Gliderol Doors Pte Ltd. In 1997, Susan was head-hunted by IEC Group Pte Ltd to oversee the business development of the Group. She also took charge of the Group’s sales and marketing functions, establishing good relations with key customers as well as major suppliers, hence performing a key role in the customer-supplier value chain.

More importantly, in our childcare context, her human relationship skills with external and internal customers provide a ground for further expansion of the business. She is also the Finance Director of Cherie Hearts School House since 2003, our very first franchise branch and has the knowledge of childcare operations as well. Growing with us since 2003 she will help Cherie Hearts soar to greater heights locally and internationally.

 CEO/Founder of Parent-Teacher-Child (PTC)
                        Director

Mrs Puspa has more than 20 years of vast experience in parenting, early childhood and teachers related training and teachings. Armed with a Masters of Education in Special Education and a BSc in Child Development, Puspa specialises in child development courses, early childhood education and special education. She has been well-known in the industry to capture the hearts of her audience with real life experiences. To the students, she stands out as a caring counsellor who takes time to listen to them. Prior to joining Cherie Hearts, Mrs Puspa spent over 2 decades with NTUC and RTRC, spearheading and laying the foundation of early childhood courses in Singapore. She fronted the team which designed the Ngee Ann Poly and SIM courses in early childhood education. She has also worked closely with various private and government organisations in the region such as Malaysia and Indonesia. She is also involved in a project in Aceh which works with orphans from the recent Tsunami disaster.

Mrs Puspa also serves as a consultant to childcare organisations and is a frequent guest speaker at parent education talks and seminars. Other than heading the training arm of the Group (PTC), she also assists in in-house teacher training sessions for all staff of Cherie Hearts. She is currently undertaking her Doctorate in Early Childhood.

Mr Jaspal Singh, Board of Directors

Mr Jaspal Singh hails from a very respectable and reputable business family. His family has been involved in various business activities since the early 1950s – mainly in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. At present, he oversees and supervises his sporting goods business in Malaysia. His company wholesales sports goods to stores and runs a chain of sports retail outlets all over Malaysia.

Alongside this, he spends a great deal of his time doing welfare and social work. He is very active in Sikh Temple affairs and is a very well renowned figure in the community. His diversified vast experience and knowledge augurs well for Cherie Hearts.

Angie E. Jonathan, Director (Indonesia & China Market)
                        Board of Directors

Ms Angie joined on board as a Director of Cherie Hearts Group International recently, bringing with her vast experiences in running family owned businesses in trading and successfully developed a few fast food chains in Indonesia since the early 1980s, to more than 180 outlets to date. After running family business for a couple of years in Jakarta, she decided to start her own family in Singapore, where she resided from the mid 1980s and took the opportunity to venture into the real estate investment business.

Tapping into her wide business network in Jakarta, Ms Angie oversees to strategically identify, develop, build and manage our overseas childcare centres for the entire Indonesian market.

Phua Johnny, Vice President (Internal Audit & General Affairs),
                        Board of Directors

Mr Phua joined the Group in 2003 as a member of the Board of Directors and also sits on the Board of two subsidiary overseas companies, Cherie Hearts (Australia) and Cherie Hearts (Vietnam). He also heads the Family Day Care Service Dept, a home-based day-care service project awarded by MCYS.

With his vast experience gained while working in the private sector for the past 20 years, he works closely with the Group Executive Chairman in seeking out viable business opportunities for the Group. This has helped ensure the continuous growth and diversification of the Group's businesses.

Alice Ow, Vice President (Admin & IT),
                        Board of Directors

Ms Alice who possesses a Diploma in Early Childhood Education with Leadership and Infant Care, has been in the early childhood industry for over 17 years, holding both teaching as well as supervisory positions. Ms Alice, who is a pioneer staff of Cherie Hearts as a principal when it was first formed, also sits on the Board of Directors.

Currently as Vice President of Administration & IT, Ms Alice takes charge of administrative functions like organising of centre’s open-houses, graduations, cleanliness maintenance, uniforms and stationeries. She also ensures that all systems of the People Developer Standard are adhered to. She is also heading the main and first centre of the Group, at Limau Garden as the Branch Director.

Gan Kim Teng, Advisor to President’s Office
                        Director (Overseas Operations)

Mr Gan possesses a Degree in Sciences from Nanyang University in 1973 and a Diploma in Business Administration from National University of Singapore in 1980. He has been in the private sector for more than 40 years & was the Vice President of Singapore Bus Services (SBS) Transit and Managing Director of IEC Pte. Ltd. He also sits on the Executive Committee of Hokkien Huay Kuan and is also in the School Management Council (SMC) for the six schools managed by Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK). They are Ai Tong School, Chongfu School, Kong Hua School, Nan Chiau Primary School, Tao Nan School and Nan Chiau High School; & a council member for Holy Innocent High School Alumni. With his vast network, he is developing new business opportunities in overseas markets for the Group.

Soh Yew Hin, Director (Malaysia)

Spanning 18 years, Yew Hin’s career has been with large multinational companies in the electronics and automotive industries in the global arena. Through his work, he has travelled intensively and has also had the experience of working and living in countries such as Thailand, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Formerly, Yew Hin was with General Motors Corporation for 11 years. His last position was the Director of Global Purchasing and was stationed in Shanghai. During his career with General Motors, he has covered management and procurement responsibilities in indirect material and services, construction, machineries, chemicals and metallic products.

Prior to that, Yew Hin has worked in companies such as Cycle and Carriage in Malaysia, AT&T Singapore and Matsushita Electronics Singapore. His experience with these companies spans from supervisory to managerial roles in production, quality control and materials management. Through his job, he has helped these companies on ISO 9002 certification, JIT process implementation, training and production processes. Yew Hin holds Diplomas in Mechanical Engineering and in Computer Studies.

He has also a Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Management) from Birmingham University, UK and is currently in the process of completing another Diploma in Early Childhood Education - Teaching in Singapore.

Kok Tatt (K.T.) Goh, Director (Malaysia)

KT was formally with General Motors Corporation for 12 years, his last position being the Director of Global Purchasing. He also held full regional P&L responsibility for GM’s wholly-owned “ACDelco-branded” independent aftermarket business unit in Asia Pacific. With GM, KT worked in various countries including Singapore, Germany, USA, Australia and China.
Prior to that, he spent 4 years with National Semiconductor Singapore in various positions in Backend Process Engineering, Quality ISO9000 certification, and Purchasing and SAP R3 implementation. He has a degree in Mechanical & Production Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Management).

Tam Le,  Director (Vietnam)

Ms Tam Le was formally Acting Office Manager with Pythis Co. Ltd, where she was responsible for the setting up of the company’s finance and administration departments. She also played a key role in the training of appropriate personnel on Marketing Fundamentals, for the organisation.

Prior to that, she spent 5 years with Oracle Vietnam Co. Ltd, in various positions such as Marketing Manager, Event Coordinator and member of the Senior Management Board. Tam Le is a graduate of Hanoi University of Foreign Languages, majoring in English Language; as well a valedictorian graduate of Swinburne University where she was enrolled in the Offshore Business Education Programme for Marketing.

Chin Wei Seong, Director (Hong Kong)

Mr. Chin started his own Internet advertising firm right after graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Computing Science from University of Newcastle (UK). With only limited resources and manpower, he slowly built up the small company to one which now caters to the North America and Europe market. Along the way, he has vested interest in the import/export and retail business in China, Hong Kong and Singapore and has also helped his family with their real estate business. Mr. Chin oversees Cherie Hearts’ operations and expansion in the Hong Kong market.

 Jennis Ow, Senior Vice President (Operations)

Ms Jennis has been in the childcare industry for the past 16 years and brings
with her vast knowledge of the industry both on a practical level as well as ministry level. Ms Jennis has managed childcare centres as the principal as well as its business manager. She has worked overseas in Suzhou as a trainer and also for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports as a licensing officer. There she helped revise the Assessment and Licensing Standards in Child Care Centres and helped write and publish the Good Practices Handbook. Currently in Cherie Hearts, Ms Jennis is heading the Business Operations department, with two AVPs under her charge, where she is in charge of licensing and ensuring that the standards in the centres are maintained.

 Satvinder Singh, Senior Vice President
                        (Overseas Operations & Projects)

Having graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering from Aston University (UK), Mr Satvinder chose to pursue an unconventional and rather entrepreneurial career path instead. This saw him through a range of partnerships spanning across industries which would include staffing services, remittance, money-changing and trading in both ferrous and nonferrous metals. He then went on to pursue and become a graduant of the Birmingham MBA. Underlining his numerous strengths are his drive and versatility which has equipped him with invaluable skills to take businesses forward, only befitting as VP for Executive Chairman & President’s Office / Corporate Development.

Juliet Chia, Senior Vice President (Marketing)

Juliet received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree, majoring in Marketing, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the hotel/hospitality, lifestyle and education industries, of which more than 10 years are in key management positions. Prior to joining Cherie Hearts, she was a Regional Marketing Director for a private education group.

She has lived and worked in Las Vegas and Sydney and she also possesses extensive regional experience in business and corporate development. Juliet’s role as a Vice President for Marketing is to help raise awareness, brand and increase the profile for all Cherie Hearts local and overseas companies.

Wong Mei Fong, Vice President (Finance)

Wong Mei Fong is an accountant who graduated from NUS and is now a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mei Fong began her working life as an external auditor in a local accounting firm and worked in a statutory board for 17 years, gaining invaluable experience in financial accounting and management. Amongst other projects, she was instrumental in implementing two financial software packages in this statutory board.

She has been looking forward to join an organization that fosters close family bonding and believes in grooming talent to achieve congruent goals. In Cherie Hearts, Mei Fong sees her position as Vice President (Finance) to be a good opportunity to harness her own potential and assist senior management in bringing the organisation to greater heights.

Angie Ng, Vice President (Service Quality)

Ms Angie has been in the hospitality industry for more than 16 years and received numerous commendations from all the organizations that she worked in. She also handled many high profile individuals, including CEOs, MDs, Ministers and even celebrities.

After 6 years in the Hotel Industry, she was headhunted to work for Star Cruises as Business Development Manager, Sun Cruises as Assistant Business Development Director and then to Crown Limited which operates the Crown Casino and Burswood Casino as International Sales Manager.

In her line of work, she has interacted with many high profile customers and has travelled to many countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Las Vegas on her marketing trips. With her vast experience, Ms Angie is an exceptional choice as VP for Service Quality.

Mona Tan, Vice President (Curriculum Development & Standards)

Ms Mona has over 10 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education. She began her career in the field teaching in a voluntary welfare organization – Presbyterian Community Services. She was in charge of assisting the principal in the daily operations of the centre, the supervision of the teachers during her absence and planning of the centre’s activities. While there, Ms Mona saw it fit to upgrade herself and pursued a Certificate in Integrated Childcare specializing in the area of Autism.

Ms Mona also holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care – teaching and leadership and was awarded the Best in Academic and Leadership Book Prize. She has recently graduated with a first class honors from the University of South Australia In Early Childhood Education.

Khogilah d/o Pasupathi Dorothy, Vice President
                        (Human Resource &Training)

Ms Khogilah started working as an English Teacher with NTUC Childcare Co- Operative Ltd for 18 years, gaining a wealth of experience and training in early childhood care and education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) awarded by the University of South Australia and a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education awarded by the Regional Training and Resource Centre for Asia (RTRC) in Singapore, accredited by Wheelock College, Boston USA. Besides teaching, she managed the centre as a Principle for 3 years and was also engaged as a student mentor for diploma students.

Prior to joining Cherie Hearts, Ms Khogilah had worked in Jarkarta, Indonesia for two years as a trainer and consultant. In Cherie Hearts she has successfully headed the training arm, PTC Learning School, before advancing to the Vice President position.

Imeelia Ismail, Vice President
                        (Corporate Development)

Imeelia received her Bachelor’s degree in Arts, majoring in English Language and Mathematics, from the National University of Singapore; and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Australia.

Armed with a passion for teaching and great love for children, she began her career in the field of Early Childhood Education in 2003, when she joined Learning Vision International as a preschool educator. She later joined Learning Horizon Pte Ltd as an English Speech and Drama trainer for preschool children. Through the years since her entrance into the field of Early Childhood Education, Imeelia has conducted training workshops and sharing sessions with other preschool educators. With the knowledge and experience she has garnered over the years, she then took on the professional challenge of training prospective educators.

She has been lecturing for close to two years, and teaches a variety of modules for the certificate and diploma programmes. She specializes in the areas of Language and Literacy as well as Music & Movement. Apart from the Early Childhood training prorammes in Singapore, Imeelia also lectured for the Diploma in Preschool Education programme in Dalian, China. Besides lecturing, Imeelia has also been invited to host a radio programme on Radio Singapore International to provide child development tips to listeners; as well as parenting and career talks.

Cindy Tang, Vice President
                        (Overseas Operations)

Cindy Tang has more than 11 years of experience in the field of early childhood education. She holds a Master of Arts (Educational Management) as well as a Master of Education, both conferred by Nanyang Technological University and National Institute of Education.

As a principal for NTUC Childcare Co-Operative Ltd for 9 years, Cindy was in charge of overseeing the operations of multiple childcare centres. With strong leadership skills, she was able to effectively lead and mentor teams of teachers as well as new principals. With a sound foundation in the industry, Cindy took on the position of Business Development & Operations Manager of Little Skool-House International Pte Ltd, which saw her building on growth opportunities for the company. Prior to joining Cherie Hearts, Cindy was the Manager (Customer Care) for NTUC Childcare Co-Operative Ltd.

To further upgrade her skills and knowledge in her area of interest, Cindy is currently undertaking a Specialist Diploma in Counselling, with Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Health Sciences. As Vice President (Overseas Operations), Cindy will assist the EVP (Overseas Operations) in Cherie Hearts’ overseas ventures.

Elaine Ng, Vice President
                        Enrichment & Overseas Operations (China)

Elaine Ng is a veteran in the early childhood industry with more than 16 years of experience. Elaine’s expertise in spearheading and implementing Early Childhood
programmes has won recognition and support from her former employers, which include KidsEmpire, iHappyChild Learning International @ the Esplanade, The Little Skool-House International, NTUC Childcare Co-operative Ltd, KinderWorld Educare Centre, Cambridge Child Development Centre and Kinderland Educare Centre. She has accumulated an extensive track record in pioneering and managing childcare centres, developing and delivering developmentally appropriate curriculum and childcare operating systems, planning and implementing professional training and exchange programmes for local and overseas teachers.

As a Curriculum Development and Operations Director at KidsEmpire, Elaine used to oversees the overall operations of two childcare centres and work with a professional team of educators (from Singapore, China, Australia and England), in the development and implementation of early childhood and arts curriculum for the two childcare centres. In addition, Elaine was also involved in the business development and expansion (local and overseas) activities for the organization.

As much as she believes in educating and cultivating young talents, Elaine leads by example in her continuous pursuit of higher education in Early Childhood Education and achieving exemplary results. She has been mentoring Early Childhood student teachers (diploma and degree level) from various institutions such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Learning Capital and Monash University. She is currently pursuing a Master degree in Early Childhood Education with the University of South Australia..

The Founders -
Dr Sam Yap & Dr Gurchran Singh