Singtel’s Anna Yip is a rebel when it comes to taking charge of her career

When Anna Yip was 12 years old, she saw an ad in the papers in her native Hong Kong for a scholarship to study in Singapore. Without telling her family, she applied and got in.

In 1984, she spent a year at Raffles Girls’ School, but was ushered back to Hong Kong when her mother realised that her daily commute from her accommodation at Nanyang Technological Institute’s dormitory (now NTU campus) to the school was untenable.

The deputy CEO of Singtel Singapore and CEO of Business Development at Singtel has always had a slightly rebellious streak. Four years ago, she made the difficult decision to leave her job as CEO and executive director of Hong Kong’s leading telecommunications company, Smartone, to accompany her husband when he got a posting to Singapore, to be with him and their 16-year-old daughter.

“I had many questions, like whether I could deal with the change, and whether it was right to step down. But I had clear priorities and goals. While my career is important, my family is equally important, so that’s what I needed to prioritise,” explains the 54-year-old.  

She spent six to eight months working on her transition plan with the Smartone board. “I had the confidence that I would manage the [shift], and I would survive and come out stronger, or at least different. Having that courage and confidence is part of life.”

She pauses, adding: “I think loving yourself is important. Because if I didn’t, I would have found it hard to change, and I would keep worrying whether I would get [a similar role].”

Proving that worrying is a futile endeavour, she received a call from Singtel during the Smartone leadership transition, to take on the role of deputy CEO, Consumer Singapore. She joined Singtel in 2020, which put paid to all her plans to take time out to recharge and perhaps explore entrepreneurship.  

Building lifelong skills

Anna grew up with the values of hard work embedded in her psyche by her teacher father and mother, who alternated between being a homemaker and taking on odd jobs.

Her father wanted Anna to pursue a degree in English literature to follow in her parents’ footsteps, but true to her rebellious streak, she decided to do business administration instead. Post PhD, she considered becoming a teacher, but instead ended up joining the consulting industry.

After becoming a partner at consulting firm McKinsey & Company, she took a leap of faith and switched industries, joining UOB as managing director, and subsequently Mastercard as head of Hong Kong and Macau. Career transitions are scary, she says, but “the more you’re stuck in one place, the harder it gets over the years to make the switch”.

Her meandering path in different industries has imbued her with lifelong lessons and transferable skills. She shares: “Joining a consulting firm gave me a broad overview of many industries. It’s a pressure cooker environment that provides a fast track to understanding the intricacies of business.” 

She credits these experiences for honing different skills: “As a CEO, it’s never about just one thing. Strategy is crucial, of course. You also need to have a good handle on people. My style is to be personable, but the key is to judge people’s abilities and bring out their best.

“You need to be able to zoom in on the details when necessary. You need to be able to think strategically at a high level, but sometimes, the people on the ground need your guidance. Nothing is too detailed if the situation calls for it.” 

Breaking the rules

When Anna joined Singtel four years ago, her first impression of the company was that it was very rule driven.

“At my first meeting with HR, we spoke for an hour about rules. It was during Covid, mind you, but because I had not lived in Singapore for a long time, it was important to understand the culture.”

But as a famous watchmaker’s motto goes: To break the rules, you must first master them. Anna quickly realised that this was the company’s modus operandi, and this system enabled its teams to operate as intrapreneurs within the larger ecosystem.

“You have to respect and know the boundaries, and understand the lie of the land, before you do something new,” she explains.

In her role at Singtel, Anna works closely with the government on building its Smart Nation pipeline. “To me, this is very impressive about Singapore: its willingness and proactiveness to disrupt itself. It’s constantly looking 10, 20, 50 years ahead, and thinking: How can we prepare the nation for that?”

Underlining the nation’s digitalisation plans is connectivity, explains Anna. Singapore is one of the only countries with nationwide 5G standalone (SA) coverage, not tied to 4G networks. “We were ahead of schedule by a couple of years when we completed the 5G SA coverage, which is crucial for setting up Singapore as the global sandbox for innovation.”

If you were at the Taylor Swift concert earlier this year, for instance, you may have observed that, despite the large crowd in the stadium, you could download lyrics and share photos with friends using the Singtel network. Beyond its clear benefits to customers, this 5G coverage also makes for an attractive proposition to foreign investors. Hyundai, for example, has set up Singapore’s first 5G-enabled factory, which produces the EV Ioniq 5 and 6 cars.

“It’s not just a very proud moment for Singapore, but also for Hyundai,” says Anna. “They chose to build their first 5G-enabled factory in Singapore. There are very few workers, and robots mostly operate it. It’s quite futuristic.”

At the forefront of innovation

Anna acknowledges that over the past decade, Singtel has had to contend with a growing number of competitors that are outpricing them in the market. And while Singtel has launched products and services, like GOMO by Singtel, a range of data-only plans that are aimed at a younger demographic, Anna remains convinced in the value that the telco offers.

“We see ourselves differentiating on network performance and superiority, as well as a 360-degree type of customer experience and service. The customer might be attracted to the price, and not necessarily see the bigger picture on what they are really getting.

“But we want them to know that they are getting the best when they are with us – so we are always looking out for their needs and requirements - giving more value.”

This value is reflected in Singtel’s fight against scammers. Every year, the company’s investments in cybersecurity grows by 25 per cent. 

“We have a three-pronged approach when it comes to protecting our customers: First, there’s education. Then, protecting them at the network level, and finally, at the device level.”

Anna reveals that Singtel shields its users from 30 million scam calls every month, a mind-boggling number considering Singapore’s population of 6 million – of which 4.6 million users are currently registered with Singtel. This is thanks to its sophisticated AI capabilities that can detect and screen such calls.

“Imagine if you are not with a telco with this kind of technology,” she says. “You might get 10 times more scam calls. Some people say it doesn’t matter and they will go for the cheaper option, but they have to think hard about [the value they’re getting].”

While many of its innovations may go unnoticed by the public, they underscore the company’s relentless pursuit of technological advancement. The company hosts an annual hackathon to find vulnerabilities, and recently launched South-east Asia’s first quantum safe network. “It’s still very new, but quantum codes are hard to hack because they’re always changing,” Anna explains, using layman terms to simplify the concept.

Part of its efforts in the fight against scammers is educating the public through content and workshops. It regularly hosts sessions for seniors over weekends, a pro bono initiative led by Singtel staff, who spend their off days teaching older folks how to use their phones smartly and safely. 

Beyond work

Unsurprisingly, Anna is a self-proclaimed gadget enthusiast who delights in exploring the possibilities of new technology.

In her leisure time, the movie enthusiast stays active and practices mindfulness: “Focusing on the present is crucial because often, our unhappiness stems from dwelling on the past or fearing the future. However, by concentrating on the here and now, you can eliminate many unnecessary worries and burdens, enjoying the moment and conversations much more. This helps keep me grounded.”

She is also a board member of the Singapore Cancer Society, a cause she holds dear to her heart as she has lost several family members to the disease, including a 23-year-old uncle. Both her parents passed away from cancer within 10 years of each other.

“My mother passed away when she was in her 50s, and she never got to meet my daughter,” says Anna. “It was very traumatic to see both my parents suffer. I love the work that the Singapore Cancer Society is doing, whether it’s rehabilitation, prevention or treatment of patients.”

Recently, she participated in the Singtel Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer. Through this race, she aims to raise funds that will directly support cancer research, treatment, and care for patients and their families.

She shares: “While I’m not a natural runner, this cause holds a deep personal significance for me, as I lost both my parents to cancer years ago. This race is my way of honouring their memory and supporting those who are still fighting.”

PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA
ART DIRECTION ADELINE ENG
HAIR & MAKEUP AUNG APICHAI