Iconomy Group CEO Shares Career and Entrepreneurship Perspectives with University of London Alumni

24 October 2017

Iconomy Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Boo Kok Chuon participated as a speaker and panellist at the University of London alumni event Making the Most of Your Career, sharing his experience in entrepreneurship, corporate finance and business development with fellow alumni and participants.

The event brought together University of London alumni from different professional backgrounds to discuss career development, further education, entrepreneurship and the challenges involved in building a professional career.

From Corporate Finance to Entrepreneurship

At the time of the event, Mr Boo served as Director and Group CEO of Iconomy Holdings Pte. Ltd. His professional experience included corporate development and corporate finance, alongside the experience of establishing and developing his own businesses.

Drawing upon that background, Mr Boo shared perspectives on pursuing a career in corporate finance, starting a business and the practical considerations involved in developing an enterprise from its early stages.

The discussion addressed not only career choices, but also the importance of remaining informed about developments beyond one’s immediate professional specialisation.

One particularly memorable exchange arose when participants asked Mr Boo what books he read to keep himself informed.

His answer was unexpected:

“Facebook.”

The initial response drew some bemusement from the audience, before the reasoning behind the answer was explained.

Mr Boo’s Facebook feed had been deliberately populated with news and current-affairs sources, including business, technology, Singapore and international news publications. Social media therefore functioned less as a source of social entertainment and more as a continuously updating aggregation of developments across business, economics, technology and current affairs.

The light-hearted exchange reflected a more substantive point: continuous learning need not be confined to formal education or conventional reading habits.

The value of an information source ultimately depends upon what information is selected, followed and critically considered.

Building a Career Beyond a Single Path

The programme explored several possible directions available to graduates and working professionals, including further education, entrepreneurship and progression within established organisations.

Mr Boo’s contribution reflected a career trajectory that had already crossed several of those boundaries. His experience combined entrepreneurship with corporate finance and corporate development, providing participants with a perspective on building businesses while continuing to develop professional capabilities.

The discussion also provided an opportunity to address some of the realities of entrepreneurship beyond the conventional appeal of “being one’s own boss”.

Building a business requires the ability to identify opportunities, understand financial and commercial constraints, assume responsibility for decisions and continually acquire knowledge beyond one’s original field of expertise.

For participants considering corporate finance and entrepreneurship, the session provided an opportunity to hear directly from practitioners whose careers had developed through different routes rather than along a single predetermined professional pathway.

Returning as an Alumnus

The engagement carried particular significance as a University of London alumni event.

Mr Boo, himself a University of London alumnus, returned not as a student but as a business leader sharing professional experience with fellow members of the alumni community.

The event formed part of Iconomy’s early record of public outreach and professional engagement, with members of the Group contributing professional experience to educational, alumni and community platforms.

That commitment would subsequently develop through further professional seminars, educational programmes, public dialogues and community engagements, reflecting the Group’s belief that professional knowledge acquires wider value when it is shared beyond the confines of individual commercial engagements.