Thoughts… Kevin Fernando

I have known Kevin almost my entire adulthood, with him weaving multiple roles – a business leader within the business unit I have worked for, a boss, a true mentor, a confident and a close friend.

Kevin is a strategic business leader: visionary, articulative, and participative, he leads organizations towards their long-term goals by influencing and inspiring the team and its broader group to work towards those goals. Technically competent, Kevin is able to take complex business issues, navigate through changing business environments, simplifying these complexities, effectively communicate and motivate his team to achieve desired outcomes, adjusting strategies as required as the team moves collectively with his vision.

As a member of his team, Kevin’s leadership style has been participative. He takes time to listen to each of us, understands where we come from before he makes the final decision as a business leader while managing potential risks associated with each of these strategic decisions to be made. We had a senior Asia Pacific leadership team who stayed together through 16 years within the same business and industry, changed hands of ownership 3 rounds during that period, yet holding strong as a team and delivering positive business results under Kevin’s leadership. I have to say that those 16 years have been the best time of my entire career of close to 3 decades.

As my mentor, Kevin continues to guide and support, helping me to navigate challenges, set personal goals and accelerating my growth professionally. As my boss and mentor, I do not recall any moment where Kevin has dampened my desire to expand beyond my skillset as a human resources leader. He has always encouraged me to look beyond my function to encompass a broader business perspective and appreciation, and these conversations have kindled my interest in learning beyond my professional scope. Kevin even provided true opportunities for application, with him on the sideline, acting as my role model, offering encouragement and sharing his experience to help me achieve my potential. Those 3 years in Shenzhen China spent rebuilding the electronics sub-segment, developing new customer profiles, has been the true highlight of my career where I would still relish with much delight each and every time I think about it. Even today, I continue to benefit and learn from him professionally, as I expand my skillset in business development and running a business.

As a confidant and close friend, he stood by me during my toughest moment in life when I lost my dad (the giant and pillar of my life) to cancer. I recalled those dark days when I thought I could no longer carry on and was lost, Kevin stood by me stoically at all times, never letting me go. Looking back at this dark period of my life, Kevin was then a light to remind me that life is worth living. Such a friend is indeed a friend for life.

Sandra Yap
Head – Business Development, Marketing & External Relations Se-cure Waste Management (SWM) Pte. Ltd. Singapore