In our latest edition of Alumni Spotlight, the Circle team caught up with Tan Tze Wooi, Chief Executive Officer at CapitaLand China Trust Management Limited, manager of CapitaLand China Trust. Tze Wooi shares about his KPMG experience, how it has shaped his professional journey, and his advice to those eager to make their mark in their careers.
Tze Wooi with Peter Lim, KPMG’s Head of Alumni Relations at a recent get-together at the KPMG Clubhouse.
Hello Tze Wooi! Tell us about yourself.
I’m the Chief Executive Officer at CapitaLand China Trust Management Limited, manager of CapitaLand China Trust (CLCT), Singapore's largest China-focused real estate investment trust (REIT). I work with the Board to shape the REIT's strategy, develop investment and business plans, and oversee day-to-day management of CLCT. I’m currently also serving as the Treasurer for REITAS, the representative voice of the Singapore REIT sector.
KPMG was my first job since graduation, back in 1997. My association with it dated back to 1994 when I took up the KPMG Peat Marwick scholarship, after my army friend showed me the scholarship advertisement on the newspapers and nudged me to apply. I had good opportunities to intern or work at KPMG during semester breaks, observing how people do things and learning why things are done in certain ways. This allowed me to gain exposure at an early stage.
Between 1997 to 2001, I was with the P1 Unit, where I gained audit and finance experience from the many job opportunities I had in various industries including banking, real estate, power/energy, healthcare, media and government. I learned a lot from my seniors, managers and partners, and even led client engagements as an assistant manager myself.
How has KPMG contributed to the growth and development in your career journey?
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at KPMG. It gave me a strong foundation in professional work ethics, developing an eye for detail through systematic training, and taking pride in producing quality work – all important foundational skills.
It also allowed me to acquire wide business and financial knowledge, while I picked up deeper awareness of my areas of interest. Through client engagements, I learned to think on my feet, and understood the importance of knowing your customers and connecting with people.
I realised that when you display your professional competencies and conduct yourself in a manner that demonstrates care and concern for your team and client’s interests, trust and rapport are built. These will lead to good things being done and deliverables being achieved.
And of course, I’m happy that many of the friendships and bonds forged with colleagues during my KPMG days remain till today, and we have grown and shared many life moments together.
What are your thoughts on how your career has panned out?
Looking back, I was fortunate with the opportunities I had and the timing of these, with each change coinciding around my five-year career stage review, when I felt the urge to pursue new interests and challenges.
I left KPMG to pursue my keen interest in real estate banking, and had a great time participating in many deals, providing banking solutions to real estate clients. When I joined CapitaLand, it was the draw of being able to participate in the booming China real estate market and the idea of launching a China-centric REIT (the first in Singapore) – this time not as a “lender”, but as a “business owner”. CapitaLand was the pioneer in that space – and when opportunity came my way, I seized the new challenge.
Thinking back, I want to express gratitude to all my bosses and mentors at different stages of my career path, giving me support, advice, and blessings at each turn. I’ve learned so much from everyone along the way. It truly feels like my career has come full circle, with all my earlier experiences in accounting, banking and finance, capital markets, real estate, and China coming together.
What do you miss most about being in KPMG?
It has to be the people, the team spirit of work-hard-play-hard, and the constant strive for excellence together. All the people you spent long hours with, and the camaraderie and memories formed are invaluable. Fun fact, I was part of the 1997 freshmen graduates who performed the opening dance for the Dinner & Dance that year – we were not dancers but our spirits were high. We had such fun practising after work, trying to put up a good show and bonding along the way!
We still crack jokes, gossip, and laugh heartily at new discoveries every time we gather and talk about those days. Indeed, “once KPMG, always KPMG” – I’m happy to see so many of my former colleagues in the partnership and leadership team today, as well as in the wider business community. Kudos to them, and I wish them the very best.
Tze Wooi (seated, 2nd from left in front row) with his batch of KPMG Scholars back in 1994.
What are some nuggets of wisdom you would give to someone who has just joined KPMG, or just started on his/her career?
For young people starting out, I feel that the initial years are like being a “sponge” – have an open mind, maintain a positive attitude to try different things, handle assigned tasks very well, and contribute your time to service your organisation. It is about learning and absorbing knowledge, building foundation skills, developing good working habits, and getting to know more people. With a reputation that you are responsible and reliable, words will travel and you will be noticed, which will lead to better career prospects that in turn stretch your potential further.
At all times, be active learners, seek out new knowledge, and strengthen personal competencies and skillsets that set you ahead or apart. Key to thriving in a big organisation is building rapport and relationships, earning trust, and taking the initiative to solve problems and pain points.
Where there are overseas opportunities or engagements that take you further, don’t hesitate to seize them – in the long run, it will benefit you to know the bigger world out there, and to understand diverse people, cultures, and ways of doing things by living through them. These experiences will broaden your mind and toughen you up to deal with uncomfortable situations. In a leadership position, having this range will ultimately prove useful.
If you’re thinking of recapturing that sense of belonging, have a look at career opportunities here. There’s always an opportunity to make your mark, thrive with us, and learn for a lifetime.
