Saab Singapore country head reads to develop life skills

Who: Mr Chun-Chau Chew, 48, country head of Saab Singapore.

- Ong Sor Fern

He spent 25 years in public service, first with the Republic of Singapore Navy, then at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

He joined Swedish defence technology and aerospace company Saab four years ago, and was appointed country head in May 2023 geopolitics, "I am a non-fiction reader who enjoys books on leadership and technology. Perhaps this interest was shaped by my years in public service.

The Swedish have a unique way of working within a flat matrix - or lattice-reporting structure, rather than the traditional hierarchical construct in Singapore's public service. I began reading books on how to lead within a matrix reporting structure, where leadership is not always clearly defined, and how to drive outcomes when you are not fully in charge.

I came across the e-book How To Lead When You're Not In Charge by Clay Scroggins. What stood out to me was the concept of influence leadership - how to guide a matrix team towards a common goal by building trust through empathy and humility, and by helping the team connect the dots to provide clarity of action.