Ex-national shuttler smashes his way into world of finance

CEO says he's shaped by the discipline and passion gained from his early sports career

- Sue-Ann Tan

Mr Kendrick Lee at age 40 has already lived two lives.

The first was as a national badminton player, one of whose highlights was bearing the Singapore flag in 2007 at the South-east Asian Games in Thailand.

The second sees him moving into the wealth management and family office industry.

But these two lives are bridged by one desire - to pass down values learnt and achievements gained to the next generation.

Mr Lee says: "Walking into the stadium with the national flag on my shoulder, I felt a huge sense of responsibility and purpose - not just to excel in sports, but also to give back and inspire future generations.

"That moment stayed with me and eventually inspired me to think about how we can pass on values and legacies."

When he retired from badminton at the age of 24, he carried with him that same sense of purpose, says Mr Lee, who is co-founder of the Raffles Family Office and chief executive of its Singapore office.

The company provides a suite of wealth management services, tailored for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Now in its 10th year, it is headquartered in Singapore and Hong Kong, with offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei.

Mr Lee says the lessons he learnt as a young man still influence his financial decisions as an adult.

"I started making money at the very young age of 10, where earnings consisted of prize money from matches, as well as grants from the sports council for further development," he says.

At age 15, he was already Singapore's national badminton champion.

Over 14 years of his badminton career until retirement, he saved enough - from prize money, allowances and salary from the sports association he represented - for his first property.

"The discipline, passion and perseverance I gained from my journey as a professional badminton player shaped my character and aspirations," he says.