I help engineering leaders create workplaces where talented people choose to stay and thrive.

But I did not start there.

When I was first put in a leadership role managing a team of civil and structural engineers, resignations came in month after month. The 1st one, I brushed off. By the 3rd and 4th, I could not ignore it anymore.

I asked myself, Is this my fault?

I decided to stop waiting for problems to surface and started showing up differently. I committed to 1-on-1s. I read, listened to podcasts, and found mentors in the pages of books. I am still learning today.

I cannot promise that no one has ever left my team since then. Natural attrition is real. But I can say with conviction that I give every person on my team my best effort to lead, retain, and inspire.

Over 18 years delivering Singapore's complex infrastructure, from the Downtown Line and Cross Island Line to Changi Airport Terminal 5, I have learned that technical excellence is only half the equation. The other half is genuinely caring for the people who make the work possible.

Today, as Civil Engineering Team Lead at Arup, I focus on what truly drives retention: clear purpose, meaningful career pathways, and psychological safety.

I also speak and write about leadership in the Built Environment, because I believe transforming how we lead is the key to attracting and keeping great engineers in this industry.