Desmond Heng, PhD, MBA
Advisory Board at Confetti Snacks - Marvellous Veggie Chips- Claim this Profile
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English Full professional proficiency
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Mandarin Professional working proficiency
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Teochew -
Topline Score
Bio
Rajat Saxena
Desmond is a very hard-working, innovative and creative individual. I had the opportunity to work with him on many projects during our Manchester MBA course. He is an excellent conflict manager, very good team player and knows the art of tactfully aligning people towards a common goal or agenda. Not only is he very knowledgeable and well read, he also motivates his team members to perform at their highest potential and deliver their best. The innovative solutions which we came up with in several projects showcased his out of box thinking and ensured that our team always performed very well. I am quite certain that Desmond will utilise his skills and learnings to benefit everyone he connects with. He is very empathetic, caring and sensitive towards his colleagues & friends. While he continues applying his genius mind and soft skills to grow in life, I am confident that no barrier will ever be too high for him.
Hak-kim Chan
Back to his PhD days in my team, Desmond differentiated himself from other students in his great compassion for his work. His diligence in following literature closely in his field and seeking new research ideas followed by their implementation put him at the front of his pack. Des is a people's person, well liked by other team members and collaborators. It does not come as a surprise that he has continued to succeed in his work later after returning to Singapore and proactively improving himself further through the MBA program to be a strong leader. I would highly recommend Des for any future leadership position.
Rajat Saxena
Desmond is a very hard-working, innovative and creative individual. I had the opportunity to work with him on many projects during our Manchester MBA course. He is an excellent conflict manager, very good team player and knows the art of tactfully aligning people towards a common goal or agenda. Not only is he very knowledgeable and well read, he also motivates his team members to perform at their highest potential and deliver their best. The innovative solutions which we came up with in several projects showcased his out of box thinking and ensured that our team always performed very well. I am quite certain that Desmond will utilise his skills and learnings to benefit everyone he connects with. He is very empathetic, caring and sensitive towards his colleagues & friends. While he continues applying his genius mind and soft skills to grow in life, I am confident that no barrier will ever be too high for him.
Hak-kim Chan
Back to his PhD days in my team, Desmond differentiated himself from other students in his great compassion for his work. His diligence in following literature closely in his field and seeking new research ideas followed by their implementation put him at the front of his pack. Des is a people's person, well liked by other team members and collaborators. It does not come as a surprise that he has continued to succeed in his work later after returning to Singapore and proactively improving himself further through the MBA program to be a strong leader. I would highly recommend Des for any future leadership position.
Rajat Saxena
Desmond is a very hard-working, innovative and creative individual. I had the opportunity to work with him on many projects during our Manchester MBA course. He is an excellent conflict manager, very good team player and knows the art of tactfully aligning people towards a common goal or agenda. Not only is he very knowledgeable and well read, he also motivates his team members to perform at their highest potential and deliver their best. The innovative solutions which we came up with in several projects showcased his out of box thinking and ensured that our team always performed very well. I am quite certain that Desmond will utilise his skills and learnings to benefit everyone he connects with. He is very empathetic, caring and sensitive towards his colleagues & friends. While he continues applying his genius mind and soft skills to grow in life, I am confident that no barrier will ever be too high for him.
Hak-kim Chan
Back to his PhD days in my team, Desmond differentiated himself from other students in his great compassion for his work. His diligence in following literature closely in his field and seeking new research ideas followed by their implementation put him at the front of his pack. Des is a people's person, well liked by other team members and collaborators. It does not come as a surprise that he has continued to succeed in his work later after returning to Singapore and proactively improving himself further through the MBA program to be a strong leader. I would highly recommend Des for any future leadership position.
Rajat Saxena
Desmond is a very hard-working, innovative and creative individual. I had the opportunity to work with him on many projects during our Manchester MBA course. He is an excellent conflict manager, very good team player and knows the art of tactfully aligning people towards a common goal or agenda. Not only is he very knowledgeable and well read, he also motivates his team members to perform at their highest potential and deliver their best. The innovative solutions which we came up with in several projects showcased his out of box thinking and ensured that our team always performed very well. I am quite certain that Desmond will utilise his skills and learnings to benefit everyone he connects with. He is very empathetic, caring and sensitive towards his colleagues & friends. While he continues applying his genius mind and soft skills to grow in life, I am confident that no barrier will ever be too high for him.
Hak-kim Chan
Back to his PhD days in my team, Desmond differentiated himself from other students in his great compassion for his work. His diligence in following literature closely in his field and seeking new research ideas followed by their implementation put him at the front of his pack. Des is a people's person, well liked by other team members and collaborators. It does not come as a surprise that he has continued to succeed in his work later after returning to Singapore and proactively improving himself further through the MBA program to be a strong leader. I would highly recommend Des for any future leadership position.
Credentials
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Balancing Innovation and Risk
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Building Resilience
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Embracing Unexpected Change
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Leading at a Distance
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Learning Design for Sustainability
LinkedInJul, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Business Analytics: Marketing Data
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Design Thinking: Data Intelligence
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Digital Transformation
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
How to Use Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions—Faster
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Improving Your Conflict Competence
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Learning Digital Business Analysis
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Predictive Analytics Essential Training for Executives
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
SEO: Competitive Analysis
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Sustainability Strategies
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024 -
Telling Stories with Data
LinkedInJun, 2021- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Confetti Snacks - Marvellous Veggie Chips
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Singapore
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Food and Beverage Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Advisory Board
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Sep 2021 - Present
Confetti is a mission led snack company that crafts scrumptious award winning snacks that are nutrient dense and bursting in plant goodness. The company makes delicious upcycled snacks from ugly veggies to reduce food waste, and uses colorful plants to feed the hungriest people in the world using a Robin Hood approach. (www.confettisnacks.com) Confetti is a mission led snack company that crafts scrumptious award winning snacks that are nutrient dense and bursting in plant goodness. The company makes delicious upcycled snacks from ugly veggies to reduce food waste, and uses colorful plants to feed the hungriest people in the world using a Robin Hood approach. (www.confettisnacks.com)
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A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research
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Singapore
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Research Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Principal Investigator (III)
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Jan 2021 - Present
Lead in Formulation TechnologiesResponsible for establishing commercially-viable research in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and food fields, focusing on translating upstream molecules to finished efficacious downstream productsEstablished commercially-viable research links with industry and academic partners (B2B Marketing)Led the successful filing of several technology disclosures in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and food fields
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Principal Investigator (III)
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2015 - 2021
Managed a team of 5 direct research staff and students, leading research initiatives that lie at the intersection of scientific discovery and market disruption, which bridged the gap between academia and industryPromoted regularly, led over 15 complex research projects in advance respiratory drug delivery, particle engineering, food technology and biomanufacturing, successfully securing million dollar funding across 5 multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research grants as the Principal InvestigatorEngaged stakeholders at all levels, including other private and public research labs, local and international universities, regulatory and other government bodiesFormulated technology roadmaps at the HQ level for Industry 4.0 planningLaunched specialized Aerosol Technology Research lab within A*STAR’s pharmaceutical technology research department; this new lab led to patents, publications, and prestige for the instituteLed inter-departmental and inter-institutional teams of up to 10 to deliver on research grant objectives and acquire copyrighted novel technology; early adoption efforts in nano spray-dryer technology led to first-mover advantage in a number of research reports and expert reviews from A*STARRegular panelist and judge at multiple scientific conferences and challenges since 2009
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Principal Investigator (II)
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2013 - 2015
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Principal Investigator (I)
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2009 - 2013
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University of Sydney
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Australia
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Teaching Associate, Faculty of Pharmacy
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2007 - 2009
Taught advanced lab course “Physical Pharmaceutics and Formulation (Tabletting),” a unit on oral drug formulation Designed laboratory curriculum, engineered the technical experiments with the university’s available equipment Tailored instructional approach to individual learners, adjusted curriculum and provided additional content support Won back-to-back teaching awards for instructional excellence Taught advanced lab course “Physical Pharmaceutics and Formulation (Tabletting),” a unit on oral drug formulation Designed laboratory curriculum, engineered the technical experiments with the university’s available equipment Tailored instructional approach to individual learners, adjusted curriculum and provided additional content support Won back-to-back teaching awards for instructional excellence
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NanoMaterials Technology Pte Ltd.
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Singapore
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Chemical Manufacturing
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Research Engineer
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2004 - 2009
Aligned research efforts at nano-material developer to increase efficiency and output; coordinated joint research efforts with domestic and overseas collaborators, expanding company research and development initiatives Utilized High Gravity Controlled Precipitation (HGCP) technology and related analytical methods to design, prepare, and characterize drug nanoparticles Conducted multiple market intelligence studies on pharmaceutical nanotechnology and reviewed the rate of adoption of nanoparticles in commercial pharma products for different diseases, as insight into consumer preferences
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Education
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2022 - 2022
Alliance Manchester Business School
Executive Education, [Managing Disruptive Technologies] -
2021 - 2021
Alliance Manchester Business School
Executive Education, [Business-to-Business Marketing] -
2019 - 2020
The University of Manchester
Master of Business Administration - MBA (Global - Accelerated Track), [Distinction] -
2005 - 2009
University of Sydney
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Technology) -
2003 - 2004
National University of Singapore
Master of Science (M.Sc.), Biopharmaceutical Engineering -
1999 - 2002
University of Adelaide
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) (Hons), Chemical Engineering
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