Work never stops for Lim Chuan Kai, not in 2014 when he was managing locals in Turkey’s most populous city, and not now in 2021, still working for Singapore Airlines (SIA). It is work of a different kind though for the father of one, who moved from Istanbul to Paris and back to Singapore in 2020.

“I spent a very enriching eight years abroad living and working in some of the biggest cities in the world. We started our international journey as two and ended with three! My wife and I had our daughter, Kaeley, in 2016,” says the 37-year-old.

The decision to end his globetrotting adventures came as a natural step when Chuan Kai realised he needed to do his part to take care of his ageing parents and grandmother – a duty which had rested solely on his younger brother’s shoulders for eight years.

As Head of Customer Contact Services at Krisflyer in SIA, Chuan Kai’s days are just as fulfilling as the time when he was a Station Manager in Istanbul managing the operational efficiency of the airline’s flights. These days, he works with his team to ensure that customers’ expectations are properly managed, especially with COVID-19 halting travel. One of the most challenging moments in this new role was having to formulate a strategy to deal with the 20,000 calls the call centre received at the height of the pandemic.

“I face different work challenges and exciting moments daily but now I also have my family to care for after work ends. I go to bed feeling accomplished knowing that I’ve done everything I possibly can for my loved ones and my company,” he adds.

Looking back on his life since NTU, where he represented Hall 6 in six sports, acted in plays, competed in dance competitions and chaired camps, Chuan Kai says that a particularly impactful moment in university – and which still serves him well today – was discovering the power of autonomy and making the most of this privilege.

“It hit me in university that it was entirely up to me to decide what I wanted to do, which sports I wanted to play, when I wanted to play them and how to juggle my time between studying and playing. I was free to devote my entire time to playing, but that also meant bearing any consequences on my own. I learnt how to take ownership of the decisions I make,” he says.

This story was published in the Oct-Dec 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.