Performance Marketer levels up in leadership with the FlexiMasters in General Management

With a robust background that straddles both in-house and agency, performance marketer, consultant and trainer, David Fong considers himself a well-rounded digital marketing strategist. But in the fast-paced realm of digital marketing, staying ahead demands more than just technical expertise—it requires strategic vision and leadership prowess.

“Having that deep specialisation in digital marketing, and at the same time complemented with strategic management and leadership capabilities. This is something that I continue to hone further in my career,” David shared.

While leadership and mentorship are not foreign to David, he continues to strive to develop his capabilities. He is a strong advocate in lifelong learning and empowering the next generation of digital marketers through purpose-led and grounded mentorship.

“At work, I oversee a team of high-performance digital executives across the APAC region,” he added. “Outside of work, I'm really passionate about the startup ecosystem in communities, so I continue to serve and mentor as a volunteer at the Techstars’ Startup Weekend Singapore.”

“At this stage of my career, I am looking at something that will give me an edge. So that I can step up to a leadership position,” David revealed.  

Striking the right balance with FlexiMasters

He has even considered taking on a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, but due to life’s commitments, he didn't want to commit to the full programme. “I intended to look into the MBA, but I'm still on the fence,” he clarified. “In the meantime, I am trying to balance across more micro-credentials in management, leadership to really give that additional boost to elevate my career.”

With the FlexiMasters in General Management, David achieved just that. Thanks to the programme’s flexible schedule, David took up the weekend courses without forgoing much of his personal or family time. “I wanted to pick up management level skillsets without being in the long haul,” he pointed out. “The FlexiMasters provided that good balance, and also gave me a taster into what an MBA programme entails.”

Family support

However, like all academic programme, the FlexiMasters share the same academic rigour as any degree programme. “Trying to juggle that with personal commitments was a challenge that I experienced personally,” David recalled, but he’s grateful for the support from his wife.

The couple tied the knot before David embarked on his FlexiMasters journey, and the newlyweds were juggling renovation projects on top of everyday work commitments.  “The encouragements from my wife, an NTU alumnus, played an important role in helping me navigating these challenges successfully.”

Dynamic learning experience with diverse viewpoints

Beyond family support, David also found that stepping out of his comfort zone opened a world of opportunities. This mindset shift underscored a pivotal impact on his personal and professional development.

The interactions David had with his peers from diverse industries also yielded a dynamic and impactful learning experience— exposing him to new innovative ideas and approaches to business challenges.

“My peers share very different, but high value perspectives. How they choose to navigate some situations,” he cited some examples, which helped him realise that there’s more than meets the eye. “It opened my eyes. There's a lot more that one can consider when approaching some of these situations.”

Charting a new frontier

David’s journey with the FlexiMasters programme was not just an educational pursuit but also a strategic step towards achieving his professional aspirations to advance into a more senior role. He was presented with an opportunity to promote to a regional director role. “I will be applying lot of the strategic frameworks and skillsets to value-add in this new position,” he imagined, where he is expected to make strategic decisions and manage stakeholders from different markets.

“I will need to be culturally sensitive,” David pictured. “So, the course on cultural perspectives really gave me that edge in understanding the nuances to consider when it comes to communicating cadences and cascades down to the different markets.”

David looks forward to his new role, where he also required to manage his team as well as the stakeholders. “I want to make sure that I'm driving the best outcomes, and also groom and hone the skillsets that's needed from the team; so that they are also doing the best they can with confidence.”

FlexiMasters in General Management
The programme aims to equip you with the skills necessary to run modern enterprises.

The five-course sequence will focus on key aspects of business strategy, people management, operations, company governance, cultural intelligence, and business negotiation.