When Data meets Strategy: How Reginald Heng is Redefining Public Service with the NUS MBA
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Reginald Heng
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The Right Time for Strategic Growth
For many professionals, the decision to pursue an MBA is about finding the perfect intersection of experience and opportunity. For Reginald Heng, a Singapore Geospatial Scholar who began his career as a geospatial consultant focusing on capacity building at Singapore Land Authority (SLA) before being seconded to NParks for GIS development work, the “pull” was toward the bigger picture and strategic thinking.
“I increasingly felt the urge to think beyond the immediate — to understand how organisations, markets, and people interconnect at a strategic level,” Reginald explains. When SLA offered him a Postgraduate Scholarship for his MBA studies, it was a chance to redirect his personal ambition into a shared investment.
By choosing the NUS Part-time MBA, Reginald didn’t have to pause his career. Instead, he created a real-time feedback loop between the classroom and the office. Six months into his MBA journey, he returned to SLA, transitioning to a role in Career Development & Projects. “I was able to bring perspectives from my work into the projects I was on while contributing to classroom discussions with insights from the public sector,” he reflects.
Made valuable friendship at the start of the programme and graduating with this group of peers in our 20 months PT MBA programme.
Learning Through Service and Collaboration
But it’s not all textbook study. Reginald’s journey at NUS went far beyond academia. As the Academic Liaison for the 41st Student Council, he found himself navigating between student concerns and faculty perspectives.
“This role challenged many assumptions I had about leadership,” he recalls. “I learned that effective leadership isn’t about having authority; it’s about building bridges through genuine empathy and principled decision-making.”
These experiences prepared him for broader responsibilities, where he represented NUS at the Graduate Business Forum 2025 and served on the Board of Discipline. These opportunities taught him a vital lesson: leadership often means supporting others through difficult moments with fairness rather than judgment.
A Global Classroom: From London to Berkeley
The NUS MBA is known for its “Asia-focused, globally connected” curriculum, and Reginald took advantage of this. His semester exchange at London Business School was valuable, as he worked with entrepreneurs to merge analytical rigour with creative storytelling.
His global experience expanded through intensive programs at Berkeley Haas, focusing on People Analytics, and HEC Paris, exploring the Luxury Industry. Reginald also proved his mettle on the competition circuit, earning accolades in the INSEAD x DBS Product Innovation Challenge and the Renewable Energy Case Competition.
“I returned to Singapore with a broader perspective that now influences how I approach challenges at work,” Reginald reflects. “Curiosity, resilience, and collaborative problem-solving have become important parts of my approach.”
DBS x INSEAD Product Innovation Challenge
Lessons in Adaptive Thinking
Among the many academic influences at NUS, Dr Tan Hong Ming’s “Business Insights through Industry Analysis” left a lasting impression. The course moved beyond static frameworks, focusing instead on how AI and advanced analytics are actively reshaping business models.
“Dr Tan challenged us to interpret and adapt frameworks for evolving industry realities,” Reginald notes. “He reinforced that effective leaders must be continuous learners. This mindset is now central to how I approach my career.”
Managing the Balancing Act
The challenge of balancing a part-time MBA with a full-time career is one that Reginald navigated with support from his community.
“During intense weeks when major SLA projects coincided with exams, my classmates became an incredible source of strength,” he says. “We studied together and supported each other through difficult moments. These challenging periods actually helped build resilience I didn’t know I possessed.”
When asked about the Return on Investment (ROI) for a part-time MBA, Reginald looks past salary figures. For him, the value lies in the analytical tools and the diverse network of emerging leaders he now calls friends.
Looking Forward
As Reginald prepares to transition to Business Planning & Development at SLA in April 2026, he reflects on his MBA journey: “The MBA helped me to think more systematically about challenges while remaining grounded in human-centric solutions. The time investment was significant, but developing a broader perspective creates value that extends far beyond traditional metrics.”
Reginald Heng’s experience shows that the NUS MBA can be a platform for those who want to bridge operational expertise with strategic leadership. Whether you are in the public or private sector, you will find that our programme offers the flexibility to grow without stepping away from your career.
