Joey Leong - Marketing and Communications Manager

Chapter 5: Sunset OASIS

A lot can happen in four years.

After leaving FirstCom Solutions, I took a year-long hiatus, jumping between one-off freelance projects, finding Geek Culture, and figuring out what I wanted to do next.

CBM was my first move into an official Communications and Public Relations role, and I consciously moved away from focusing solely on video production. This meant sharpening my graphic design skills to maintain internal corporate communication materials, write newsletters, work from brand guides, and even draft crisis communications policies.

Although I didn't have the proper certificates or academic background in Communications then, I was confident I had the skills and experience to practice the trade.

Avoiding post-work hours, working through midnight, and sticking to a 9 AM-6 PM schedule were key factors in my decision. After all, I was completing my part-time studies, and I needed a more 'manageable' (not necessarily 'easy') work-life balance.

CBM has given me broad exposure to Communications and Public Relations. While I was looking for Corporate Communications and expecting the mundanity of newsletters and revamping letterheads, CBM gave me the chance to practice a whole other world of branding, awards writing, photography, marketing, policy writing, Corporate Social Responsibility, representing the company for strategic business opportunities, and more.

Here, I was exposed to Facilities Management and learned the complex concepts behind running malls and buildings, such as how AHUs work. I had the privilege of seeing how technology is shaping Facilities Management, from using robots to enhance security to watching a team transport one of Changi's largest chiller plants into the chiller room (this happened overnight and during my birthday).

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What is CBM?

CBM Pte Ltd, formerly 'City Building Management', is a Facilities Management Company.

Today, they are 2000 strong.

A sister company of CDL, CBM provides Integrated Facility Management (IFM) services, offering a one-stop solution for managing facilities across all industries and facility types.

Through its subsidiaries, the company addresses various aspects of facilities management.

Aside from an Environmental division, an Engineering division, and a Project Management division, where they manage cleaners and housekeepers, engineers, and project management, respectively, they also operate through the following subsidiaries:

Empire City Consultant (ECC)

ECC is the Managing Agent subsidiary of CBM. They offer a comprehensive suite of property management services and manage condominiums as well as commercial and industrial complexes.

Notable track records include W Residences at Sentosa, Cube 8, and Cendex Centre.

CBM Parking (CBMP)

If you drive around Singapore, you will notice that most car parks around HDB estates are managed by CBM Parking.

CBM Parking operates and manages Full and semi-electronic parking systems, cash card systems and Proximity Disc Systems.

They were the first car park management provider for Punggol Digital District, implementing wireless and contactless gantries.

CBM Security (SEC)

CBM's security wing not only manages manpower for security guards and concierge services.

They also provide robotics that patrol prestigious locations like South Beach Towers and Republic Plaza.

CBM Solutions (CBMS)

CBM Solutions provides building owners with integrated sustainable solutions that support their business operations and processes.

This means they conduct Sustainability and Energy audits and offer consultation, professional engineering, and project management capabilities to keep buildings energy-efficient.

They recently installed Changi Airport's largest Air Handling Unit (AHU) and chiller plant.

Systematic Laundry and Healthcare Services (SLHS)

CBM operates a dedicated laundry plant under Systematic Laundry.

They provide laundry services for both consumers and businesses. Systematic Laundry washes and services most of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels' linen.

Ingensys (ING)

Complementing CBMP's car park management services, Ingensys develops in-house car park products, including dedicated gantry systems and software.

Ingensys also installs and maintains these systems in-house.

Together, these services form an additional division, Integrated Facilities Services (IFS), which manages large portfolios across all sectors of society, including Government and Private.

The company managed Ministry of Education (MOE) facilities such as schools, Resorts World Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay, multiple JTC facilities, and even one of Singapore's tallest skyscrapers, Republic Plaza.

They also have a hand in international markets, including Qatar, Taiwan, and Thailand.

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How Was I Involved?

Marketing and Communications Manager
Jul 2023 - Present

This will be a long one.

My role sits at the centre of the company’s communications and public relations efforts. Daily, I lead and manage internal and external communications for the company and its seven subsidiaries, working closely with the Head of Business Development and the C-Suite. With a small team of two additional executives, I handle not only communications planning but also the hands-on execution that keeps the function running day to day.

Much of this work happens behind the scenes, but it shapes how the company presents itself at every touchpoint. I oversee the production and upkeep of the company and subsidiaries’ websites, alongside corporate materials such as letterheads, quarterly newsletters, EDMs, corporate brochures, vehicle decals, and digital and print name cards. From the smallest corporate collateral to the platforms that represent the company publicly, I ensure our communications remain consistent and reflect the organisation we want to be.

One area where I have seen a particularly tangible outcome is our LinkedIn presence. When I took on the platform, the company had around 2,000 followers; today, that number stands at 7,000. I built a dedicated weekly content calendar to move us away from posting only when we had something to announce, creating a more consistent organic presence through recruitment drives, public holiday content, and B2C marketing materials I conceptualised. This gave the company a stronger online voice while letting me experiment with how a traditionally B2B organisation could communicate with a wider audience.

My work also extends beyond our own communications channels. I manage external media relations, including visits from organisations such as MINDEF, and represent the company in collaborations with governing and editorial bodies including BCA, The Smart Local, SPH, APAC Outlook Magazine, and MediaCorp. These engagements have positioned me to shape how CBM and its services are introduced, represented, and remembered outside the organisation.

CSR is another area where I have brought people together around something meaningful. At least three times a year, I coordinate initiatives that let our staff contribute to the community. During my employment, these efforts have reached more than 500 individuals and households through pro bono home maintenance, beach clean-ups, annual charity carnivals, and the refreshing of different spaces within charity homes. These CSR events have drawn the attention of key national leaders, including parliamentary leaders Ng Eng Hen and Tan Kiat How.

I also support photography for our CSR initiatives and in-house events such as Vendors Day, Learning Day, and festive celebrations, allowing me to capture and preserve the people and moments behind these activities.

The Annual Client Survey (ACS) is another part of my responsibilities, but over time, I began looking beyond simply sending the survey. The ACS gathers quantitative and qualitative feedback from our clients, supports ISO audit preparation, and provides useful insights into where we can improve our operational processes. That led me to examine the survey dissemination process itself and ask how to make it more efficient.

Previously, we drafted and sent survey invitations and chasers manually through Microsoft Word and Outlook. I introduced email automation through Brevo, turning a repetitive, manpower-heavy process into a more streamlined workflow. This change reduced the manpower required for the ACS process by about two weeks—a relatively simple improvement that made a recurring process significantly more efficient.

These responsibilities form the baseline of my role. What I am particularly proud of, however, is the opportunity to take the company's story beyond day-to-day communications.

Over the past four years, I have played a key role in helping the company secure several prestigious industry awards, taking each application from research and conceptualisation through to final submission. This meant drafting the applications end to end, gathering the necessary supporting information, identifying the stories and achievements worth highlighting, and translating our people's work into compelling narratives that could withstand external scrutiny.

Among these were the FM Visionary Award received by CBM's CEO at the Facilities Management Expert Summit (FMES) 2023, organised by the Singapore International Facility Management Association (SIFMA); the FM Visionary Award for CBM Solutions' CEO; Woman Facility Manager of the Year; FM Team of the Year; and Best FM Partner Award for Security at FMES 2025. Most recently, I worked on the submission that earned the company the SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Awards 2026 for Professional Leadership in Sustainability.

Beyond showcasing CBM's Facilities Management capabilities, I also worked to increase visibility of the company's commitment to giving back to the community and the world, driving its sustainability narrative. This helped CBM be recognised as a Company of Good by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). This recognition has since expanded my role beyond communications: I have become a key point of contact for CSR-driven organisations such as NVPC and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), as well as various charitable organisations exploring potential partnerships with CBM.

What began as CSR outreach has also developed into a wider professional network. Through introductions and networking opportunities facilitated by these organisations, I have represented CBM in meetings with prospective business partners and explored potential collaborations that could translate into new business opportunities. It has been particularly rewarding to see communications and CSR work open doors to areas of the business I wouldn't traditionally have been involved in.

My creative work has taken a similar path from concept to execution. I have conceptualised several logos, including the company's 55th Anniversary logo and the logo for its backend digiBASE system. Rather than stopping at the creative stage, I also handled trademark filing with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), taking these identities from initial concept through to formal registration.

And, in many ways, video production has brought me back to my roots. Drawing on my video production experience, I produced several key videos for the company, including a new corporate video with updated motion graphics and newly filmed shots of employees in their new uniforms. The video was designed to do more than refresh our corporate image — it became a practical business tool used to introduce CBM and its services during B2B tender interviews.

Corporate Collaterals

Much of my cyclical work involves designing new and updating existing various CBM's corporate collateral materials, including (but not limited to):

Official Document Designs

Apparels

Corporate Gifts

Email Signatures

Festive E-Greetings

HR Recruitment and Internal EDMs

Management and Organisation Charts

Name Cards

Online Meeting Backgrounds

Presentation Decks and Templates

Quarterly Newsletters

Rewriting Policies

Signage

Vehicle Decals

Website Maintenance

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Annual Client Survey

The Annual Client Survey (ACS) is conducted every year for two things:

1) It allows the company to identify lapses and areas that I drafted each EDM and sent it for improvement in terms of operational visibility to act upon. This also gives the C-suite an idea of whether clients would be willing to renew their contracts.
2) Prepare for ISO audits.

I was the sole custodian responsible for conducting the ACS every year; it involves sending emails with survey links, aggregating the data, and translating the aggregates into a report.

To put simply, the ACS process is distinguished by a few phases:

Preparation: Designing the EDMs, creating SurveyMonkey survey links, and identifying client contacts to send the survey to.

Dissemination: Sending the ACS survey to clients, monitoring responses, and sending follow-ups to ensure they submit. We usually strive for an 80% response rate.

Analysis: I bring the response data together and aggregate it into a points system.

Report: I translate the points into a report and present them during the company's monthly Management Meeting

Conclusion: The Heads of each Business Division then decide how to address lapses in their quantitative and qualitative data and report their actions to me. Meanwhile, I will compile each response and send it to those responsible for processing CBM's ISO accreditation renewals during audits.

I initially conducted each phase of the ACS manually. This means each EDM was drafted and sent email by email via Microsoft Outlook. I eventually improved the process by introducing Brevo, an email automation service that lets me send chasers and draft emails en masse, without supervision, based on each client's actions.

Using Brevo has streamlined the process and saved at least two weeks' worth of manpower.

On average, the entire ACS exercise took about 3 months when done manually, and about 2 months with the improvements.

Out With the Old...

Client mailing lists were initially compiled in silo. We had to work with 10 different business units, which meant handling 10 different email correspondences. Once the mailing lists were compiled, we sent emails one by one to each client.

Catch a glimpse of the tedium below:

...In With The New

The improvements were proposed in a WITS document - a document that is submitted to suggest process improvements for the approval of upper management.

In this document, you can find the full context of what was accomplished.

Once the proposal was approved, stakeholders involved in the ACS exercise needed training. The challenge in drafting these emails to train the parties involved and provide the necessary collateral is accounting for the respondents' varied behaviours.

The data from these responses are eventually aggregated and translated in a report.

Finally, after the report is presented at the Management Meeting, an email requesting follow-up on poor responses concludes the exercise.

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Awards

During my employment through 2025, I manually wrote and copyedited all award submissions. In 2026, I began using AI to help draft award submissions.

Beyond compelling storytelling, you also need to ensure your content is accurate and true to your nominees' voice or the company's voice. All things considered, writing for award submissions is little different from marketing copywriting, you're basically selling the valour of people's achievements instead of products or services.

FMES 2023

Writing for the FM Visionary Award was a joint effort with a former colleague. My colleague tried to gather more material for the award submission through an audio-recorded interview. He eventually translated the interview talking points into the document. I further copyedited and refined the submission.

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FMES 2025

Biannual award submissions eventually become mundane, cumbersome exercises in copyediting and rewriting. Aside from the FM Visionary Award, which I wrote, the executives in each nominated division or business unit wrote the other awards before sending them to me for vetting and submission.

We submitted 13 nominations and won four.

Eventually, we needed to re-evaluate how we could write award submissions more effectively - break the tedium -, so we turned to AI.

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SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Award 2026

For the SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Award 2026 submission, I used Claude for the first time to corroborate information from case studies and draft the award application answers.

I used a burner Claude account, attached/fed the agent supporting documents from the case study, and included the award application questions.

I manually copy-edited the results and eventually had the nominee fact-check them.

In an age when AI is used to streamline workflows and processes, it is also a useful tool for collecting and interpreting data you may not understand. Ultimately, if you're looking for the narrative in large datasets or complex data, AI helps you bridge the knowledge gap and shorten reading/research time.

What would have taken me a week of reading and understanding the data before gleaning its narrative allowed me to draft and edit the submission for the nominee's approval and vetting in two days.

Now, winning the SGBC-BCA Leadership in Sustainability Award 2026 for Professionals is not only owed to the collective copywriting skills of the nominee and me, but also to Claude for corroborating information that laid the groundwork for the submission's narrative.

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Branding - Logo Creation

I've had many particularly fulfilling experiences creating logos for CBM's sub-brands and projects. Drafting these logos lets me hone my sense of meaningful, intentional branding and push existing brand guides to their limits.

I did not just create logos from scratch. For some (particularly one), I used AI to conceptualise colours and designs, and I even submitted a logo for trademark registration with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), which adds an extra layer of depth beyond designing and justifying the symbolism of your designs.

CBM 55th Anniversary

One of the more recent branding and logo-creation exercises is conceptualising the CBM 55th Anniversary logo.

CBM doesn't usually commission a logo when celebrating its anniversary. It usually just involves cake.

But since it's a 5-year mark, they requested one.

Like most design practices in the company, I had to provide three options for the C-Suite to vote:

Option 1

The first option was a redesigned, refined version of a logo proposed by CBM's Head of Training and Sustainability. His proposal also serves as a brief stating that CBM's 55th Anniversary logo should include the tagline "55 Years of Impact" and the pillars for "People, Planet, Purpose".

The brief also gives me details to scaffold my AI prompts to generate the colours, which I then apply in this option.

This was the brie/proposal submitted by the Head of Training and Sustainability. Notice the use of the CBM logo and how it does not adhere to the brand guide, which calls for a further refinement of the logo option.

You may also find the prompts that derived the colours for the logo options below.

Option 2

I wanted to play with empty space for Option 2. Focusing on placing the '55', 'Years of Impact', and the 'People, Planet, Purpose' elements on invisible wall planes.

The '55' also initially didn't have the red fill and was meant to be empty space, but alas, my client (CEO) didn't have the capacity to appreciate the artistry and insisted the logo be blatant and obvious.

My CEO is way past retirement age, so it was the wrong intention for the wrong target audience.

Still, you can observe what I mean by using empty space to depict the logo here. Like the Yoasobi album cover, the coloured planes of 'People, Planet, and Purpose' look like building silhouettes from both the full perspective and the negative space perspective.

Another inspiration is the FedEx logo, where an -> arrow is found between the E and x.

Option 3

Option 3 was chosen. It was also inspired by an AI-generated result, which we then manually redesigned and refined.

You may find the prompts below.

Once the logo has been chosen, I proceeded to draft a simple brand guide for the event's organisers to use.

Again, using AI or LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini doesn't replace work or do it wholesale. Like Social Media, AI is a tool that should inspire or enhance creative work processes. Only when it's used as a tool will our products be effective, on-brand, and meet their objectives.

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digiBASE

I was also tasked with creating a new logo for CBM's Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS). It is a supplementary backend software that supports CBM's proprietary digital Facilities Management dashboard, digiHUB.

The CMMS was initially called iBASE. Long story short, I organised a naming competition via EDM, filtered the best-sounding names with the strongest justifications, and had the C-suite choose what they liked. I won't document this process here, as I'd rather focus on what we designed and how certain symbolism creates the logo.

But first, the digiHUB logo.

I created this logo before I joined CBM.

I wanted the digiBASE logo to retain the 'digi' brand; I call it future-proofing, just in case the company wants to develop more digital products to support the digiHUB ecosystem.

Thus, the use of digiHUB colours, retaining the 'digi' brand, and the emphasis on representing technology became the building blocks for conceptualising the digiBASE logo.

This was the finalised digiBASE logo. The background visual went through many iterations, as I needed to figure out how to use the hexagons to represent the 'Bee' properly.

Approval from relevant stakeholders is accompanied by a brand guide that justifies the existence and symbolism of every logo element. It didn't take long to explain and identify the logo's symbolism. This was a collaborative project between me and CBM's former COO, and we agreed that the initial representation of the primary background element would be that of a 'bee'.

Naturally, the use of hexagons as hives, and their reputation as the 'perfect' geometric shape, came into play, general knowledge. Everything else falls into place when you write its justifications.

We eventually used these CEO- and CTO-approved materials to apply for a Composite Mark trademark with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). The approval process took nearly a year and cost $800 to file for Class 37, including all possible services related to building maintenance and real estate activities.

For your reference, you may also find the other digiBASE logo options below.

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CBM Taiwan Parking Logo

CBM expanded into Taiwan, and I had the opportunity to create a logo for the brand. They named their brand "CBM Park" (世遍亭). Creating the logo also let me practice drafting mockups of their ticket machines and signage.

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ECC Connect

Creating a logo for ECC was one of my first logo-creation projects. The team was revamping their proprietary condominium management mobile application, 'MyCondo'. The plan was to develop a mobile application that would rival iCondo, a competitor mobile app for condominium residents to manage their daily lives at home.

Before designing a logo, the team first needed to decide on the product name. I proposed three names that played into the 'ECC' moniker: 'ECondo Companion', 'ECondo Connect', and 'ECondo Concierge'. The ECC eventually chose 'ECC Connect'.

I created each logo option with ECC's branding and official logo in mind. For reference, here's the ECC logo again.

The first option plays with the green arches found in the ECC logo, integrating them in the 'CONNECT' diagram, starting with the Middle E and leading to the subsequent Cs. The letters were also modelled after how each letter of the ECC logo look like buildings.

Option 2 abandons the 3-dimensionality of the ECC brand logo and presents itself flat, emphasizing the 'ECC' with morse code on the line

'dit' (E), 'deet-dit-deet-dit' (C), 'deet-dit-deet-dit' (C)

Finally, Option 3 incorporates the ECC's largest C building on their brand logo as the final 'C' for Connect.

The team ultimately chose Option 1.

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Crisis Communications

Crisis Communications is not a strong suit. So far, the Crisis Communications plan for CBM, also known as the "PR Incident Playbook", was drafted using Claude. When I was tasked with drafting a Crisis Communications plan, I had no experience or knowledge of what makes a basic or effective Crisis Comms plan. Treating AI as a knowledge aggregator, I prompted Claude to create an official document that includes protocols common to most MNCs. The plan, then, was intended to be revised as the company conducts annual tabletop exercises and post-mortems after incidents.

Putting this playbook together was my first exposure to the need for, and structure of, a Crisis Communications plan. I hope to get more exposure to drafting these policies and procedures in future opportunities.

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CSRs

Planning, coordinating, and seeing through CBM's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities is a core function of the Communications division.

Beach Cleanup

We only had approval to conduct beach cleanups twice in CBM's recent history. Our CEO was not keen on holding these CSR events, as he felt it was not appropriate for CBM's branding and that it felt as if we were doing the jobs of the Town Council.

Still, coordinating these beach cleanups involves working with a project manager to call on volunteers, find designated areas where our volunteers will work, book the beach space for CSR purposes, budget, and arrange event photography coverage.

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Assisi Fun Day

CBM supports CDL and Assisi Hospice through an annual charity carnival, 'Assisi Fun Day'. We support the event by gathering volunteers to lay the foundation and set up booths for the carnival's participating vendors. This means gathering about 40 volunteers each year to lay out chairs and tables, pack gift bags, and prepare refreshments. We also provide portable toilets for the public.

On the day of the event, Environmental Division staff ensure the area remains clean while our Security personnel conduct road marshalling.

The Comms Division liaises with CDL and Assisi Hospice on requirements and needs for both the pre-event day and the carnival regarding CBM's involvement. This involves finding vendors for the portable toilets, sending out EDMs to call for volunteers, ensuring our volunteers have proper refreshments to keep themselves hydrated and fed through the pre-event day, exploring tax rebates due as we work with Assisi Hospice, which is an Institution of Public Character (IPC), and distributing carnival coupons to our volunteers.

We also document of our volunteers for both the pre-event and event days.

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Home Refresh Programme

The CBM Home Refresh Programme is the company's flagship CSR initiative involving multiple stakeholders and spanning multiple generations.

We are proud to have found Saint Andrew's Junior College (SAJC) and have worked with them for nearly half a decade.

As the poster mentions above, CBM caravans from neighbourhood to neighbourhood annually to provide pro bono home maintenance work to needy families, especially low-income and elderly families.

Aside from SAJC, we would partner with the People's Association (PA) and the respective Residents' Network (RN) to bridge the gap between CBM's corporate side and the community/residents.

Meanwhile, SAJC students will go house to house, connect with residents, and provide CBM with information on their home maintenance needs. An assigned Project Manager will gather the data and propose the manpower and resources needed to carry out these pro bono works on the day of execution.

In 2026, we partnered closely with charitable organisations like Sunlove and Filos to reach around 1,200 houses, bringing our total to nearly 2,700 houses since 2022. Over the past years, we have been proud to have ministers like Ng Eng Hen grace our initiative and learn more about CBM and what we do.

The Communications team ensures our stakeholders are well-informed of the partnership and involvement of each party, and holds meetings for everyone to understand their tasks at hand and what is to be expected during the Assessment and Execution days. We design banners and EDMs and ensure we are present during both Assessment and Execution days for photography coverage.

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The Company of Good Recognition, prospecting CSR and Possible Business Opportunities

I was deeply involved in placing CBM on a pedestal and securing recognition for its CSR efforts. This included driving CBM's conferment as a Company of Good, an initiative led by the National Philanthropic Volunteer Centre (NVPC).

The process of being recognised is no easy feat - It requires faithful documentation of all of the CSR efforts that the company has undertaken for the past half-decade, accounting for all volunteers and the amount of money spent for philanthropic purposes. The application also requires us to review the company's finances, hiring processes, the number of employees involved in Inclusive Hiring, and whether our, charitable and for-profit, and show company policies contribute to the governance aspect of the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Sustainability framework.

Eventually, I became the primary point of contact for all philanthropy-related correspondence, including attending networking events organised by NVPC and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF). These networking events have allowed me to pitch CBM's services to different organisations - charitable and for-profit- and how CBM can contribute to the community, positioning me as key to bringing CBM more business and philanthropic opportunities.

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Event Photography

The Communications team had many opportunities to cover photography for events, from days when our CSRs were conducted to festive celebrations like Chinese New Year and End-of-Year Christmas.

We used to operate with a single EOS 90d setup, procured by the company. Now, I cover event photography using my very own Sony a7cR.

Festive Seasons

End-of-Year Celebration 2025.

Shot with the Canon EOS 90d.

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Bi-Annual Vendors Day

As a large company that strives to offer an Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) approach, CBM regularly engages vendors for various services.

Every year, CBM brings together the vendors they work with to thank them for their partnership, host a networking session, and help them share knowledge with each other.

Shot with the Canon EOS 90d.

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Annual Learning Day

CBM holds an annual Learning Day, inviting key staff from headquarters and on-site to learn about each division, including updates on HR practices, cash flow, and the company's overall sustainability efforts.

The annual Learning Day also includes a Town Hall where the C-suite addresses burning questions from the rank and file.

The most significant Learning Day so far celebrates CBM's 55th Anniversary. The day's key theme is embracing AI to improve productivity.

Shot with the a7cR

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Media Relations and Collaborations

CBM has had many meaningful and effective opportunities to be featured in the media. I am proud to be part of the driving force behind placing CBM on a pedestal in the public eye, whether locally or regionally.

APAC Outlook Magazine

Editorials will occasionally reach out to us and offer to feature the organisation, helping them grow the narrative they intend to sell for their newest issues.

Yes, the editorials may do most of the writing, but the Communications team still needs to contribute. Fact-checking, editing articles, and ensuring relevant stakeholders approve drafts and visuals were a few of the many tasks that contribute to publishing stories successfully.

Then, there is also the consideration of price ('Does it cost to be featured?') and whether investing the effort in successfully publishing the story is worth it.

The discussion for this opportunity concluded with APAC Outlook Magazine being a useful channel for brand awareness and brand recall, as the magazine's target audience was regional - Asia Pacific. This means we will expose the brand not just to Singapore, but also to relevant markets like Taiwan and Thailand.

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MediaCorp - Channel News Asia (CNA)

The Communications team's involvement in this feature was minimal. We received talking points for our Chief Technology Officer to cover in his interview and were asked about our audience, so we attended the shoot to take behind-the-scenes photos and ensure our CTO stuck to his points.

Still, it was a short, fulfilling session to be part of the ongoing discussion about adopting agentic language models in a country that embraces artificial intelligence.

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MediaCorp

CBM was featured on MediaCorp's Channel 8 to discuss the growing demand for manpower in industries like Facilities Management. I was given the opportunity to advise CBM's former Head of HR on what should be said or discussed - An exercise in spokesperson management for an organisation.

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MINDEF

Sometimes, MINDEF would organise organisational visits to expose its Defence Executives (DXOs) to different industries and learn about different business and operational strategies that may inspire staff to explore beneficial solutions for the Army as a whole.

Here, I acted as a coordinator, ensuring staff and our representatives had a secure location and refreshments for the event. I also provided the day's agenda and ensured the slides were up to date and accurate.

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Singapore Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)

The Better Starts with Us 2026 campaign was held by the Singapore Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) to showcase individuals with disabilities thrive in their workplaces, highlighting their symbiotic relationship with their workplaces.

Managing media relations also means being present for the shoot to liaise with account managers and producers about when their features will be published and which social media channels will host their collateral.

Again, we also took behind-the-scenes photos for our own social media posting.

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Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Building Construction Authority (BCA)

In addition to the press, we have also collaborated with real estate authorities like BCA. This project featured how various companies use tech to maintain facilities. CBM had the privilege of showcasing our digiHUB system.

As the person in charge of the company's Communications and external reputation, this project involved multiple in-person and online meetings to ensure the video communicated information accurately. This also meant editing and proofreading scripts drafted by the vendor editorial team, and choosing the right staff to represent CBM on camera.

Our contributions were featured in The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao.

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The Smart Local (TSL) and Building Construction Authority

Here's another opportunity to collaborate with BCA, this time with The Smart Local.

I helped direct Jerome on what to say to the host on camera, ensuring the information was accurate and the wording was right. Jerome was also anxious, as it was his first time representing the company as a spokesperson with a media company - managing him was also part of the experience.

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Social Media Management

During my employment, CBM had a single LinkedIn page, managed primarily by the Communications team. The HR department also had access to the LinkedIn page and only posted job openings.

The page started with around 2,000 followers. One of the Communications team's annual duties is to establish a rough content calendar for the LinkedIn page. This organic posting strategy has grown the following to 7,000 today. The page gains a steady 70 to 120 followers each month, with occasional spikes when CBM posts significant developments.

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Video Production

Although producing videos took a back seat when I was a Marketing and Communications Manager at CBM, I still had opportunities to hone my craft as a video producer from time to time.

While working at CBM, I built my own camera setup. This means I get to use my personal camera and lenses for future work.

Award Submissions

Empire City Consultants' Cube 8 team submitted this video for an FMES award.

The award submission required us to focus on the following:

1) An introduction to the problem encountered while providing facility management services to residents and towns.

2) How the team evaluated the problem

3) Steps taken to resolve the issue and the positive outcomes of the intervention.

4) What could be done better and if it can be improved to solve future problems.

The challenge in producing this video was translating pages of paragraphs into a more understandable, compelling on-screen narrative. Bringing the residents of Cube 8 as a key stakeholder driving the achievements stated in the submission was paramount to addressing this challenge.

Unfortunately, we did not win the award, but the video still demonstrates ECC's commitment to ensuring Cube 8 residents enjoy their lives in the condominium.

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CBM Home

Although CBM is a B2B company, it also has a B2C brand, CBM Home, which serves residential customers with handyman services. This work includes the servicing of air conditioning units, bulk item removal, painting, laundry, and even furniture assembly.

This video draws on my work experience at FirstCom Solutions and highlights one aspect of the service. Here, I focus on a problem-solution narrative, using CBM staff as talent, and showing the cause and effect of using the bulky item removal service before showing viewers where to download the mobile application.

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Corporate Video

I had the privilege of producing a revised 2026 version of CBM's corporate video, a project that took at least a year to finish because several other important tasks had to be completed before production began.

First, you will notice that most staff in the new 2026 corporate video are wearing standardised uniforms based on their subsidiaries' colours. The uniforms, a project delegated to one team member (for which I advised the necessary actions), went through multiple design and colour iterations and required upper-management approval. Liaising with 10 different stakeholders, revising 10 different uniform variations, sourcing affordable vendors who could print the right colours, and managing timelines such as distribution was not easy.

Nevertheless, with much patience, we completed the new uniform designs and proceeded with production of the new corporate video.

Another requirement for the new corporate video was the voiceover. CBM's CEO wanted the voiceover to sound more tenacious, natural, and, possibly, less 'gentle'. To keep costs low and to streamline production processes - which means minimising manpower required to produce the video - I turned to ElevenLabs, which was a platform that was able to produce an AI-generated voiceover for the video. ElevenLabs also generated a voiceover that sounded more 'local', which was a plus.

The AI-generated voiceover was also appropriate, as the video debuted on CBM's 55th Anniversary, and the celebration was themed around embracing AI to improve workflows.

Nevertheless, I also took the liberty of revising the video's animations, focusing on communicating the company's commitment to the ESG's three pillars more elaborately and on showing the synergistic nature of the company's IFM capabilities.

Producing this video gave me a unique experience and a glimpse of CBM's operations across all 10 business units. Reaching out to different divisions brought me to construction sites, the company's central laundry plant, and even gave me a closer look at car park management, security operations, and more.

Creating this video showed me that to be an effective Communications Specialist, you must not only be well-versed in the requirements of a Communications and Public Relations staff, but also understand the nuances of the products and services provided. Only then could I translate a deeper understanding of the business for its target audience.

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digiHUB

The digiHUB dashboard is a proprietary software developed in-house at CBM. The dashboard gives facility managers a bird's-eye view of the complexes they manage.

As the digiHUB dashboard's technology (mainly the UI) changes, the visuals must be updated to reflect the dashboard's accuracy.

As this is a proprietary system that the company strives to sell, it's imperative that the video be updated for their use during business pitches - No updated visuals, no greater promise of profit.

I captured the screen recordings using OBS Studio, and I updated the animations in the video.

I felt the L3s were blase, so I made sure the new L3s looked cleaner. I also improved the digiHUB logo with a more 'digitised' entrance. Lastly, I rearranged the icons on the screen detailing the 'digiHUB Connectivity Ecosystem' to outline Singapore's topography, suggesting the dashboard can be used anywhere in the country as long as it's part of the Facility Management ecosystem.

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Technological Showcase for CDL

This video was produced to show CDL stakeholders how effective CBM's technologies are for CDL properties.

A previous staff member shot most of this video, except for the robot scrubber.

Regardless, it was my first time fully understanding the technologies CBM offered its clients at the time.

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Reflection

Of course, the projects shown above are just a glimpse into the work I do every day. I also completed many other projects and assignments not mentioned above. Ultimately, each day at CBM is different, filled with different challenges and problems to solve.

Looking back, it made sense for me to choose a 9 AM-6 PM lifestyle after leaving FirstCom Solutions. Being here let me shape my identity and move away from work as a defining part of who I am.

I never expected to make an impact at a Facilities Management company after leaving advertising.

Still, I was glad to pursue Communications and Public Relations full-time, even though I had only dabbled in branding, comms, and PR in my previous roles.

Looking across these projects, the common thread is ownership. Whether I am managing the daily communications function, building the company's presence online, coordinating CSR initiatives, writing an award submission, improving an internal process, developing a visual identity, or producing videos, I have consistently taken projects from an initial requirement or idea through to execution.

What makes this role particularly meaningful to me is its breadth. Alongside these achievements and larger projects, I continue to manage the company's daily communications and public relations operations, as well as those of its seven subsidiaries, while leading a small team of two executives. This role has required me to be both strategic and hands-on—to think about the bigger picture while still being willing to get into the details and make things happen.

Facing different challenges here has allowed me to shift my paradigm regarding problem-solving. My favourite line when coaching my colleagues is, "I don't see a problem here; I see an opportunity."

Finally, finding 'manageable' means making room for my life to happen in a fruitful way. On top of leading people in a corporate setting, I graduated from university, became a parent of two kids, earned a proper accreditation in Communications and Public Relations, bought a professional camera, and improved my skills overall.

People say Facilities Management is a sunset industry: It's a place where people go to retire. I disagree. In fact, Facilities Management is an evergreen industry that lets driven individuals thrive: As long as society moves up and on and keeps building new structures, these buildings will need to be managed and maintained, and those capable of doing so can do so while dreaming of being better people.

It's a safe industry to be in, and you will always find work in it - an oasis. If people are adamant it's a sunset industry, then it's a watering hole for those who stay and watch the sunset.

Still, I will soon leave this industry for greener pastures. As the demands of my life grow, so do my capabilities, appetite for greater challenges and opportunities to meet them, and search for deeper meaning in my work. I will seek out my practice in Communications and Public Relations in other industries, and that will be where my next chapter begins.

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