Alan Chang

A governance-focused board director, Alan serves as an Independent Director on multiple SGX- and HKEX-listed boards, where he contributes to audit, nomination, and remuneration committees. In 2025, he was awarded the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Established Category) and was recognised in the AI + AI Adoption sub-category for his leadership in driving digital transformation and automation within audit and advisory services. He was also named a Spirit of Enterprise Top Honouree in 2022.

Alan currently serves as an Executive Council Member of the Association of SMEs Singapore and has recently been appointed as a Council Member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA). He is pursuing an Executive Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at the National University of Singapore and is a strong advocate for the responsible and practical adoption of AI to enhance productivity and strengthen trust within the accounting profession.

What was your favourite memory from your time studying at UNSW?

One of my strongest memories at UNSW was living at Warrane College. It gave me my first real experience of independence, learning to manage myself away from home and it also taught me how to live well in a community with people who weren’t family. Warrane was where I met an amazing group of friends from across Asia. Even years later, many of us are still in touch, and some have truly become friends for life. Looking back, that season shaped more than my student experience; it shaped my worldview. I learned how different backgrounds can coexist with mutual respect, and how small daily habits, communication, responsibility, consideration helps make a community work.

“It’s a chapter I still miss dearly, and I’m grateful UNSW gave me that environment to grow up in, not just study.”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

First, design your life instead of drifting into it. Be intentional with your time, energy, and values, those choices compound more than talent.

Second, don’t confuse speed with progress. Build strong fundamentals early: discipline, health, relationships, and the ability to do difficult things calmly. Over time, those become your unfair advantage.

Third, be comfortable disappointing people by holding healthy boundaries. Not everyone will understand your path, and that’s okay. Focus on the work, serve with integrity, and let outcomes speak.

Finally: stay curious, ask for help sooner, and invest in friendships, you’ll realise later that the right people are part of the success.