We never had a plan for The Idea Factory. But we did have a compass that propelled us over the past 8 years. Our belief in purposeful serendipity served as a North Star for defining what sort of value we brought to our work. Our work defined us as a result – both as a collaborator and as a contributor. We were able to work with some of the best companies in the world on innovation and for that, we remain truly honoured. The process of discovering new business opportunities has been the most satisfying, followed by the ability to work with these companies to embed new capabilities. In many instances, we were able to see new aspects of innovation emerge from efforts. It was gratifying.

While we innovated for growth, we remembered to innovate for good. From education to community development and self-help services, we found innovation’s purpose in making things incredibly better for the people who needed it the most. Purposeful serendipity meant realising that the existence of The Idea Factory had a bigger calling, one that defined returns broadly and generously. It created the reason for our existence and the motivation for our journey.

As stewards of The Idea Factory armed with our compass, we charted the pathway in response to the demands of the universe on hand.

That said, 2009 will see the redesign of The Idea Factory.

This redesign will focus The Idea Factory on capability development and capacity building. The importance of training will take center-stage as all of us grapple with required skills and abilities to think differently.

This new re-focusing builds upon our recent global collaboration with LEGO Education to design and deliver compelling new training programmes within the Education sector, as well as with other various businesses. It will also support strategic efforts of our partners and clients where building new competencies for the 21st Century workplace is essential.

This new pathway will be led by Nicholas Lee and supported by fellow colleagues Lau Tat Chuan and Joyce Tan, with Arnold Wasserman continuing as Chairman. Tony Lai and Cecilia Chua will be redesigning their personal pathways with Cecilia acting as Board Member and performing the role of Collaborator in key projects and Tony joining the Singapore Tourism Board as Assistant Chief Executive (Sector Planning and Development).

The stage is now set. We hope you will continue to be an integral part of our journey as we write the next chapter of The Idea Factory’s story.