Healthy HabitsMr Lam follows what he calls a “two plus two” diet. He explains, “I make sure I have two servings of fruits and vegetables every day.” Breakfast typically consists of wholemeal bread, cheese and a drink of Milo. Besides a light lunch at the office, he tries to have dinner at home where he can control the amount of oil, salt and sugar used in the dishes. Mr Lam adds that he isn’t a fan of red meat, and favours fish and vegetables.

In addition to watching what he eats, he also exercises regularly. He wakes up at 5.30am in the morning to run three times a week in the Bukit Timah area where he lives. “This is the most time- and cost-efficient way to keep fit,” says Mr Lam, who runs for at least half an hour at a stretch.

Balancing ActHe starts work at 8.30am and he tries to leave the office by 8pm. Part of his work involves visiting his colleagues at the clinics so that he is aware of the issues they are facing on the ground.

He also travels frequently to China to oversee the operations of

Healthway Medical’s clinics there. “China

is a dynamic and complex

market,”

Jan-Mar 37

CEO MANAGEMENT

he says. “In the last 12 months, we’ve expanded our clinics from two to 10 medical centres. We have eight medical centres in Shanghai and two medical centres in Hangzhou. Moving forward, we’re looking to work with more corporate clients and insurance companies.”

With so much on his plate, prioritising his work is key so that precious time is put to good use. “For Healthway Medical, service delivery is most important. Thus, I put everything that affects the patients and service quality first,” says Mr Lam.

To de-stress, he enjoys spending time with his family — be it catching up with his daughters, aged 22 and 15, over the weekend or running errands together, such as shopping at the supermarket. In his free time, he also enjoys reading books on management such as Who Moved My Cheese?.

Mr Lam says: “If there’s no work life balance, your physical health will suffer and you’ll tend to fall ill. You will feel mentally drained and burnt out, and your productivity will also suffer — it’s the law of diminishing returns. It’s important to keep a positive attitude to rise up to the challenges ahead.”

e

As one would expect from the man at the helm of Singapore’s largest network of private medical centres and

clinics, Lam Pin Woon, 53, is a big advocate of healthy living. Before he was appointed President and Executive Director of Healthway Medical in January 2011, Mr Lam was CEO of the Health Promotion Board (HPB). And if there’s one thing that he has taken with him from his five years at HPB, it’s the importance of building the foundations of good health.

Health is Mr Lam Pin Woon’s business, and the head honcho of Healthway Medical practices what he preaches. By Nellie Tay

leading the way

Mr Lam Pin Woon jogs regularly.

PH

OTO

S: Lam P

in Woon

37 CEO management.indd 3737 CEO management.indd 37 1/11/12 3:03 PM1/11/12 3:03 PM