e27 has been nurturing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs since its inception. Our Contributor Programme offers a platform for sharing unique insights.
As part of our ‘Contributor Spotlight’ series, we shine a spotlight on an outstanding contributor and dive into the vastness of their knowledge and expertise.
In this episode, we feature Camellia Chan, Co-Founder and CEO of Flexxon, who oversees the company’s growth, R&D, partnerships, and global expansion. Since founding Flexxon in 2007, she has grown it into an international business with a presence in over 50 cities. Holding over 40 patents, Chan has earned multiple accolades, including being named one of Singapore’s Top 100 Women in Tech in 2023 and winning two projects under the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore’s Call for Innovation awards.
Thoughts, goals, and journey
Chan spent several years working in electronics MNCs across Asia, acquiring valuable skills, but always felt a desire to pursue a dream with real impact and to take control of his own path. In 2007, she decided to co-found Flexxon with her business partner and good friend, May Chng, who now serves as the company’s COO.
Their vision was straightforward: to leverage their combined expertise to develop products that genuinely addressed customers’ needs, while fostering a company culture of innovation, openness, and fairness, with zero tolerance for office politics. More than 15 years later, Flexxon has expanded its global operations, grown its headcount over 20-fold, and entered the critical field of cybersecurity.
Chan draws from her expertise in hardware-based cybersecurity, with a particular focus on developing next-generation security technologies designed to address critical vulnerabilities in the digital landscape.
“This is highly uncommon because most conversations centre on software solutions,” she remarked. “The most noteworthy development that is paving the way for the new era of cybersecurity is the shift towards integrating hardware-based security solutions to achieve holistic and proactive security. That is what we are doing here at Flexxon, leveraging on the memory medium and patented AI technologies to deliver secure by design hardware that strengthens security by protecting data at the core.”
The driving force
Chan joined the e27 Contributor Programme last year and regularly shares her expertise with the community, focusing primarily on cybersecurity with the latest industry trends.
“Cybersecurity is absolutely essential and we need to keep this conversation going strong, simple and straight to the point,” she said. “I wanted to use my voice to support efforts to educate individuals beyond our industry, ignite a mindset shift and push innovation forwards.”
Also Read: Pierrick Bouffaron: Navigating the frontier of deep tech and entrepreneurship
Advice for budding thought leaders
Chan encourages aspiring thought leaders to build credibility and make an impact by focusing on three core principles:
- Be authentic: Be true to yourself and your values. If you’re not authentic, people can sense that and you lose the opportunity to connect.
- Use clear logic: Structure your thoughts clearly and present them logically. Especially with a complex topic like cybersecurity and hardware engineering, we need to be able to break these down to more digestible concepts.
- Show empathy: Understand your audience’s perspectives and needs. The whole purpose is to connect, educate and help, so it must come from a place of understanding and empathy.
Juggling too many things?
Chan believes that work-life balance varies for everyone, as it is shaped by individual definitions and personal goals.
She said, “For me, my current stage feels balanced because it aligns with my dreams and targets. I start my days early at 5:30 a.m. and am often in discussions with my teams from different parts of the world until 11 p.m. I’m very aware that others might see it as a recipe for burnout, but pursuing my goals is a fulfilling part of my life. Strategies for growth include continuously doing, learning, adjusting, and being open to transformation.”
Also Read: Felicia Theodorus: Staying ahead in the ever-evolving fintech landscape
Staying in the loop
To stay informed and ahead of industry developments, Chan follows a set of practices that help her stay in the loop:
- Engage with customers to understand their challenges.
- Participate in discussions with stakeholders for new ideas.
- Conduct market research to identify trends and solutions.
- Stay updated with news and industry publications.
- Attend webinars, conferences, and industry events to learn and network.
Chan remarked, ” Within cybersecurity, I would say to just keep updated with the general news. There are incidents everyday, and you will see it reported on BBC, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, Channel News Asia and so many more. This is the best way to be updated on the landscape.YouTube is also a great resource. But of course, you should read with discretion especially if it’s on social media. Not everyone has the right agenda, or knows what they are talking about.”
In terms of leadership, Chan highly recommends the book ‘It’s Not the How or the What but the Who’ by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz. She believes the book emphasises the importance of focusing on the right input factors, especially when it comes to people.
“Success is about having the right people and building a strong ecosystem. By surrounding yourself with the right individuals, you create an environment that naturally drives growth and the continuous flow of information,”she concluded. “Never stop learning, don’t restrict yourself, dream big.”
Take a look at her articles here for more information and perspectives on her expertise.
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