Building a career on happy accidents and intentional impact
In the high-stakes world of public policy and tech, professional trajectories are often linear ascents of a corporate ladder. Yuvan Mohan has built a remarkable career by defying that very premise.
Yuvan Mohan has spent his life building a career across a diverse range of industries. His journey has taken him from the structured world of auditing at Citibank to the nation-building front lines of the Economic Development Board (EDB), and now to the turbulent, fast-evolving world of a logistics tech giant.
Since graduating from the SMU Master of Science in Management (MiM) programme in 2015, Yuvan’s career — which he calls “a mix of intentionality and happy accidents” — has not been a straight pathway but a meandering narrative across public and private sectors.
“I believe that we are merely custodians in life,” Yuvan states with quiet conviction, “and it is our primary responsibility that we leave the world better than we were born into.”
This philosophy has been his compass, leading him to his most defining challenge yet at Lalamove, where he was appointed the inaugural Country Head for Corporate Affairs, ESG, and Trust & Safety for Singapore.
In this pioneering role, he has been tasked with building the company’s entire public-facing framework from scratch. Most notably, Yuvan was instrumental in the curation and implementation of the Platform Workers Act, a milestone piece of legislation designed to enhance the rights and protections of gig workers, including mandatory contributions to their Central Provident Fund (a social security savings scheme) and work injury compensation.
“This is a heavy responsibility as the expectation on Platform Operators is exacting,” he admits. “But I enjoy that challenge.”
Bridging passion and profession
Yuvan’s ability to navigate contrasting professional realms was not a matter of chance but rather, the result of intentional, thoughtful choices. With an undergraduate degree in political science, he once envisioned pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy — a path that would have deepened his area of specialisation.
However, a single piece of advice shifted his trajectory. An adjunct lecturer told him, “At the start of your career, it is more beneficial to expand your breadth rather than building your depth.”
Those words stuck. Yuvan realised that to be truly effective at the intersection of business and government, he needed a wider lens. One that included an understanding of how the private sector operates. “I was hesitant about joining the private sector,” he admits. "I did not know if I had the foundational skills to navigate the space.”
That desire to bridge his passion for public service with the operational realities of the business world led Yuvan to the MiM programme in SMU.
The one-year programme was an attractive value proposition that equipped him with a solid foundation in finance, marketing, and strategy. More than just credentials, the MiM provided him with “the confidence, framework and language to help me think about issues from a business perspective”. This toolkit gave Yuvan the confidence to apply for roles not only in the private sector, but also for public service positions that require deep engagement with the business community.
A “portfolio approach” to a life of impact
Yuvan’s career path exemplifies a modern, adaptable approach to work, where even unplanned detours can become opportunities for impact.
His entry into banking at Citibank, for instance, was described as a “happy accident”, having initially applied to its competitive Management Associate Program simply to practice his interview skills.
But as he advanced through each round, something shifted. He began to see the opportunity for what it was and committed himself fully to making the most out of it.
This unintentional but formative experience stands in sharp contrast with the purposeful transition he later made to EDB during the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, his decision was driven by a desire to be “on the front line of attracting investors during a time of great turmoil”.
Running parallel to his professional choices is a commitment to volunteerism, primarily with youth organisations like the National Youth Council, SINDA Youth Club, and Young ChangeMakers, where Yuvan has worked to expand leadership opportunities for others.
“I believe that leadership or leadership opportunities are the right of the many rather than the privilege of the few,” he says.
This lifelong commitment to giving back has not gone unnoticed. In 2018, Yuvan was recognised with the Singapore Silent Heroes Award in the Youth category for his impactful contributions to the community. More recently, in 2023, he was named the Leaders of Good (Youth) Winner at the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards — a national accolade honouring individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in serving others.
Living out this philosophy while juggling a demanding career, extensive volunteer work — and now, his personal life as a new husband and father — has demanded a unique strategy. Yuvan describes it as his “portfolio approach to life”.
“I view my social impact work, career and family life as a portfolio to my existence,” he explains, “and I am extremely conscious of what season I am in, and how these compositions can vary.”
The secret to managing this “portfolio” of roles lies in the discipline to say “no”. Yuvan has learned to weigh opportunity costs carefully, and avoid holding on to roles out of habit, simply for identity, or a need to feel relevant. Instead, he sees himself as a custodian, always ready to move on when he is no longer adding the most value.
Such a mindset has fuelled a journey of continuous learning and adaptation, reshaping the perspectives he gained at university.
“At school, our modules are clearly structured according to levels and how we should take them; however, that’s not real life,” says Yuvan. “In life, we can get thrown in the deep end and we often have to overcome struggles to thrive.”
When it comes to offering advice, Yuvan doesn’t offer a clear-cut map to success. Instead, he encourages others to chart their own course. “Don’t follow the path of others but lead yourself,” he advises.
His own approach is guided by a practice of regular reflection. “Every year, or after reaching a major milestone, I start by asking myself where I want to be in the next five to 10 years. Then I seek out individuals who have already achieved that vision and meet with them to understand what it took to get there. The final, most critical step is to reflect on their reality and ask myself: 'What parts of their lives and work do I truly want for myself, and what parts don’t align with who I am?'”
It is a powerful call for self-authorship, a fitting philosophy for a man whose impactful career has been defined not by following a path, but by thoughtfully and intentionally creating his own.
The SMU Edge
For Lalamove's Yuvan Mohan, the SMU Master of Management (MiM) programme was a deliberate pivot to broaden his professional horizons:
A bridge to new sectors
The MiM programme provides a foundational understanding of key business disciplines like finance and strategy. For individuals coming from non-business backgrounds, this equips them with the confidence, framework and language they need to successfully transition into the private sector.
Emphasis on real-world collaboration
Through extensive project-based work, the curriculum places a strong focus on collaboration. Students learn that being a strong team player is not just crucial for success but is also often considered a greater indicator of success than one’s GPA.
A training ground for professional reputation
The highly interactive and team-based learning environment provides a safe space to learn an essential career lesson: that "your reputation matters". The process of working in many different teams helps students understand their professional style and how they contribute to a group's success.
