John dedicated 37 years to education with Singapore's Ministry of Education. Beginning at Yung An Primary School in 1979, he was among nine pioneering teachers at the Singapore International School in Hong Kong (1991–1999). Returning to Singapore, he led the Physical Education Department at Juying Secondary, improving student fitness.

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In 2003, he became Vice-Principal at Zhangde Primary, promoting positivity and leadership skills. Later, at MacPherson Primary, he championed family support and restorative practices, aiding underprivileged families until retiring in December 2016.

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Now, John aspires to be a good beekeeper. Keen to learn from the best, John sought the help and consulted Lesster Leow, a very experienced Singapore beekeeper and owner of the Rwanda Singapore Apiculture Farm. Under Bringing Ecology & Society Together (B.E.S.T), a beekeeping training program developed by Lesster, many Ugandans and Rwandans over the past 17 years have learned how to handle the most aggressive African killer-bees safely. Lesster received a Presidential Award from the Ugandan President for raising the standards of the beekeeping industry there. His honey attained The European Union Honey Legislation requirements. This standard is considered one of the highest tests for honey in the world. A no mean feat for an ex-Air Force personnel. Recently, Lesster started a honey refinery cum processing and packing plant in Singapore. His knowledge, expertise, and consultancy are now very much sought after.

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John first visited Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) with a group of school leaders in 2013. Impressed with the 5Gs vision of Gracious, Green, Giving, Grounded, and Grateful and the mission of building a Kampung Kampus (a School of Life), John is pleased to be an educational partner of Ground-Up Initiative.

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John has a partnership in Myanmar with the aim of value-adding and raising the income levels of the local farmers. John believes that beekeeping, if done properly, can effectively improve the livelihood of the local farmers.

 

Closer to home, Singapore is well-known as the Garden City, but somehow, John believes that the bees have not been given the due recognition or awareness as compared to the birds and butterflies. With the heart of an educator, John now aspires to introduce the knowledge and importance of honey bees as pollinators and how we can learn much from the honey bees for personal and social effectiveness, organizational excellence, and sustainability.