A love of education has inspired John Lee to educate others.
What’s your story?
I was born in 1958 as the youngest of 11 children. Although I initially studied Architectural Studies at Singapore Polytechnic, there was no pathway then to become a professional architect. I went on to teach music for 25 years before co-founding a language school with my sister in 1991. Over time, we expanded into higher education, and in 2018 I acquired and privatised TMC Academy. Today, education remains my lifelong passion.
What excites you most about your industry?
What excites me most is creating opportunities for people. When I started, only a small percentage of Singaporeans could enter our local universities. I wanted to provide a second chance for students to earn internationally recognised degrees without having to study overseas. Seeing students graduate and hearing about their career success continues to be my greatest reward.
What drives you in your career to push beyond what other people consider normal?
I have always believed that innovation creates opportunities where others see limitations. Whether it was expanding from a small language school into higher education or establishing an international university in Uzbekistan, I focus on long-term impact rather than short-term challenges. The opportunities we’ve seen in emerging markets show that quality education has global demand, and starting earlier could have allowed us to make an even bigger impact. My motivation has always been creating better opportunities for students.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
Innovation and emotional intelligence have been the most valuable skills throughout my journey. Knowledge helps you start a business, but innovation helps it grow. Equally important is EQ: understanding people, building trust and leading teams through change, especially when transforming organisational culture.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Always stay true to your values. Business success comes and goes, but integrity is what sustains long-term relationships with staff, partners, students and customers.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired less by a single individual and more by the success stories of our students and alumni. Seeing how education transforms lives motivates me to continue improving opportunities for future generations.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away?
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence has been remarkable. AI is transforming every industry, and I believe future graduates will need to understand how to work alongside AI rather than compete against it.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Wisdom is something that no-one can buy, or is inbuilt into a person. It takes years to accumulate our knowledge and learn from our failures. Given a second chance, I would still want to be in the education sector and apply the wisdom I had today forty five years ago.
How do you unwind?
Music has always been my passion. I like Jazz music, and I have spent 25 years teaching music before entering higher education; it remains one of the ways I relax and recharge outside work.
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your career?
One of my biggest realisations was that changing policies is easy, but changing organisational culture is much harder. When I took over TMC Academy, restructuring the business was only part of the challenge. Building the right culture ultimately made the greatest difference to our long-term success.
Everyone in business should read this book:
Good to Great by Jim Collins. It reinforces the importance of disciplined leadership, building the right culture and focusing on long-term sustainability rather than short-term success.
Shameless plug for your business or career:
For over 40 years, TMC Academy has been committed to making quality education accessible and relevant. We offer industry-aligned programmes across multiple disciplines, supported by strong employer partnerships, dedicated student services and scholarships. Beyond qualifications, we focus on helping students develop the skills, confidence and adaptability needed for lifelong success. Our philosophy, “Every Step with You,” reflects our commitment to supporting students throughout their educational journey and preparing them for meaningful careers in a rapidly changing world.
How can people connect with you?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lee-3997ab54/
Social Media Links?
Homepage: https://www.tmc.edu.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmc.edu.sg
Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/tmc.edu.sg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TMCAcademySingapore
Twitter / X: https://x.com/tmcacademy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tmc-academy/
This interview is part of the CallumConnects series.