Detail

A Time of Firsts

It began with a wall.

In a class during his first year at SP, Ivan Khua was asked to calculate the cost of a simple wall structure. However, there was a catch. He had to do it from scratch with no references, and no assumptions. Just materials, labour, and the logic that connected them.

“They called it first principles,” Ivan recalled. “You start from nothing. You figure out what you need, like sand, cement, water, and work your way up. That’s how you really understand what you’re building.”

At the time, it was just another assignment. Years later, that concept would become something more: a philosophy of work, of leadership, and of navigating uncertainty by returning to what’s essential.

A Method that Stuck

Ivan joined SP’s Diploma in Building course in 1995, uncertain of what it would lead to. What he found was a group of lecturers who approached their craft with passion. These were professionals who knew how to teach, and more importantly, how to make things real.

“They were grounded,” he said. “You could tell they had been on the ground. And they knew how to bring that into the classroom.”

What left the deepest mark wasn’t just the theory. It was the tactile experience, like laying bricks, plastering walls, and working with materials that pushed back.

“You can read all you want, but until you’ve laid a brick, you don’t know what that means.”

It’s a perspective that stayed with him. Long after he left construction, he continued to approach problems by breaking them down, seeing what they were made of, and solving them at the root.

Ivan went on to study construction management at the University of New South Wales and worked in the field for several years. He managed projects under pressure, coordinated timelines and teams, and learnt to deliver with precision. 

Today, Ivan is the Executive Director of Hock Leong Group of Companies, overseeing businesses in energy, healthcare, cybersecurity, and education.

“I wanted to build industries that served a higher purpose, not just for profit. It’s about contributing something lasting and meaningful to people’s lives.”

Redefining Leadership

The shift into leadership brought its own kind of learning. Early on, Ivan was meticulous and methodical. He wanted things done right the first time. But with time, that approach gave way to something more sustainable: trust.

“When you build a team, you have to guide from behind,” Ivan said. “You can’t get everything 100% right. But if it’s a collective decision and the risk is calculated, then even if things go wrong, you learn from it.”

The one rule? No repeating mistakes.

“Mistakes happen. But repeating the same one? That’s where the real failure is.”

Getting Ready for the Future