Olivia Lum facts for kids

Olivia Lum Ooi Lin is a successful businesswoman from Singapore. She is famous for starting and leading the Hyflux Group. This company, based in Singapore, focuses on water treatment.

Early Life and Education

Olivia Lum was born in 1961 in Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. She was adopted as a baby and grew up with a woman she called her "grandmother." When Olivia was only three, her grandmother lost their home due to gambling. They had to move into a simple shack without running water.

Moving to Singapore

At age 15, Olivia moved to Singapore. She enrolled at Tiong Bahru Secondary School. To support herself, she worked as a tutor and took on sales jobs. She then continued her studies at Hwa Chong Junior College. In 1986, she graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in chemistry.

Building a Business: Hyflux

Olivia Lum began her career as a chemist at Glaxo Pharmaceutical. After three years, she decided to start her own company.

Starting Hydrochem

In 1989, at 28 years old, Olivia started Hydrochem. This company was the beginning of what would become Hyflux. She raised her starting capital of SG$20,000 by selling her condominium and car. She hired three employees and personally rode a motorcycle to sell water filters and treatment chemicals.

Hyflux's Growth and Success

By January 2001, Hyflux made history. It became the first water treatment company to be listed on SESDAQ, a stock exchange. In April 2003, it moved to the main board of the Singapore Exchange. Olivia's hard work paid off. In 2002, she received the Her World Woman of the Year award for her contributions to Singapore's water industry. By 2005, her wealth grew to over US$240 million. This made her the only woman on Forbes' "Southeast Asia Rich List."

Public Service and Awards

Olivia Lum has also served in many public roles. She was a board member for several important organizations. These include SPRING Singapore and the National University Singapore Council. She also served on the Singapore Exchange board. She was the president of the Singapore Water Association.

International Recognition

Olivia was also part of the UNESCAP Business Advisory Council. She helped with the Singapore Green Plan 2012 committee. From 2002 to 2005, she was a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore. In 2003, she won the International Management Action Award. The next year, she received the Global Female Invent and Innovate Award.

Entrepreneur of the Year

In 2011, Olivia Lum achieved a major milestone. She was named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year. She was the first woman ever to win this global award. Her success continued with appointments to the boards of International Enterprise Singapore in 2013 and Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) in 2014. She later resigned from ST Engineering in 2018 due to her busy work schedule.