Company: IBM Manufacturing Solutions Pte Ltd, Singapore
Company Description: International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Employee of the Year - Business
 Nomination Title: Ang Ai Kiar
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
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- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 199 words used.
Ai Kiar is a trailblazer in TECH that has left an indelible mark on the industry. Throughout her illustrious 18-year career, she constantly pushed the frontiers of innovation through her pioneering vision, spirit of excellence and passion for growth.
From her early days in AI research, Ai Kiar has been instrumental in developing ground-breaking algorithms in Deep Machine Learning that have tremendously advanced the AI field. She architects for “IBM Watson Quality Advisor”, a revolutionary initiative that uses AI to augment decision-making by IBM Supply Chain Professionals.
She plays a pivotal role in accelerating the adoption of AI+5G technology in the industry to support Singapore's Smart Nation vision. By introducing game-changing advancements in acoustic analytics, she demonstrated her technical prowess in AI that has benefitted many industries.
Ai Kiar displayed an exceptional ability to identify emerging technology trends and opportunities, applying them to significantly improve efficiency, scalability and user experience for the business. She led a global Emerging Technology initiative to support digital transformation in IBM, and designed the curricula for a SkillsFuture program to equip the Singapore workforce with future-ready skills. Whether as a Technology Professional or Researcher, Ai Kiar consistently demonstrated exceptional technical expertise and leadership acumen.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 221 words used.
- 2024 Top 50 Asia Women Tech Leaders. Ai Kiar was recognized for inspiring women who make tech happen. She not only dives deep into the research and development of emerging and nascent technologies but also successfully operationalized tech projects she was tasked to manage.
- Top performer in IBM. She was honored for her positive impact on Customers by demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset, technical leadership and commitment to customers’ Hybrid Cloud & AI transformation journey.
- Frost & Sullivan Manufacturing Leadership Award (Analytics Leadership). Her pioneering work in IBM’s “Watson Quality Advisor” project led to IBM being recognized with the Manufacturing industry’s most prestigious award. The project yielded a massive 500,000-fold productivity gain in risk assessments, and a 900-fold increase in speed in delivering insights.
- Execution Excellence Award (1Q 2022) and Client and Partner Success Award (2Q 2023). Ai Kiar co-authored the curricula for the Industry 4.0 Business Innovation program for the Singapore government’s Skillsfuture initiative, as well as the Full Stack Programming program for Thailand’s Burapha University.
- Outstanding Leading Invention Development Team (IDT). As a strong advocate of technical innovation, Ai Kiar plays a key role in helping IBM maintain its U.S. patent leadership. She was the ASEAN IDT Lead, reviewing all patent disclosure submissions for the region and now co-leads for Industry 4.0 and 5.0 solutions.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 6 words used.
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- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Ai Kiar’s unique set of personal attributes distinguishes her in the TECH field.
Bold Innovator: Ai Kiar fearlessly embraces innovative ideas and pushes the boundaries of conventional thinking, driving IBM and the industry to new frontiers. She has 13 patents filed and garnered 4 plateau awards to date.
Design Thinker: She championed the establishment of Enterprise Design Thinking (EDT) Singapore Chapter. She is among a handful of IBM EDT coaches who lead EDT workshops to help clients surface problems and jointly create innovative solutions. She has led the Singapore Quantum Challenge EDT Workshop.
Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: Ai Kiar touches many lives through coaching and mentoring. She volunteers as a Coach and Mentor to IBMers worldwide and continues to inspire new Engineers to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Commitment to Ethical AI: In addition to giving back to the business and community, Ai Kiar sits on the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) committee that reviews technical paper submissions from all over the world. Ai Kiar periodically gives career talks on Data Science at a local institution of higher learning to energize the younger generation’s passion for STEM.
Women Helping Women/Girls: Ai Kiar has been a vocal advocate in promoting diversity, gender equality and empowerment of women in TECH, for a more inclusive and progressive industry. She was featured in Linkedin’s “Women in IBM”, was a speaker in “Girls in Tech Week” by Singapore Women In Tech, and also spoke for AI Singapore (AISG) during International Women’s Day.
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