The #BOFaces series introduces you to the people making up BlueOrchard’s dedicated team, which is spread across our offices around the world. This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Wan Zhen Tan, intern in the Private Debt Investment Team, based in the Singapore office. Continue reading if you want to know why Wan Zhen decided to work in impact investing, and what her most memorable experience in her internship was.

Wan Zhen, why did you decide to work in impact investing?

Besides studying Finance, I strongly believe in creating a positive impact for the communities and the environment, such as promoting food sustainability and also reducing clothes waste on my end. Impact investing is really just about merging the best of two worlds as positive social and environmental impact are generated.

What is the most memorable experience you have made during your time at BO?

The most memorable part of my internship was when I was given the opportunity to work on interviewing one of our potential client for due diligence. It was nerve-wracking and exciting for me, as I was tasked to lead the interview but with the guidance from my colleagues, it went very smoothly. I was glad to get out of my comfort zone and as Neale Walsch once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. It had not occurred to me the true meaning of this quote until I ventured out of my familiar bubble, and I am now starting to discover new possibilities in an area that was previously so unknown to me.

Lastly, what is the biggest global challenge in your view?

Food security. According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between 720 million and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, around one in 10. Yet, one third of all the food, around 1.3 billion tons,  is wasted or lost. Hence, I believe that one of the ways to tackle this issue would be to reduce food waste at both production and consumer level by raising awareness that ugly fruits and vegetables are still good to consume.

Thank you, Wan Zhen!