We spoke with Tan Soon Keat to learn more about his experience with McLarens and what attributed to his recognition in McLarens’ global employee award program, McLarens Platinum Circle.
What has been one of the most interesting or rewarding experiences you have had at McLarens?
The fact that I am actually working in McLarens Aviation for the last 11 years is, by itself, a most interesting and rewarding experience. I have found our team members in offices world-wide to be like-minded, passionate aviators with great love of this unique field. Like me, they seemingly have aviation in their DNA. The professionalism, mutual respect and support I see and experience in our network of aircraft engineers is very encouraging. I particularly appreciate the mutual professional sharing of knowledge, including our informal “Braintrust Group,” which is McLarens’s internal ‘help center’ whenever we are stumped and need input/information from trusted colleagues.
I’m proud to be part of the inaugural group of McLarens Platinum Circle award recipients. It will be an honor to join my colleagues in Dubai.
What do you like to do outside of work? Do you have a personal passion?
I have always enjoyed photography (particularly nature/wildlife and landscapes), and since starting my scuba diving hobby about six years ago I have been able to combine my two passions. Fortunately, two of my colleagues in the Singapore Aviation office are also divers, and it has been great to be able to organize occasional dive trips together and have a friendly relationship outside work. My office wall is also my display space for my creative side, so if you are ever in Singapore, do drop by and pay my gallery a visit!
What advice would you give someone starting out in this field or considering it as a career option?
I believe going into the Aviation Loss Adjusting niche is a fulfilling career move for an aircraft engineer who is looking to expand their field of experience beyond the airline world. However, it can be a challenge and aviation professionals will find this field requires them to move beyond their comfort zone.
While most of us in the Aviation field have gathered a solid foundation of technical and managerial experience over 15 years or more before we start our Loss Adjusting career, there is a need to be flexible with our attitude, be receptive to learning and understanding the insurance industry. The industry is often as complicated, particularly with regards to the network and relations between all the various involved parties.
The opportunity for us to help operators and airlines in their time of crisis, and also to be involved in events and travel to locations off the beaten track, is extremely rewarding. Personally, I made the move to the right niche career sector and joined the right team, making this change very rewarding.
Explore | McLarens Platinum Circle Winner: Tan Soon Keat
