When she was about to have her first child, June Rusdon, who had been a stockbroker for 10 years, made a career switch to the childcare industry as she wanted her child to have the best possible start in life.
Growing her business from one childcare centre at a Bukit Batok void deck into a regional network of 142 centres with an enrolment of more than 15,000 children, and two teacher training colleges, Rusdon sold her Learning Vision Group to US-based Knowledge Universe in 2007, staying on as its CEO for Southeast Asia.
In 2014, UK-based Busy Bees bought over the business and Rusdon became CEO of its Asian operations.
“Like any businesswoman, I had to figure out how to juggle all the roles in my life — mother, wife, daughter-in-law, sister, entrepreneur. There’s this expectation that women should be able to do it all, but the truth is that balance is a myth,” the 65-year-old told CNA Women.
Rusdon lost both her parents in her teens, and her eldest sister became the caregiver for the family.
“My childhood was filled with pain and loss, but it also taught me resilience and strength. I realised that life cannot bring us down if we choose not to let it,” she said in SCWO’s press release. “Even though my parents are no longer here, they continue to live on through how I lead my life and the hard work I put into it.”