From one of five pioneers to Head of Undergraduate Programme, Zara’s journey is a story of quiet leadership, steady, sincere, and deeply people-centred.
When Zara joined TUM Asia on 19 June 2006, there were only five of them.
Five people. One office. A new institution at German Centre, finding its footing in Singapore.
Today, she leads the Undergraduate Programme under the Academic Services Department. But her story is inseparable from the story of TUM Asia itself because she was there when it began.
The Pioneer Spirit
Her first role was administrative, receptionist, front desk, everything-in-between. In a team that small, titles meant little. Everyone did what needed to be done.
Her first impression of the interviewer, now Vice President TUM Asia of TUM and Executive Director of TUM Asia, was paradoxical.
“Smiley… but scary,” she laughs.
Still, she sensed something deeper: Conviction. Vision. Stability.
“If there’s no Markus, there’s no TUM Asia,” she says simply.
“When I see him, I feel safe.”
That sense of safety would later become a defining thread in her own leadership.
Learning by Doing
In her very first year, she was sent to India, alone, for marketing and student recruitment. It was her first time travelling solo. Her first business trip.
There was no playbook. Just trust and she delivered.
Soon after, she was tasked with managing a Master’s programme including, recruitment, marketing, faculty coordination, examinations for four years.
Then came another turning point: the launch of a brand-new TUM undergraduate programme.
She was asked to lead it.
“I was worried. Doubtful. I kept asking myself, can I really do this?”
But she leaned on what she had built over time: experience, relationships, credibility.
Instead of pretending to know everything, she went around asking for opinions. Listening. Inviting perspectives.
It worked. Because leadership, to her, was never about standing above, it was about standing with.
A Culture of Openness
Zara describes her approach simply: “Just do the job.”
Be sincere. Be honest. Be open.
Challenges will come. COVID was one of them. Teaching methodologies were reimagined. Digital systems were introduced. Expectations grew.
But she never believed she had to carry the weight alone.
“There’s always someone to guide you.”
That belief of enabling space for others to help one another, is part of the culture she embodies. Open discussion. Receptiveness. No ego.
As she progressed into Assistant Manager and beyond, responsibilities increased. Yet she describes the transition as manageable.
Because growth at TUM Asia was never abrupt, it was steady and supported.
The Practice of Self-Reflection
Even now, as a department head for Undergraduate programmes managing SIT-TUM joint programmes, she asks herself quietly:
“Am I doing the right thing?”
Leadership, for her, is less about authority and more about accountability, to her team, to her peers, to the institution.
Teamwork anchors her decisions. She values open discussion. She sees colleagues not just as staff, but as partners.
In her family, she plays a similar role, the coordinator in a big household, the one who steps up to gather everyone when decisions must be made.
Among friends, she is often the natural leader.
Not loud. Not forceful.
Fulfilment in the Unseen Work
Some of her proudest moments are not public milestones, but operational victories, successful accreditations, implementing processes never tried before, seeing programmes run smoothly because the groundwork was done right.
She never asked for progression. Management noticed.
Her career did not surge forward in dramatic leaps. It advanced because of consistency. Improvement. Reliability.
She describes herself as “steady and moving.”
And perhaps that is her greatest strength.
Quiet Leadership
Zara believes in letting things run their course.
“Sometimes the answer will reveal itself.”
She does not rush decisions. She does not lead through noise.
Her leadership is quiet but deeply influential.
It is the kind that builds systems that last. The kind that creates psychological safety. The kind that makes others feel supported enough to try.
Her Advice
“Don’t be afraid to start small.”
Because TUM Asia started small.
Because she started small.
Growth does not always announce itself with grand gestures. Sometimes it begins with five pioneers in a room. A first solo trip abroad. A hesitant yes.
Nearly two decades later, Zara remains what she has always been, grounded, open, people-centred.
In celebrating International Women’s Day, we celebrate not only bold voices, but steady ones.
The women who build quietly.
Who lead calmly.
Who move institutions forward, one thoughtful step at a time.