JAMES SOON PENG HOCK'S Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) career is a rich tapestry of experiences. He had been a National Day Parade commander, naval fleet commander and even diplomat. After graduation, he joined RSN at a time when they needed engineering skills on board advanced warships known as missile corvettes. At one point, he was based in the Singapore embassy in the United States. His role was to develop technology collaboration between the United States Defence Department, Singapore Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Two things prepared him for the diplomat role. The first was his stint at the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College. The second was his study for his Masters in International Relations at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States.

Upon retirement from the SAF in 2007, the ex-colonel's illustrious navy track record opened up a second career for him. He went into the marine industry and was based in the United States as Senior Vice President of Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine. His role was to expand the marine business through marina merger and acquisition. When James returned to Singapore in 2009, he set up a new firm within ST Marine to help defence customers solve operational problems. Subsequently, when ST Marine formed a joint venture that deals with a unique craft technology serving the oil and gas industry, he became president of the new entity.

James is one of a handful of NTI pioneers who charted their careers in the marine industry, a key component of Singapore's economy. Chang Yee Shen is the General Manager of a firm that offers plating and repair of marine diesel engines. Wu Kum Weng has been with Sembawang Shipyard since 1992. Over the years, he improved productivity, developed yard infrastructure and automated marine and industrial services. In 2000, he set up an e-procurement portal to enable shipyards and their suppliers to buy and sell products online. The intent was to aggregate all major suppliers in the marine industry to make procurement and backend processing more efficient, benefiting both buyers and sellers.