I had attended a number of leadership and management programmes over the years; I wasn’t looking for just another general programme. What attracted me to the Women Leaders Programme was that it felt different.
"When I started at the junior level of senior management, I was one of the very few women. Female leaders were a minority and mostly recruited from abroad to kickstart certain initiatives. Over the years, I've seen how the organisation has evolved and today, we have many female leaders overseeing research entities."
For more than two decades, Lisa Ng has built her career at A*STAR, progressing from viral immunologist to Executive Director of A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs. Along the way, she has taken on leadership responsibilities spanning scientific research, talent development and organisational governance, while witnessing the evolution of female leadership across the organisation. Today, Lisa leads a mission-driven organisation where success depends not only on scientific excellence, but also on attracting the right talent, developing future leaders and ensuring research delivers meaningful impact for Singapore.
Having participated in several leadership and management programmes throughout her career, Lisa was not actively looking for another executive education experience. In fact, when she was first approached about attending a programme at INSEAD, she questioned whether it would offer anything significantly different from what she had already experienced.
I had attended a number of leadership and management programmes over the years; what attracted me to the Women Leaders Programme was that it felt different.
That difference became apparent from the moment Lisa arrived at INSEAD's Fontainebleau campus. Removed from the pace and pressures of everyday work, she found herself among women leaders from across industries and geographies, many holding senior leadership positions in their organisations. "It's not often where you get into a room with such like-minded women. They came from different walks of life and different industries, but they were all high performers, very driven and energetic. Yet they were also very open to learning and genuinely wanted to gain something from the programme," she recalled.
Through peer coaching, facilitated discussions and reflective exercises, participants were invited to explore both professional challenges and personal experiences. What surprised Lisa was how quickly conversations moved beyond titles and responsibilities. "When everybody realised that you are not alone, I think they opened up. You could see that while we were all very different, the kinds of challenges we face in life and at work were actually quite similar."
A key contributor to that experience was Professor Jennifer Petriglieri's approach to the programme. Blending leadership theory with psychology, peer coaching and guided reflection, the curriculum encouraged participants to examine their leadership journeys in a way that felt both structured and personal. Rather than focusing solely on leadership frameworks, the programme created opportunities for participants to explore the experiences and assumptions that shaped how they lead.
Women are often not allowed to show that vulnerable side. The programme was crafted very well because it created a space where people could be honest about their experiences without worrying about being judged.
As trust developed within the group, the discussions became increasingly candid. For Lisa, one of the programme's most distinctive strengths was its ability to create a safe space where accomplished women leaders could put aside expectations, speak openly and support one another.
Years of leadership experience had already given Lisa a strong sense of self-awareness and a clear understanding of the values that guide her decisions. Rather than seeking transformation, she approached the programme as an opportunity to reflect on familiar challenges through a different lens. Listening to the experiences of other accomplished women leaders reinforced the value of creating space for honest conversations about leadership, growth and vulnerability. She found herself reflecting that “while there weren’t really assumptions that changed, certain soft spots made her see things in a different light.”
Returning to A*STAR after the four-day programme, Lisa found herself reflecting on the conditions that enable leaders to grow. She candidly shared to her HR leadership team: "I encourage other female leaders to attend, if they are comfortable with it. But it's not for everyone."
I have gone through the ups and downs in life, and I've come to terms with certain things. The organisation will always change, and you need to know that when it changes, you either move with the change or start assessing what it means for you.
What stood out most was not a new framework or management tool, but the environment the Women Leaders Programme created. More than another executive education programme, it represents a rare space for accomplished women leaders to step back, reflect on shared experiences and engage in conversations that seldom happen in the course of leadership.
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