Member of the Month | Charlie Holt

Charlie Holt, Intern at the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (Singapore) 
 

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I was born in Singapore and have lived here my whole life. I’m half from New Zealand and half British, so I’ve grown up with a mix of different cultures while still feeling very connected to Singapore. I began my schooling at a local primary school before moving to an international school, which gave me quite a varied experience and the opportunity to meet people from many different backgrounds. Outside of school, I enjoy sport and spending time with my friends.

2. What interested you in interning with the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Singapore?

I came across the internship posting online, and following some quick research I was interested to find out a little more about what the NZ Chamber here is involved in. I was particularly interested in the variety of work the Chamber does, from organising events to connecting with different businesses and members of the community. Being half from New Zealand and having grown up in Singapore also made the Chamber particularly interesting to me, as it brings together two places that I feel connected to.

3. What are you most looking forward to during your internship from August to November?

I’m looking forward to working with the team and gaining more experience in a real office environment. Work in the Chamber often involves connecting and networking with a variety of groups and individuals, so I’m also looking forward to meeting new people involved in the Chamber and expanding my network of connections. I’m excited to get involved with the different projects and events taking place over the next few months and hopefully help the Chamber continue to build new partnerships.

4. What skills or experience do you hope to bring to the Chamber team?

I hope to bring my organisational skills and creativity to the Chamber team. Through my previous experience with design, marketing and working on different projects, I’m comfortable taking on a variety of tasks and working as part of a team. I also enjoy coming up with new ideas and hope I can bring a new perspective to some of the Chamber’s projects during my time here.

5. You have experience in graphic design, web design and marketing. What do you enjoy most about creative work?

Creative work excites me as it allows me to take an idea and develop it into something that people can actually see and engage with. I enjoy having the freedom to experiment with different ideas and approaches, while also working towards something that has a clear purpose or message behind it. It’s particularly rewarding for me when something I have worked on is published or used and you can see the final result. An example of this was my time working on graphics for the live stream of the 2025 Asia Pacific Champions Trophy, where I was able to learn the process it takes to create graphics for cricket live streams which were being broadcast on youtube, their website and TV. It was rewarding seeing some of the elements I had helped to build being used for the actual tournament, allowing me to feel that my hard work was made worthwhile.

6. You have experience interviewing members of your school community and turning their experiences into published stories. What do you enjoy most about meeting people and sharing their stories?

I enjoy having the opportunity to meet and speak with people I may not normally interact with, and learning more about their experiences. Everyone has a different background and story to tell, and often you learn things about someone that you would never have known without sitting down and speaking with them. I also enjoy the challenge of taking those conversations and turning them into something interesting that other people will want to read, while still staying true to their unique personal stories.

7. What would you most like to learn about events, marketing and Singapore’s business community during your internship?

I’m curious to explore and learn more about how the Chamber is able to interact with and support Singapore’s business community. I’d also like to better understand what goes on behind the scenes when organising and marketing events, from the initial planning and promotion through to the event itself. Being able to see and take part in that whole process, is something I think will be really valuable.

8. You have been involved in rugby, football coaching and community fundraising. What have these experiences taught you about teamwork and leadership?

Helping to coach children has taught me valuable lessons about both teamwork and leadership. I was able to develop my confidence, which transferred to my own sports and allowed me to become more vocal and contribute in different ways to my team’s performance. These skills have also transferred outside of sport, improving my collaboration and my ability to work with new people in both academics and other areas. On the other hand, the community fundraising events I took part in, especially at school, often required a lot of time and effort to plan and organise. Through these experiences, I strengthened my ability to work with different people towards a shared goal and learnt the importance of teamwork when bringing an event together. These skills have transferred well into my time at the Chamber so far, helping me contribute to larger events and giving me a better understanding of the planning and teamwork that goes on behind the scenes.

A really valuable experience for me was weekly sports tournaments we organised for students at my school. Charging a small entry fee allowed us to raise money for our connected NGO in Cambodia, Kampuchea Balopp, who use sports, especially rugby to help disadvantaged children in Cambodia learn, grow and develop their social skills. This was especially meaningful to me as I was able to see firsthand the effect that these fundraisers could have on the children, allowing them to have access to better equipment and facilities, while simultaneously helping me and other student members of the team improve our skills.

9. If you could help develop one event, campaign or creative project for the Chamber, what would you love to work on?

So far, I’ve really enjoyed helping to set up and take part in the variety of events the Chamber hosts. I’ve been involved in a Young Professionals networking event as well as a speaker panel on human leadership in an AI-driven world. I enjoyed seeing such a wide variety of people attending and hearing about their different backgrounds and what brought them to the events. Looking ahead, I’m especially excited to help organise the Great Aotearoa Ball, which is the Chamber’s main annual event, and to see everything that goes into bringing an event of that scale together.

10. What do you enjoy doing outside of school and work, and what is one fun fact about you that our members might be surprised to learn?

Outside of school and work, I enjoy playing and watching sport, spending time with friends and travelling. Most years I go to watch the Singapore rugby sevens, and this summer I was able to go to watch Wimbledon for the first time, which has always been something I’ve wanted to do.

Something people often don’t expect that I’ve lived in Singapore my whole life, although I hope to go abroad for university next year. I’ve grown up with Singaporean food and love Roti prata and chicken rice especially, and was often disappointed when I was younger as I couldn’t eat them back in New Zealand and the UK! That is also one of the reasons I’m glad to be doing this internship, as it gives me the opportunity to connect my Singaporean upbringing with my New Zealand background and hopefully act as a small bridge between the two.