Kaplan Professional has strengthened its presence in Singapore and across Asia with the appointment of experienced education and digital learning executive Melissa Chan as Head of Business Development, Asia. Ms Chan will focus on developing corporate relationships, strategic accounts and partnerships, strengthening Kaplan Professional’s commercial capability on the ground as it expands its professional education, continuing professional development (CPD) and tailored learning solutions for financial services organisations and industry partners across Asia. The appointment comes as new research commissioned by Kaplan Professional highlights evolving workforce capability needs across Singapore’s financial services sector. In a study of 200 professionals across banking, insurance and wealth management, 47% ranked Advisory and Client Needs Assessment among the top three skill areas required to meet business objectives over the next 24 months. At the same time, 49% identified difficulty applying learning to real-work situations as a barrier to professional development, while 64% cited lack of time due to work commitments. ¹ The findings point to demand for practical, role-relevant and flexible professional development that can be applied in the workplace – an area Kaplan Professional is targeting as it grows its regional corporate learning capability. Kaplan Professional Chief Executive Officer Brian Knight said Ms Chan’s appointment reflected the organisation’s longterm commitment to building its presence and partnerships across Asia while responding to changing industry and workforce needs. “Our research in Singapore reinforces what we are hearing from employers and industry partners: organisations are looking beyond technical knowledge alone and increasingly focusing on the practical capabilities their people need to perform – from advisory and client communication to leadership and the responsible use of emerging technologies. “Melissa brings an exceptional combination of education sector knowledge, commercial experience and deep regional expertise, with extensive experience building markets and strategic partnerships across different cultures. “Over recent years, we have built strong foundations in Singapore and Malaysia through our association and corporate partnerships. Having Melissa on the ground gives us additional capability to deepen those relationships, identify new opportunities and work more closely with organisations to understand their workforce needs. “Our aim is to combine Kaplan Professional’s education, content and digital learning capabilities with local market and industry expertise to develop high-quality learning solutions that respond to the needs of organisations, their people and the environments in which they operate,” Mr Knight said. Ms Chan brings more than 20 years of commercial experience across education, digital learning and publishing in Asia, including more than 17 years with Cengage Asia in senior regional sales, marketing and management roles. Her appointment builds on Kaplan Professional’s existing relationships across the region, including partnerships with the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (APFinSA), Insurance and Financial Practitioners Association of Singapore (IFPAS) and National Association of Malaysian Life Insurance and Family Takaful Advisors (NAMLIFA). In Singapore, Kaplan Professional has partnered with IFPAS to deliver the FChFP Certification, alongside the HNW Certification. The FChFP Certification has also expanded into Malaysia through Kaplan Professional’s partnership with NAMLIFA, extending its professional education offering to financial services practitioners across the region. Alongside these established programmes, Kaplan Professional is expanding its CPD and corporate learning solutions across Asia, with a growing focus on areas including advisory and client capability, leadership and coaching, artificial intelligence (AI), sustainable finance, ethics, and affluent and high-net-worth capability. Kaplan Professional General Manager, Asia Sarah Barton said having dedicated business development capability in Singapore would strengthen the organisation’s ability to work closely with clients and partners as it expands its regional offering. “Singapore is a sophisticated financial services market, and organisations rightly expect their learning partners to understand their business, their people and the environment in which they operate. “Melissa brings extensive regional experience, but just as importantly, she understands education and digital learning, and knows how to translate local market knowledge and client needs into meaningful learning solutions. “Singapore and Malaysia are important markets for us, particularly through the relationships we have developed with our association partners. Melissa will help us build on those foundations, deepen our engagement with clients and partners, and develop stronger corporate relationships and new opportunities across the region,” Ms Barton said. Ms Chan said her immediate priority would be building relationships with financial services organisations and industry partners, and understanding the capability challenges they are seeking to address. “Organisations across the region are looking for education partners that understand their business and can deliver relevant, flexible and high-quality learning solutions. “I am looking forward to spending time with our clients and partners to understand the challenges they are trying to solve and where Kaplan Professional can add value. “There is a real opportunity to combine Kaplan’s education, content and digital learning capabilities with strong local relationships and market insight to develop solutions that are practical, relevant and able to make a difference in the workplace,” Ms Chan said. Ms Chan commenced with Kaplan Professional on 14 September 2026 and is based in Singapore. Her contact details are melissa.chan@kaplan.edu.au and +65 8188 7674. ¹ Research methodology Research commissioned by Kaplan Professional and conducted by Blackbox Research in 2026 comprised 10 in-depth interviews with senior Singapore financial services industry professionals and stakeholders, and a quantitative survey of 200 professionals across banking, insurance and wealth management.