Mervin Khong
President & CEO
Group Operations
Mervin was raised in Singapore, Saitama, Japan and Victoria, Australia, and boasts a distinctive heritage as a Ryukyuan Chinese Peranakan of Ryukyu Kingdom descent, now known as Okinawa Prefecture. He holds an Advance Diploma in Flight Management from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and a second- class honours Degree in Aviation and Business Management from the Australian Catholic University. Additionally, Mervin is a type-rated flight instructor on the B747, B777, A320, and A330 aircraft.
Mervin began his career with a pivotal project at Travellers Aid Society Victoria, where he was instrumental in co-developing Australia's first mobility transport access system for the disabled across Victoria. His passion for hospitality then led him to the food and beverage sector, where he was mentored by the Kyushu-born founder and head chef of Akita Japanese Restaurant, one of Australia’s oldest kaiseki fine dining establishments specializing in total quality management. Drawing on his extensive experience and insights in hospitality management, he founded MKPL Australia in 2008, a property development and hospitality company. Under his leadership, MKPL Australia developed and managed its own eco-friendly town villas that feature traditional modern Ryukyuan Chinese Peranakan designs and cuisine, located in the northern suburbs of Victoria with views of the Kings Lake Great Dividing Range National Park.
After returning to Singapore in 2011, Mervin established FastJet Pte. Ltd., a company focused on aircraft leasing, consultancy, and transformation. Under his leadership, FastJet Pte. Ltd. engaged in numerous start-up projects exceeding USD $7.3 billion, including the transition of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) to Space Jet, Embraer Lineage 1000 and the Honda Jet. Mervin also co-founded three international commercial airlines and a business jet operation in the Asia-Pacific region, offering expert consultancy to various airlines dealing with insolvency issues. A notable accomplishment was the acquisition of FastJet’s first pre-owned Airbus SAS 320-200, which was leased to both emerging startups and well-established airlines. In 2021,
Mervin co-founded Soogoe, an e-commerce marketplace for sports and leisure apparel, which was acquired in 2024. Fluent in English, Mandarin, Bahasa Malayu, Bahasa Indonesian, Minnan-yu and Cantonese, Mervin is a dedicated advocate for global climate change and transformation, having awarded certificates from international media organizations. He regularly participates in international forums alongside world leaders and founders from both profit and non-profit organizations.
Based in Singapore, Yokohama, and Kuala Lumpur, Mervin is an avid tennis player and surfer, and he actively volunteers for local community events. In his leisure time, he pursues his passion for cooking, crafting authentic fusion dishes. His signature creations, including the ‘Assam Miso Batang Soba®’ and ‘Yang-gogi Bua Keluak Stew®,’ have been showcased on airline menus.
Constance was raised in both Singapore and Western Australia. She earned a double degree in Management and Commerce from Curtin University of Technology and a Master’s in International Marketing from the University of Ireland. She is also a certified advanced learning and development trainer in Singapore. Over her extensive twenty-years career with the Far East Organization group, Constance has achieved notable successes, including spearheading an SGD $45 million transformation project that converted the esteemed international hotel and resort chain Le Meridien into the renowned Village Hotel & Residences in Singapore.
Throughout her career, she progressed through various roles from managerial to directorial, managing the rebranding and restructuring of the hotel's operations. Additionally, she was invited to join the Town Council organization in Singapore to contribute to the development of new programs for local communities. After extensive experience in both the private and government sectors, Constance took on a role as a Training and Coaching Management Officer with McDonald’s Corporate South East Asia. Her
expertise and achievements have earned her awards in hospitality, real estate, and food & beverage. Based in Singapore, Constance is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, long country drives, and savouring a good cup of fresh coffee while reading. She is committed to helping founders and start-ups reach their goals and is actively engaged in grassroots initiatives to support members of parliament and local business communities.
Constance Low
Vice-President
Operations
Augustine Ashley
Head of Creative Design
Augustine was raised in Singapore and France. He holds a first-class honours degree in Civil Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a Diploma in Pâtisserie from the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in France. His career includes significant roles such as Lead Safety & Compliance Officer at Marina Bay Sands during its construction in Singapore, where he ensured adherence to design specifications. Subsequently, he took on the role of Sous-Pâtissier at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in both Singapore and Sydney, Australia, where he led his team in creating a diverse array of signature artisan confections for guests and official events.
Following his role as Sous-Pâtissier, Augustine took on the position of Deputy Head of Cuisine R&D at a prominent food and beverage group in Singapore. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing, launching, and maintaining quality control for monthly and seasonal menus, which played a key role in the company achieving ISO certification. His deep expertise in civil engineering and culinary arts, coupled with his certification as a Food Hygiene Officer from the Singapore Food Agency, provided a solid foundation for him to co-found PlaYolah. PlaYolah, which featured four large indoor playgrounds in Singapore designed to foster learning through toy-like building blocks that replicate real construction objects, was ultimately acquired.
Based in Singapore, Augustine is fluent in English and is dedicated to exploring new opportunities to support founders and startups in achieving both corporate and personal development success. In his spare time, he is actively involved in social work as a grassroots member and participates in local community initiatives with Singapore’s National Private Hire Vehicle Association.
