JNP Story

Prologue

It all began with a young man's dream. It was a dream that would lead that young dreamer to transform his rags into riches and his virtues into values.

It is the very nature and essence of dreams that they be flights of fantasy that often breach the laws of nature. So it was with this particular dream. In his vision, the young man foresaw creating an organization that would breach the perceived laws of corporate nature. and exchange managerial common sense for uncommon leadership wisdom.

It is the very nature and essence of dreams that they be flights of fantasy that often breach the laws of nature. So it was with this particular dream. In his vision, the young man foresaw creating an organization that would breach the perceived laws of corporate nature. and exchange managerial common sense for uncommon leadership wisdom.

He was adamant that his organization would not be just another bureaucratic entity, obsesssed with bottom lines and possessed by the ghosts of blind capitalism. It would be a body animated with a heart and soul, dedicated to the continuous betterment of itself, for the service of others.


Common Background, Uncommon Attitude...

Today, that vision is no longer merely a figment of that man's imagination. Through the tenacity he found through his toil, and the inspiration he drew from his aspirations, that dream has taken physical form in the walls around you. But more than that, it has taken spiritual reality in the hearts and souls of the people who make up the pulse of this organization.

Goodness may touch us. But greatness is contagious. That dream no longer belongs to that young man alone. It is today shared by every member of the organization, inspired by the compelling desire to serve and create value in the lives of their loved ones with Joy and Prosperity...


The Early Years

Patrick Tan was born in 1973 and grew up in a kampong, the eldest of three sons. His father was a lorry driver, while his mother was a homemaker. While materially poor, theirs was a family rich in other ways - his parents compensated with moral values whatever they lacked in monetary value. But through his labour of love that resulted in seemingly endless toil, Patrick's father provided for the family's basic needs. It is no wonder that Patrick credits his father's example of Hardwork, Sincerity, Honesty and Integrity as the foundation of the success he was to achieve in his later years.

A typical kampong boy, Patrick discovered profound joy in simple pleasures. The unseen treasures of nature accorded him with hours of entertainment. Toy guns, swords and catapults found their form in discarded pieces of wood, while pairs of dueling field spiders were frequently the subjects of his emerging pugilistic inclinations. Patrick's youth was marked by little of tangible value, but swelled with richness nonetheless because of his Spirit of Appreciation.


The Birth of An Entrepreneur

The physical sacrifices made by his parents left an indelible impression on young Patrick. Each drop of sweat from his parents' brow seared in his consciousness the compelling desire to repay them in kind for whatever they had strived to give him. His frequently repeated promise to himself was - "I must be very rich one day to provide Dad and Mum with a comfortable life. I must repay them for all the love and care they showered unto me."

While he scraped through academically, the young man's sense of responsibility towards his family and the compelling paucity of his resources nurtured within him a sense of entrepreneurship. Young Patrick sold whatever he thought had economic value - from centipedes to greeting cards - he did whatever he could to lighten his parents' financial burdens.

Having graduated with a Diploma in Electronics and Computer Engineering in 1993, Patrick then enlisted into the army for his National Service.


Army Daze
His time in National Service was truly a life-changing experience for him. The physical and mental rigours of military life tested his mettle and redefined his limits. Patrick had never been a physically-robust child. But through sheer grit and fueled by the determination to prove his nay-sayers wrong, he rose through the ranks, from being one of the weakest recruits in Basic Military School, to the Best Trainee in the SISPEC leadership school. He was eventually commissioned as an officer and nominated to the prestigious and physically gruelling Ranger course. It was here that his near-death experience gave him a fresh take on life.

Stung by twelve hornets during an outfield assignment, his condition was deemed potentially fatal by the doctor who later attended to him. Immobilized and completely desensitized on the ground, Patrick swore to himself that if he recovered, he would do absolutely everything within his ethical and moral means to use every ounce of his physical and mental energies to realize his dream of providing for his family.

He recovered in what his doctor described as nothing short of a miracle. His belief that every instance of adversity brings with it a seed of an equivalent or greater opportunity found truth in his experience.

With a new lease of life, Patrick was now a man on a mission.



The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins...

Patrick completed his National Service in 1996. At the cusp of adult responsibility, he entertained the idea of becoming a regular in the Army or signing up as a teacher. The limited income prospects of both careers did not make them realistic options if he was to make good on the promise he made to himself as he lay on the brink of death. He decided that the path of an entrepreneur was the right one to take. The limited range of the financial services sector then led him to decide to become an insurance agent.

The early days in his career were by no means easy. So determined was he to improve his cashflow, that he would cut his expenses drastically, going to the extent of eating instant noodles and drinking tap water. Whatever he saved on himself, he would invest in his business by honoring his client's time and confidence in him by treating them to much better meals.

In addition to honing up on product knowledge, Patrick also immersed himself in studying psychology and researching human behavioural instinct. He worked tirelessly. His hard work eventually paid off and in a few months, he won numerous accolades and industry recognition, regularly topping the sales charts. Due to his phenomenal success at such a young age, he was frequently called upon to help train other agents in his company.

In a short time, he assumed a leadership role by becoming a manager. It was then that the realization of the burdens of responsibility dawned upon him. He recalled his father's counsel and became convinced thatevery decision he made would affect the lives of the people around him, for better or for worse. He began to take his leadership role very seriously.



... With a Single Step In the Right Direction

In 2002, a confluence of events led Patrick to make a tough decision. With the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) deciding to liberalize the financial services industry, an opportunity presented itself for Patrick to take his vision to greater, unprecedented heights. But this meant foregoing several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of commissions as a top insurance agent. Convinced by the integrity of his vision and motivated by a sense of loyalty to his clients, Patrick gave up his commissions anyway and joined IPP Financial Advisers Pte Ltd. A small team of 12 agents under his care followed him.

IPP Financial Advisers had been founded in 1984 as an investment training platform by Mr Wee Tiong Howe. At a time where financial planning was an unheard-of term in the local financial sector, Mr Wee pioneered the concept and championed a comprehensive approach to wealth management. The paths of the two remarkable men crossed when Patrick met Mr Wee at one of his seminars and the idea of serving his clients more comprehensively on an Independent Financial Advisory (IFA) platform took hold in his mind. With the courage of an ancient warrior who would burn his bridges so that the way forward towards victory was the only available option, Patrick joined IPP and set up JNP as its first full-fledged branch.

In the years that followed, Patrick, as a founding branch partner, set the pace for the rest of the company. In due course, IPP grew into one of the largest and most comprehensive IFAs in the region. Because of his impeccable leadership credentials and charisma, in 2006, Patrick at the age of 33, was invited by the company’s Board to be Director of Brokerage Culture and Mentoring. He is today the youngest Director and shareholder on the Board.

Under Patrick’s continuous mentorship, JNP has grown in quantity and quality. JNP is today one of the largest branches in IPP and has consistently been the top-producing branch.


Running A Virtuous Cycle

However it is not purely all about the numbers. Patrick never intended for his advisers to be blinded by pure capitalism. Under his guidance JNP is an organization established on three core footings – Health, Relationship and Wealth. Patrick believes that wealth alone gives no meaning to life. Love does.

His followers have benefited tremendously from his wisdom. Under his mentoring, they have not only attained professional and financial success; more importantly, they have achieved personal growth as well, maturing in thought, word and deed. They have learned how to treat their clients, colleagues and other members of society, regardless of social standing, with genuine consideration and respect.

Giving substance to his philosophy, he spends hours, sometimes stretching into the wee hours of the morning, patiently imparting life lessons and professional insights to his colleagues and branch members. He passionately believes that the role of a leader is not to lead followers, but to groom future leaders.

Always emphasizing the need to take care of one’s health, he trains his people in the art of qigong and other traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies. Beneficiaries of his prowess in TCM include not only his colleagues - their loved ones have benefited as well through the administration of the techniques they had learnt from Patrick. This, he believes is adding content to mere concern. Asking after the wellbeing of a loved one is different from actually doing something to alleviate their discomfort. Armed with this knowledge, he believes his people can become more proficient in the "art of loving".

Family comes first in Patrick’s life. It is a priority he constantly promulgates through his coaching sessions. Charity begins from within the family, he believes. It is only when this is taken care of that societal charity can flourish. In that vein, he constantly reminds his people thatwealth alone cannot stand the test of time. Character does.

Indeed, Patrick’s own phenomenal personal, professional and financial success has attracted the attention of corporations from other industries who have invited him to advise them on corporate culture-building.

But in the face of such remarkable achievements, Patrick remains true to his roots, and a true reflection of the values that were instilled in him as a boy - Hardwork, Sincerity, Honesty and Integrity.

JNP’s remarkable success is the result of his role-modeling and uncommon leadership. What lies farther down the road, nobody knows. But with the same grit and determination that has made his dreams a reality today, he says with conviction, “The future is for us to create!"

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