Unsung Heroes

Nature landscapes executive director Jacqueline Allan and her team do some of the unseen work that goes into singapore’s iconic gardens and parks with humility, ambition and solidarity.

- Ashton Kobler

Singapore is a world-class city in a garden, famous for its iconic green spaces created to preserve its citizens’ quality of life. Behind these gardens and parks are what Executive Director of Nature Landscapes Jacqueline Allan calls the “unsung heroes”. These are the people who work hard to maintain such a stunning landscape, celebrated by the Landscape Industry Association (Singapore) at their biennial Awards of Excellence. Jacqueline and her team pride themselves on being part of a premier landscape company that maintains the highest standards in the industry.

To reach these standards, Jacqueline decided it was essential to create meaningful careers for her staff. “I was inspired in many ways, so I thought that if I could do the same for them, then they would go through the same journey as me and excel each day,” she enthuses. “They could each be a better person and have a better tomorrow; there’s always a better tomorrow.”

Jacqueline has been in the industry for 30 years and loves her job. “It’s soul-fulfilling, and goes beyond my expectations,” she says. “I think I just did the best I could at every task I was given and took on more and more responsibility until I got into a leadership role when I’d been in the industry for six years. I had an ambition, and my ambition was simply to always do the best that I could. I live by this motto: ‘If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.’”