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James Tham
Programme Chair at Republic Polytechnic
Professional Background
James Tham is a distinguished academic and professional in the field of Systems Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering. His extensive career has spanned various high-level positions, showcasing his expertise in both educational and governmental sectors. Currently, he serves as the Programme Chair at Republic Polytechnic, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the curriculum and fostering a conducive learning environment for students in technology and engineering.
Prior to his current role, James made significant contributions as a Senior Lecturer at Republic Polytechnic, where he imparted valuable knowledge and real-world insights to aspiring engineers. His commitment to education is underscored by his dedication to mentoring students and guiding them through their academic and career journeys.
James's career began in the public sector, where he held multiple progressive roles at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore. Starting as an Engineer, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Executive Engineer and later, Assistant Director. His extensive experience in this ministry provided him with a deep understanding of environmental engineering and policy, which he continues to influence in his current educational role.
Education and Achievements
James Tham's academic foundation is robust, opening doors to his impressive career path. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Loughborough University, an institution known for its strong emphasis on practical engineering skills and research. This undergraduate degree laid the groundwork for his technical expertise.
Later, he pursued a Master of Science (MS) in Systems Engineering at The University of Sheffield, honing his skills in systems thinking and complex problem-solving, relevant to various engineering fields. His master's degree further equipped him with the analytical abilities necessary for addressing contemporary issues in engineering and technology.
In addition to his formal education, James has continued to expand his knowledge, studying at ACTA, a move that demonstrates his commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.
Notable Achievements
Throughout his career, James Tham has been recognized for his strategic vision and commitment to excellence in both education and public service. His tenure at Republic Polytechnic has been marked by innovative curriculum development that aligns with industry needs, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for the challenges of modern engineering roles.
James's role as an IT Consultant at the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore further underscores his versatility and ability to navigate the intersection of technology and public service. This position allowed him to influence IT policy and implementation strategy at a national level, showcasing his capabilities in managing technological advancements to serve the public interest effectively.
His leadership in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources involved shaping policies that impact environmental sustainability. As Assistant Director, he was instrumental in developing initiatives that not only addressed immediate concerns but also focused on long-term solutions for environmental challenges in Singapore.
James's broad experience across different roles and organizations illustrates a strong commitment to engineering and education that is both impactful and forward-thinking. His work continues to inspire both students and colleagues in the field of engineering, making him a versatile leader in his domain.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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