Putting data to work in digital payments
October 19, 2026
Putting data to work in digital payments
“In university, if you mess up, you bear the consequences. At work, if you mess up, the users who trust you bear them.”
Technical skills and “hardcore” knowledge matter – but they can only take you so far. Industries and technologies are evolving. Employer expectations are changing. As the route from university to the workplace becomes less defined and structured, being work-ready increasingly means knowing how to make sense of the unfamiliar.
Data Science and Analytics (DSA) alumnus Fiona Zeng, who recently made that transition to work, is discovering this reality on the job. Not long ago, there were assignment deadlines, grades to measure progress. At work, those signposts fall away. Now a product manager in digital payments, she is learning that the choices she makes shapes the experience of real users. “You take complete ownership of the work you do,” she says.
Why Data Science and Analytics, and Business Management?
I have always liked mathematics and was curious about computer science and Artificial Intelligence (AI); DSA felt like a natural intersection of the three. But a year into the course, I began to see data differently. Analysis is never the end goal – its value lies in providing useful insights to inform business decisions. And it was those decisions – and their impact in the real world – that drew me to Business Management.
What is the workday look like for you?
Much of my time is spent writing product requirements and working with developers to build digital products that add value to users, while also solving user problems. There is a lot to learn. Payment services sit in a very dynamic and complex ecosystem. Behind every transaction is a web of stakeholders and systems and I’m still understanding how they interact. That takes diligent, often unglamorous work – and a willingness to think more deeply.
How did your learning opportunities shape your work readiness?
I had multiple opportunities to learn beyond Singapore, including exchange programmes and research stints in Southeast Asia and the United States. Being away from familiar surroundings taught me to think independently and be resourceful. With limited resources, I learned to seek help, fix things myself and get my hands dirty – lessons that only came from being pushed beyond the familiar.
Interning at Accenture and the Ministry of Defence gave me a window into two very different worlds – private consulting and national defence. What struck me most was how an organisation’s priorities shape its culture and the way its teams work.
One of my most memorable learning experiences was exploring species evolution at Tembusu College. What stayed with me was not simply learning Darwin’s theory but learning how to think through complex questions. It was intellectually exhilarating to see how biology, probability and physics could come together to explain why we are who we are today. The experience gave me a new framework for finding out what is true and how to deal with radical truth.
What are your biggest takeaways from university?
What I value most from years at university is something intangible: the mental models I developed, alongside my passion for learning. Building these little by little, every day, compounds into something valuable over time. I’d trade every material thing I have, if it means holding on to these attributes for life.
How do you apply what you learned at work?
Every product decision we make needs to be backed by evidence. When we wanted to improve payment authentication and smoothen the user’s payment journey, for example, we had to make the case to engineering, compliance and other stakeholders. That meant knowing which data mattered and how to use it to support our case – something my studies prepared me well for.
How would you describe the impact and relevance of data science?
Data science is everywhere. We start applying it as kids. Back when we wanted to convince our parents to give us more playtime by proving that playing doesn’t hurt our studies, but instead it improves our learning efficiency – weren’t we already applying data science?
What’s next for you?
This career opportunity allows me to stand on the shoulders of giants and learn about the world from a fresh new perspective. I’m excited to see how economic infrastructure is being built and how our industry can contribute to expanding the internet economy. It would be an honour to be part of that contribution.
Contributed by Fiona Zeng