Jill Goh walks into a private room in Mandarin Oriental, Singapore’s club lounge with a bright, cheery smile. You can’t help but notice that she’s impeccably dressed – wearing a red-and-white embroidered dress, accessorised with hexagonal-shaped glasses and a red choker. “I was told to wear something with a story to tell!” she chirped.
Goh, 58, is the newly appointed general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, assuming the role in January 2024. The veteran hotelier is the property’s first female general manager.
Despite having been in the industry for more than three decades, hospitality wasn’t Goh’s first love, she shared as we settled in for a chat. Goh was born in the small town of Kluang, Malaysia, into an artistic family. “My father is a calligrapher, my brothers were artists,” shared Goh, the youngest of eight children. “From young, I was always very active in school activities like public speaking and singing contests. I also play the piano.”
After graduating high school, Goh harboured ambitions to study music. But when she sat down with her father, he expressed his concerns. “He asked if I was very sure about pursuing music,” Goh recalled. “He said, ‘I know you are genetically gifted in music, but for you to pursue music, you better take it seriously. It can’t be just a hobby, you better be very good’”.
Goh’s father also admitted that he “didn’t have the financial means to support me, especially if I was going to be overseas for very long”.