Jenny Tay
Managing Director of Direct Funeral Services
It’s never an easy task getting people to confront their mortality; especially in a conservative Asian society like Singapore, where death remains a taboo topic. But Tay is hoping to change the status quo by shifting the focus to the commemoration of life and ensuring its final journey is a meaningful affair. “It’s not about how elaborate the funeral is, but more about how much love and warmth is felt during the last moments,” she says. In the five years since she has taken over the reins of her family’s company, Tay has given the funeral business a more polished outlook (its revenue reportedly jumped from $2 million to $7 million under her charge), while encouraging people to give serious thought to end-of-life planning. At the same time, she also launched the Direct Life Foundation in 2015, which assists the lonely elderly in Singapore.
Tay wears shirt and pants from Dior
Photographer: Wee Khim; Stylist: Sharon Tulasidas; Makeup and hair: Toni Tan using M.A.C; Sean Ang/FAC3Inc using Kevin Murphy