His clients may mostly know him for looking after their mortgaging and legacy planning needs, but Adrian Tan would rather be known for making an impact on others

My ears are popping as the lift takes me up to the 37th storey of Guoco Tower. As I exit the lift, I notice that Adrian Tan is at the door, eager to greet me. At 36, Tan has already accomplished much in his field. He and his wife Jessica are co-founders of Bequest Prestige, a mortgage solutions company that helps homeowners restructure their loans and assists HNWIs in managing their legacy planning portfolios. We’re in a boardroom, overlooking bits of the CBD. It’s a great day to kick back and have a casual chat about Tan’s achievements. To learn about how he started and where he sees his business going — given that he’s on the panel of 16 banks in Singapore and counts over 3,000 clients under his belt.

But instead, Tan hands me his name card, encouraging me to take a closer look at the flipside. He’s president of Rotary Club of Garden City, one of the 23 Rotary Clubs in Singapore that has set its eyes on making a lasting, positive change in the country.

And that’s what we’ll be having a chat about. Family, passion and what has him jumping out of bed on weekends. It’s a singular activity that ties it all in together: volunteering. It’s impossible to not feel the energy in the room we’re in. Tan’s eyes twinkle with every mention of his ‘second job’, which he counts as part of his calling. He’s gesticulating, he’s sharing his vision… he’s even asking me for my opinion on what can be done to help improve the life of Singaporeans. The man is clearly passionate about life after work hours and there’s no stopping him. And why would you?

I don’t have much free time. After work, I meet clients to discuss their portfolios, and I also attend meetings as part of my role as president of Rotary Club of Garden City. It takes up quite a bit of time but I don’t mind because I love volunteering. I stepped up as president for a term (which lasts from July to June) because I want to bring the club to even greater heights.

What sets Rotary apart from other membership clubs is that we don’t just network, we fellowship and do good together. We work with different NGOs and help them raise awareness, money and hopefully bring about a positive and lasting change in the community.

Weekends are reserved for my family. I live at Newton so we go to the Botanic Gardens for our regular weekend walks. I have two children and a third one on the way. If I’m volunteering for events on weekends, I’ll bring my family too. I would like my children to volunteer on a regular basis and make it a part of their lives.

The full story is available in the March 2019 edition of Robb Report Singapore; get the annual print subscription delivered to your doorstep or read on the go with a digital subscription.