TEAM VYTRO ADVISORY GROUP (TVAG)

Advisory Group Partners

Character Building: The Foundation of Success

It was bad enough when his father passed away when Jason was only three years old. But to see his mother holding two jobs to support him and his younger sister, and having to put himself through school during his three-year tertiary education made him ask a lot of questions. He thought life as unfair; where some others were born with a silver spoon, he had to fight for lack with lack.

He constantly quizzed life and the bad hand he was dealt with. The results for his poorly performed preliminary examinations for “O” Levels were not good enough to pass. A month before the final examinations, Jason’s mum told him that with the grades he had, his only option in life is perhaps to work as a manure collector. The sting of a reality check staggered him. It was a wake-up call.

For an entire month, Jason voluntarily grounded himself at home and hit the books. An hour’s break for both lunch and dinner was the only time away from studying. It was worth it. He passed his final examinations and earned a place at Singapore Polytechnic, where he studied Building & Property Management.

For the next three years, Jason juggled between holding a part-time job and school. Jason worked three times a week to pay for his school fees. He learned, by then, not to rely on others for support. It was an intense coming-of-age experience for him; an uncommon hardship, and commonly let go on the wayside if one is not determined to change one’s fate. He was. As an avid reader of self-help books, he understood the tapestry of life and the principles of unchangeable universal laws, like, “you reap what you sow”, or in his own words, “hard work” and “determination.” Perhaps, both traits require one to stay focused on a consistent basis; destiny can be favourably shaped from an undesirable fate. And the stage was set for IPP after his diploma studies.

“At IPP, we champion the pillars of humility and hard work, and its side effects: sound character and success. Jason Uttra belongs to that league.”

Remaining Grounded

Jason was still serving his National Service when a former schoolmate, then a manager at IPP, approached him and shared with him about IPP. Initially, Jason was selected to train as an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces during his National Service. He was later picked to join the Commando Battalion for the next one—and—a—half years. As he was nearing the end of National Service, he came to a fork in the road. He asked himself what he wanted to do: to work at a job where how much you can earn is determined by how much you work, or to further his studies. The latter was impossible, as he couldn’t afford to do so at that time. Persuaded by and educated about the role of an adviser with IPP, Jason actually liked the idea of wealth management: improving the way people manage their finances, and assisting them along the way. He took the plunge, and it was a deep dive for the next 15 fruitful years with IPP.

Jason was on the upswing shortly after his second year with IPP. Always ranked within the top ten performing advisers, and leading a successful team, he remains a grounded person. How so? By never forgetting where he came from: hardship. Also, instilling a sense of humility is the master key and a firm belief he holds. One problem, according to Jason, is that “wealth reveals who you are.” He has seen callous behaviour and a “character-retrograde” from some people who became financially successful. To him, that is the tyranny of success, a failure in character building.

To fulfill his dream of getting a degree – something he didn’t have a chance to do earlier in life – Jason decided to further his studies in 2012, juggling between work and part – time studies. He believes in constantly upgrading himself and is currently a proud holder of a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Community Leadership. He believes that seeking advancement through education is for all regardless of age and circumstances, and he did it to prove it.

Equalitarianism, Empathy and Integrity

He believes in serving not just the wealthy because financial planning is a common privilege every individual should have access to: from cleaners to odd job labourers. He serves them too. He walked the talk. Egalitarian and empathetic, he believes that the role of an adviser is more than managing other people’s money. In the grand scheme of things, it’s using the opportunity to assist his clients in making better decisions not just for themselves, but also for the best interests of the people around them. At the age of 29, he completed serving three terms of Chairmanship as a grassroots leader in his residential committee, making him one of the youngest Chairmans ever elected. He believes that serving the community is one of the best ways of giving back to society. Jason also deeply believes in serving the country – during his Reservist, which he recently completed, he served as an Army Captain in the Commando formation.

Attaining/Achieving Success: The Key Principles

Jason recruits associates based on a model: character. A potential associate’s character must mirror his own values and principles. What about his model for success? A blend of hard work, determination, passion, and a promise/commitment to not rest on one’s laurels because success is never-ending. He believes that life is a journey and not a destination – this is what he envisions for his team in the years to come.

TEAM VYTRO ADVISORY GROUP

Jason Uttra

Financial planning is a privilege not just reserved for high earners. It deserves to be served to the under-served: the everyday man. A conscionable adviser who has been with IPP for 15 years, he leads a successful team of inspired and integrity-focused advisers. Jason Uttra absorbs his life lessons and paints it, for his clients and associates, with a sense of purpose.

Contact Jason Uttra at:

Corporate E-mail:
jasonuttra@ippfa.com

Contact Number:
+65 93653653

IPP Financial Advisers Pte Ltd

78 Shenton Way #30-01 Singapore 079120Tel: +65 6511 8888 enquiry@ippfa.com