HE was a struggling student, only 19 when he signed up for the Singapore Navy in order to see himself through university. As it turned out, he didn't get a place at the National University of Singapore, but he reasoned that once he had made enough money he would be able to pursue a degree overseas.

Seven years later, he still did not have a degree or much money but what he did have was a better understanding of himself, a determined spirit, and a fierce desire to succeed.

Today, Chng Hock Huat, at 41, is CEO of Keane Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, and in charge of the Asia and Middle East operations of Keane, a global information technology (IT) solutions giant whose annual turnover runs into the billions and which is currently looking to a Nasdaq listing next year.

This happily married father of two now lives in an apartment in the Orchard Road area.

It is a far cry from his humble beginnings when he lived with his parents in the Lengkok Bahru district in Redhill. He remembers days when the family had to pawn mom's jewellery to tide over difficult times. In fact, his first foray into business came of a desire to supplement the family income.

A friend had mentioned that a pocket game retailing at close to $40 could be found in bulk at $7 a piece at the old thieves market in Sungei Road. Making his way there but unable to find the item at the said price, he finally approached one of the vendors to ask about the 'good deal'.

'He looked at me and said, 'You siao ah' (you must be crazy),' Mr Chng laughed.

'But I had done my math and thought that I could earn a few hundred dollars to help my mom regain her pawned jewellery,' he added seriously.

Although nothing came of the 'venture', this willingness to get involved in the groundwork served him well later.

At age 26, he joined an Indonesian conglomerate, and it was there that, by chance, he found his calling in the IT sector. Though he had no prior IT knowledge, he was determined to prove himself and started out as a store supervisor who even had to roll up his sleeves and carry loads and push trolleys at times when manpower was short.

But Mr Chng wouldn't let that faze him and eventually rose to become a deputy general manager of the company - he attributed this to a keen understanding of the company's workflow; having previously worked the various shifts at ground level.

In 1988, Mr Chng founded Opentech, an IT software integration business.

Running a tight ship of about 50 employees in an industry that changed from day to day was not easy. As is the case with many SMEs, Mr Chng's primary goal was survival.

'I was a poor CEO,' he joked of his starting pay of $4,000 a month.

Though Opentech was making profit, there were a couple of years that the company fell into the red. Mr Chng freely admitted that they got a big break when they won a US$12 million Toshiba contract in 2001 against other more established firms which were also in the running.

But it is said that lucky men make their own luck, and Mr Chng recounts going the extra mile to nail the contract against the odds.

'We finished our proposal on Friday night. Then I got a friend to translate it into Japanese, and copies of that we then gave out during our pitch the next day,' he said.

Toshiba was impressed. Opentech got the job.

Things were looking up from there. In 2006, Opentech was acquired by Caritor Inc, a US-based IT software and services company. It then acquired Keane last year and retained that name for branding reasons.

While most MNCs would bring in their own people soon after an acquisition, the management at Keane decided otherwise.

Instead of moving out, Mr Chng was moved up, to his current position as director in Asia and the Middle East.

'People have asked me why I 'sold out',' he mused.

'In order to retain that hunger and motivation, I wanted to be playing in the right league,' he explained.

'Joining the MNC is a greater challenge - if you win in the SME stakes, you will only be a 'king-rat',' he said.

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.

Mr Chng is now working at a level on a far greater scope than before. Having been bought over by Caritor, Keane is seeking to get listed again on Nasdaq. Which means more work and more travelling for Mr Chng as he strategises opportunities going forward in the burgeoning Chinese and Indian markets.

Though his job requires a lot of travel, he makes sure that he spends his weekends with his family and is particularly grateful for his wife's support.

Although Mr Chng did eventually get a business diploma, a higher degree eluded him. Even though he attended an MBA course at the Singapore Institute of Management, he had to drop out towards the end of the course because of his demanding workload.

Still, he thinks that paper qualifications are important.

'A degree will help you get to the point where you have the chance to seize opportunities,' he explained.

'But to take those opportunities is a matter of character, whether you have the correct EQ and the attitude to succeed,' he said.

Good advice from a local boy made good.

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