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# Susan Tan of ECI Consulting Holdings on Why Employee Wellbeing Is No Longer a Nice-to-Have
- URL: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/women-who-lead/susan-tan-of-eci-consulting-holdings-on-why-employee-wellbeing-is-no-longer-a-nice-to-have/
- Published: 2026-10-26T09:35:17.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T09:35:17.000Z
- Author: Editorial team
- Tags: Women Who Lead

Susan Tan gave up the stability of a public sector career in 2003 to follow a piece of advice she had long given others: do what you love. A registered nurse and coach, she founded [ECI Consulting Holdings](https://www.workhappy-eci.com/?ref=foundedbywomen.org) in Singapore to get back to working directly with people, and over two decades later ECI has coached more than 26,000 individuals and designed over 100 training programmes.

A mindfulness practitioner for over 25 years, Susan has grown ECI from a consultancy into programmes spanning health promotion, mental health, behavioural health, caregiving and workplace health coaching. She also chairs the Health Coaching Chapter of the Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore, where she is Immediate Past President.

In this Q&A, Susan shares why employee wellbeing is no longer a nice-to-have, what makes the real difference when ECI works with an organisation, and what she wants to build next, from the professionalisation of health coaching to MenoGlow and holistic Parkinson’s care.

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### Q: You have been practicing mindfulness for over 25 years. How did that path lead you to start ECI and bring it into workplace health coaching?

Ha! Interestingly, mindfulness wasn’t the reason I started ECI. I founded ECI in 2003 because I wanted to stay true to something I had always encouraged others to do when I was doing career coaching in the public sector: *do what you love*.

As a registered nurse and coach, I found my greatest fulfilment in working directly with people, facilitating change and helping them see opportunities and realise their potential. At the time, I was in a corporate role in the public sector. While it offered stability, I missed those meaningful interactions on the ground. So, I decided to give up my *iron rice bowl* and establish ECI as a consultancy dedicated to helping individuals and organisations thrive.

One thing led to another. Over the years, I encountered many passionate, committed people who genuinely loved what they did, yet found themselves overwhelmed, exhausted or burnt out. It made me reflect on my own journey. How had I managed to juggle multiple roles, navigate challenging projects and cope with life’s inevitable setbacks without losing my sense of purpose or joy?

Mindfulness was an important part of that answer.

Practising mindfulness for over 25 years has helped me navigate difficult situations with greater awareness and perspective. Rather than seeing challenges simply as setbacks, I’ve learnt to regard them as teachers in life, offering opportunities to cultivate patience, compassion, acceptance, forgiveness and the ability to let go.

I realised that doing what you love is important, but being able to sustain that passion without sacrificing your health and wellbeing is equally important.

That insight gradually shaped ECI’s work. What began as a consultancy supporting personal and organisational development evolved into programmes in health promotion, mental health, behavioural health, caregiving and workplace health coaching. Through talks, workshops, coaching sessions and educational resources, we help people translate awareness into mindful, intentional actions that support healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Ultimately, my vision for ECI has remained consistent: happy individuals, healthy organisations and an inclusive society where everyone can grow and age happily.

I believe that when we are in a better place ourselves, we are better able to make a positive difference in the lives of others. For me, mindfulness is not just about finding inner calm. It is about becoming more aware of how we think, feel and respond, so that we can make better choices, build healthier relationships and contribute to a happier world.

### Q: Many companies still treat employee wellbeing as a nice-to-have. What do you see making a real difference when ECI works with an organisation?

I think the days of treating employee wellbeing as a nice-to-have are numbered. Employee wellbeing is no longer simply a benefit organisations offer; it is increasingly a business imperative and an expectation, particularly among younger generations entering the workforce.

The evidence is compelling. A 2025 World Economic Forum report, developed in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, estimated that improving workforce health could generate up to US$11.7 trillion in global economic value through improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, better employee retention and other benefits. Healthier workforces are also associated with lower healthcare costs. With rising healthcare costs, an ageing workforce and increasing demands on employees, investing in preventive health and wellbeing makes good business sense.

Yet, in a global survey of more than 30,000 employees, only 57% reported good holistic health.

Since COVID-19, much of the corporate wellbeing conversation has centred on mental health. While this attention is important and long overdue, employee wellbeing extends far beyond mental health. It encompasses physical, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing, all of which influence how people function, perform and thrive, both at work and beyond. Organisations therefore need to look beyond managing stress and burnout towards a more holistic, preventive approach to employee health.

But the real question is not simply how much organisations invest in employee wellbeing. It is whether those investments translate into healthier people and workplace environments that enable them to stay healthy.

When I started ECI in 2003, our focus was on empowering individuals and organisations. Over the years, our approach has evolved into two complementary philosophies: Educate, Coach, Inspire for individuals, and Envision, Capability, Implement for organisations.

For organisations, it begins with envisioning the kind of workplace they want to create, building the capabilities of their people and supporting the implementation of meaningful, sustainable changes.

At ECI, we believe that information alone rarely changes behaviour. We can tell employees to exercise more, eat better, manage stress or practise mindfulness, but knowing what to do does not necessarily translate into doing it. That is why we never approach workplace wellbeing as merely an information-download exercise or a series of feel-good initiatives, such as the occasional fruit day. There is nothing wrong with these activities, but we must not confuse participation in wellness activities with meaningful improvements in employee health and wellbeing.

Instead, we create experiential learning opportunities that connect with people’s lived experiences. Through interactive workshops, reflection, and individual or group coaching, we help people explore their beliefs, motivations, challenges and choices. We aim to equip them with the confidence and capabilities to translate what they learn into meaningful, sustainable changes in their everyday lives.

But employee wellbeing cannot rest solely on individual responsibility. An employee may learn excellent stress-management techniques yet continue to struggle in a workplace characterised by excessive demands, limited autonomy or an unsupportive culture. Organisations must also examine the systems, leadership behaviours and working conditions that influence employees' health and wellbeing.

For me, the real difference is made when individual empowerment is matched by organisational commitment. That is when workplace wellbeing moves beyond isolated activities to become embedded in an organisation’s culture and everyday practices.

Ultimately, employee wellbeing is not about how many wellness activities an organisation offers, but whether its people are genuinely healthier and better supported to thrive.

When we get that right, both employees and organisations benefit.

### Q: What is next for you and ECI, and what would you like to build in the coming years?

I see the next chapter of ECI as an opportunity to build on more than two decades of experience in preventive health, coaching and behaviour change, while responding to the changing needs of individuals, organisations and society.

I would like to devote more of my time to advocacy and systems-level change, particularly in advancing preventive health to increase health span and the professionalisation of health and wellness coaching. We have spent decades telling people what they should do to stay healthy. Yet knowledge alone has not been enough to close the gap between knowing and doing.

I believe health coaching, grounded in behavioural science and lifestyle medicine, has an important role in bridging that gap. But for it to make a meaningful difference at population level, we need more than individual programmes. We need professional standards, properly trained practitioners, supportive environments and greater integration of coaching into healthcare, workplaces and communities.

At the same time, I have no intention of losing touch with the ground. Working directly with people is something I genuinely enjoy. It keeps me grounded and provides a refreshing change of pace from the high-level strategic, research and advocacy work that I am involved in. More importantly, it keeps me connected to the realities of behaviour change - the struggles, motivations and circumstances that cannot always be captured in research or policy discussions. I want ECI to continue being a bridge between evidence, practice and people’s everyday lives.

Another area close to my heart is women’s health, particularly the midlife transition. As someone navigating perimenopause myself, I appreciate how changes in physical health, emotional wellbeing, identity and relationships can affect women during this stage of life. It is also a period when many women are balancing demanding careers, family responsibilities and caregiving.

This has inspired MenoGlow, an initiative I hope to help women navigate perimenopause, menopause and midlife with greater health literacy, confidence and agency.

I want to challenge the long-held expectation that women should simply put up with menopausal symptoms, suffer in silence or accept a diminished quality of life as an inevitable part of ageing. Suffering through menopause, a natural life transition, should not be the norm. When a woman struggles, the impact often extends beyond her to her family, relationships and workplace.

We need to empower women with the knowledge, support and confidence to take charge of their health, to prepare well and thrive during this important stage of life. Equally important, we need to move towards equipping men with the knowledge, understanding and support they need to better support the women in their lives, whether as partners, family members, colleagues or employers.

In ECI’s earlier years, dementia awareness and prevention were among the causes we actively championed. We have long believed that a fundamental part of healthy ageing is about preserving cognitive and physical function, independence and quality of life.

Building on this longstanding interest in brain health and healthy ageing, another area I hope to contribute to is holistic Parkinson’s care. Like dementia, Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects far more than the person diagnosed. I believe this is an area that deserves much greater attention in Singapore. PD is not just a movement disorder, and care should extend beyond medication and the management of physical symptoms. It should encompass lifestyle interventions, physical and cognitive wellbeing, emotional and social support, and the needs of family caregivers. This is something I would love to develop when I have the capacity and resources. Ultimately, whether we are talking about neurological conditions, my aspiration remains the same: to help people live not only longer, but better, with dignity, independence and quality of life, while also supporting those who care for them.

And, of course, we cannot talk about the future without talking about artificial intelligence.

I am particularly interested in how AI can augment, rather than replace, human health coaches and educators. Used responsibly, AI has the potential to make personalised health information, reflection and behavioural support more accessible and available beyond scheduled coaching sessions.

But we must also be mindful of its limitations. Health coaching involves empathy, trust, judgement and an understanding of the complexities of human behaviour. AI must be deployed with appropriate safeguards and human oversight.

For me, the future is not about choosing between technology and human connection. It is about bringing the best of both together.

Ultimately, my aspiration remains the same as when I started ECI in 2003: *to help individuals live happier, healthier and more meaningful lives, organisations create environments where people can thrive, and society become a better place in which to grow and age.*

The methods may evolve, but the purpose remains unchanged.

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