When Leon Lim concluded his undergraduate studies in computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, his trajectory appeared firmly defined. It seemed that the natural course of his professional life would follow the well‑trodden path of a promising technology career. True enough, by 2020 he had secured a coveted position in a government technology agency, where he chose to specialize in the highly critical and demanding domain of cybersecurity. Over the ensuing four years, Leon distinguished himself within his field, rapidly climbing the professional ladder, achieving a six‑figure annual income, and positioning himself on the cusp of entering the managerial ranks. Viewed from the outside, his achievements embodied the archetypal image of youthful success in the technology sector.
Yet, in 2024, Lim took an unexpected and dramatic turn. Rather than continuing toward what many would consider an enviable endpoint in a fast‑growing industry, he relinquished his secure path to join his wife’s family enterprise, a multigenerational funeral business, where he assumed the role of operations development manager. In his own words during an interview with *Business Insider*, the thirty‑year‑old acknowledged that the decision to abandon a predictable, lucrative career in favor of work so different in nature and context was far from easy.
The seed of this change was planted during moments when he closely observed his wife, Rachael Tay. Rachael, deeply embedded in the daily operations of her family’s company, spent her time meeting with grieving families, overseeing logistical arrangements, and actively modernizing a business steeped in tradition. Witnessing her compassion in action, Leon began to reconsider what kind of mark he himself wished to leave on the world. Whereas his own work required long hours behind a computer screen, her efforts provided direct emotional support to individuals navigating moments of immense pain. The contrast between his analytical, digital routine and her tangible impact on people’s lives highlighted to Leon the intangible gap between professional advancement and meaningful contribution. As he put it succinctly, in technology roles, meaningfulness is challenging to define because genuine human connection is so rare.
The transition was, of course, not without personal sacrifice. Leon was candid in acknowledging that he accepted a substantial pay reduction — approximately twenty percent less than his previous salary. Yet he perceived this financial concession as more than justified by the sense of significance and satisfaction his new role afforded him. For him, fulfillment is derived not exclusively from financial stability but from the cumulative sense of worth that comes from helping others, surmounting unique challenges, and engaging in meaningful growth opportunities.
To Leon, the shift from cybersecurity professional to facilitator in a funeral business represented not solely a career change but something even deeper: a complete recalibration of mindset. The structured, carefully documented, and predictable environment of technological work stood in stark opposition to the dynamic, emotionally charged, and highly unpredictable nature of the funeral sector. Unlike code, which behaves according to logic and rules, people grappling with bereavement respond in vastly different ways. Some family members approach funeral planning composed and pragmatic, while others are so overcome with emotion that they struggle even to take basic steps. Leon quickly realized there was no definitive manual to help him navigate such encounters. Rather, success in this realm depended on his ability to remain calm, maintain composure, and show steady compassion, all while ensuring that urgent logistical needs were met with efficiency. As he remarked, efficiency must always be balanced with humanity, for the industry extends well beyond logistical execution — at its heart, it is about the human touch.
For Leon, learning on the job has been an intense process. Fortunately, he credits Rachael and her family for providing critical mentorship and practical training, teaching him not only how to converse with grieving clients but also how to coordinate the countless details of wakes and other ceremonial proceedings. At the same time, he has had to adapt to the altered rhythms of this new line of work. Unlike an office job, which typically offers predictable hours and a clear distinction between professional and personal time, the funeral business has no reliable schedule. Death, by its very nature, arrives without warning, which means Leon and his colleagues must remain perpetually on call. While this often translates into extended and irregular workdays, Leon regards the unpredictability as strangely invigorating, since each day poses new situations requiring both empathy and innovation.
Despite longer hours, a notable decrease in salary, and the emotional toll inherent in the profession, Leon consistently emphasizes that he harbors not a single regret about his choice. In fact, he now recognizes in funerals an overlooked potential for innovation. He views the industry itself as an underdeveloped sector, one that is steeped in custom and slow to embrace modernization, but precisely for this reason brimming with opportunity. His own enthusiasm derives from imagining ways technology can enhance, rather than replace, longstanding traditions in order to better serve the people who rely on them.
Rachael Tay herself offers evidence of the fruitful collaboration between them. Having entered her family’s multigenerational enterprise, Casket Fairprice, at the age of nineteen, she brings years of experience as well as a deep sensitivity to the company’s heritage. Now serving as corporate development manager, she works in tandem with Leon, noting that their different talents naturally complement each other. While she gravitates toward creative approaches, Leon imports into the business the logical clarity and structured problem‑solving methods he cultivated as an engineer. Indeed, Leon consciously models his current workflow on the methodology of software development: breaking intricate, emotionally charged problems into manageable elements before addressing them systematically and thoughtfully.
Together, the couple has recognized that client expectations, too, have evolved. In previous generations, cultural norms provided people with an intuitive sense of the processes to follow when a loved one died. However, younger clients, often in their twenties, thirties, or forties, frequently find themselves uncertain and overwhelmed, lacking the familiarity their parents or grandparents naturally had. The couple believes that technology, particularly advanced digital tools, could provide much‑needed accessibility and reassurance during this difficult time. With Leon’s expertise guiding implementation, Casket Fairprice has already introduced two artificial intelligence applications: one in the form of a chatbot designed to answer common questions about funeral customs and cultural practices, and the other an AI‑driven planner that assists families in navigating the arrangements virtually from the comfort of their own homes.
Far from stopping at logistical tools, the pair also envision ways technology might reinforce the emotional dimensions of grieving and remembrance. Specifically, they are exploring AI solutions that could curate and safeguard digital legacies — carefully compiling photographs, written tributes, and memories to construct enduring digital memorials that future generations can access. This blending of tradition with innovation represents precisely where Leon finds his renewed sense of purpose: reshaping a conservative and ritual‑bound industry with the same problem‑solving mindset that once guided him as a cybersecurity engineer, but now during life’s most profound and intimate passages.
Leon’s journey demonstrates that stepping away from financial security and professional prestige can, paradoxically, lead to greater fulfillment. His willingness to leave behind the metrics of success traditionally associated with the technology industry in pursuit of something more human‑centered highlights an alternative definition of ambition — one framed not by income or title, but by compassion, legacy, and the courage to transform tradition with innovation.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/leon-lim-left-tech-20s-run-funerals-wife-singapore-2025-8
