Latest news with #JanneyHujic
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: It wasn't Piyush Gupta. But it was very LinkedIn
SINGAPORE: Every day, millions of LinkedIn users post stories and photos, hoping to impress future bosses, recruiters and clients with their personal brand. After all, it is no longer enough to put up your resume on the world's largest professional network. Users are expected to regularly showcase their work achievements, societal impact and important people they know. But when does it go too far? On May 19, a LinkedIn post appeared under user Janney Hujic's name showing a photo of herself with a man tagged as former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta. The post claimed Ms Hujic had bumped into Mr Gupta at a cafe in Bali and they spoke for a few minutes. The post also claimed that Mr Gupta had praised the all-women expedition to Mongolia Ms Hujic was organising to raise funds for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. Then, the real Mr Gupta commented in the LinkedIn post, 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!' It turned out the man is a 58-year-old teacher who lives in Bali. To make matters worse, SG Enable said that her company was not an authorised fundraiser for the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. LinkedIn users had a field day. Some criticised Ms Hujic and others posted photos of themselves with the real Mr Gupta. One user wrote: 'This is peak LinkedIn', alluding to the hubris and humblebragging that plague the platform. The post in question was left up for days before Ms Hujic's account was deleted on May 24. Ms Hujic has since alleged that the post , who demanded money to remove it. LINKEDIN TACTICS THAT MAKE ME WINCE But even before the facts came to light, I found the post cringe-inducing with dramatic sentences such as: 'What struck me wasn't just the legendary career - transforming DBS into a global digital banking leader - but the humility and presence with which he carried himself. No entourage. No airs. Just quiet conviction.' The post promoted the expedition by borrowing Mr Gupta's fame: 'He smiled and said, 'What an incredible opportunity - for women of any age - to step outside the office and into something truly meaningful.'' Do people speak like that? I get it. It is hard to stand out on a platform with over a billion users, including heavyweights like Bill Gates who has 38 million LinkedIn fans. But in the wanton pursuit of LinkedIn fame, many users resort to content tactics that beggar belief. For example, there are LinkedIn influencers who like to boast about making a lot of money. The pitch often goes like this: 'Here is how I went from US$100 to US$1 million in one year in my new online business'. Or 'You can become rich like me too, if you take up my course on how to become a LinkedIn content creator.' Initially, such posts can inspire awe and envy, especially for those new to LinkedIn. After a while, the same spiel appears too frequently and you realise these people often have little else to offer. Then, there are those who keep posting irrelevant selfies. LinkedIn's algorithm appears to boost our visibility when we put up photos of ourselves, but some users go overboard – all their posts contain well-photoshopped selfies, regardless of the content. We already encounter too many pointless selfies on Instagram and TikTok. Please don't do this to LinkedIn. Finally, there are the insensitive posts from people who survived a retrenchment exercise. Layoffs have become more common, and people are less shy to share how they have been retrenched. But it feels inappropriate when their unscathed colleague writes on LinkedIn about how sad they feel about the layoffs, what a loss of talent has occurred, and they promise to be a pillar of support for those who need it. In my opinion, if you are really sincere about helping your retrenched colleagues, you should reach out to them directly. NO SHORTCUTS IN PERSONAL BRANDING Despite all the cringey things that people do on LinkedIn, I am still a big advocate for the platform's benefits in providing job and business opportunities. It has helped me to land several jobs, and it is a constant source of learning. Personal branding is about creating authenticity and appeal, and you can do it without causing any facepalms. First, always write posts that offer value to your network. It is perfectly fine to post the accolades that you have garnered at work (as long as they are true!), but we don't get awards every week and you don't want every post to across as a brag. To have enough interesting content to keep engaging your network, strive to share valuable information and learnings - lifehacks, insights into solving particular problems, or the latest news that is relevant to your industry. Second, don't compare. It is too easy to feel pressured by what others do on LinkedIn. Whether it is taking wefies with famous people or showing photos from their latest stage appearances, this can turn into a game of one-upmanship. Rather than feel FOMO (the fear of missing out), focus on improving yourself and sharing what you have learned in the process. Or talk about the wins of your colleagues and friends – it is always better to praise others rather than yourself. Finally, spend more time networking instead of writing posts. While it is exciting to receive likes and positive comments on your LinkedIn posts, it is even better to connect with users directly and ask them out for coffee. LinkedIn started out in 2003 as a platform to connect businesspeople, but in recent years, it has evolved into a social media platform. Many users, including myself, probably spend too much time reading and writing posts when we should be building real-world relationships. So, if you see me in a cafe, let's have a real chat - no need to post a picture of us on LinkedIn. Ian Yong Hoe Tan is a strategic communication lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. He has more than two decades of experience working in the media and technology industries. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice and has spent 15 years on the platform.
Independent Singapore
26-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Woman in LinkedIn post about meeting Piyush Gupta says her social media manager made up the story and demanded S$5K to take it down
SINGAPORE: A woman received a lot of attention after her May 20 LinkedIn post raving about a chance encounter with Piyush Gupta went viral , only for the former CEO of DBS Bank to chime in that it had been a case of mistaken identity. 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!' he wrote, referring to a photo that Janney Hujic, the founder of Impact-Driven Retreats & Expeditions, had put up. The following day, the man who had actually been in the photo, a 58-year-old Singaporean named Kumar H Subramaniam, set the record straight in comments on a Facebook post from Wake Up, Singapore. On May 22, a message from Ms Hujic's team was posted in the comments to say that she was on an expedition in Vietnam but would tell her side of the story when she returned. She spoke to 8World News, which on May 24 reported Ms Hujic as saying that her social media manager in the Philippines had put up the viral post without permission to generate traffic. The social media manager allegedly asked Ms Hujic for S$5,000 in return for taking down the post after changing the password so Ms Hujic would lose access to it. A screenshot of the alleged messages from the social media manager was shown on the 8World News report. One part says, 'Post has over 6k engagement. Pay me 5k SGD and I take down… When I get paid, I give you back access.' The infamous LinkedIn post was taken down on May 23, with Ms Hujic's partner allegedly paying the amount demanded. Ms Hujic said that she had hired her social media manager, who was supposed to receive S$1 for every like on LinkedIn and Instagram posts, in March. She added that she knew the man she took a photo with had not been Mr Gupta, but she shared it on a group chat with friends and on an Instagram post merely as a joke. The LinkedIn post was put up after she left for her Vietnam trip on May 19, and she did not realize what had happened until May 24. On another note, the post said that Ms Hujic had told 'Mr Gupta' about her upcoming all-women expedition in Mongolia to support the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. The fund wrote in another LinkedIn post that Ms Hujic and her company were not SG Enable's authorised fundraising partners, and it had not endorsed their fundraising campaign. Commenters have had a field day with the story, with some expressing doubts and raising questions about why Ms Hujic would need a social media manager to begin with, if they were really paid the rate she quoted, and whether she's not just doing damage control at this point. 'No one pays a social media manager a dollar per like,' one observed. 'The hole she digs gets deeper and deeper,' wrote another. 'Maybe the social media manager would come out and say, 'That manager is not me!'' quipped a Facebook user. Nevertheless, others pointed out that she's certainly increased her profile, with one writing, 'Good or bad, she sure has gotten tons of publicity on her now.' Others wondered why her partner, who had not been on the Vietnam trip with Ms Hujic, did not release a statement to clarify the matter, but instead chose to quietly pay the social media manager. 'Also, never heard of this feature called 'reset password' where they can use your registered email or your registered phone number to reset your password yourself? Or is it the social media manager also got access to her email and phone?' one added. A Reddit user called the whole saga 'The LinkedIn version of 'my dog did it'.' 'Just say sorry,' another suggested, while one wrote, 'This is getting more pathetic by the minute… just cut your losses, bide your time, and hope that in five to 10 years people mostly forget about it.' /TISG Read also: 'Real-world deepfake' — Woman thrilled at 'chance encounter' with ex-DBS chief Piyush Gupta, but turns out it isn't him
CNA
25-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Woman accused of lying about meeting ex-DBS CEO Piyush Gupta says LinkedIn post made by social media manager
SINGAPORE: A LinkedIn user who went viral for her post on a 'chance encounter' with former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta alleged that it was put up by her social media manager, who has demanded money to remove it. The now-deleted post containing false content was deliberately put up without her permission in order to attract traffic, Ms Janney Hujic told 8World News. Her freelance social media manager, based in the Philippines, later demanded S$5,000 in order to take the post down, she said. The manager later also purportedly changed the login details for the account. 'When I get paid I give you back access,' read a screenshot of a conversation seen by 8World. WHAT HAPPENED Ms Hujic drew criticism earlier this week after she appeared to have posted on LinkedIn about meeting the ex-banking chief at a cafe in Bali. The post, titled 'A chance encounter with the ex-CEO of DBS – in the last place I expected', recounted their brief conversation where Ms Hujic spoke about her upcoming all-women expedition in Mongolia in support of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. Accompanying the post was a photo of Ms Hujic with a man in a floral shirt, said to be Mr Gupta. However, this was quickly debunked by Mr Gupta himself, who commented on the post to clarify: 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!' In the immediate aftermath, the man in the photo – Kumar H Subramaniam – weighed in and said that he told Ms Hujic and her friend upfront that it was a case of mistaken identity. He said in a Facebook comment that he was approached by Ms Hujic and her male companion, who said they both had worked at DBS. She asked for a photo and the trio joked about pranking her friends. Mr Kumar also said that he never agreed for his picture to be used to promote any business or social ventures. Ms Hujic told 8World that she later sent the photo to a group chat with friends and also shared it on Instagram with a caption jokingly alluding to the resemblance between Mr Kumar and Mr Gupta. By then, her post had attracted widespread attention and derision, with many calling it 'peak LinkedIn' in reference to the performative and superficial gestures associated with the social media networking platform. NO INTERNET ACCESS Ms Hujic said she was initially unaware of the LinkedIn post as she was in Vietnam for a cave exploration trip and did not have internet access. She went on the trip on Monday. When she eventually had internet access on Saturday evening, Ms Hujic said she could no longer log into her LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. Ms Hujic provided 8World with screenshots of messages between her partner and the social media manager. The social media manager purportedly said: 'Post has over 6k engagement. Pay me 5k SGD and I take down." Ms Hujic said her social media manager was paid S$1 for every like on a post, and was hired in March this year at the recommendation of a friend. She added that her partner has since paid the manager a sum of money - she did not specify how much - but that they were still unable to access her social media accounts. FUNDRAISING Ms Hujic also sought to clarify her fundraising involvement with the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF) - a community fund that aims to provide people with disabilities the opportunities to actively contribute to society. The fund said in a statement on Friday that it was aware of claims made by Ms Hujic, through her company Elysian Expeditions, regarding a fundraising effort. 'We reached out to Ms Hujic on May 21, 2025 to seek clarifications about the fundraising campaign and to date, we have not received a response from her or Elysian Expeditions. 'We would like to inform the public that Ms Hujic and Elysian Expeditions are not authorised fundraising partners of SG Enable, and we have not endorsed their fundraising campaign. The GCTEF logo and fundraising messages on their website are used without our knowledge and permission.' Ms Hujic told 8World that she had applied for authorisation to raise funds for GCTEF in her company's name. However, she had yet to clarify the relationship between the expedition plan and her company, she said, adding that she has responded to their latest email to clarify the matter after reading it on Saturday.
Independent Singapore
23-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
Man mistaken for ex-DBS boss Piyush Gupta in viral LinkedIn post says he clarified who he was from the beginning
SINGAPORE: A woman made the news this week for writing a long post on LinkedIn about her delightful 'chance encounter' with former DBS chief Piyush Gupta, only for him to show up in the comments section to say that the man Janney Hujic had met with had not, in actuality, been him. Now, it has emerged that the man whom Ms Hujic had spoken to and whose picture she had posted had told her who he was, which would imply that she was aware he was not Mr Gupta when she posted it. The man in the photo, a 58-year-old named Kumar H Subramaniam, commented on a Facebook post from Wake Up Singapore to set the record straight, especially after commenters had called him out for not having identified himself to Ms Hujic. He wrote that he had been having lunch at a cafe in Bali, where he lives, when a man, who was also having a meal there with his partner, asked him if he was Mr Gupta. Mr Subramaniam said no and added that he has been mistaken for the former DBS head in the past. Ms Hujic then asked to take a photo with him, to which he agreed. ' She and her guy mentioned that they had worked at DBS before, and we joked about her pranking her friends that she had bumped into Mr Gupta by chance in public while on their holiday here,' he wrote, adding that he had 'never, at any point,' said 'that he was indeed Mr Gupta.' Moreover, he had also never agreed to have his photo used to promote any business or social venture, and he does not condone using a resemblance to Mr Gupta to mislead anyone, most importantly, the former DBS chief himself. 'Not every bald, Indian man wearing glasses is me or Mr Gupta. I am not associated with anything the young lady is advocating or promoting. Mr Gupta, I would like to state unconditionally that I did NOT say I was he,' he added. Reddit screengrab/ u/illiterate-populist Ms Hujic has yet to comment on the latest developments, but a message from her team was posted on Thursday (May 22). See also Jobseekers: Top 10 Start-Ups In Sg To Grow Your Career ' 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐔𝐉𝐈𝐂 ' 𝐬 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 : She is away on an expedition at the Vietnamese Wild Tú Làn Cave, where there is no internet, and will be back online on Sunday to tell her side of the story. Be assured that she tagged Piyush with the hope that he would respond to her post, fully thinking that she had spoken with him. Yes, GPT might have been used to improve the wording, as this was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter for her. But at no point was there any intention to deceive anyone. Please hold your thoughts until she has put her side of the story. We appreciate it.' /TISG Read also: 'Real-world deepfake' — Woman thrilled at 'chance encounter' with ex-DBS chief Piyush Gupta, but turns out it isn't him
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"That Isn't Me": DBS Bank's Ex-CEO Piyush Gupta Debunks Viral 'Meeting' LinkedIn Post
A viral LinkedIn post has turned into a hilarious case of mistaken identity. Janney Hujic, a Singaporean founder and former DBS Bank employee, claimed she met Piyush Gupta, the bank's former CEO, at a Bali cafe. She shared a lengthy note and photo, praising his humility and presence. However, Gupta himself commented on the post, saying, "Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!" The post, which had gained traction before Gupta's comment, quickly went viral on LinkedIn and X. Hujic, who worked with DBS Bank from 2014 to 2015 as a senior service executive, was impressed by the stranger's resemblance to Gupta. She even praised the doppelganger's charm and conversation skills, saying he "had your charms right on and said all the right things." Click here to check the LinkedIn post The incident has sparked alot of discussion online among the proffessional especially bankers, with many calling it "the post of the year". Gupta's comment garnered over 5000 likes, with users praising the unexpected twist. The mix-up has left netizens in stitches, with some joking it's straight out of a drama series. "If it's an honest coincidence - wow. If it was a planned LinkedIn strategy - 10x wow," commented a user. "There is a spectrum between lunacy and comedy. This post is somewhere in between," wrote another user.
