Modern-day Joseph: How God took Ginny Foo from penniless lab manager to CEO of Innoquest, Singapore’s largest diagnostics lab

After encountering God in miraculous ways while studying in Canada, Ginny Foo committed herself to full-time ministry after graduation. She spent nearly two decades doing church-planting work in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, but left the ministry disillusioned, with nearly nothing to her name. Read the first part of her story here. 

The flight back to Singapore from Manila, Philippines took just four hours but it felt like an eternity to Ginny Foo.

Memories of the last 19 years that she had spent with the church establishment – 12 of which were dedicated to church-planting work in Asia – flooded her mind and heart.

Now, she was returning home to live in her sibings’ home, where her parents also resided. She had no idea what the future held for her, or how long her meagre savings of S$2,000 would last.

Ginny with her mother and her siblings later on in December 2023. This is the house that she lived in after she returned to Singapore from Manila.

A wave of embarrassment crept over her.

“After nearly two decades of dedication and service, I was coming back empty-handed, with no stable career and no significant achievements – just deep wounds and disappointments,” Ginny told Salt&Light.

At first, she kept her emotions to herself. But eventually, she found the strength to open up to her sister and the counsellor that her sister referred her to.

The moment she began to share with others, a dam of emotions broke, and Ginny sobbed uncontrollably, surprising even herself.

“I knew I needed to confront my anger, sadness and disillusionment. But above all, I needed to seek God’s grace — grace for myself and for those who had hurt me. I had to find a way to reconcile the years of service with the disappointment that now coloured them,” she admitted.

Now, she was left to start life over at the age of 38, after “wasting” her prime years serving a church that she now knew had lost its way.

Wrestling with God and finding healing 

“If I ever have to ask my family for money once my remaining S$2,000 run out, I will stop being a Christian and conclude that You are not real,” Ginny cried out in anguish to the Lord.

That was the state of her spirit and soul at the time.

But as she sat in quiet moments with Him, she felt His healing wash over her soul like a balm.

“God reminded me that the years I spent serving Him and His people had not been in vain. They had shaped me, even in ways I couldn’t fully see at the time,” said Ginny.

The journey had broken her but it had been necessary for her growth.

Over time, as she chose to release forgiveness and bless those who had hurt her, healing slowly began to take place.

During this time of healing, she began attending the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer (LCOR), a welcoming congregation made up of families.

“They didn’t know the full extent of my journey, but they offered me a space to heal, to be real, and to simply be. The warmth and sincerity of the people brought me to a place where I could begin to trust again,” said Ginny.

Ginny leading worship at LCOR.

An outing to the zoo with her church’s cell members.

She knew she needed to figure out how to rebuild her life — not just spiritually, but financially and professionally as well.

As she began searching for positions in medical laboratories, she wondered if she could truly thrive in the corporate world after having stepped away from it for so long.

She soon secured a few interviews, but Pathlab, the same organisation she had worked with in Penang, was the first to respond with an offer.

Pathlab Singapore’s medical director, after reading her resume, asked her a pointed question: “Why did you leave such a promising career at a renowned hospital, only to go to Penang, then the Philippines?”

When she shared about her desire to serve the Lord, he simply replied: “You could have gone far in your career but you took the wrong path.”

Though he later offered her a job, she eventually turned it down when another private laboratory – Seng’s Lab – hired her as its laboratory manager.

A timely lifeline 

The salary that came with that job felt like a lifeline. Her S$2,000 had depleted, but she did not need to ask her family for help.

“God had provided for me exactly when I needed it,” said Ginny.

However, the relief of starting a new job quickly faded as she realised that the family running the lab was operating it in a way that compromised both ethics and standards.

Ginny tried to make the necessary changes but she faced fierce resistance from the family.

Even Dr Seng, the owner of the lab, was powerless in the face of this family’s influence. When he later made the difficult decision to sell the lab in 2001, Ginny felt it was time to move on.

Through an old contact of hers whom she knew from her time at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Ginny managed to land a job as a business development manager at the laboratory of another major medical provider.

Five months into the job, however, she began to question whether that was the right path for her. Unlike the warm, team-oriented environment at the Mount Elizabeth laboratory, her new workplace was cold: Departments operated in silos, and there was little room for collaboration. She also could not meet her clients’ expectations as she often failed to get timely feedback or approvals from her general manager.

Ginny left the role after her probation period. That was a stressful decision as, by then she had expenses like rent and a car loan.

Ginny sent out her resume again, and eventually landed a promising interview with an American clinical trial company that planned to establish a new lab in Singapore. They hoped that she could collaborate with the new medical director that they would hire to set up the facility.

In the meantime, Ginny felt that it would be wise to pursue a medical science degree to bolster her qualifications, which she did.

While she waited for the American company to offer her the job after finalising the hire of the medical director, Ginny went to study and held a part-time job in the interim.

The last quarter of that year – 2003 – rolled around and there was still no offer. Then the dreaded phone call came. They informed her that their headquarters in the US had decided against starting a new lab in Singapore so they would no longer be hiring.

Ginny’s heart sank with the news. She felt cheated and angry, and wondered why they had strung her along for almost a year.

“This time, I truly felt like I couldn’t endure another setback, another disappointment, or another door slammed in my face. God had been so good to me in the past. But in this moment of despair, I found myself questioning whether He would show up again,” she told Salt&Light.

The days of small beginnings: Turning a lab around 

In November 2003, Ginny was invited to interview for the position of Laboratory Manager at Gribbles Pathology, an Australian group. Her interviewer seemed positive about her application but weeks went by with no news. It turned out that the person who had interviewed her had left his position and returned to Australia.

She began to feel disheartened. Then, just before Christmas, she received a call for a second interview with Gribbles’ new chief manager, an Australian who had recently arrived to take over the role. It turned out that Ginny had been strongly recommended by the previous manager.

In January 2004, Ginny landed the job and was tasked to ensure that the small Singapore lab that Gribbles had purchased could handle testing locally, instead of sending samples to Malaysia.

“I was told that the Singapore operation was in the red, and my task was to turn it around. This was more than just a corporate challenge. It felt like a divine assignment,” said Ginny.

She managed to make significant strides in improving lab operations, and soon the lab began seeing an increase in workload and new clients.

In December 2004, however, they received news that Gribbles Pathology had been fully acquired by Healthscope, one of Australia’s largest private healthcare providers.

The chief general manager that Ginny reported to had been recalled back to Australia, leaving her without a direct supervisor heading into 2005.

“My faith was being tested once more. But I knew that God had a plan, and He would carry me through whatever challenges lay ahead,” said Ginny.

A divine appointment 

In February 2005, a senior management team from Healthscope visited the Singapore and Malaysia operations. In the team was a young doctor named Christopher Ting, who later became the new chief general manager.

Little did Ginny know that his arrival would mark the beginning of a fruitful working relationship between them — a partnership that would last for many years and continues to this day.

When Dr Ting joined, he informed Ginny that Healthscope was making a bid to acquire Quest Laboratories, the largest diagnostic laboratory in Singapore at the time.

Before she could fully grasp the implications, the acquisition was finalised in May 2005. To her surprise, Dr Ting promoted her to General Manager of the newly merged entity, the result of the merger between Gribbles and Quest.

“I had gone from managing a small, relatively insignificant lab at Gribbles to overseeing the largest diagnostic laboratory in Singapore. It was a huge leap, and one that could only have happened through God’s grace and enabling,” said Ginny, who was deeply thankful to Dr Ting for believing in her.

She promised him that she would give her very best to grow and propel the laboratory forward. However, she was also upfront with him about her lack of experience in the financial aspects of the business. He reassured her that he would teach her and he did.

Dr Chris Ting (middle) and Ginny (right) at the first annual dinner of the merged Quest Laboratories.

On hindsight, she realised that the experiences she had gained in her previous roles — managing the lab at Dr Seng’s, her short stint as a Business Development Manager at the hospital laboratory and her assignment to turn around Gribbles Pathology — had all prepared her for this next step.

To leverage on the well-established Quest Laboratories brand, its name was adopted after the merger and the name of Gribbles Pathology dropped.

Merging two labs – each with its own culture, systems, and history – was one of the most painful parts of the journey. Power struggles quickly emerged and the culture shift was brutal.

“I began to understand more deeply why we must be anchored in Christ – the Rock of our salvation. Without this foundation, we risk being tossed by the waves of life’s storms,” said Ginny, who became a Singapore citizen in 2005.  

“The trials I faced – both personal and professional – had not been random; they were God-ordained moments designed to refine and purify me. The longer I walked this path, the clearer it became that without these challenges, I would not have been prepared for the role I had been given,” she added.

Besides her family, her cell group Broken Alabaster (from LCOR) were a constant source of strength to her, through their friendship and prayers.  

Ginny’s cell group members celebrating Christmas at her new home.

Just as Ginny was beginning to settle down at work after the merger, Dr Ting approached her with news of yet another acquisition on the horizon.

Curious, she asked, “Which one?”

His answer stopped her in her tracks: “Doctorlab”.

It turned out to be the very same lab previously owned by Dr Seng, where she had worked as an operations manager back in 2000. Back then, it was plagued by serious quality issues and internal political battles that she had no power to fix.

Acquiring the lab where she once worked in 

When Dr Ting and her walked into Doctorlab to introduce themselves as the new owners and management, the reaction was mixed. The faces of some who had worked with her before lit up with recognition and joy. Others, however, looked embarrassed or downright worried. These were the people who had been uncooperative or dismissive of her during her earlier tenure.

“I couldn’t help but marvel at the Lord’s sense of humour. Life had brought me full circle, offering me a chance to revisit my past — this time from a position of leadership. I took it as an opportunity to demonstrate grace and professionalism,” said Ginny.

The years following the merger, from 2007 to 2010, were a period of rapid growth and consolidation. Quest introduced full automation in the laboratory to improve efficiency and accuracy and obtained key industry accreditations that underscored their  commitment to quality.

By 2010, Quest’s growth had extended beyond Singapore’s borders into Vietnam, and was ready to expand into other new markets within Southeast Asia.

Ginny was promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with the responsibility of overseeing operations across Singapore and Vietnam.

“The journey from medical technologist to CEO was not a straight path. It was filled with unexpected turns, moments of doubt, and countless opportunities for growth. But through it all, I saw God’s hand guiding me, shaping me, and preparing me for something greater,” said Ginny.

After managing Quest for five years under Dr Ting’s guidance, Quest had become the leading independent clinical laboratory in Singapore by size and reputation.

However, Dr Ting’s vision of regional expansion to build a leading South East Asian laboratory franchise was not in line with the headquarter’s priorities, so he parted ways with Healthscope in 2010.

During this time, Ginny noticed a new opportunity emerging: Innovative Diagnostics, a reputable laboratory, was being put up for sale. Sensing the potential, she raised the idea with her superiors in Melbourne but did not receive a favorable response. Undeterred, she took it upon herself to explore the opportunity further by conducting a thorough analysis, but the management decided not to proceed with the acquisition.

Some seven months after Dr Ting had left, Ginny suddenly received a call from him. He told her that together with another ex-Healthscope senior management staff, they would be bidding in a tender for Innovative Diagnostics. He invited her and some of her other colleagues whom he had worked closely with to join him should they be successful in their bid.

She took time to pray and reflect, seeking clarity and peace about the decision.

Career-wise, it did not make sense for her to move from helming the top diagnostics laboratory in Singapore to join a smaller and newer setup. It was risky and success was not guaranteed.

“But as I prayed, a sense of calm conviction grew within me, and I decided I would make the move. I saw the potential and Dr Ting had been a mentor to me since my earlier days,” Ginny reasoned.

At that time, Quest was in the midst of a major site relocation, relicensing and reaccreditation process. This was a major and complex project that required Ginny’s full attention and that of her team.

“All of us who were to join Dr Ting were clear that we would only leave after we had completed and fully honoured our commitments,” said Ginny, who turned down Dr Ting’s request for her to join him earlier. Their employment contracts used to include a non-compete clause, but it had been removed several years earlier as it was not enforceable.

To ensure Quest’s operations were not negatively impacted by those leaving to join Dr Ting, they planned a staggered departure. Those who were not crucial to the major site relocation and relicensing left first. The rest would schedule their exits to ensure that all ongoing projects were completed and the company was on a stable footing.

“For my part, I worked tirelessly to establish the new laboratory site and oversaw the company’s transition to the new location. My goal was to ensure Quest regained its ISO 15189 accreditation before I left,” said Ginny.  

However, the news of their plans to start a new venture began to circulate among colleagues. It was not long before the senior management in Melbourne caught wind of it.

An abrupt dismissal 

Two months after the first resignation, Ginny’s boss unexpectedly flew in from Australia. He walked into her office the moment he arrived.

At first, he tried to persuade her to stay, but when she explained that her decision to leave was final, his tone shifted dramatically. The conversation turned cold, and he asked her to leave the office that very day.

“The abruptness of it all was shocking. I had given so much of myself to the company since 2005, and yet, in a single moment, it was all over. My intention to stay a bit longer to ensure a smooth transition for Quest was not appreciated at all,” said Ginny.

That same day in August 2011, she was escorted out of the building and given no opportunity to gather her personal belongings. They assured her that everything would be sent to her home.

Two weeks after she left Quest, a group of lawyers appeared at her door instead. They were armed with an Anton Piller order which permitted them to search her home without prior notice. As they explained the situation, she stood frozen in disbelief.

The accusation was that she had taken documents belonging to the company – an allegation she knew to be entirely baseless. She was told that she was being sued together with eight other defendants – her boss and the colleagues who had left with her, and the company that they had acquired.

The lawyers’ team combed through her home searching for evidence to support their claims. Despite their thorough efforts, they found nothing incriminating.

This marked the beginning of a legal battle that would stretch over two harrowing years.

“The accusations felt like a personal attack – not just on my actions, but on my integrity and the years I had dedicated to building the company. I found myself questioning how the act of leaving Quest had turned into such a painful ordeal,” said Ginny.

The months that followed were filled with sleepless nights, overwhelming stress, and moments of despair.

Every affidavit from the company was packed with misleading statements that she had to painstakingly refute. Each phone call from their lawyers was met with anticipatory anxiety. Day by day, she felt the strain of fighting what seemed like an insurmountable battle and she wondered if she had the strength to carry on.

After two years of gruelling legal proceedings, she received a call from her lawyer one afternoon telling her that the company had decided to settle the case and cease pursuing further action. The relief was immediate, but the emotions that followed were more complex.

“While I was grateful the ordeal was over, I couldn’t ignore the lingering ache of unresolved injustice. I had hoped for public vindication, for my name to be cleared of the lies that had tarnished it,” said Ginny.

The lawsuit, instead of breaking them, further steeled their resolve to build and grow the company that they had fought so hard to protect. They dove into their work with renewed vigour.

Against all odds, their business began to flourish. Over the next few years, Innovative Diagnostics – Ginny was CEO – achieved exponential growth, surpassing even some of the larger players in the industry.

Ginny at Innovative Diagnostics.

By 2018, just seven years after acquiring the company, the team had increased their revenue by over 300 per cent. It was not an easy feat, as Quest then had a greater volume of work and could undercut their pricing.

Ginny with her staff at Innovative Diagnostics celebrating National Day with a decoration competition.

In 2018, Ginny learnt of another surreal development.

Healthscope announced that it was putting all its entities in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam up for sale. The potential buyers were not just interested in acquiring these entities; they were planning to merge them with other laboratories in the region to achieve greater economies of scale. Innovative Diagnostics was approached to be part of this acquisition.

Coming full circle again: Acquiring the company that had once sued them 

That was when the irony of the situation hit Ginny like a tidal wave. She was asked to cut short a family holiday to conduct due diligence in the data room of her former company – Quest Laboratories, the Singapore arm of Healthscope. This was the very company that had once sued her, aiming to destroy everything she and her team had built.

“As tempting as it was to feel vindicated, I recognised that this moment was about something more significant. It felt as though God, in His grace, was correcting the wrongs that had been done to us,” said Ginny.

She knew they could not allow bitterness or revenge to dictate their actions. Yet she could not ignore the lingering feelings of betrayal, and trust had been broken with individuals who had repeatedly shown their willingness to lie and manipulate for their own gain.

Ginny turned to God and cried out to Him.

“This wasn’t just about making a business decision; it was about navigating a moral and spiritual minefield. It was about redemption, growth, and the unwavering belief that grace will always triumph over adversity. I committed the situation to Him, praying for clarity to handle it with integrity and grace. I asked for strength to make decisions that aligned with His will,” said Ginny.

In October 2019, Innovative Diagnostics received approval from the authorities to merge with Quest Laboratories, forming Innoquest Diagnostics. It was the biggest merger that Ginny had ever led.

The announcement in The Straits Times about the merger between Innovative and Quest.

But there was not much time to celebrate nor rest on their laurels. The following year, her leadership was tested again when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm.

Their laboratories’ workload plummeted by over 60 per cent as people stayed away from clinics, and all routine screening projects were halted to avoid large gatherings.

Looking at the resources they had – including a vacant floor in their building – Ginny knew the company was well-placed to support the nation then.

“I realised that by God’s grace, we were placed exactly where we needed to be for such a time as this,” said Ginny.

The Ministry of Health took up their offer to help, and asked if they could establish laboratories capable of testing half the nation’s estimated daily volume of 40,000 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests.

Innoquest took up the challenge, even though the labour shortages amongst the contractors and the logistical hurdles they faced during the lockdown made the task a monumental one.

During the circuit breaker, Innoquest miraculously built a COVID testing lab comprising five laboratories in just nine weeks.

One of the COVID-19 labs built by Innoquest during the circuit breaker.

For its contributions to the nation during that critical period, Ginny and her company received a number of national commendation awards.

Ginny receiving an award from the then-President Halimah Yacob for her contributions to the nation during the pandemic.

Ginny, who is now 63, has since retired from Innoquest, though she still serves as its senior advisor.

In recent years, God reconnected her with an old schoolmate from her past – Peter Chang who was also from Seremban, Malaysia. They were housemates during their college years in Canada. They discovered a shared passion for working with youth, and they got married last year.

Ginny tied the knot with Peter last year.

The couple mentors youth at a girls’ home – Gladiolus Place – and at another non-profit organisation.

Looking back on her journey, Ginny sees how God has not only provided for her, but also how He guiding her faithfully as she surrendered and trusted in Him.

“Surrender is not passive. It is a conscious choice to trust God’s wisdom, timing, and purposes — and when we do, He often leads us to outcomes far greater than what we could plan ourselves,” said Ginny, who now worships at Church of Our Saviour. 

“Throughout my life, I have faced several deep betrayals, whether from the church or in the corporate world. I have learnt that peace and clarity come from surrendering our grievances to God, trusting Him to act justly and to set things right in His timing, and living with a humble heart that seeks to forgive and reconcile.”

To read more of Ginny’s life story, you may purchase a copy of her book Breaking Through – available online and at major bookstores – or register to attend her upcoming book launch. Part of the proceeds of her book will go towards supporting ministries such as Salt&Light. 

Scan the QR code to order the book or attend the book launch.

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The post Modern-day Joseph: How God took Ginny Foo from penniless lab manager to CEO of Innoquest, Singapore’s largest diagnostics lab appeared first on Salt&Light.