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From the outside, the funeral business seems like a somber and emotionally demanding profession. But for Jenny Tay, Managing Director at Direct Funeral Services, it has been a rewarding calling that goes beyond logistics to provide meaning, purpose and the power to transform lives.
Since she took over the family business in 2013, Tay has reinvented the company from a traditional undertaker business into a modern, professional, innovation-driven funeral care organization. Along with her husband, CEO Darren Cheng, she is changing the way Singaporeans think about life by highlighting the importance of death planning.
Compassionate innovation, grounded in a deeply human touch, has been at the heart of Tay’s leadership. Direct Funeral Services’ mission is to encourage end-of-life conversations and build grief support and literacy.
“Our innovation is geared toward our mission to help people remember their loved one better, grieve better and make the entire funeral experience meaningful for them,” she tells The CEO Magazine. “That’s what we have been pursuing in our work.”
“Our innovation is geared toward our mission to help people remember their loved one better.”
The company recently launched a music series, Music for Comfort, featuring monaural beats in collaboration with TENG Ensemble, following extensive research and testing with the Singapore Institute of Technology to assess its impact on grief and emotional wellbeing.
“Monaural beats are a kind of frequency laced into the music we play at wakes,” Tay explains. “They help people cry and grieve better through an emotional release.
“In Singapore and Asia, many people tend to suppress their emotions; those pent-up feelings sometimes make it hard for them to move on day to day. But when you have an emotional release, it helps your whole process of grieving.
“Recently, my husband also wrote storybooks to help children deal with grief.”
Another cutting-edge service is an AI-powered digital tribute that allows family, colleagues and friends to upload photos, videos and voice recordings via a QR code. This shared montage allows families to see different sides of their loved one’s life beyond their role within the family.
“We got the idea after attending a wedding and adapted it for funeral services,” Tay says. “We developed the app and find it really helps the family. It’s the last memento and gift of love for the family.”
While helping families celebrate the lives of their loved ones is central to the company’s mission, Tay is equally passionate about encouraging people to reflect on death and, in turn, prioritize and improve the quality of their relationships.
Funerals are generally a taboo topic in Singapore, but over the past decade, the firm’s strong social media presence has been pivotal in opening up conversations about death planning, helping to shift people’s mindset.
“Ten years ago, nobody would have thought a funeral company should be on social media,” Tay reflects. “But in this day and age, I feel like it’s essential because it’s increasingly the only tool that people look at for reference and information. We are on it to guide people and raise awareness.”
Tay believes that thinking about death can fundamentally change how people choose to live.
“In the process of planning for death, people tend to reexamine their lives because when you start thinking about that whole journey, it helps you reflect on your life and how you have been living and whether that’s how you want people to remember you when you die,” she says.
Conversations about family dynamics are particularly important in Singapore, given increasingly diverse family structures.
Tay has openly shared her own complex family background on social media and how it has shaped her perspective and work. Her candid video series with her father has resonated with viewers, encouraging them to value their own family relationships. She also uses the firm’s social media platforms to normalize conversations about death, grief and end-of-life planning.
“I come from a divorced family. We are a very complicated family and by sharing our vulnerabilities and how we intentionally try to build our relationship through all those difficulties, we give hope to people,” she says.
“In the process of planning for death, people tend to reexamine their lives.”
Indeed, the family is intertwined in the business. Tay’s father, Roland, founded the business in 1980 and grew the company through a focus on offering compassionate funeral care for all. Until recently, he was still working as a phone operator for Direct Funeral Services, but he has chosen to officially retire and looks forward to focusing on his family, grandchildren and personal charity and community works.
“This marks a transition from his day-to-day operational involvement while maintaining his legacy within the organization,” Tay explains.
A people-centered and multidimensional approach has also helped Direct Funeral Services to attract and retain employees.
“Recruitment used to be a challenge,” Tay admits. “But when you hire people with a heart whose values align with the purpose and mission of the company, that becomes the secret sauce of how we can retain people.
“Of course, we treat our people very well. We benchmark ourselves against the hospitality industry, not so much the funeral industry.”
Always thoughtful, Tay’s leadership style reflects her belief in lifelong learning, humility and emotional awareness.
“A great leader is someone who is not afraid to learn and admit that they don’t know everything,” she says.
“They are willing to learn from people who are younger and more junior than them. By doing this, you gain new perspective and new skills and then you can improve yourself from there.
“The willingness to be curious about people and the unknown is very important.”
“That’s what keeps me going – helping and giving a new meaning to people.”
As Singapore’s population continues to age and Direct Funeral Services continues to encourage death planning, the demand for funeral services will only increase going forward – with partners, such as Yeh Lai Siang Catering Service and Memories of Life, playing a crucial role.
With a core motivation of serving the community, in 2019 Tay and Cheng founded the Direct Life Foundation, whose mission is rooted in a simple belief: every life should be valued and every moment made meaningful. Through compassion, kindness and community, it supports vulnerable seniors, children and those experiencing grief, helping people feel cared for and connected.
“I don’t see this as work – we have so many passion projects that are part of our pro bono initiatives,” she reveals.
“All these passion projects are from our heart because we want to help the community. That’s what keeps me going – helping and giving a new meaning to people.”
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