Orient Issue 73

Orient

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SINGAPORE ISSUE 73 | SEP 2019

BUILDING NETWORKS | CONNECTING BUSINESSES | CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

SPECIAL FEATURES

32

The Diversity Issue We talk inclusion, mental health, and kind leadership!

Introducing the new British High Commissioner for Singapore, Kara Owen

34 In Conversation with our Past President, Shanker Iyer, FCA, OBE

38

IN FOCUS

Suzy Smith, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail, Edrington

MCI (P) 067/04/2019

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President's Message Executive Director's Message News New Members Upcoming Events Recent Events Special Feature: Introducing the new British High Commissioner for Singapore Special Feature: In Conversation with our Past President, Shanker Iyer, FCA, OBE Special Feature: Announcing this Year's 20th Annual Business Awards Finalists In Focus: Suzy Smith, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail, Edrington Matters of Opinion: Diversity & Inclusion Feature: Mental Agility: Pushing Our Limits Feature: Searching for Kind Leaders in Southeast Asia Feature: Ground-breaking Exhibitions – Why a Diverse Team is Integral Let's Discuss...

The Future of Trade Member Offers

Editor: Lucy Haydon lucy@britcham.org.sg

Orient is a bi-monthly magazine published by the British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

Co-Editor & Designer: Nicole Alison Lim alison@britcham.org.sg

© All rights reserved.

137 Telok Ayer Street, #06-03, Singapore 068602 Tel: +65 6222-3552 Fax: +65 6222-3556 Email: info@britcham.org.sg www.britcham.org.sg

The views and opinions expressed or implied in Orient are those of the authors or contributors and do not reflect those of the British Chamber of Commerce, its officers or editorial staff. No reproduction of articles without the prior permission of the Chamber.

Unsolicited transparencies and articles are sent at owner’s risk and the Chamber accepts no liability for loss or damage. Copy is not for sale and images belong to their respective owners. They are for illustrative purposes only, and no copyright infringement is intended.

@britchamsg @bccsingapore @british-chamber-ofcommerce-singapore

CONTENTS

We do Wealth Because planning today leads to many happy returns tomorrow.

The right investments can make your future shine brighter. That’s why we’re doing more to make your money grow as you grow. See more of what we’re doing at prudential.com.sg

05

OUR PARTNERS PLATINUM PARTNER

SILVER PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

BRONZE PARTNERS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

BRITCHAM BOARD

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

MANAGEMENT TEAM

PRESIDENT:

BUILT ENVIRONMENT:

Executive Director: David Kelly

VICE-PRESIDENTS:

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION:

Sian Brown, Barclays Bank Plc Richard Warburton, Arcadis

Andrew Ashman (Chairperson), Alexander Harrison (Co-Chair)

Head of Marketing & Communications and Partnerships, Deputy Executive Director: Lucy Haydon

SECRETARY:

ENERGY & UTILITIES:

Bicky Bhangu, Rolls-Royce Singapore

Haslam Preeston, Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd

TREASURER:

David Fowler, Sanne Group

BOARD MEMBERS:

Andrew Pickup, Microsoft Asia Caroline Underhill, The Fry Group Damian Hills, The British Club James Hennah, BT Singapore Pte Ltd James Nesbitt, Standard Chartered Bank Michael Shearer, McLaren Applied Technologies Pte Ltd Paul Kelleher, Diageo Singapore Pte Ltd Shivkumar Seerapu, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets Plc

David Mackerness (Chairperson)

Tim Rockell (Chairperson), Bree Miechel (Co-Chair)

Head of Member Relations: Nicole Wharfe

ENTREPRENEUR & SMALL BUSINESS:

Member Relations Executive: Elizabeth Grace

FINANCIAL & FINTECH:

Member Relations Administrator: Melissa Ng

Mark Florance (Co-Chair)

Ashley Jones (Chairperson), Francesca McKee (Co-Chair), Kalai Natarajan (Co-Chair)

INFOCOMM TECHNOLOGY:

Head of Events: Helen Starr

Magda Chelly (Chairperson), Hitan Mehta (Co-Chair), Faisal Parvez (Co-Chair)

Events Executive: Safreen Anwardeen

LEADERSHIP, TALENT & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Events Executive: Sabeena Nayyar

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS:

Senior Marketing & Communications Executive: Nicole Alison Lim

Sian Brown

Suzy Goulding (Chairperson), Andrew Clark (Co-Chair)

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS:

SUSTAINABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY:

Marketing & Communications and Events Executive: Samantha Nelson

COMMITTEE CHAIRS BUSINESS COMMITTEES: Damian Hills

EVENTS:

Bicky Bhangu

MEMBERSHIP:

Richard Warburton

Joe Tofield (Chairperson), Don Rapley (Co-Chair), David Gardner (Co-Chair)

Sarah Cragg (Co-Chair), Simon Bennett (Co-Chair)

TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN: Simon Petch (Chairperson), Nicholas Potter (Co-Chair)

WOMEN IN BUSINESS:

Luciana Vichino (Chairperson) Wanying Lim (Co-Chair)

Senior Trade Services Advisor: Sachi Duggirala Trade Services Advisor: Aisyah Ariffin Finance Manager: Pauline Yeo Office Manager: Anna C Garciso

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07

Message from the President

Welcome back from what I hope was a relaxing and fun-filled summer with family and friends. For those of you who travelled back to the UK it will have been hard to miss the biggest news of the summer (other than the heatwave), that the UK has a new Prime Minister in Boris Johnson following the Conservative Party leadership contest. The Chamber stands ready to support businesses in Singapore through updates, access to Government, information and opportunities to feedback as we enter a period of EU Exit negotiations.

Bicky Bhangu President, British Chamber Of Commerce, Singapore

In July, the Chamber welcomed our new Executive Director, David Kelly, who is now in post. On behalf of the Board I would like to personally welcome David and we look forward to working together for the benefit of the British business community in Singapore. The new British High Commissioner, Kara Owen, has taken the time to meet with our Board and many of our members this summer through a series of engagements. We look forward to supporting Kara and her team on the focus areas of the SG-UK Partnership for the Future – the digital economy, sustainable business and innovation, security and defence, and education, culture and youth.

Last month Singapore celebrated its National Day with a series of activities around the city state. In his National Day Rally Speech, PM Lee Hsien Loong recognised the many bicentennial celebrations taking place throughout the year. In our own events calendar this year we have recognised this milestone with a joint event on internationalising businesses with the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, showcasing successful companies such as Dyson and Mott MacDonald.

PM Lee further focused on education at preschool and post-secondary levels, support for older workers as addressed in our own recent event with Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo, preparation for climate change impacts and planning for the infrastructure needs of the future. Many of these focus areas align with the UK’s strategic ambitions, such as the need to nurture talent at all stages in their education and career, retirement considerations and environmental and sustainability targets.

As heatwaves swept across Europe, a new report was released in August by the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) sending another crucial signal on global warming and highlighted that we are still far from reversing the trend. Public discourse on the urgency of climate change mitigation has been ramping up since. Yet at this very moment, the world watches helplessly as the Amazon rainforest burns at a record rate. Instead of taking part in finger-pointing and further politicising the matter, I sincerely hope and urge our members to continue to take the necessary steps towards zero waste, zero carbon future.

This month the Chamber is hosting two major sporting events with our traditional F1 event on the Thursday of the race weekend providing an exclusive opportunity to hear from a McLaren F1 team driver and learn about the application of F1 technology into other industries. Thank you to Board Member Michael Shearer from McLaren Applied Technologies for this fantastic access for our members. In the week prior to this, we will be hosting several rugby legends for our World Cup Rugby Gala Dinner at the Shangri-La. Find out about these events and more on our website and through our newsletters.

Finally, I hope that you take away some key messages from this special issue which looks at diversity. The Chamber continues to support our members in educating and holding dialogues on this and other important topics such as sustainability. Turn to page 43 to view our commitments to making a contribution where we can.

I look forward to seeing you at many of our fantastic activities over the coming months.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

100 YEARS OF BRITISH AIRWAYS We’re marking our centenary by celebrating the people of Britain.

Because it’s the brilliant people of Britain who make us who we are.

Visit ba.com/100

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Message from the Executive Director

As this is my first message as Executive Director for the Orient magazine, I would like to begin by thanking all those I have met for the warm welcome to the Chamber including the Board, our members, partners and business committees. I welcome the opportunity to meet all members moving forward and look forward to working with you.

Since the last edition of the Orient, the executive team and I have started to formulate the beginnings of a strategy that puts members, committees and trade services at the core of what we do to generate meaningful value for the business community here in Singapore.

David Kelly Executive Director, British Chamber Of Commerce, Singapore

The Trade Services team delivered a Food and Drink Trade Mission, which was a huge success and resulted in at least one export win. We also held a joint networking event with the Australian Chamber of Commerce bringing members from both Chambers together.

We have also ensured that the Chamber is present with our international networks, more specifically by providing Chamber International with a video of our capabilities in helping UK companies to explore the Singapore and ASEAN region for future business growth. Next month, we will be joining a trade mission in the UK to represent the Chambers activities and Trade Services team.

I had the pleasure of welcoming H.E. Kara Owen, the British High Commissioner to Singapore, to meet the BritCham team in one of her first activities since arriving in Singapore. I would like to thank the High Commissioner and her team for the support that they give the Chamber in a partnership that is hugely important.

It was also a pleasure to have met the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns MP, to talk about our upcoming Welsh Trade Mission in October.

Looking ahead, we have some exciting events coming up, including the World Cup Rugby Dinner on 12th September, and the F1 Networking event with McLaren: Applying F1 Grade Technology to Your Industry on the 19th September. We have also opened our 4th Annual Photo Competition Celebrating Diversity.

Finally, as we gear up for our 20th Anniversary Annual Business Awards, I would like to congratulate all the finalists which are listed on page 36. I hope to see you at the Awards Dinner on 3rd October to celebrate the winners.

I look forward to working with the Board, committees and members, and keeping you updated on our activities.

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STERLING MEMBERS

DETU R

P O N S M UN

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STERLING MEMBERS

Moving to the UK? Plan ahead to get your tax ducks in a row

www.thefrygroup.sg The Fry Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd is authorised to act as a financial adviser by the Monetary Authority of Singapore - licence number FA100057.

International outlook, local perspective

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Sin g a

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Celebrating Singapore 1819 - 2019

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SAVE THE DATES! SCC Celebrates Singapore’s Bicentennial 11 – 26 October 2019 Events’ Highlights:

In Support of SportCares

• Opening Dinner “Wines from the Commonwealth” with Celebrity Chef Eric Teo (Fri, 11 Oct) • Peranakan Fiesta – Food Delights with Celebrity Chef Raymond Khoo, Local Night Street Stalls, and The Peranakan Voices Choir & Band (Fri, 18 Oct) • Open House & Family Day (Sun, 20 Oct) • Antiques Roadshow (Sun, 20 Oct) • Ladies’ Luncheon and Cooking Demonstration with UK Celebrity Chef Paul Askew (Tues, 22 Oct) • Comedy Night with 4 Singaporean Stand-up Comedians, hosted by UK Celebrity Pete Price (Wed, 23 Oct) • SCC Heritage Charity Ball – Gala Dinner with UK Celebrity Chef Paul Askew, charity drive for SportCares, live band entertainment (Fri, 25 Oct - InterContinental Hotel) • Football Clinic with Chelsea Football Club (Sat, 26 Oct 2019)

For more information and ticket sales, visit www.scc.org.sg/sccbicentennial now!

Partnership Opportunities Available!

The Chamber is delighted to share details of our upcoming annual flagship events for 2019.

We have various partnership opportunities available for companies wishing to be represented at these events. Should you wish to discuss a partnership agreement, please reach out to Lucy Haydon (lucy@britcham.org.sg) at your earliest convenience.

20th Anniversary Annual Business Awards 3rd October 2019 | 7pm - 11.30pm | Shangri-La Hotel Partnership Opportunities: Category Partners BritCham Fair 23rd October 2019 | 5.30pm - 9pm Multiple Partnership Opportunities Available The Great British Ball 7th December 2019 | 6pm - 2am | Shangri-La Hotel Multiple Partnership Opportunities Available

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GET IN TOUCH

137 Telok Ayer Street, #06-03, Singapore 068602 Tel: +65 6222-3552 Email: info@britcham.org.sg Website: www.britcham.org.sg

British Chamber of Commerce Singapore (BritCham)

bccsingapore

britchamsg

britchamsingapore

britchamsingapore

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GET IN TOUCH

NEWS:

FROM THE CHAMBER

Enter the 4th Annual Celebrating Diversity Photo Competition For the past three years, the British Chamber of Commerce has been encouraging people of all ages to consider the topics of diversity and inclusion.

The 12 shortlisted finalists this year will be featured in a desktop calendar produced by the Chamber and invited to a special prize presentation evening with the British High Commissioner to Singapore, Her Excellency Kara Owen, who also acts as the final judge for the cash prize winners.

The competition....

• Is free to enter from 8AM on 14th August 2019 to 11.59PM on 15th November 2019 • Is open to all Singapore residents • Is open to those aged 13 or above (schools may wish to create a project around the competition) • Each entrant may submit up to 3 photos • Does not require membership of the Chamber to enter • Voting for the Most Popular photo stays open until 11.59PM on 22nd November 2019

When considering your entry, think about...

• Which diversity and inclusion area are you addressing? Gender, age, culture, ability, mental health, sexual orientation and religion are all relevant topics • Your photo caption - make sure to include a few words or sentences to explain your choices • The audience - does your photo convey a message of inclusion?

The prizes...

• 1st prize: SG$500 • 2nd prize: SG$300 • 3rd prize: SG$200 • Most popular photo prize (by votes): SG$300

Please note that competitors aged 13-16 years must seek parental consent to enter and should provide daytime contact information, ideally those of a parent or guardian, in case they are notified as being a finalist.

Photos that are blurred/of poor quality will not be approved for the contest by moderators.

Once you have submitted your photo, make sure to share it with your friends and family and ask them to vote for you by 11.59PM on 22nd November 2019, as the most popular photo in the contest will also win a cash prize!

For the terms and conditions of the contest, please visit www.britcham.org.sg/celebrating-diversity-photocompetition-terms.

Any questions? Contact lucy@britcham.org.sg.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES AT www.britcham.org.sg/celebrating-diversity If you experience any difficulties with the form, please try the alternative link http://wshe.es/93oPamie or enter on our Facebook page.

With thanks to our partners: Diversity & Inclusion Partner:

Prize Partner:

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Our Equality & Sustainability Commitment Within the activities we undertake on behalf of our members, the British Chamber of Commerce is keen to recognise the importance of diversity, inclusion and sustainability across all our efforts.

The Chamber commits to encouraging and supporting our members to see corporate responsibility as the ideal space to incubate programmes and policy that lead to a more inclusive and equitable world for all, whilst at the same time protecting the environment.

In sharing the small steps we are taking to make the following changes a part of our working practices, our objective is to demonstrate best practice and encourage our members and partners to consider similar thought processes. ___ As of September 1st 2019, we will make all reasonable efforts to implement the following guidelines for our activities: • We will continue to provide a platform for conversation, debate, events, content and resources in the interests of driving important diversity, inclusion and sustainability agendas • For events featuring a panel of experts, we will seek a diversity of voices in gender identity and opinions • Activities hosted in the Chamber office will not utilise single use plastic items and will minimise waste • External event venues will be requested to provide pitchers and glasses in place of water bottles for all attendees and speakers, and to avoid the use of individually wrapped sweets, sugar sachets and similar catering items wherever possible • We will plan to avoid all major religious holidays when scheduling event dates, to foster greater attendance • We will aim to source accessible event space when working with external event venues • We will aim to provide food and beverage options catered to a range of dietary needs • For our Gala Dinner events, we will work with partners to review options for limiting food wastage • We will continue our digital-first strategy for content, communications, tickets, contracts and member engagement, supplemented with meetings and events and limiting the environmental impact of our print collaterals

NEWS:

FROM THE CHAMBER

NEWS:

BEYOND THE CHAMBER

Digitalisation of the HandCarried Exports Scheme through the Networked Trade Platform

Singapore Customs worked with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), Enterprise Singapore and the jewellery industry to digitalise the Hand-Carried Exports Scheme (HCES) on the Networked Trade Platform (NTP).

Traders can now receive the digital endorsement instantly once the goods leave Singapore, allowing traders to zero-rate the goods.

Under the IRAS HCES, traders may zerorate their supplies of goods handcarried out of Singapore via the Changi Airport. The previous process for HCES required the carrier of the hand-carried

exported goods to send the original hardcopy of the export permit which had been endorsed by Singapore Customs at the Changi Airport, to the seller of the goods after the goods had left the country. Not only was there a time lag, sometimes the seller did not receive the export permit with the original endorsement even after repeated follow-ups with the carrier who had already left Singapore.

With this new service, traders can now receive an electronic copy of the clearance status of the exported goods through the NTP, which will serve as

the endorsement of the export permit to support the zero-rating of hand-carried goods under the HCES. This eliminates the need for paper-based export permit endorsement and also enables a faster and more efficient transaction.

To find out more about the HCES , visit www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/Schemes/ GST/Hand-Carried-Exports-Scheme-HCES-/. To find out more about the NTP, visit www.ntp.gov.sg.

The British Chambers of Commerce in the UK submits a Business Priorities Plan to the incoming Prime Minister THE BCC'S KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: The British Chambers of Commerce in the UK, which represents 75,000 firms of all sizes and sectors, employing 6 million people – has written to incoming PM Boris Johnson setting out 15 urgent, immediate steps that he must address on arrival in Downing Street to boost business confidence and stimulate the UK economy.

Read the full announcement over at: www.britishchambers. org.uk/news/2019/07/bcc-topm-now-time-to-get-down-tobusiness

BREXIT AND TRADE • Avoid a messy and disorderly Brexit • Step up government planning and enable businesses to plan for all scenarios • Automatic registration for key trade simplifications • Ensure continuity of trading conditions with third countries, • Clarify intentions on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund BUSINESS INVESTMENT • A one-year moratorium on all policy measures that increase business costs • Ensure all businesses benefit from rates holidays on new property builds and improvements • Launch a root and brand review of current business rates system

PEOPLE • Protect and enhance funding for education and training • Reform apprenticeship funding and standards • Deliver a light-touch, streamlined immigration system that works for business INFRASTRUCTURE • Reaffirm commitment to major projects including all phases of HS2 and expansion of Heathrow • Commit to clear UK energy strategy • Back industry proposals to eliminate mobile not spots • Funding to clear backlog of local road improvements

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Over three-quarters of Singapore and Hong Kong parents concerned about the impact of their spouse remarrying on their children’s future inheritance

Research by Old Mutual International, part of Quilter, found that 76%* of parents in Singapore and Hong Kong were concerned that if their spouse was to remarry after they had died, it could change how their wealth was distributed to their children in the future.

Despite these parent’s concern, 49% of those surveyed thought their spouse ‘would’ or ‘probably would’ remarry if they were to pass away with a further 26% unsure. Under many common law jurisdictions, if someone was to die without a will, the entirety of their wealth might pass directly to their spouse who then could choose to distribute the wealth differently.

However, some expats from other regions may find that forced heirship might apply.

For example, this could mean that children from a parent’s first marriage would not receive any of their wealth on their death, highlighting the impact that failing to plan can have when a widow or widower remarries. This can lead to a complex family with children from a parent’s first relationship all living together as one family unit, typically called a blended family.

For this reason, it’s important to ensure clients engage with the financial planning process as soon as possible to

ensure wealth is passed down as desired. The research shows parents would be supportive of this with 72% of respondents saying that they would like to control how their wealth is passed to their children.

For those domiciled in a common law jurisdiction like the UK, writing a will is the first planning point to explore but it is also worth seeing whether a trust might be suitable for a parent’s needs.

Trusts can also provide clients with more control and certainty over how their wealth is distributed, combined with possible inheritance tax advantages.

According to the research, 49% of respondents said they would use a trust, with a further 41% saying they maybe would, and just 4% would not.

Under UK law, trusts unlike wills are not public documents and are less likely to be challenged in court. There are a wide range of trusts to choose from, which have varying levels of access, flexibility and inheritance tax efficiency to suit the needs of someone. Trusts help ensure assets are passed to beneficiaries as and when required, and can be distributed immediately on death, avoiding lengthy probate delays.

CEO Singapore, Old Mutual International says: “In this day and age, family situations are becoming increasingly complex, especially when it comes to financial contingency planning around death or possible divorce. If someone fails to put together a plan they could also fail to ensure that their desired beneficiaries actually benefit from their wealth.

“There are lots of financial planning techniques, including the use of trusts, which can help someone make sure that wealth is passed on both to its intended recipient and in the most efficient way.

Trusts in recent times have grown in popularity because of the value that they add to legacy planning for people.

These are personal family circumstances that are inherently unique which means financial advisers are incredibly well placed to add value by ensuring people get the right solution to fit their individual needs. *Research carried out by Toluna for Old Mutual International in March 2019 and surveyed a total of 150 Singapore parents and 139 Hong Kong parents For more information or for the individual data from each region please contact: Alex Berry on 07741151931

Ian Kloss, Head of Region (SE Asia) &

NEWS:

MEMBER NEWS

NEW MEMBERS

STERLING MEMBERS

IHS MARKIT HS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to wellinformed, confident decisions. IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world's leading financial institutions. Find out more at www. ihsmarkit.com Representative Member: Dessi Silassie, Executive Director

PEARSON Learning is a never-ending road of discovery, challenge, inspiration, and wonder. For many people, it is the route to a job to support their family or the skills to help them progress in their career. That’s why Pearson is focused on helping learners at every stage of the journey discover a love of learning that helps provide opportunities throughout their lives. Because wherever learning flourishes, so do people. Find out more at www.pearson.com/asia Representative Member: Rilla Roessel, Director of Marketing - APAC

REFINITIV Refinitiv, formerly the Financial & Risk business of Thomson Reuters, is one of the world’s largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure.

Serving more than 40,000 institutions in over 190 countries, we provide information, insights, and technology that drive innovation and performance in global markets. Our 160-year Reuters heritage of integrity enables customers to make critical decisions with confidence, while our unique open platform, best-in-class data, and cutting-edge technology bring greater opportunity to our customers. By advancing our customers, we drive progress for the entire financial community. For more information, visit www.refinitiv.com Representative Member: Amy Merryweather, Head of Marketing, ASEAN

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CORPORATE MEMBERS

MENASA & PARTNERS Based out of our strategic hubs in Dubai, UAE, and Singapore, Asia, Menasa and Partners is ideally placed to assist with executive search, recruitment, global campaigns, nationalisation and account management assignments spanning the entire globe. We understand that in today’s ever-changing world it is vital for clients to be both assured and confident that their Search/Recruitment Partner is a global organisation capable of delivering on what they promise. Find out more at www.menasaandpartners.com Representative Member: Jamie Scuffins, Regional Operations Director

RKH SPECIALTY ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD RKH is one of the fastest growing international Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers, providing leading independent specialty lines solutions, creating unique programmes and facilities across all industries and risk classes, and by placing complex risks for some of the world's largest companies. Find out more at www. rkhspecialty.com Representative Member: Karly Shaw, Chief Executive Officer Singapore

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (SINGAPORE BRANCH) Coventry University (CU) is a global and forward-looking university that provides high quality education and learning experience. It ranked the 15th best university in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2020 and have held the position of top modern university for seven consecutive years since 2012. In 2017, it was awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework ( the government’s first major assessment of teaching quality), then was awarded 5 stars for teaching excellence in 2018 by the QS Stars rating. Most recently, CU joined the top 20 European universities for its student engagement and excellent learning environment. Find out more at www.coventry.ac.uk Representative Member: Michael Yap, Regional Managing Director

NEW MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

CORPORATE SME MEMBERS AV INTELLIGENCE AV Intelligence is a Singapore-based retailer, distributor, installer and full-service provider of audio and video products and solutions, such as headphones, wireless speakers, turntables, Hi-Fi components, home cinema and multi-room systems. We are specialists in large and bespoke projects, both residential and commercial. Our clients include interior designers and architects, bars, restaurants, gyms, clubs, art galleries and schools. We represent some of the finest brands in the world and are the only full-range retail partner of Bang & Olufsen in Singapore. Find out more at www.av-intelligence.com Representative Member: Andrew Kennard, CEO

MCG& SG PTE. LTD. MCG&Co is part of DMCG Global, it's a contingency and executive search recruitment business with offices across the globe. We connect businesses and brands with the best communications, digital & tech talent from across the world.

Find out more at www.mcgand.co Representative Member: Justin McGuire, CEO

PISANO Today, customer experience is what makes or breaks businesses. Pisano's technology empowers hundreds of brands across the globe to provide exceptional experiences. By making it easy to capture feedback, analyze behaviour and engage customers everywhere. So that businesses can focus on what really matters: knowing customers better, keeping them longer and selling more to them. Find out more at www.pisano.co Representative Member: Mike Soylu, Co-founder & General Manager, Asia-Pacific

STEELCASE Steelcase leads the way in creating great experiences by offering a range of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to help people reach their full potential. Find out more at www.steelcase.com Representative Member: Paul Lancaster, Sales Director SIngapore

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CORPORATE START-UP MEMBERS HOPSCOTCH.WORK Hopscotch.work is the careers platform for professional women across the Middle East and Asia. Founded by Helen and Justin McGuire in Dubai in 2016 and launched in Singapore in 2018, the platform has connected businesses wishing to improve their diversity and gender balance to its growing community of over 80k, providing the tools and resources that enable women to move forward with their careers.

Through its job board, events, training and initiatives, Hopscotch works with clients like Nestle, Facebook, Amazon, Accenture and Mastercard, as well as start-ups and SMEs in both regions. Find out more at hopscotch.work Representative Member: Helen McGuire, Founder

LENDURANCE Lendurance helps SMEs run better businesses. We believe strongly that our customers don’t buy products – they buy people and they buy solutions to their problems. We want to empower SMEs to realise their full potential by giving them access to solutions that align with their needs and are fairly priced. By partnering with specialist businesses, our platform provides the convenience SMEs seek, and reduces the amount of time spent searching for and accessing various solutions.

Representative Member: Amir Sethu, CEO

OB1 CONSULTING OB1 consulting specialises in personal and business transformation. We engage with clients to create positive and sustainable growth. Our focus is strategic and leadership coaching, people and organisational development, board advisory, insurance technology consulting. Visit www.ob1.consulting for more information.

Representative Member: Zoe Belcher, CEO

VITALITY CHIROPRACTIC CENTRES Vitality Chiropractic is Singapore first centre specialising in problems with the nervous system, dedicated to helping patients with migraines, headaches, vertigo and neurological problems, by using Upper Cervical care. We offer solutions where other practitioner have failed. This specific type of treatment is unique in Singapore, with our Doctor having to attend post graduate training in Australia, America and Philippines. Visit www.vitalitychiropracticcentres.com or more information.

Representative Member: Shaan Rai, Director/Lead Practitioner

NEW MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

OVERSEAS CORPORATE MEMBERS

CITY & GUILDS (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD City & Guilds are a global leader in skills development, providing services to training providers, employers, and trainees across a variety of sectors to meet the needs of today’s workplace. We have specialist teams in consultancy and learning design, eLearning development, assessment, in-house training accreditation, qualifications and learning platforms. We believe that by working in partnership with our customers we can fulfil our purpose and offer support and solutions to meet the key challenges faced by colleges and training providers. Find out more at www.cityandguilds.com Representative Member: Victoria Horrox, Head of Sales - East Asia

WINSIGHT MEDIA Winsight is a leading B2B information services company focused on the food and beverage industry, providing insight and market intelligence to business leaders in every channel consumers buy food and beverage – restaurants and noncommercial foodservice, convenience stores and grocery retailing – through media, events, data products, advisory services, and trade shows. Find out more at winsightmedia.com Representative Member: Michael Burkette, svp

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UPCOMING EVENTS Visit our Upcoming Events page at www.britcham.org.sg/events to find out more about the following events, or contact the events team at events@britcham.org.sg

NAME

TIME

VENUE

12 Sept 2019

World Cup Rugby Gala Dinner 2019

7:00 PM 10:45 PM

Tower Ballroom, Shangri-La Hotel 22 Orange Grove Road, S 258350

18 Sept 2019

BritCham Presents: Entrepreneur Masterclass

4:00 PM 6:00 PM

British Chamber of Commerce, 137 Telok Ayer Street #06-03, S 068602

19 Sept 2019

McLaren: Applying F1 Grade Technology to Your Industry

7:00 PM 10:00 PM

Singapore Cricket Club Connaught Drive, S 179681

23 Sept 2019

Focus - Listen - Connect: Developing Skills to grow your Network

6:15 PM 8:30 PM

British Chamber of Commerce, 137 Telok Ayer Street #06-03, S 068602

26 Sept 2019

Unleash Your Voice

5:30 PM 8:00 PM

Diageo #13-04, One George Street, 1 George Street, S 049145

03 Oct 2019

20th Anniversary Annual Business Awards Gala Dinner

7:00 PM 10:30 PM

Tower Ballroom, Shangri-La Hotel 22 Orange Grove Road, S 258350

DATE

EVENT PARTNERS

UPCOMING EVENTS

RECENT EVENTS

RECENT EVENTS 12 June 2019: Fraud Prevention in Asia Title Partner:

13 June 2019: Sustainable Finance ft. Terry Heymann, CFO, World Gold Council Co-Organiser:

Title Partner:

18 June 2019: New Members Open House https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157709242963342 Wine Partner:

Beer Partners:

Catering Partner:

20 June 2019: Joint Chamber ICT Networking https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157709270405638 Co-Organisers:

Title Partner:

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21 June 2019: Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157709284319433 Series Partner:

25 June 2019: ASEAN in Focus: Intellectual Property Series Partner:

2 July 2019: Minister Josephine Teo on Retirement and Reemployment in Singapore https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157709437429881 Future of Work Partner:

Diversity & Inclusion Partner:

SG-UK Partnership for the Future:

9 July 2019: Start-Up Series: Directors’ Duties and Key Employment Issues Breakfast Club Series Partner:

RECENT EVENTS

RECENT EVENTS

17 July 2019: Is there a Clean Energy Future for Indonesia?

Breakfast Club Series Partner:

19 July 2019: Permanent Residency in Singapore Event Partner:

23 July 2019: Inter-Chamber Networking with AustCham https://www.facebook.com/pg/AustChamSingapore/ photos/?tab=album&album_id=2344631258918448 Co-Organiser:

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22 August 2019: Back to Work: Summer Social https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157710500944892 Title Partner:

Venue & Catering Partner:

26 August 2019: Intellectual Property in the ASEAN Century ft. Tim Moss CBE, CEO of UK IPO Co-Organisers:

Event Partners:

Supporting Organisation:

27 August 2019: Commemorating the Bicentennial Celebrating Internationalisation https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/ albums/72157710577611513 Co-Organiser:

Event Partners:

In Support of:

RECENT EVENTS

TRADE SERVICES SPECIAL EVENTS:

UK FOOD & DRINK TRADE MISSION TO SINGAPORE

UK Food & Drink Trade Mission to Singapore: Market Briefing 15th July 2019

The Chamber’s Trade Services team welcomed a British delegation from London and the South East of England. We’d like to thank Wesley Mort from HSBC for his regional insights, Michael Tan from Singapore Productivity Centre for sharing on the sector here, and Sarah STRANG STEEL from Sasha's Fine Foods for giving an overview on import regulations and their experiences. Our team also assisted the delegates with a Retail Tour of leading supermarkets and distributors across the island.

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UK Food & Drink Trade Mission to Singapore: DIT London – British Gourmet Food and Drink Networking Reception 16th July 2019

The reception was jointly organised by The Department for International Trade London and South East of England and the Chamber’s Trade Services team at the Singapore Cricket Club. The Deputy Director of the Department of International Trade Singapore, Justinian Habner and the International Trade Advisor London, Juliette Cattell welcomed the guests during the reception. A special thank you to the nine delegates who showcased their products to over 40 distributors and industry players: The British Honey Company, Stephanie Elzinga The Brook - Vegan Foods, Thea Brook CP ONE GLOBAL LTD, Carlo di Pamparato FUEL10K, Barney Mauleverer The Gin Kitchen, Kate Gregory Coconut Merchant, Shan Vignes Copper Rivet Distillery, Matthew Russell Gourmet Candy Company, Jaime Waring Tuk Tuk Chai, Rupesh Thomas

See more photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/britchamsingapore/albums/72157709870097786

TRADE SERVICES EVENTS

SPECIAL FEATURE:

INTRODUCING THE NEW BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR SINGAPORE

Introducing the new British High Commissioner for Singapore Incoming British High Commissioner, Ms Kara Owen, discusses her succession to Mr Scott Wightman CMG and how she's been settling into her new role over the summer.

It’s so good to be back. And there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

That’s how I feel about taking up the post of British High Commissioner in Singapore. For me, this role is a huge privilege. I am representing my country and my government – that is a big deal in anyone’s books. But to be doing so here, in a region I love, in a country I have so admired for so long feels like the ultimate privilege. To be doing it now, as the UK forges a new path with ever stronger international partnerships is a bonus. As I said, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than being in Singapore as British High Commissioner.

When I say it’s good to be back, I don’t mean that I’ve lived here before. I have not. But I’ve been hooked by the Southeast Asia region since my late teens when I first visited the region. My first posting was in Hong Kong, much further north but with the same feeling of possibilities I’d sensed when first hitting the region a few years earlier.

I was one of a handful of UK diplomats to have served with the EU/ASEAN Aceh Monitoring Mission (and one of the few UK diplomats to have found her Irish

husband when working in Banda Aceh!). And then I was in Hanoi, representing the UK in that extraordinarily transforming country as it joined the WTO. Since then, I’ve had a posting to Paris (Deputy Ambassador) and was then Director for the Americas in the Foreign Office, during which time I was at the heart of efforts to secure our interests with old allies – Canada and US – and renewed partnerships (Caribbean and Latin America) alike. Those roles were fascinating, but they could never quite snip the elastic that would always have me bouncing back to this dynamic and future-focused region.

UK and Singapore As I represent the UK in Singapore, I am able to draw on the incredible depth and breadth of relationships and partnerships across the board. You, the members of the British Chamber of Commerce are an essential part of that fabric, whether you are at the helm of venerable MNCs, the lone representative of an innovative start up or somewhere in between. Many of your companies are setting the standards for excellence in your fields,

showcasing the best of UK - Singapore partnership in trade, investment, innovation and research. I’ve met a number of you already and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the near future. My excellent predecessor, Scott Wightman, briefed me on the strength of your community and the efforts you have made to showcase the best the UK has to offer. It is vital that we continue to showcase the UK at the cutting edge of economic and trade developments. I am delighted that as we work on trade and investment issues, I have Natalie Black, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, alongside me. She covers Singapore as part of her role, and I am proud that she is based here and brings a regional perspective that matches your own.

The relationship isn’t just about business, though. It is woven through so much of what we do and what is important to the two countries. It’s in the judicial links; the well-organised Singapore Societies, run by top class

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Singaporean students in UK’s top universities and in the increasing – and I want this flow to get much bigger – flow of young British people who have studied and worked here; it’s in our tourist numbers, hugely significant in both directions as our two populations find difference and familiarity as they travel to the other. It’s in our research links where academics from UK and Singapore institutions work together on cutting edge issues such as quantum key, how to use data to build the

greenest, most liveable cities, how to develop food that will meet the 21st century’s insatiable demand without trashing our climate goals.

sustainable business and innovation; defence and security (traditional and new issues); and education, culture and youth.

Our two governments in January launched the Partnership for the Future. This draws on the deep reserves of admiration and goodwill we have towards each other and focuses our joint work on areas where we both have real strengths and that will define us in the future: the digital economy;

The British business community is relevant to all of these areas. I look forward to working with you as partners as we seek to bring as much mutual benefit from the partnership as we can.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kara arrived at the British High Commission, Singapore in June 2019 as British High Commissioner. The High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a Commonwealth nation. They are responsible for the direction and work of the High Commission and its

Deputy High Commissions and/or Consulates, including political work, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services. Before becoming High Commissioner, Kara was most recently Director for the Americas at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

INTRODUCING THE NEW BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR SINGAPORE

SPECIAL FEATURE:

IN CONVERSATION WITH OUR PAST PRESIDENT, SHANKER IYER, FCA, OBE

In Conversation with our Past President, Shanker Iyer, FCA, OBE In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of our Annual Business Awards, we sat down with past President, Shanker Iyer, as he shared his experience with the Chamber during 1998 to 2004 and how the British Business Association became the British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

Rebranding & Realigning I took on the President role in 1998 at an interesting time, when it was still the British Business Association. My business was around five years old with a small accountancy and tax practice and I had time to devote to the association. The BBA was still primarily social and at the time I took over, we were one month from bankruptcy. We formalised processes, agreed a new Constitution, cut costs, and focused on revenue. The High Commissioner at the time, Alan Hunt, was very supportive and helped us to encourage British companies in Singapore to participate, with the introduction of a 2 year Sustaining Membership. A total of 25 British companies provided their support in this capacity and helped to pave the way for the future.

We rebranded to a Chamber of Commerce following some best practice discussions with the already wellestablished British Chamber in Hong Kong, and this helped to take us to the next level. When the Singapore Business Federation launched in 2002, their

Constitution allocated five seats for foreign Chambers. The German Chamber and us took two of those spaces. We later worked with other European National Chambers and Associations to re-energise the European Chamber and take one seat to represent us all. I volunteered in my capacity as the British President to Chair the European Chamber for the initial term. I was invited to join the Board of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce and eventually became President of that organisation after my term with the British Chamber.

When I suggested launching a business awards, people told me it would not work and would not be sustainable. The British Chamber SME Award was launched and initially there was little interest. We approached the Singaporean Government for support and the very first Guest of Honour was Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, then a Junior Minister. I am delighted to see the awards thriving 20 years later and

continuing to recognise small businesses alongside their larger peers.

New Chapter We positioned our firm with an inbound strategy and as a family of Chartered Accountants. My two children joined the firm after studying in the UK, gaining first class degrees and spending some time with MNCs in the industry. They earned the respect of the team and we expanded into Hong Kong, repositioning the business to a consulting and advisory firm and disposing of our auditing business around the same time. This removed some competitive barriers and we began to collaborate with other accountancy firms. Our client dynamic changed to a younger clientele and we received a Singaporean Government grant to rebrand the firm.

Over the years, we have received many offers to buy the firm but I was keen to hold on to the family business and pass it down. However, my younger son - with a passion in technology -

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recognised that this was a good time to sell with the future in mind. My caveat was to retain the family participation in the firm and we have staff and clients who have been with us more for than 20 years. Fortunately, we found a buyer in Luxembourg that recognised our contribution and was only interested to buy if we stayed in the business. Our business now is considerably bigger as other companies the group owned in Singapore have been combined and the same in Hong Kong.

For my business and me, becoming involved in these various Chamber roles has had a significant outcome, connecting me throughout Singapore in the business and Government communities, as well as establishing my profile with a degree of trust and seniority. Without this level of profile, I have no doubt that the path would have been different.

Important Moments The highlight of my term was our 50th Anniversary celebrations. I ambitiously suggested that we invite Prime

Minister Lee Kuan Yew to be our Guest of Honor and was delighted that he accepted, it was an amazing event. I was also shocked and delighted to receive an OBE midway through my term as President of the British Chamber and look forward to continuing to participate as a member in the future.

ABOUT THE COMPANY We help global investors focus on investing and preserving capital in a sustainable and compliant manner. Our environmental, social and governance (ESG) underpins IQ-EQ's activities across all jurisdictions where we or one of our affiliates operate. It sets out our global approach to sustainable purpose and forms the basis of our decisions by focusing on business ethics and compliance, people and culture and community involvement. We strongly believe in the power of duality and that valuing both IQ and EQ is essential for our people, our clients and our business. IQ-EQ brings together a rare combination of global expertise with a unique corporate culture that knows the importance of truly understanding the needs of our clients. IQ-EQ expresses exactly who we are and how we like to operate. Find out more at iqeq.com

SPECIAL FEATURE:

IN CONVERSATION WITH OUR PAST PRESIDENT, SHANKER IYER, FCA, OBE

SPECIAL FEATURE:

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ANNOUNCING THIS YEAR'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS FINALISTS

FINALIST S ENHANCING THE JOURNEY

START-UP EXCELLENCE

SUCCESS IN ASEAN

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Congratulations to the finalists of this year's 20 Anniversary Annual Business Awards! We would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit an entry and share their achievements with us. th

DIGITAL INNOVATION

A special commendation for the Future Leader category will be announced on the evening. We look forward to you joining us at the 20th Anniversary Annual Business Awards Gala Dinner on 3rd October. Members and non-members are welcome to join us for this special celebration with finalists entitled to reduced prices.

UK IMPACT IN SINGAPORE

For more information on the Gala Dinner and to book your table or ticket(s), please visit bit.ly/20ABAGala. For more information about the awards, please visit www.britcham.org.sg/aba

TITLE PARTNER: TITLE PARTNER

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PHOTOGRAPHY PARTNER

MEDIA PARTNER

CATEGORY PARTNERS

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

SUZY SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL, EDRINGTON

In Focus:

Suzy Smith, Managing Director, Global Travel Retail, Edrington

By Lucy Haydon In this issue, our Editor sat down with Edrington’s Managing Director of Global Travel Retail, Suzy Smith, to discuss international expansion and their growth in the Travel Retail sector. We also dived deeper into Edrington’s Giving More and alcohol responsibility initiatives.

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IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

SUZY SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL, EDRINGTON

The Macallan Boutique at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3

The Travel Retail sector appears from our outside perspective to be an area of strong growth for Edrington and other companies in the sector.

Coming from a marketing background yourself, how are you looking to differentiate Edrington’s products and drive the future of the sector?

Our global travel retail business accounts for an important part of Edrington’s total profits. The department headquarters are here in Singapore, but there are offices throughout the world servicing the sector. Travel retail is an unique environment, providing an opportunity to engage with consumers in a space where they have time and are actively looking to spend or find special products.

To this end, we launched The Macallan airport boutiques this summer, first in Dubai and then at Heathrow. The concept is about step-changing the impression of The Macallan to provide the full history and understanding of

the brand, with unique high-end prestige products, some of which are unique to travel retail (the Boutique Collection) or limited global editions (the Prestige Collection). We invested in our distillery in the past five years on The Macallan Estate to provide a money-can’t-buy experience, and our boutiques are the next step in the process of bringing this to consumers.

We are further investing in staff training by having the travel retail teams visit the distillery and understand the story and brand to fully portray this to our customers.

Typically in travel retail, you would pay premium costs for display areas within an airport, as well as positioning in mass retail outlets, so an investment of this nature is significant for a single brand.

Edrington clearly looks to international markets for growth, with a statement on the company website of 2/3 of employees being based overseas in wholly-owned or

JV offices. With operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai, Taiwan and Korea, where does the company see the next growth area likely to be in this part of the world?

We are seeing a lot of growth in emerging markets around Asia, with travel retail in the Asia Pacific region providing the highest growing market for passenger numbers. In this part of the world there is plenty of inter-region travel and an increasing level of affluence among consumers, making the region a real area of growth and focus for the future of Edrington.

We invested in our distillery in the past five years on The Macallan Estate to provide a money-can’t-buy experience, and our boutiques are the next step in the process of bringing this to consumers information.

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Edrington staff giving more by cycling 600KM from Nha Trang to Danang to raise money for Newborns Vietnam

The Robertson sisters and their Trust established Edrington in 1961 with a strong sense of philanthropy in the culture and values. Can you tell us a little about how this translates to today’s social responsibility within the company and back in Scotland?

The sisters setup The Robertson Trust to ensure that the family business maintained its independence with no shareholders, and to establish specific values for the future. To date, the Trust has donated more than £263 million to charitable causes in Scotland, and a further £10 million has been donated by the International Giving More fund since 2012, where 1% of pre-tax earnings are donated to a cause decided by each local office.

One of our key values is around Giving More. We recently formalised a policy whereby every year, every employee is given three days of Giving More leave to use for charitable giving. This could be participation in company activities or volunteering or fund-raising for a different cause which is special to the employee, the choice is theirs. The

company then double-matches all monies raised.

This culture and expectation of philanthropy is established from day one of an employee’s journey with the company, and we have high levels of participation. Each office has a committee that agrees the office recipient of the 1% donation for that year, while employees can support other causes through their Giving More entitlement.

As with all companies in the alcohol sector, there is a difficult balance from a values and publicity perspective in the need for profit vs. drinking responsibly. How is Edrington working to support their customers in this?

We partner with a lot of organisations in this area and maintain an Edrington Marketing Code for sales, marketing, events, commercial and procurement employees to undertake and recommit to every two years. Every year, we run an Alcohol Responsibility week

with all employees around the globe to raise awareness and talk about the issues.

In Asia Pacific, we partner with the Asia Pacific International Wines & Spirits Alliance (APISWA) which works on programmes across SEA looking at alcohol responsibility and education. In the UK, we are a contributing partner to the Scotch Whisky Action Fund and work with Drinkaware, and in the US we are represented on the Board of the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR).

Through these partnerships, we aim to drive these responsibility messages and educate our employees. From a marketing perspective, there is a difficult balance between selling the products and advocating for responsible drinking, but trends can help with this as people start to look at drinking less but at a higher quality, where our premium products are positioned.

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

SUZY SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL, EDRINGTON

IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR:

SUZY SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL RETAIL, EDRINGTON

As a woman in a senior leadership role, how has your personal experience been across your career with finding mentors and support to achieve your goals, and where do you think the industry can improve for the next generations of female talent?

I have been lucky during my career to

have great line managers and separately to this, mentors. For the future, we must look to support colleagues and the future generations of talent.

Pacific and am keen to learn from others. We must understand each locality’s culture and requirements before looking to implement processes as what works in one location may not be as effective in another.

Diversity is important to the company and I have taken a personal interest in helping to drive these initiatives in Asia

ABOUT THE COMPANY Edrington’s vision is that we will give more by building the world’s leading portfolio of exceptional super premium spirits. Our strategy is to intensify our focus on becoming the world’s leading super premium brand builder. The Macallan is our central focus supported by Highland Park and The Glenrothes in the fastgrowing Single Malt category and Naked in the Blended Malt category.

We have strategic partnerships with Tequila Partida and Wyoming Whiskey in the dynamic Tequila and American Whiskey categories. Our portfolio is completed with The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky, Brugal premium rum in the Dominican Republic and Snow Leopard vodka.

Edrington is headquartered in Scotland and employs over 3,200 people in its wholly owned and joint venture companies, with over 70% employed overseas. We own our route to market in 15 countries and distribute our brands to more than 100 countries around the world through joint ventures and third-party agreements.

Our principal shareholder is The Robertson Trust, which has donated over £263m to charitable causes in Scotland since 1961. Our business model is underpinned by the Edrington values of giving, integrity, excellence and respect. Find out mote at www.edrington.com

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Matters of Opinion: Diversity & Inclusion In this issue, we are focusing on diversity and inclusion. Having recently polled our members leading in this area, it is clear that progress has been made but there is still plenty to do. We asked our members for this issue’s Matters of Opinion…. why do you and/or your company push for progress in diversity and equality? How can we ease the path for future generations of colleagues and leaders so that equality becomes the norm and not a tick box for human resource teams to cover in recruitment and internal communications?

With thanks to our official Diversity & Inclusion Partner:

Her Excellency Kara Owen British High Commissioner

Angela Kelly, Country Manager, Lloyd’s Singapore

“I represent a diverse country (UK) in a country with great diversity (Singapore). If we don’t put diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do, I know for certain we will miss out on opportunities in our SG-UK Partnership for the Future. We need to look beyond the obvious to find and nurture new partnerships in the priority areas our Prime Ministers agreed: digital economy, sustainable business and innovation, defence and security and education, culture and youth. On driving for equality generally, we need to be doing more than making sure that we have removed barriers and inequalities. We have to take personal responsibility for including people who may never have been included in our work before, to remain personally open to and respectful of different points of view, even when it feels really challenging. Sending the message “you belong here” in any conversation, meeting or company can be so powerful. It certainly helped me in my career.”

“Lloyd’s is the world’s specialist insurance market, with expertise earned over centuries. As the foundation of the insurance industry and the future of it, we understand that there is a need to build a culture that values all individuals, backgrounds and ideas. Progress in diversity and inclusion is imperative to accelerating innovation, staying relevant to our clients and building a better world. It is integral to the future success of Lloyd’s, our clients, our colleagues and the industry itself.

One of the challenges to creating lasting and meaningful change is in ensuring that hearts and minds are consistently won, and that diversity and inclusion are welcomed topics in the corporate agenda. It has been proven that such initiatives are far more effective when instituted from the top down – we will need business leaders to fully buy in to the idea and understand that for diversity and inclusion to pay dividends, it needs to be fully supported and integrated into an organisation’s culture.

Sometimes what it takes is providing a platform for conversations to happen and this is why Lloyd’s are proud supporters of the Dive In festival, which has grown exponentially since 2015 and now takes place in over 50 cities across 27 countries, Singapore included.”

MATTERS OF OPINION:

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

MATTERS OF OPINION: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Julie Anne Bautista, Acquisitions and Divestments Asia, Shell Eastern Petroleum

Julia Grierson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Newcastle University in Singapore

“Diversity increases innovation, strengthens customer understanding leading to higher returns, and helps attract the diverse talent for the operations of a company. Many different perspectives within a team is a key driver of creativity, leading to better problem solving and more out of the box ideas. In this time of globalization, a company’s customer base is very diverse and ever-changing. Teams that mirror this socio-cultural dynamic help companies understand its customers better and provide the targeted solutions to the customers’ wants. Thirdly, the millennial workforce is attracted by companies that promote and practice diversity. Thus, diversity grows the pool of talent that a company can choose form. The path toward diversity includes many small steps done consistently.

Today’s “tick box” exercises, such as quotas, will eventually lead to a critical mass of minorities until diversity is the norm. Consistently highlighting role models in an organization show that there are opportunities for everyone. Lastly, support groups, like Lean In circles, provide coaching, mentoring, and a sense of belonging.”

“Improving the representation of female academics within traditional male dominated degree programmes such as engineering is a strategic imperative for Newcastle University in Singapore. Although our data indicates that the number and proportion of female academics working for us has increased over the last few years, representation is still low. To help us transform gender equality, we are working towards becoming a member of Advance HE's (UK)

Magda Chelly, Founder, WoSEC Singapore & MD, Responsible Cyber “Within the cybersecurity space, we have only approximately 20% of female professionals. An example of immediate change that can impact the current situation are CTFs or Catch the Flag Competitions. For example, the cybersecurity competition for females in Singapore hosted on the 13th July 2019 created opportunity and diversity. I organised the technical competition as I believed that the event would help address the current gender gap in the cyber security space, by bringing in female professionals in a friendly and constructive environment and helping them showcasing their skills and technical knowledge. Several industry partners, including Micro Focus, Yogosha and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore raised the importance of changing and encouraging more diversity and inclusion in industries where we have under-represented minorities. Immediate change happened through showcasing technical skills of female professionals and providing them with industry recognised certifications to help them in their career.”

Athena SWAN Charter. The Charter has proven impact as a catalyst for change, leading to organisational and cultural transformation that makes a real difference for women. Its framework helps us to identify areas for positive action, as well as recognise and share good practice. We would be very happy to share our learning on working towards the Charter Mark with other UK Universities that have campuses in Singapore.”

Arlene Wherrett, VP & Managing Director, Sage Asia “Sage is recognised globally for driving diversity of thought, experience and background as well as equal opportunity in our high-performance culture, as this leads to genuine innovation in delivering amazing products and services. Sage works to create an inclusive environment, challenging biases, and constantly making improvements for the benefit of colleagues, customers, partners and the wider community. We have become better at attracting and retaining talent, sparking greater creativity and diverse perspectives. We are proud of our 50/50 gender balance within the Sage Asia leadership team and also within our product development team, in today’s technology industry.

To ease the path for future generations, a proactive approach to Diversity and Inclusion needs to be embraced now. We encourage initiatives such as training in unconscious bias, mentoring, both reverse and gender specific, implementing flexible working policies and return to work programs especially for those returning from parental leave, career breaks or sabbaticals and, marking celebrations like International Women’s Day that recognise the irreplaceable value women bring to work and life.”

Peter Godfrey, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Energy Institute

Scott Brownrigg

“The Diversity and Inclusion debate is rapidly evolving away from single theme issues such as race, gender, physical ability and sexual orientation towards a much more holistic approach, based on the need to also embrace the challenges of reshaping our employment practices towards more effective inclusion of a multi-generational workforce. In a world with decreasing birth rates, longer life expectancy and better working conditions, employee longevity continues to increase. Now and in the future, different generations with different backgrounds, cultures, expectations and work styles will be expected to work alongside each other in an efficient and effective manner. For the first time, in one workplace we now have 5 effective generations: “Traditionalists” - those who may have climbed the corporate ladder in the same organisation for their entire career, “Baby Boomers” workaholics, “Generation X” - known for their independence and scepticism of bureaucracy, “Generation Y” - who are hungry for constant exploration of new ideas, and finally “Generation Z” - the true digital natives.”

“Collaboration, inclusion and a diverse workforce are key attributes that should bind a global company together.

Diverse perspectives add value at all levels of the business and help to create rich cultural working environments.

International offices provide access to global talent pools, which provide tangible benefits strategically, and operationally for long-term growth and success. We believe on recruiting and promoting on the basis of talent.

However, we recognise that an architectural education is a costly one. Our key initiatives such as spearheading the UK’s Level 7 Architectural Apprenticeship Programme and bursary programmes offered to the UK’s Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust are enabling access to the profession by a wider and more diverse audience. Offering greater opportunity for: flexible working; a structured career progression to operational and strategic leadership levels; and mentoring and leadership programmes are vital for retaining diversity within the profession for the future. The architectural profession still has a way to go, but if the work at Scott Brownrigg in this area is anything to go by – we’re making great progress.”

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Paul Harris, Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Nicholas Hanna, Partner, K&L Gates

“More than just being a tick-box demographic goal for leaders, diversity and equality (DE) at the workplace is a necessity. Operating in a highly disparate luxury Bespoke business environment, we require a correspondingly diverse workforce to take on the different languages, varying procedure and distinct cultural sensitivities throughout the region. Our team must also transcend gender and race, and be reflective of a client base as varied as the markets above! By accepting employees – our biggest assets – as similarly Bespoke entities with individual strengths, we foster a sense of belonging for the group, regardless of rank, background or orientation. The long-term effect of this is an intrinsically-motivated workforce that strives to achieve more, even amid a background of shrinking resources. Moving forward, VUCA business conditions will mean new perspectives and differences of opinion may make – or break – a business.

Leaders have to take on the critical role of becoming perpetuators or moderators for DE initiatives such as open-door offices, open flow of ideas, as well as hiring policies that cancel bias. These must be ingrained into the very top lines of corporate strategy, rather than being piecemeal efforts at inclusion. Leadership at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars fully embraces this philosophy, as does the wider BMW Group. As our founder Henry Royce once alluded, “Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.” Only when a company rightly and wholly embraces its diversity, will it thrive in the new world.”

“At K&L Gates, we believe there is a true correlation between diverse teams and overall business performance.

Diversity of all kind has always been an integral part of the firm’s success. Our diverse lawyers and staff bring unique experiences and perspectives, which provide us with a well-rounded approach to assisting clients and give us a competitive edge. We harness the power of diversity to drive business, support the success of our lawyers by creating opportunities and strengthen client relationships.

In an increasingly globalised marketplace, clients expect their legal teams to not only make legal decisions, but also serve as business advisors. To do that, it’s critically important to understand our client’s culture and customers- both of which are more and more diverse. To meet those expectations and our own, we ensure that diversity is a consideration in for leadership, management practices, human resources, marketing activities, financial decisions, and community and global communications. We also establish and maintain direct lines of communications with diverse groups within the firm and actively expand recruiting activities in the market for diverse talent. Our Singapore office recently combined with Straits Law LLC, a local law firm and now our Singapore office is more diverse than ever. We celebrate the unity of cross cultures in our everyday lives. Together, we’re driving positive change in our industries and communities and ultimately, its diversity that is a key factor in propelling us forward.”

Expat Insurance “At Expat Insurance, we pride ourselves on our diversity, equality and inclusivity. This is seen through our team, which consists of over 10 nationalities and a strong female workforce. We strive for a mixed cocktail of religion, nationality, gender, and language in our hiring process as we believe this pushes us to question our norm, expand understanding and learn alternative viewpoints. This in turn results in more creativity, both in approach and solution, which we can use to connect to our client base.

We believe that inclusion takes us a step further, as by understanding and embracing that each person has varied and unique strengths, we are able to deliver better service as a team. Diversity and inclusivity have and always will be a part of our core values and is what has helped us develop a culture in which we are proud to work in today.”

Aberdeen Standard Investments “At Aberdeen Standard Investments, in the words of our CEO Keith Skeoch, we want our business to be a great place to work where our people thrive, and our commitment is to both diversity and inclusion as we cannot focus on one without the other. Our ‘Vision for an Inclusive Future’ aims to create a workplace where our people feel able to bring all that is unique about them to work (their thinking, experience and background, as well as their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age and capability) and can both perform and progress. Our vision doesn’t live on the page but in experiences and practical actions. We believe in achieving visible authentic outcomes by aligning commitment and action at all levels that go beyond tick boxes to ensure that equality is embedded in our culture and throughout our global organisation.”

Kevin Coppel, Managing Director, Knight Frank Asia Pacific “Simply put, we need to recruit the best talent which means that we need to look in the broadest and deepest pools of potential recruits to find the best people. Having a diverse workforce means we get a broad range of views on where the best opportunities to grow our business are. It also helps us connect in a more meaningful way with our clients, who increasingly also come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Employers should ensure the recruiting processes is open to a broad range of talent and they create a fair and level playing field for candidates to be considered on their merits. One of the ways we do this is by having a diverse interview panel and ensuring we consider candidates from a range of backgrounds.

Within the real estate industry, more needs to be done to promote females to senior positions to highlight the benefits of greater diversity and to demonstrate to younger recruits that are no limits to their aspirations. We identify unintended obstacles to talented people staying with the firm and take steps to try and remove those obstacles. One of our internal programmes, Broadening Horizons, offers our staff the opportunity to travel and work in different cities and with different cultures. The ability to move around different service lines appeals to a new generation of geographically mobile workers, and our programme recognises and supports this.”

MATTERS OF OPINION:

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

MATTERS OF OPINION: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Catalina Cadavid, Chief Operating Officer, Singapore Branch, Lloyds Bank “Our goal is to become the best bank for customers; to achieve this, we must ensure that we truly reflect modern society in the diversity of our workforce. We recognise that workplace Inclusion and Diversity brings about diversity of thought, leading to better business decisions and practices.

We have increased diversity through a variety of measures, such as “Breakthrough”, our award-winning women’s network; focused development initiatives for talented colleagues and a returners programme for professionals returning from extended career breaks of 2 or more years. We are proud to have been named a Times Top 50 Employer for Women, a Stonewall Top 100 Employer and Investing in Ethnicity’s Outstanding Employer. This commitment to diversity is demonstrated in Singapore with women comprising over 40% of our senior leaders and colleagues displaying a diverse range of backgrounds.”

Jonathan Parry, Account Director, Spurwing Communications “At Spurwing Communications, diversity is fundamental to our innovation pipeline. Diversity of thought, experience and cultures is what our clients respect and value us for – without it we would not be able to deliver the new ideas and creativity our clients expect of us. We hire and welcome people with varied backgrounds to ensure we’re building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We support that workforce with a culture that is built on openness and collective participation – every member of the team has a role to play in creating a culture that ensures everyone feels valued. Our culture also supports policies that ensure team members are treated equally.

These policies ensure that our culture and our workplace continue to be a space of inclusion and equality.”

Max Ng, Managing Director, Gateway Law Corporation “Here at Gateway, we still often come across employment practices which do not promote diversity or inclusiveness.

Organisations in Singapore are often still quite top-down in the way they are run. We can create a better work environment for everyone by promoting diversity and inclusivity, which means that every voice matters and everyone has to make the effort to have each other feel safe and accepted in the environment they work in. Together, we can create a better workplace for all people from all backgrounds, race or gender.”

Steve Wheen, Founder, Distillery & PrideAM Board Member “Beyond any moral point of view, the research shows that inclusivity makes good business sense. Harvard Business Review found that 45% of consumers under 34 say they’re more likely to keep buying from brands that promote diversity, and the work we’ve done with the UK diversity lobbying organisation PrideAM echoes this trend. While PrideAM is working to increase visibility of diverse communities within organisations, at Distillery we’re collaborating toward the same mission in the advertising industry. Distillery encourages brands to make more inclusive—and authentic—content that gets diverse communities involved, and helps them tell their own stories.

A sincere and community-informed approach always translates into content that feels real, and creates genuine engagement.”

Elena Chipalova, AsPac Head of Diversity & Inclusion, BP Singapore “We do our best work when we feel included and respected.

When we don’t bring our whole selves to work, we tend to waste a lot of energy trying to fit in. Work should be a place where you can feel comfortable expressing yourself; your passions and strengths – where you can be authentic. That means sharing without judgment and speaking up without fear – safe in the knowledge that bad behaviours will not be tolerated at any level. In BP, we believe that a culture of respect and inclusion makes us a stronger, safer, more effective company, and helps to manage the risks and real costs of not doing this. But inclusive working environments do not happen by chance. They are actively created by all of us, and our individual behaviours determine the extent to which the working environment feels respectful and inclusive.

We encourage all to think about how our actions affect others.”

Trish Houston, Global Head of HR, JDX Consulting "'We embrace the value that individuality brings’; at the heart of JDX’s culture is this core value which we have held at the forefront of our Diversity and Inclusion agenda over the last 18 months. We believe that by accelerating the progress of inclusion and providing a safe and comfortable workplace, we create a workforce where race, gender or sexual orientation are removed as factors preventing people’s ability to reach their full potential. Our D&I policy has been implemented to support the transparency of diversity throughout JDX. We have successfully narrowed three out of the four reportable gender pay gaps and overhauled our bonus and pay programmes to address unconscious bias. Our goal is to build future leaders, judged not by what they cannot control but what they choose to excel in."

Mark Billington, Regional Director, Gt China & South East Asia, ICAEW “In order to achieve equality, companies must go beyond legislation and develop a diverse and inclusive culture in the office across all levels. This can be done through fair and nondiscriminatory recruitment and flexible working arrangements, which focus on meeting the needs of employees and not office hours. Such progressive HR policies can pave the way to bring the best out of working parents transitioning back to work. Ensuring a board that embraces diversity will also see business threats and opportunities through the eyes of their different stakeholders and reduce the risk of groupthink. ICAEW is an ardent advocate of diversity and inclusion. We are proud of our longstanding Women in Finance network, Women in Leadership programme and Career Breakers Community, which provide opportunities and personal development support to enable women across industries to achieve their full potential and lead a career without limits.”

Charlotte Hsu, Diversity & Inclusion Leader at PwC Singapore "Making real progress in diversity and inclusion (D&I) implies not only focusing on creating a diverse workforce, but also on fostering an inclusive culture. Through our D&I journey, we have seen the value that each individual brings. Be it differences in backgrounds, life experiences, preferences or beliefs, each individual’s unique views fosters greater innovation to create the best solutions for our clients, people and community. Leadership commitment and accountability is crucial to success. Any company on this journey must first recognise that D&I is an important discussion that must start from the top. Once there is leadership buy-in, there needs to be support from HR policies and communication which will play an important role in awareness and education for employees. With enough time and commitment, D&I can become implicit and naturally embedded within the business, people and client strategy and processes."

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Mental Agility: Pushing Our Limits

By Ben Gollings, Director, BG10 With our World Cup Rugby Gala Dinner taking place this month, in this article we cover a part of the sport that isn't discussed enough; what happens after a playing career ends. From professional athlete to sports development coach for mental health and player welfare, Ben shares his mental health journey during a challenging career transition.

FEATURE:

MENTAL AGILITY: PUSHING OUR LIMITS

SPECIAL FEATURE:

MENTAL AGILITY: PUSHING OUR LIMITS

Mental Agility In the sporting world, there’s an increasing amount of awareness surrounding mental health and wellbeing. It’s extremely encouraging to see this becoming more commonplace, as athletes can sometimes be perceived as being bulletproof and naturally equipped to deal with high-pressure situations and constantly being under the microscope. There’s a similar crossover in the corporate sector as demands to perform are high and workers are expected to function at their peak on a daily basis.

In rugby, which I have had the pleasure of being involved in for 20 years at the top level, there have been several players speaking up on this topic and sharing their experience, an important action which is also happening in other high-profile sports. I have a similar story and am inspired by the opportunity to share it to be a role model for other current or past athletes struggling with the same issues.

I was enjoying a successful rugby career where I was gaining international honours, holding a world record, traveling the world and competing as

part of high performing teams – on the outside, everything was perfect. I genuinely believed I was mentally tough and resilient but looking back, I realise that things weren’t all smooth sailing.

Whether you’re already struggling with mental health issues or not, there’s a real positive effect to focusing on this area to promote wellbeing. Being conscious of where we are psychologically and emotionally is an asset, and the first step to working towards mental agility. Embracing our mental space is hugely important and learning to work through emotions isn’t necessarily easy, but the longterm benefits are undeniable.

Early Life I have always had a passion for sport and as a kid, it was my dream to become a professional athlete. Early on in life, this dream was slowed down as I was a heavy asthmatic, spending a lot of my childhood in and out of the hospital and testing different medications to see if things would improve. I was diagnosed at a very young age as having the lungs of a 70year-old chain smoker. This wasn’t

helped by the fact that I was hyperactive and came from a family of six boys, so I wanted to be on the move and running around with my brothers constantly. Unfortunately, the reality was that my bursts of activity didn’t last long before an asthma attack struck. I was well supported by my parents and doctors and miraculously, the health of my lungs started to improve. As soon as my lungs allowed, I didn’t look back and was outside every minute I got, kicking a ball, chasing my brothers and harnessing the new lease on life it gave me.

My dream became a reality when, in my last year of school, I signed a professional Rugby contract with Harlequins. The very day that school finished, I packed up my gear and drove off to London. This was an extremely exciting time, but also a little daunting. I ask myself now if I was ready for the moment when it all began – I was certainly ready to play hard and give rugby my all, but could I have managed my thoughts and expectations both

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on and off the field during my career better? Was I ready for when it would end? I was driven and I was skilled, but I wasn’t in touch with my inner voices the way I am now. I have no regrets, but I know I would have managed life and change much more effectively had I known what I know now. I soon found my feet playing a game I loved, and the rest of my career was a whirlwind of having many high points and unique experiences along the way.

Dealing with the End of Era My playing career did not end the way I would have liked - it ended abruptly, and I didn’t see it coming. At the time, I brushed it off and moved on quickly to player-coaching and coaching.

However, as time went on there was a little voice inside my head that got to me, I found it hard to identify who I was outside the jersey that had represented me for so long. Unable to let go of the inability to play, I found myself fighting for clarity in a lot of aspects of my life.

These changes don’t happen overnight, but negative thoughts begin to eat away at your sense of self, a slow burn that can easily become wildfire. For me, my

way of thinking became a very dysfunctional, negative cycle that built up and up inside me until I was no longer the person I wanted to be – my drive to succeed was gone, my marriage was suffering, and my work and colleagues were being affected too. I wasn’t training anymore and had no desire to do the things that had once driven me and brought me joy. I thought I was coping with the change in my career after no longer being able to play, but my behaviour was telling a very different story. I became very frustrated, depressed, inwardly angry and my self-confidence plummeted – I had a constantly repeating mantra in my mind, and it was “I’m not good enough.”

Thankfully, with the wonderful support of my wife, who has always been there for me, and the help of others close to me, I was able to realise that I wasn’t in a good place and I needed to start making changes. I invested in myself by completing a course on mental health, listening to podcasts, reading articles and documenting my progress.

With this, the shift started.

Re-Connecting with My Inner Life In sport, you can feel isolated and become one dimensional because everything is geared towards that one ultimate performance and your whole personality revolves around your achievements. Other roles you have in life start to fall by the wayside. I learned a lot of important lessons from professional sport, including integrity, commitment, work ethic, teamwork, time management and dealing with pressure. I still use these skills today,

Embracing our mental space is hugely important and learning to work through emotions isn’t necessarily easy, but the long-term benefits are undeniable.

SPECIAL FEATURE:

MENTAL AGILITY: PUSHING OUR LIMITS

FEATURE:

MENTAL AGILITY: PUSHING OUR LIMITS

but they didn’t cover all the bases to make me not only a great athlete but also a well-rounded human. I was on autopilot for many years, and it was time to re-evaluate and adjust my ‘normal’.

When you step out of that environment, it’s important to have the skills to adapt and be agile and forward-thinking.

Focussing on the brain and how it works was a defining moment. When I was playing rugby, we had psychologists to support us, but it was purely performance-focused, so learning to apply that to all aspects of my life was crucial and something I wish I’d learned to do during my career. Learning how my decisions and thoughts were influenced was instrumental in helping me to regain control of my mental state, and work towards becoming the person I wanted to be and feeling fulfilled.

Slowly, you’re able to start drip-feeding those negative thoughts the other way, and it starts to create space between the ears that gives you more focus, energy, and clarity in what you do –

whether you’re a professional athlete, corporate superstar, stay at home parent or some combination thereof.

We all have pressures and demands in our lives that impact our thinking.

Becoming conscious of your thoughts and feelings starts to affect everything around you. You start to identify with yourself better. The resilience starts to return and the communication with yourself and others becomes functional and supportive.

Slowly, you’re able to start drip-feeding those negative thoughts the other way, and it starts to create space between the ears that gives you more focus, energy, and clarity in what you do I have learned some very valuable tools which educated me in being mentally

agile and more aware. It enabled better decision making, better relationships, better thoughts. If I had these tools when going into my career, through it and out the other end, I would have related more easily to coaches and their decisions, been more prepared, dealt with leadership, related better to teammates, communicated more purposefully both externally and internally and adapted better to my situation at the time leading to better decision making.

I’m passionate about supporting others and helping educate and prevent this situation arising for others by raising awareness about holistic mental health practices in sport and in the workplace. I have had the pleasure of coaching many individuals and I’ve learned from my own experience on how to help them develop positively in their physical and mental approach to their sport. I’m committed to getting the best out of them and providing them with the tools to be mentally agile, so they can be positive and conscious in

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their decision making to support their performance and overall wellbeing. I believe the way in which we coach has a defining effect on an individual as they move through life and I’m excited to see positive changes happening in the industry.

On Reflection Today’s world is full of distractions and bad news that can destabilise our

thinking if we let ourselves fall into that trap – it’s available at our fingertips 24/7. It’s easy to slip into a negative thought spiral, filling yourself with fear and doubt exactly as I did.

But this is not a criticism of modern society or technology. Everything can be a tool for positive growth if you approach it the right way. Don’t underestimate the value of your own mind and know that tools and help are

out there for you.

Just the other day, my wife was on the receiving end of someone’s conscious awareness of themselves and others by giving her a book on a subject she is studying currently. It was totally out of the blue but so positive in every way.

They say that just one of your thoughts can affect five people around you, so let’s work together to make them good ones.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben enjoyed a successful international rugby career on the field. Since stopping playing, he has been working as a High Performance Coach, working with a number of international teams.

Ben resides in Australia on the Gold Coast with his wife, Lauren, and two children, Amelia and Luca. Ben is currently consulting to the Singapore Rugby union, working with their national team players and coaches.

He has a passion for developing people and has recently focused a lot of his time into the mental health area, where he enjoys educating teams and professionals to support their performance in life and work.

FEATURE:

MENTAL AGILITY: PUSHING OUR LIMITS

FEATURE:

SEARCHING FOR KIND LEADERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Searching for Kind Leaders in Southeast Asia

By Pinky Lilani, Chairman, Women of the Future Programme Profitable, powerful, productive… these are words we use to describe leaders, yet we so rarely mention kindness.

Indeed, too often we associate kindness with weakness – but nothing could be further from the truth.

As the Founder of the Women of the Future Programme, a range of platforms and initiatives that celebrate some of the most successful women all over the world, I have seen the true power of kindness in business and leadership.

It is not a secret weapon, rather it is the DNA that can transform relationships, impact outcomes (whether productivity, engagement or customer service), and uplift our colleagues and communities. By empowering others to succeed, kind leaders create an environment for organisations as a whole to thrive.

Earlier this year, we hosted a panel discussion on Kindness & Leadership, in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, where we delved into the economic benefits and business impact of ‘kind’ leadership. Natalie Black, HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, participated in the panel and emphasised just how often kindness is associated with weakness and yet, in her vast experience, some of the greatest leaders she has worked with are those who, when under intense pressure, still demonstrate kindness.

This is exactly why, in 2019, we want to change the leadership conversation and celebrate 25 kind leaders in Southeast Asia with our 25 Leading Lights Campaign, launched with the support of Asia Square.

I urge you all to get involved with our 25 Leading Lights Campaign, to help change the leadership landscape and question perceptions of ‘strong’ leadership. Nominate a kind leader, someone who is building a new status quo, impacting others through kindness, and let us shine light on the strength of kindness in leadership as a quality and a currency that empowers change.

In a world in which we obsess over statistics, ROI, and are under constant pressure to innovate and adapt, with our time seemingly running faster and faster through the hourglass, kindness has the power to set leaders apart. It surprises; it cuts through traditional boundaries of hierarchy, gender and diversity, and it inspires action.

Since the Women of the Future Programme began in 2006, we have received thousands of nominations

and our shortlisted candidates are interviewed extensively. Our nominees come from all walks of life and professions, whether they be CEOs of FTSE 100 companies, scientists who have made lifechanging discoveries or ambassadors for mental health reform. Yet each one exemplifies what is possible when kindness is weaved into leadership.

We hear over and over again, how our candidates have used it to uplift their teams and give a voice to the voiceless.

I have also seen how kindness begets kindness. For many years now I have invited candidates and their families into my home (I love cooking for others) for a meal shared around my kitchen table. And over the years, I’ve seen how simple gestures like this are reciprocated, how doors leading to new opportunities are opened without ever needing to ask.

As one of my favourite quotes by Cuban actress Hada Bejar puts it so beautifully, “The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.”

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My top tips for building kindness in leadership 1. I’m reminded of Will Durrant’s famous saying: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Make kindness a part of your life. Do one thing, however small, without any want for reciprocation, every single day. Make it part of your DNA. 2. When you’re having a heated discussion or dispute, think about

kindness. No one has ever lost an argument because they were kind, but we all have regrets because we weren’t.

3. Be active and creative with your kindness. We always talk about innovation and business. Let’s also talk about innovation and kindness. Mentor others, spend time with a junior employee, surprise your team, tell someone what you value most about them.

4. Switch off digital for a while.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pinky Lilani CBE DL is a food guru, author, motivational speaker and internationally acclaimed champion for women. She is the Founder and Chairman of the Women of the Future Programme, a platform to unlock a culture of kindness and collaboration among leaders. She is also the Founder & Chairman of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and Global Empowerment Award.

ABOUT THE COMPANY Women of the Future (“WOF”) Programme is a portfolio of events and projects that support and celebrate the

Social media likes or interactions don’t have the same effect as a real-life conversation. Pick up the phone. Go out for lunch. Write a note. Make someone laugh.

Remember that time and being present in the situation is worth its weight in gold.

5. Honour kindness. Kindness is more often than not, silent. Look for it in others. Celebrate it.

successes of women through the WOF Awards, WOF Summit, WOF Ambassadors and WOF Network. WOF was founded in 2006 by Pinky Lilani CBE DL and Cherie Blair CBE is Awards patron. WOF is a movement focused on kindness and collaboration in the workplace, galvanising a community of influential women to work together as a new generation of talent across business, media, culture and public service. Find out more at kindness. womenofthefuture.co.uk/seasia/

FEATURE:

SEARCHING FOR KIND LEADERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

FEATURE:

GROUND-BREAKING EXHIBITIONS – WHY A DIVERSE TEAM IS INTEGRAL

Ground-breaking Exhibitions – Why a Diverse Team is Integral

By Alexander McCuaig, Managing Director, MET Studio We’ve entered a new era of exhibition design where visual storytelling is instrumental to the process of bringing an educational visitor experience to life.

Experts in creative interpretation and experiential design, MET Studio believe in the power of collaboration and multidisciplinary design to deliver a holistic cultural experience.

The studio’s recent work for the Singapore Bicentennial Office to create ‘From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience' is testament to this multidisciplinary approach to design. The in-house team who worked on the project stem from the worlds of multimedia and graphic design, product and set design and architecture, and was expanded to include an extensive network of external partners.

MET Studio worked in close partnership with the Singapore Bicentennial Office and Kingsmen to design ‘From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience', the landmark exhibition that commemorates the 200th anniversary of Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore. The project saw MET Studio’s design team work collaboratively with external creative partners to deliver a ground-breaking exhibition that, through visual storytelling and a sense of theatricality, translates the complex narrative around Singapore’s 200th anniversary into an

immersive visitor experience.

‘From Singapore to Singaporean’ brings to life Singapore’s rich history and evolution to the present day, through a cinematic experience within the Fort Canning Centre. MET Studio worked together with theatre expert Beatrice Chia and communication design and production group Kingsmen to conceive ‘Time Traveller’, a multisensory experience that tells of Singapore’s 700 years of history in five acts. The teams approached the project with a creative mindset to ensure every design element of the experience was connected and considered. At the heart of this methodology was the integration of 3D and 2D design to ensure every single interaction was carefully orchestrated.

In doing so, MET Studio were able to fully engage visitors in the narrative and allow them to live and breathe each stage of Singapore’s heritage.

The immersive experience begins from the second someone enters the exhibition where a weather

installation, with the help of strobe lights, features rain falling in “reverse” and serves to physically convey how weather played such a significant role in Singapore’s journey through the ages.

Theatricality has been woven into every stage of the exhibition and was the result of an ongoing collaboration with Beatrice Chai, who worked with MET Studio to weave performance and audience participation into the experience. The first act, Beginnings, charts events from 1299 to 1613, through live performers and multimedia projections that form high-action reenactments of how Singapore was involved in early global events. As visitors sit and watch the third act, Connectivity (1867 to 1941), their seats move as the platform is rotated, showcasing Singapore’s urbanisation with emphasis on new shipping routes and communication lines. Act Four focuses on the Japanese Occupation, where darkened rooms focus the mind on the intensity of the story.

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‘Cracks’ in the walls offer visitors a glimpse into life during World War II. At the end of the tunnel, a survivor shares their experience of escape from massacre.

Time Traveller closes with its final act, Destiny, which charts modern

achievements and the road to independence. Visitors are given umbrellas as they stand under an innovative ‘rain’ enclosure and watch projections of the 1968 National Day Parade and the funeral of Lee Kuan Yew in 2015 - recreating the weather conditions of these two seminal events

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexander McCuaig is Managing Director at MET Studio and is the driving force behind the studio’s ambitious plans to grow the business across the globe and increase the studio’s portfolio of award-winning design work.

With over 15 years of experience in creative design, art direction and experiential marketing, Alexander works with the Creative Director and Heads of 2D and 3D to steer MET Studio into a new era of growth across the globe and diversification into new disciplines.

in modern Singaporean history. As visitors conclude their journey, they are asked to vote for their chosen ‘Bicentennial DNA trait’ — openness, self-determination, or multiculturalism – thus ingratiating themselves within the experience and within Singaporean history itself.

ABOUT THE COMPANY MET Studio have been specialists in visual storytelling for over 35 years. The studio uses a bespoke creative process to design memorable experiences that connect audiences with a narrative, and in doing so bring that environment to life. The studio has worked on projects in over 50 territories - ranging from huge-scale masterplans and strategic feasibility studies to one off exhibitions, events and installations. To learn more about MET Studio’s portfolio of awardwinning projects from across the globe, visit www.metstudiodesign.com

FEATURE:

GROUND-BREAKING EXHIBITIONS – WHY A DIVERSE TEAM IS INTEGRAL

EXPERT OPINION FROM OUR COMMITTEES

Let's Discuss...

The Future of Trade Contributed by the Energy & Utilities Committee An Energy and Infrastructure Perspective

Official Future of Trade Partner:

On 22nd May, BritCham hosted a packedhouse breakfast event featuring HM’s Trade Commissioner for the Asia Pacific, Natalie Black, as keynote speaker, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Peter Godfrey, APAC Managing Director of the Energy Institute, featuring Satvinder Singh, Assistant CEO of Enterprise Singapore, Wesley Mort, Senior VP UK desk at ASEAN HSBC and Tim Rockell, Director of KPMG’s Energy and Natural Resources Sector and Chairman of the Chamber’s Energy and Utilities committee.

The Asian region will play an increasingly dominant role in global trade over the next decade. More than 50% of the world population and around 35-40% of global economic wealth is already residing in the Asian region, with purchasing-power parity growing at significantly higher annual rates than anywhere else.

As Asian economies develop and become more capable, the trade intensity of manufactured goods will continue to decline. Low wages are no

longer the driving force in global trade flows, but services in the form of more specialist business, legal, financial, IT and other professional services, telecommunications and transportation are on the rise.

Whilst the region already consumes more than half of global energy supply, over 325 million people across Asia remain without electricity and almost two billion people still have no access to clean cooking Historically, intra-regional trade within the Asian region has been relatively small compared to the wealthier West.

But as countries within Asia become more affluent and developed, there is growing pressure to redress this balance in favour of more regional connectivity as a means of addressing both security and further development

of competitive capability.

Whilst in the past, globalisation was seen by most as developing low-cost production. Today, there is a move towards investment in higher skilled work-forces and infrastructure, rather than enabling localised production aimed at developing market share within a rapidly growing regional ecosystem.

The region’s sustained economic growth, increasing population, expanding industrialisation and rapid urbanisation are driving strong growth in energy demand.

Ensuring that energy supplies are adequate to meet that growth in ways that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable, together with the challenge to substantially decarbonise & create more efficient energy systems & circular economies in line with climate change objectives creates a vast new set of challenges for policymakers.

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Additionally, whilst the region already consumes more than half of global energy supply, over 325 million people across Asia remain without electricity and almost two billion people still have no access to clean cooking.

Within this context, the event focused specifically on how the UK and Singapore could work more closely to deliver collaborative solutions aimed at creating mutual benefit, as well as to the region as a whole.

Ms Black commenced proceedings with an emphasis on the importance of the energy sector to both the UK and Singapore economies contributing some 84 billion pounds in the case of the UK and 81 billion Singapore dollars around one third of Singapore’s total manufacturing output. She then provided an overview of the UK’s Industrial Strategy with, in particular, a core focus on shifting towards a low carbon economy which would create many challenges but also strong impetus for the government and businesses to create partnerships, including robust international

collaboration. Within this context, she stated that UK’s renewable energy sector had a particularly strong track record and global offering, particularly in relationship to offshore wind that has garnered significant interest from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

She ended her opening remarks by focusing on the South East Asian region, stating that the region’s current relatively under-developed energy infrastructure and poor grid connectivity continued to pose a challenge to the region in terms of its strong continuing reliance on coal.

More than 50% of the world population and around 35-40% of global economic wealth is already residing in the Asian region

However, it also created significant opportunity for the UK in terms of supporting regional governments to tackle barriers to transition towards lower carbon energy systems by providing both green finance and technical expertise focused on energy efficiency, energy storage and renewables. Within this context, Ms Black stated that she believed that UK’s Export Finance (UKEF) / credit agency offering has significant headroom for further development, particularly with the clean energy sector. She also acknowledged that both the hydrocarbons and nuclear industries remained important sectors for the UK to also focus in given the countries recognised expertise, as well as the fact that both these segments would remain of vital importance for some time to come.

LET'S DISCUSS...

LET'S DISCUSS...

THE PANEL DISCUSSION Throughout the dialogue, there was a unanimous perception that the UK and Singapore have significant potential to collaborate more closely.

The collaboration can span across a wide range of local and regional development opportunities within the energy sector, ranging from finance to technology development, in addition to human resource capacity-building.

Satvinder Singh of Enterprise Singapore went as far as saying that in many ways, the UK is the “natural partner” of Singapore given our common legal frameworks and regulatory systems with similar governance systems in place.

Whilst global trade had its challenges brought about by a re-emergence of protectionism in the West and uncertainties surrounding BREXIT, both the panellists and audience were united in their view that these would and should not get in the way of developing stronger collaborative activity in the years to come. Wesley of HSBC added that the bank was ready to support

build-out of the supply chain in Asia as UK manufacturers move capacity closer to the burgeoning markets in ASEAN. Core areas that the panel felt should be focused on were: 1. UK and Singapore working together more closely to increase regional financial capacity for projects that facilitate the energy transition.

2. Develop greater opportunity for collaboration in energy technology development with a focus on proof of concept early commercialisation projects.

3. Collaboration regarding developing appropriate regulatory frameworks aimed at increasing the pace of the energy transition. Great opportunities to share lessons learned and develop good practice guidance etc.

4. Increased focus on the Circular Economy and phasing out subsidies that result in distortions to creating greater resource, energy efficiency

and waste minimisation.

5. Recognition that hydrocarbons are not going away any time soon and, on this basis, greater focus needs to be placed on working alongside existing energy majors be they state owned or private, not against them.

... in many ways, the UK is the “natural partner” of Singapore given our common legal frameworks and regulatory systems with similar governance systems in place.

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From a UK standpoint, the audience identified four core strengths that it believed the UK should focus on bringing to the region (in order of polling): 1. Engineering excellence, standards development within a local/regional context and training/capacity building throughout the region.

2. Shared plans based on UK’s clean energy policy and recent commitment to go net-zero carbon

by 2050 and resultant new opportunities for development that will bring across the whole energy value chain.

3. Collaborative finance and financial services (including UK Export Finance).

4. R&D collaboration including commercialisation of intellectual property through collaborative innovation.

There was strong conviction, added Tim, that this panel, which was the inaugural event in the Chamber’s ‘Future of Trade’ campaign for 2019-2020, “will be the start of activity to generate increased connectivity and opportunity” in the energy and utilities, and associated sectors, and that value creation will be a two-way street between the ASEAN region and the UK.

This article was contributed by Peter Godfrey on behalf of the Energy & Utilities Committee.

Peter is the chief representative of the prestigious UK Energy Institute (EI) here in Singapore. In addition to his work with the EI, Peter provides customised executive advisory services through his own company Merlenergy Pte ltd.

The Energy & Utilities committee mission is to be recognised as a forceful and relevant forum in Singapore for members of the Chamber with particular interest in E&U to interact with the wider energy and utilities community. For more information visit www.britcham.org.sg/committees/energy-and-utilities

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