ScandAsia Singapore - May 2016

MAY 2016

Stine Martinussen

new President of Danish Business Association, Singapore ScandAsia.dk

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Coming Events

SWA Ladies’ Football Training Where: 200 Turf Club Road, Plot 9, Singapore 287994Premier Pitch When: 13 May - 13 June, 19:00 - 20:00 Scandinavian Women’s Association is organising Ladies’ football training on various dates.

Join SWA for fun football training, and be a part of a women’s football team! No football skills needed just bring sporty outfit, jogging / sports shoes and a water bottle. First session is for free following session costs 35SGD/session you pay cash upon arrival. RSVP to swasingapore1975@ gmail.com if you are interested in joining.

The location is Premier Pitch in Turf City (off Dunearn Road). These pitches are covered so we will be training even if it rains! Please check the location upfront as there are many football pitches in Turf City and taxi drivers often do not know their way around!

The Nidaros Cathedral Boy’s Choir only public concert in Asia Where: Andrew’s Cathedral, 11 Saint Andrew’s Road, Singapore When: 20 May 19:30 - 21:00 The Nidaros Cathedral Boy’s Choir sings its only public concert in St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in Singapore and Det norske oljeselskap ASA. You can look forward to a boy choir concert filled with magnificent music both known and unknown, international and Norwegian. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Scanbiz Bar Singapore Where:Vasco, 42 Hong Kong Street Time: 2 June, 18:00 - 23:00 It’s the first Thursday of the month, which means it’s time for Scanbiz Bar! Fellow Scandinavians, come and meet friends, or make new ones over this monthly networking event. As always, there is special Scanbiz offers all night, but don’t miss happy hour from 6pm-9pm.

The venue is the chic Vasco on Hong Kong Street. Everyone is welcome! Be prepared for a truly festive Thursday and the last Scanbiz bar event this season!

Sommerfest at German European School Singapore Where: German European School Singapore, 72 Bukit Tinggi Rd When: 11 June, 16:00 - 22:00 For parents of children at the GESS: On 11 June 2016 the German European School invites for a Sommerfest (Summer Par ty), star ting from 4-10pm at the Junior School Campus.There will be a variety of vendors selling different things, among them a Danish vendor selling Danish specialities.

More information on the school’s website.

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Cover photo: Stine Martinussen - new President of Danish Business Association, Singapore Photographer: Tatyana Kildisheva

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.

Get your own FREE copy: scandasia.com Publisher : ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Frank Leong frank@scandmedia.com Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.

News Brief

DABS Gala Ball 2016 – A Danish fairytale night

By Maria Andreasdottir

I

magine over 300 dazzlingly looking Danes in black tie and shining gowns, dancing to live music from one of the most acknowledged rock singers from Denmark, all having fun and cheering with bubbles. This is one of the many moments to remember from 9 April 2016, when the Danish Business Association Singapore held their 31st Annual Ball.

At the Ritz Carlton Hotel guests were welcomed with champagne, and had time to mingle and adore each other’s outfits. This year, there was a “best dressed competition”, judged by the founder of Covetella, Carol Chen and the founder of JasperLiving, Louise Werling Jasper.

Already from the beginning of the night the two women worked hard to reduce the number of candidates for the title between all of the divine dresses. It was not only well-dressed women to win prizes this night: there was also a lottery with over 100 prizes, and last, but not least, the big charity auction.

Before the first course was ser ved, new President of DABS, Stine Martinussen, warmly welcomed everyone. Maria Therese Hedenborg, SWA President, went on stage after the first course, where she explained the cooperation between DABS, SWA and the Breadline Group, which benefited from all the money from the charity auction. The honorable Secretary of The Breadline Group Mr. Richard Lim came on stage to say thank you for the support and explain how 4 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

the donations will help families in Singapore.

Sponsors have been generous towards the auction, and big gifts such as 3-day-holiday in Phuket, and VIP tickets to Thomas Helmig were among others donated to the auction.

The two fashion judges finally agreed who should receive the title of “Best Dressed” . A hard choice, and as Carol Chen expressed herself “I have never seen so many good looking people in one room”. The prize went to Alexandra Ternstrøm, who dressed in a golden gown from Covetella.

The menu consisted of a first course of rare seared marinated tuna with vine ripened tomato confit. For the main course, guests were served pan-fried beef tenderloin with potato dauphinoise and sauce bordelaise, and they indulged in a guanaja chocolate dome for dessert.

It was fully enjoyed. For some, it was their first time at DABS Gala Ball.

“I have only been to Danish Business Association’s Gala Ball in Shanghai before, but this is just as tremendous. It has been a wonderful night!” said Mette Trock-Jansen, translator at MediaTrack.

And to others, it was another reunion filled with joy and excitement.

“This year’s ball has been amazing. I am positively surprised how excellent the service was. A man asked for two first courses, and he got it. Our waiter for our table also deserves

credit for never leaving our glasses empty. It was well-organised, and I think the night was absolutely lovely!” says Maria Ruby-Mortensen, team manager at Retriever and MediaTrack.

It was not only the sponsors to be generous regarding the charity auction. The bids for the different prizes increased, and so did the prizes, too. Apparently, Thomas Helmig and band spontaneously threw some more gifts into the auction when they heard the result of their first donation.

Later, the Danish rock singer, Thomas Helmig, together with his band, entertained the DABS Ball for almost two hours, and people enjoyed it to the fullest. After the concert the band joined the ball, and everyone danced to the sounds of Danish DJ, DJ Thomsen, who closed the ball.

“Everything came together for this night; the venue, the lottery, the charity auction, the band and the DJ – it was all taken to a higher level.

Everybody had so much fun,” says Maria Therese Hedenborg, SWA President.

DABS President, Stine Martinussen, agrees with Maria. “We are very happy with the way the ball went this year. We took a bit of a financial risk bringing THOMAS Helmig and band out to singapore, but it made the night absolutely perfect.

A big thanks to all of our sponsors who makes a night like this possible.”

Just like a H.C. Andersen fairytale, it could not be a happier ending.

News Brief

Enjoy timeless Danish films all over the globe moments for you to enjoy.

“The classic Danish films are inherited by each generation and loved beyond age groups because they have such a special place in many Danes hearts. Now “Dansk Filmskat” goes beyond borders as well, so anyone can benefit from the cozyness of Danish film regardless of where you live”, says Ole Martini, Director at Consumer Channels, Nordisk Film.

A glimpse of Danish lives

D

irch Passer, Olsen Banden, Lille-Per and many more icons from the chest of Danish film history are now on deck for online streaming at every corner of the world.

It’s near to half a century ago since Egon came up with his first genius plan and it’s been more than 80 years since Liva Weel sang “Gå med i lunden”. As times fly Nordisk Film has decided to catch and collect Danish film classics throughout time and connect them to the newly launched

streaming service “Dansk Filmskat”.

“Dansk Filmskat” has experienced an enormous interest - also from Danes resided abroad. That’s why Nordisk Film has made the popular Danish films available to watch and enjoy from all over the globe.

Beyond generations and borders

“Dansk Filmskat” compiles Danish films from 1931 and for th. The variety of films changes every week, so there’s constantly new cozy movie

The streaming service grants not only Danish “hygge”, nostalgia and hear twarming humour for the entire family, but also a sheer insight to Denmark and Danish lives in the past generations.

“There’s some unmistakably Danish about these films, which puts them in a central position in our shared cultural history. Digging into these pieces of history gives a unique glimpse of the progress in Danish society, language, fashion, gender roles, technology and so on”, explains Ole Martini.

“Dansk Filmskat” is available on TV, tablet and laptop. Members of “Dansk Filmskat” moreover gets access to amusing Danish commercials from the 50’s and 60’s and extraordinary interviews with figures as Ghita Nørby, Morten Grunwald, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre and a range of other icons from the history of Danish cinema giving their insights on the stories behind the films.

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May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

News Brief

Singapore and Norway reaffirms strong and growing friendship

‘‘O

ne of our closest friends in Asia.”

T h e s e wo r d s c a m e f r o m Norway’s Pr ime Minister Er na Solberg, when she paid tribute to the friendship between Norway and Singapore at the sixth edition of Norway-Asia Business Summit 2016.

One year after Norway became independent in 1905, the Scandinavian countr y set up a consulate here – a sign of Singapore’s importance as a harbour for Norwegian vessels.

On Wednesday 13 April 2016, 110 years later, Ms Erna Solberg could happily confirm the close ties between the two countries.

She was hosted to lunch at the Istana by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. According to Erna Solberg, they both share a history and a forward-looking economic relationship, including digital services, renewable and sustainable energy,

start-ups with a global future, just to mention a few along the longstanding ties in maritime and oil and gas.

Before heading to the Istana to meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Prime Minister Solberg ended her speech saying: “Singapore is a treasured partner for Norway, both economically and politically.

I am convinced our best opportunities still lie before us.”

“Norway and Singapore enjoy good economic relations, especially in the maritime sector. Our ties go back more than a century,” the PM said in his statement and also reaffirmed the close ties between the two countries.

Lee Hsien Loong noted that Singapore has long been “a home away from home” for the Norwegian seafaring community. Norway is

now the sixth largest contributor to Singapore’s Registr y of Ships, while Singapore hosts the largest Norwegian business community in Asia, with nearly 400 companies here.

“There is also a significant Norwegian presence in our maritime ecosystem, including shipping banks and brokerage firms,” he added.

He also shared with Ms Erna Solberg and her delegation how Dutch economist Alber t Winsemius had once wondered aloud as to why he felt an affinity with Singapore and found success here. Dr Winsemius, who was Singapore’s economic advisor from 1961 to 1984, concluded that it was because of the Dutch tradition of Calvinism that emphasised self-reliance and hardwork, traits he saw in Singapore’s pioneer generation.

Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the Northern Europe mindset neede to be able to survive long winters, harsh climates, not necessarily fer tile lands and to be able to endure, grow and develop a high civilisation.

“We need that kind of mindset, and so we find kindred souls on the other side of the world and we make common cause together.”

He also cited Norway’s foresight and discipline when it discovered large reserves of oil and gas in its continental shelf in the 1960s. It set up the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, with spending rules that are strictly adhered to.

Last, he thanked Ms Erna Solberg for Norway’s strong support for Singapore’s participation as an observer in the Arctic Council.

“I look forward to enhancing the close and longstanding friendship between our countries.”

Sources: www.straitstimes.com.sg, www.nbas. org.sg

Prime Minister Solberg inaugurates Norway Asia Summit

N

orway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg held the opening speech, with Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Singapore in attendance at the 2016 edition of the Norway Asia Summit.

Held on 12 – 14 April many relevant issues were on the agenda, such as: What is happening in the maritime, offshore and energy industries in Asia? How important will ASEAN and China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative be going forward?

6 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

And how can Norwegian businesses succeed in Asia?

High-level leaders and experts from Asia and Norway at the Norway-Asia Business Summit attended, including Keppel Offshore & Marine’s Michael Chia, SPRING Singapore’s Poon HongYen, Singapore Shipping Association’s Esben Poulsson, Remi Eriksen from DNV GL, Jens Ismar from Western Bulk, and the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association’s Sturla Henriksen.

Academics and experts such as author and CNN contributor Parag Khanna, McKinsey’s Oliver Tonby, FICCI’s Narendra Taneja, professor Torger Reve and oil expert Torbjørn Kjus also added depth and insights.

Aound 250 people were in attendance at the summit, held at the Fullerton Hotel.

Source: Norwegian Business Association (Singapore)

News Brief

Spellbinding Japanese-European-inspired Charm

M

o’mor boasts a Japanese-European charm and promises an exquisite gourmet experience. The restaurant is nestled in the cozy enclave of Tanglin, and serves up delectable tapas and grills at affordable prices.

Ideal for tête-à-têtes or family gatherings, diners can choose both indoor and alfresco settings. The interior is minimalist and exudes a rustic vibe – the right ambience for couples or intimate groups or opt to dine under a blanket of stars, against a backdrop of lush greenery.

With most of its ingredients directly procured from Swiss Butchery, Mo’mor ensures their dishes are of premium-grade and made with the freshest ingredients. Menu offerings are mostly fusion which focus on the interplay of smooth texture and mouth-watering flavors.

Mo’mor’s set lunches menu changes every week and for S$15, diners can have a two-course meal consisting of one main, and one tapas or dessert. And by paying just little more, a threecourse meal of one main, one tapas and one sweet is available at S$18,.

Recommended items to go for are: Plum Tomato Ceviche (S$12.00) - a medley of nori vinaigrette, garlic chips and cilantro, Australian Wagyu on Skewer (S$22) - succulent chunks of wagyu beef soused in an intense and rich sesame

dressing, Slow Cook Charcoal Grilled Iberico Pork Collar (S$30) - tantalizing pork collar, moist and tender on the inside while nicely charred on the outside and Lavender Pudding (S$13) caramelized pineapple with coconut ice cream.

Address : 56 Tanglin Rd, Tanglin Post Office (Opposite Tanglin Mall) #B1-01, Singapore 247964 Phone: 6463 8080

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News Brief

Danish Pavilion at Asia Pacific Maritime

T

he Asia Pacific Maritime 2016 was held on 16 – 18 of March with Denmark’s Ambassador Berit Basse opening the Danish Pavilion and meeting up with the attending companies, along with Mr Lucien Wong, chairman of MPA Singapore.

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) is the hub of maritime and offshore community in Asia when it comes to decision making on global newbuilding projects, repair and operation.

Singapore as a market is highly important to the global marine business and the APM exhibition is effectively the place to meet as many as possible.

With an industr y under pressure, it is important to get closer to the decision making and Singapore is the most concentrated maritime environment to achieve this. Danish Marine Group will, in addition to market the participants at the APM exhibition, provide networking opportunities and market contacts during the APM week.

Singapore is one of about 130 of the world’s top shipping groups. More than 5.000 maritime companies employ over 170.000 people and underline the maritime density in Singapore.

4.500+ vessels are registered under Singapore flag equal to more than 82 million gross tons.

Singapore Shipping Association has more than 200 members under the category Shipowners or Shipmanagers alone.

Maersk remains stable in Singapore

M

aritime Singapore is built on three pillars, according to Rene Piil Pedersen, group representative Singapore/Asia-Pacific, Maersk Group and managing director, AP Moller Singapore Pte Ltd.These are competitiveness, that is, a globally competitive taxation scheme, ease of doing business, etc; stability, ie, a consistent, longterm transparent government policy executed by competent government and institutions, rule of law and strong anti-corruption policy; and finally multicultural meritocracy, which gives access to talent with an international and competitive mindset.

These three pillars are the foundation of Singapore’s growth as an international maritime centre.

“This gives a ver y strong fundament for Singapore as an IMC, and this is also the reason why the Maersk Group has registered close to 140 vessels and drilling rigs with a value of some US$ 12 billion in Singapore,” he says.

8 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

Today, a strong fundament is alpha omega to survive in a time, where the oil industry is bleeding. Falling prices on oil together with falling shipping rates are damaging the whole branch, and has led to thousands job lay-offs as well as closing down oil riggs.

Significantly, despite the current gloom and doom in the global shipping industry, the number of Maersk employees in Singapore remains stable at around 650.

“With all of our major businesses having activities in Singapore there will always be some who are scaling down while others are growing their number of employees, and right now we are growing the number of staff in Maersk Line’s commercial office based in Singapore as part of a restructuring of the business in South-east Asia,” Rene Piil Pedersen says.

He sees shipping companies playing a strong role in Singapore’s growth as an international maritime centre (IMC) going forward.

Maersk has been established in Singapore since 1975 and has grown its operations here substantially in tandem with Singapore’s growth as an international maritime centre. It is the top Singapore Registr y of Ships (SRS) client with about 140 vessels and the Singapore office operates over 100 of its vessels.

Sources: www.businesstimes.com.sg

May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Stine Martinussen new President of Danish Business Association, Singapore “Relevancy draws more new members.”

By Maria Andreasdottir Portrait photo: Tatyana Kildisheva

S

tine Mar tinussen was one of the first female members to ser ve as a committee member for the Danish Business Association Singapore (DABS).

Today, she is the new President of DABS, which makes her the first female President for the association.

“I am honoured to be the first female President, and I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to our members for their support and for this opportunity,” says Stine Martinussen in DABS’s newsletter.

ScandAsia introduces a real-life power woman.

Not only is Stine managing half the office at the recruitment company Faststream; she also volunteers for the Danish Business Association Singapore, where she helps engage new members and organize big events, such as the annual DABS Gala Ball, on top of being a wife and a mother.

Growing up in Auning in East Jutland, Denmark, Stine knew she wanted to pursue a career in business. However, it was not a business-oriented education she chose to study in University.

“I guess I was a little lazy,” she laughs. ScandAsia disagrees. The word “lazy” simply cannot be associated with Stine. In 2008, after working as a Purchase Assistant for Grundfos in Denmark, she decided to move to Singapore and undertake a Bachelors degree in Business Management. She arrived in the Lion City six months before the commencement of her studies, but instead of being a “full time tourist” she took a full time 16week course in Mandarin.

“After I finished my bachelors degree, I fell into the recruitment business.”

Stine began working for Faststream, where she worked her way up in the International Shipping Recruitment Industry, and now she has climbed to the position of being a manager. It was through Faststream that she heard about the Danish Business Association Singapore from one of her clients.

Keeping it simple “I like to keep it simple,” says Stine.

Since she became a member of DABS, she has seen the association steadily grow. Now with 10 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

her new position as DABS President, she will build on the foundations laid by her predecessors and continue improving DABS. “DABS is founded purely on its memberships, and because of that, we believe it is very important to be attractive to our members.”

Creating value for members is not about quantity, but quality. Stine Martinussen aims to make events that leave a deep impression on people long after the event has been held.

“DABS are trying to set up events to make people grow – both personally and professionally.

There will be more focused events. Some events will only be for members – one of our upcoming events is for members only, and it is already sold out. We are also aiming to attract high-calibre speakers, whom our members want to hear.”

One thing the new President is really excited about is DABS’s role on social media. Stine has little knowledge when it comes to social media marketing, but the DABS community is not afraid to lend a helping hand.

“One of our members with an experienced background in marketing has loads of ideas on how DABS should be displayed on social platforms to interact even more with members.

She will help us with implementing social media, and we are currently working on a new strategy

together.”

People gladly help volunteering for DABS, and it creates positive collaborations. DABS also collaborates with the Danish Trade Council and the Danish Embassy. The association holds all its meetings at the Danish Embassy, and the Danish Ambassador and Trade Council often join in.

“We have a very good relationship with both the Embassy and the Trade Council. We help each other as much as we can.”

It is impor tant to Stine to make DABS relevant to members. The association is made to benefit Danish employees, both professionally and personally. Members are encouraged to engage newcomers to Singapore to become DABS members. The organization is growing fast, and according to Stine, one of the reasons is the member benefits have started to become more relevant to Danes in Singapore.

Keeping it Danish It has been eight years since Stine moved to Singapore.Although she works for an international company, is married to an Englishman, and lives in Southeast Asia, being Danish is a major part of her life – and always will be. She loves to cook in her spare time, and it is often dishes from the Danish cuisine she conjures up in the kitchen. She revived

a Danish tradition in Singapore 6 years ago, the big traditional Danish “julefrokost”, where she invites lots of friends over for a lovely Christmas dinner every year.

Stine likes the idea of introducing different holidays and traditions to each other, and at her multicultural office at Faststream, she experiences a lot of different celebrations.

And, of course, her role as President for a Danish association also enhances the Danishness in her life.

Regardless, Stine loves her place in life right now.

“I will always miss Denmark, but I don’t see it having the same opportunities as Singapore.”

What she misses most is her family, but they visit often. Now, they visit more than before, and there is no doubt Stine’s beautiful baby boy plays an important role here.

“My parents will visit more often, and instead of visiting Denmark once a year, we will make it two times a year to help Daniel build a relationship to his Danish roots.”

Stine was given the title of DABS President on Thursday 10 March 2016, when DABS held their Annual General Meeting at the Danish Seamen’s Church, and thereby replaced the previous President Jakob Bergholt.

May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

Jan B. Djerf presides over EuroCham Singapore Undoubtedly Swedish banking executive Mr Jan B. Djerf is one of our most well known Scandinavians in Singapore.

I

n Southeast Asia’s undisputed business hub since 2004 Mr Djerf is not only Senior Vice President and General Manager of Handelsbanken Singapore Branch and Head of South Asia and Pacific; he is also the President of Eurocham, European Chamber of Commerce (Singapore), during two years spanning from 2015 – 2017.

Prior to this, Mr. Djerf took on the role as Vice-President for 3 years. Mr. Djerf also represents the Swedish Business Association in Singapore on the EuroCham Board and has been an active Board member since 2005.

ScandAsia finds out more about these, his prestigious additional roles on a European level. But first, a résumé of his career up to now: In his professional career, Mr. Djerf ’s major step towards senior level management came with his 12 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

appointment as the Head of the Treasury Department at Ericsson in Stockholm, Sweden. This sparked his globetrotting career phase, leading him to be headhunted by Alfinad SA in Brussels, Belgium, the Treasury Center of Alfa Laval. Mr. Djerf soon saw his career taking him to Lausanne, Switzerland as Director Group Treasury at Tetra Laval. 1994 saw Mr. Djerf ’s entry into one of Scandinavia’s largest banks, Handelsbanken. In 1998, Mr. Djerf was appointed Head of Foreign Exchange Money Markets and Emerging Markets, Europe. This took him to London and then to Stockholm. After that he arrived to Singapore and Handelsbanken.

Mr. Jan B. Djerf represents the Swedish Business Association in Singapore on the EuroCham Board and has been an active Board member since 2005, including taking

on the role of Vice President since 3 years. In March 2015, Mr. Djerf was unanimously voted to the Presidency of EuroCham for a two-year term.

EuroCham’s Board of Governors comprises of the Office Bearers, which includes the President, a Patron, Ordinar y Corporate Board Members, as well as 14 Representatives from the European National Business Groups (NBGs).

EuroCham works very closely with the EU Delegation to Singapore for its events and activities. H.E. Dr. Michael Pulch, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Singapore sits on the Board as Patron.

Under Mr Djerf ’s leadership, EuroCham has emerged as an instr umental body in the bu s i n e s s c o m mu n i t y, m a k i n g concrete effor ts in enhancing and encouraging a vibrant trade relationship between Singapore and the EU. Locally, EuroCham has had several engagements with a myriad of government agencies and representatives in a bid to foster a conductive business environment.

As Singapore continues to develop itself as a regional hub for major industries, EuroCham’s relevance becomes strikingly impor tant to offer a support base for European companies that are looking to Asia to expand their operations.

To date, Singapore plays host to approximately 11,000 European companies and more are expected to arrive in due course.

The EuroCham collection of sector committees has grown from 9 to 11 – Commercial Vehicles, Financial Services, ICT, Internship, Intellectual Proper ty Rights (IPR), Human Resources (HR), Regional Finance & Tax, Regional Trade, Sustainability, Food & Pharma Packaging and Wine & Spirits.

Sector committees offer a common European platform to exchange information, discuss common issues businesses are facing and undertake coordinated initiatives.

In line with the work of the

sector committees, EuroCham has successfully published a number of Position Papers, which summarise policies and trends in Southeast Asia with recommended proposals.

Examples are: Traceability: The Cornerstone of Food Safety Policy (introducing new regulations in Singapore’s Food Regulations); Position Paper on Degradable Packaging & Plastic Ban as a Solution to Littering; and HR White Paper (outlining priorities for the development of human capital in ASEAN in lieu of the ASEAN economic integration project).

“EuroCham has been involved in many advocacy initiatives in collaboration with Singaporean authorities, and more projects will follow. We have been active on diverse fields, ranging from tourism to taking actions against counterfeiting, not to mention our engagement on many policy dialogues on HR or FS. As such, our presence and close ties with the Singaporean Government allows us to be a key interlocutor for European businesses, and we hope to see our voice growing stronger.”

“In addition, as our scope of action is constantly widening, EuroCham now aims to strengthen its collaboration with the Singaporean Government by taking more initiatives based on corporate social responsibility, a key aspect frequently mentioned in the Budget in March,” Mr Djerf comments on the activities going forward.

Fur thermore EuroCham organizes two annual flagship events – Europe Day Luncheon and Schuman Lecture Gala Dinner.

During these events, the Chamber has the privilege to host high profile personalities to deliver a keynote speech, sharing their thoughts and views of the global economy and its future implications for businesses.

EuroCham also offers a less formal platform for its member s and the wider business community to network and access a wide and diversified audience (arranged four

times yearly).

For Mr Djerf his experience from being President also for SBAS (Swedish Business Association of Singapore) is significant in his EuroCham role.

“Not only it is possible but I would say essential to apply past experiences to future roles as experience come with knowledge and lessons on how to overcome a challenge. Each National Business Group has its own topics of interest.

However, building an advocacy and lobbying strategy in Singapore is a constant challenge to all. If the issues are different, the approach

remains the same, and it is crucial to follow the business environment and culture in place in Singapore.”

And one may also wonder how the head of Handelsbanken in the region can balance his additional President roles also with family life?

“Every day is a challenge with many obstacles to overcome .

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May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Many condominiums are currently using our system.

Later on we also implemented the system in some commercial developments, and in the past two years we have also managed to introduce this system to the hospital segment. We have two completed hospital projects and are now installing two more. This is a growing market for us.

Swedish cutting-edge waste collection company recognised SBAS ‘Swedish Company Of The Year 2015’

By Joakim Persson

W

hen the Swedish Business Association of Singapore held its annual ball back in November 2015, with Singapore celebration 50 years as theme, the Swedish niche company Envac was awarded Swedish Company of the Year 2015.

With their automated refuse collection systems they play an important role in promoting Swedish “smart technologies” for sustainable city development, was the motivation.

“We were ver y honoured to be given this prestigious award. It came as a surprise because compared to many other more wellknown and established Swedish companies we are very small,” comments Mr Chin Tiong Tan, Vice President Region Asia, as he continues spearheading Envac’s growth into new customer

14 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

segments in Singapore.

“Perhaps this award was given to us in recognition of our pioneering spirit in introducing this Swedish technology to Singapore. The initial years were very tough because this new idea did not come cheap in comparison with manual waste handling. Also the mind-set of people was still very conservative to try new things at that time,” recalls CT Tan. “However, with much persistence, we pressed on and we managed to make inroads to the private and public housings, commercial developments and hospitals. So this award is a strong motivation for us to continue upgrading ourselves to maintain the cutting edge in this innovative technology.”

And innovation is indeed at the core of the company: “Envac is always in the forefront in R&D so that we remain the market leader in this

field.We are constantly improving and innovating so that we can have the best localised solution that meets the requirements of the end users.

We are also very aware that our technology must be energy-efficient. So we are investing our effort to improve this aspect of the system.”

The history with Envac’s ‘Pneumatic Waste Collection System’ goes all the way back to 1961. Then first system, also called automated vacuum collection (AVAC) was created and installed at a hospital in Northern Sweden by the company which was then known as Centralsug AB. A few years later the first vacuum system for household waste was installed in a new residential district.

Mr CT Tan’s career with Envac had begun when he had joined a local construction company who was then representing Centralsug.

“I’m an engineer by profession. Before

I joined Envac, I was wor king for a local construction company who represented Envac as the authorised agent. I was hired to help in the sales and marketing of Envac’s system. However, after a bit over one year the company decided to give up the agency. It was then, I proposed to the CEO in Sweden to set up their own company in Singapore instead of appointing agents or distributors.”

Envac followed his advice and in December 1992, the company (fully owned subsidiary of Envac) was incorporated.

“During the first year of the incorporation we received our first project in Singapore. The rest is history.”

In introducing what they are offering to the Singaporean market Mr Tan says: “This innovative solution of waste collection is very ideal for crowded city like Singapore. With traffic

congestion being a real problem, this technology helps to reduce the movement of garbage trucks on the road.”

With Envac’s system, the refuse is automatically sucked into a central collection area. Typically, the waste station is located as far as 2 km from the waste collection points. The system is able to handle recycling of waste, in which case, at least one container is required for each waste type. The entire system can also be monitored and controlled by the waste station operators remotely.

“More impor tantly, the traditional way of handling waste is ver y labour intensive and, therefore, the Envac system is the perfect answer because it’s totally automated. Rain or shine, weekdays or weekends, 365 days a year, the system will automatically transfer the refuse from all the buildings to a central collection station.”

Nevertheless, as he has already mentioned, it has taken quite a long time to make inroads.

Meanwhile Singapore has also changed, not least in the last ten-year period. Singapore has grown richer and has citizens who are willing to pay a premium for high environmental standards.

And with high population density the city state’s planners are increasingly looking at incorporating this kind of system for an eco-friendly and sustainable future.

In the beginning, the biggest market for Envac was private residential developments.

“Many condominiums are currently using our system. Later on we also implemented the system in some commercial developments, and in the past two years we have also managed to introduce this system to the hospital segment.

We have two completed hospital projects and are now installing two more. This is a growing market for us.”

368 Thompson, Marina Bay Residences + Suites, Sengkang Hospital, St Regis Residences, and The Oceanfront @ Sentosa Cove are examples of customers.

By 2015 Envac Singapore had built around 80 systems, when the company turned around a crucial corner in creating a much bigger and new customer segment.

Envac has received the first major order – a retrofitting project – from the city’s own construction company, the Housing Development Board (HDB), to a total estimated value of SEK 100 million, described as “a ver y impor tant order, as HDB manages 85% of all apartments in Singapore.”

Using Envac’s waste collection system is part of HDB’s intention to incorporate environmentally friendly features in neighbourhoods across the island.

“This is the biggest government development, producing thousands of public residential apartments each year and the retrofitting project opens up the possibility for many other older estates that have inherited the traditional manual waste handling to be converted with this new technology,” comments CT tan. “We will also be doing projects in new HDB housing estate, so clearly HDB is turning into our biggest customer for the coming years!”

The first installation for HDB is large-scale and requires installing an extensive underground network of pipes.

To encourage more recycling, residents will also be able to put items for recycling at 24 points throughout the estate, called outdoor disposal inlets. These items will be passed through the underground pipes to a separate container in the bin.

“We are also looking into enhancing the system with more eco-friendly feature such as recycling and ’Pay as you throw’,” says CT Tan. Growth in the region is also on the agenda onwards: “After setting up the office in Singapore, we also helped to start the company in Malaysia, which we are suppor ting and sharing our experiences with, as we do with the other local companies in Southeast Asia as well. We hope that our years of experience can benefit Envac’s operations in Asia and increase the business potential here.”

May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

I learned that Singapore is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to female entrepreneurs.

There are all these opportunities for you to live out your dreams.

16 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

The new President of Scandinavian Women’s Association

Maria Therese Hedenborg, set to take SWA to the next level

By Maria Andreasdottir

S

pectacular, Scandinavian and SWA President in Singapore: Maria Therese Hedenborg is the new President of Scandinavian Women’s Association 2016.

Two years ago a passionate Danish sailor girl joined SWA to build up a network in the country she just had moved into. Here Maria Therese Hedenborg became a committed member and gradually got more involved in voluntary and practical work tasks. Even during a break from everything but her new start-up company RIASEAN, she could not help but lend a helping hand to SWA, which the other women noticed.

When she later was encouraged and approached by her network to run for President in 2016, she had no doubts.

“I feel so passionate about the work we do (in SWA), and I truly believe that I have something to bring to the table.”

Fearless female People describe her as “happy go lucky” and all her life the now 32-year old Maria has taken the opportunities that life gave her and made choices based on what makes her happy. She holds a Master Degree in International Marketing & Management from Copenhagen Business School, but the talented student reveals a little secret.

“I hated every second of school,” smiles Maria.

Her heart preferred other parts of life instead of the school bench and Maria used to race at the Royal Yacht Club in Denmark before relocating to Singapore. After she finished university to get her papers, she has worked with huge Danish companies such as Nykredit, Nordea,The Foreign Ministry and lately IBM, Cisco, and Infor.

“Singapore happened a bit out of the blue.”

The relationship that brought Maria to Singapore didn’t last, but instead new love grew for the beautiful Lion City. A city where it is very interesting to be a woman – and not only a Danish woman.

“I learned that Singapore is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to female entrepreneurs. There are all these opportunities for you to live out your dreams.”

Maria did seize opportunities: she established her own IT consulting company RIASEAN, lives close to the water in Sentosa with her new

partner Daryl, organizes events, does voluntary work, socializes, and… not to forget, is the new President of SWA.

Not just a coffee club In her own words, she will take SWA to the next level. She believes the Scandinavian women have what it takes and together they will make a networking hub. A new initiative is to work together with other charities and associations.

“There are so many initiatives happening and I want to explore and see where we can help each other to help others. A lot of our members join SWA for the network and it is no secret that this is the way to attract new members and sponsors.

It is important for us to communicate the charity side of the association, that we are not just a coffee club, and that all membership fees actually go directly to our charity work.”

She believes in giving back to the community, since Singapore has opened its country to her and the other women. She wants to show her appreciation and she believes SWA can be successful giving back to the community.

“The key is our charity partners. Singapore has this “polished” look for foreigners coming here for the first time, but, as in any other community, there are people who struggle and this is where we want to offer our help.”

At the last Danish Business Association Singapore Charity Ball the women in SWA raised SGD 18,000 that got doubled up by the Singaporean Government and donated to families in need.

At the moment SWA is working with charity partners Breadline Group, the Tent, Boy’s Town and the universities – and with Maria’s hard work and beaming attitude, there will soon be even more par tners collaborating with SWA. She is already communicating closely with other associations and organizations.

“In my opinion, SWA does not need to build and create all events and activities from scratch – the key word is collaboration, and I am very open to collaborate and help share other events, do co-events and co-marketing.”

Wonderful women

“And not only Danish women. We are a mix of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and also for any other nationality who are interested in meeting us.”

The new President is looking forward to making newcomers welcome, as well as looking after already existing members. The two years in Singapore have inspired her in being a woman.

“The suppor t from the society makes it possible to make your dreams come true. It’s possible and accepted to have help at home, which basically make it logistically possible to be a working mum. I have also met women who enjoy that they can focus on their family, and don’t get judged by society for their choice. I meet women who chose to either donate their time to charity work, or pursue the dreams they have.”

She sees a unique culture where everyone is very open to meet and include each other in their network. And women support women.

“This counts for both work and personal life and is something I did not see happening to this degree back in Denmark.”

No matter what kind of woman you are, Maria is dedicated to creating value for all her members and raise funds for the charity work at SWA. An exciting future is already happening.

As Maria describes it: “When I put my head into something, I am damn sure to make it happen and to succeed.”

About SWA: The association started out as an auxiliary to the Scandinavian Society of Singapore in 1975, on the initiative of Norwegian Marit Thome. In 1995 the association was formally registered as the Scandinavian Women’s Association.

One aim was for the SWA to bring together Scandinavian women in Singapore through various activities and events, and another aim was to contribute, as a charitable organization, both financially and personally, to local families in need of extra support.

The charitable side of the organization depends on donations given by Scandinavian and local businesses, as well as individuals. SWA sponsor several local families and also offer scholarships to Singaporean students.

It’s also her goal to make SWA the first club a woman who relocates to Singapore joins.

May 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

Sømandskirken’s Spring Fair offered great shopping experience

by Maria Andreasdottir

O

n Tuesday 19 April the Danish Seamen’s Church hosted Spring Fair. From 10 in the morning, the church and more than 33 small stands were ready to welcome guests. Everything from vintage silver bracelets to children’s clothing to notebooks made from elephant poo were available to purchase at the different vendors’ stands.

“I think there is a great mix of shops here.

There are so many things you would not find at fairs in Denmark,” said Helle Quist Rasmussen, owner at ByQ. She was there to sell her handmade jewelry, which she had made especially for this fair.

This is the second fair at the Sømandskirken, but since the first one “Scandinavian Fair” only “allowed” Scandinavian vendors to sell, this is for everyone with quality products to sell.

“There is a reason why we named the fair “Spring Fair”. We wanted a variety of products, and not only from Scandinavians,” said Pia Nørgaard Pedersen, volunteer at Sømandskirken.

This was the reason why Dutch Miriam Beurskens had set up a stall. She had already heard about the first Scandinavian Fair from her Scandinavian friends, and was happy to get the chance to have her own stand at this fair. She sells handmade fairtrade products from her shop

18 ScandAsia.Singapore • May 2016

BISOUS LA. We have to mention her notebooks made of elephant excrements.

“These notebooks are made by farmers from Sri Lanka. They discovered the benefits of using the fiber from the elephant poo and turn it into paper. These papers play an important role in saving the wild Asian elephant population,” said Miriam Beurskens.

For the jewelry-lovers, there were a broad spectrum of shopping options. From dazzlingly vintage pieces to handmade Nepalese pearl bracelets to minimalistic Nordic design. Especially the latter were highly appreciated among the Danish shoppers.

“I hate ‘shiny-shiny’,” said Anita Søe Beilin, media analyst at MediaWatch. She was happy to find Nordic designs at the fair, and is now the happy owner of a simple, golden pin.

Home decoration products were also available at the fair. Ceramic handmade lamps from Creative2 were displayed inside the church. “I believe it is a wonderful initiative from Sømandskirken to make this fair,” said Marija Avdic, owner of Creative 2.

The hard work of the volunteers of the church came to fruition. Guests and vendors appreciated their effor t to put focus on the event, too.

“The people behind Spring Fair have done an amazing job! They have been better to interact on social media, and I guess this is also one of the reasons why so many have showed up today,” said Betina Falster-Hansen, owner at DANSK SG. Regardless of the swarm of people, the kitchen did not stress. “I am used to work during the church’s Christmas Basar, so I am prepared for an event like this,” said Lis Jensen, kitchen assistent at Sømandskirken. The kitchen served Danish smørrebrød, and according to Lis Jensen, the most popular was the fish filet.

All vendors had to send an application to the church for approval, and later the church would gather all applications and decide which ones should be accepted for the fair. It was not a simple task, since they received an overwhelming amount of applications.

“We received a lot more applications than expected. We came to realise, that we had too many applications from jewelry vendors. In prior to make the fair varieted and in lack of space, we had to put some of the jewelry vendors on a waiting list. They will get their chance to display their products at future fairs,” said Pia Nørgaard Pedersen, volunteer at Sømandskirken.

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