Reinforcing Singapore as a talent hub
Seminar brings together leaders from academia, business, government
By Robin Chan
TACKLING Olam International's real-world challenges with chief executive Sunny Verghese in the morning, then grilling Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Asia's geopolitical future later - that is no ordinary seminar for business leaders.
With a recent invitation-only programme, the Singapore Government was pulling out all the stops to raise the country's profile as Asia's leading talent development centre.
The Singapore Business Leaders Programme gave 26 leaders from around the region ample opportunities to engage leaders from government, business and academia through intense case-study sessions, panels and networking dinners.
The participants, representing 13 different nationalities and holding positions one or two rungs below chief executive level, got up close and personal with top executives such as Mr Paul Polman, chief executive of consumer goods giant Unilever, and Mr Masayoshi Son, the Japanese billionaire entrepreneur behind Softbank.
The discussions were led by distinguished professors from the University of Cambridge, Insead and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Mr Kerry Mok, a senior executive at logistics giant DHL Supply Chain, said the five-day event was far removed from the standard leadership seminar.
'This one definitely stands out because it offered a mixture of good professors from around the world, as well as government leaders and entrepreneurial (chief executives),' he said.
'It is unique for us to get all these leaders in this environment interacting together. This is where Singapore plays a fantastic role.'
Mr Leo Yip, chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB), which helped organise the event, said global companies seeking growth in Singapore, or Asian ones looking to expand internationally, need a place to groom leaders and set out strategies to access talent.
He said this is where Singapore can stand out: 'The Singapore Business Leaders Programme is an initiative that enables and offers value to global companies that are seeking to develop their leadership bench strength in Asia.'
The EDB hopes the programme, which will be an annual event, will raise the profile of Singapore as a talent hub and embed companies deeper in Singapore in the long term.
Mr Yip added: 'Companies want to grow in Asia. That is a given. So the question is from where do they want to grow?
'Where would that business strategic location be, where would that innovation strategic location be, and where would that talent engine be driven out of?
'And we are saying that Singapore offers certain value to be your business control tower, to be where that innovation engine is established and, in our case, where your talent engine will be driven from.'
Mr Yip said that as Singapore offers more value to a company, 'in turn, the companies' activities will grow'.
'Once those are strategic enough, it means companies' presence in Singapore will be very deep and broad... It means many more jobs here, a much richer mix of job and career opportunities that the company offers as it goes in search of growth in Asia, and as an Asian company goes in search of growth internationally.'
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) permanent secretary Loh Khum Yean said it would also help in the continued improvement of the Singapore workforce.
'A globally competitive workforce will require world-class human capital practices and leadership,' he said.
'The sort of human capital practices and strategies adopted here that inevitably affect the workforce will determine how much, collectively, the workforce is able to innovate and to value-add.'
After a round of ice-breakers and goal-setting, participant Goh Swee Chen said the May 2 to 6 programme quickly became very pragmatic and intense.
Ms Goh, Shell's vice-president for bulk fuels and lubricants in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said: 'We were doing case studies to understand the dilemma of companies in Asia that grew very fast, and putting our thoughts around how to address those dilemmas.'
Using the case of Olam International and its journey from a small trader of cashew nuts in Nigeria to a global leader in agri-business, they worked together to develop a strategy and leadership agenda for its next phase of growth, and then presented their ideas to Mr Verghese.
The programme was set up by the Human Capital Leadership Institute, a collaboration between MOM, EDB and the Singapore Management University.
Mr Yip noted: 'In this strategic approach we have chosen, we are in our own way harnessing the growth of Asia in a way that will strengthen Singapore's value offering to the business world, deepen companies' presence in Singapore, and enhance the industry competitiveness of all the companies that they represent.
'And I think Singapore, over time, becomes an even more strategic global business city, tapping more effectively into the growth of Asia... A global business city in the heart of a rising Asia - will you find that same characteristic in many other cities?'
[email protected]
Seminar brings together leaders from academia, business, government
By Robin Chan
TACKLING Olam International's real-world challenges with chief executive Sunny Verghese in the morning, then grilling Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Asia's geopolitical future later - that is no ordinary seminar for business leaders.
With a recent invitation-only programme, the Singapore Government was pulling out all the stops to raise the country's profile as Asia's leading talent development centre.
The Singapore Business Leaders Programme gave 26 leaders from around the region ample opportunities to engage leaders from government, business and academia through intense case-study sessions, panels and networking dinners.
The participants, representing 13 different nationalities and holding positions one or two rungs below chief executive level, got up close and personal with top executives such as Mr Paul Polman, chief executive of consumer goods giant Unilever, and Mr Masayoshi Son, the Japanese billionaire entrepreneur behind Softbank.
The discussions were led by distinguished professors from the University of Cambridge, Insead and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Mr Kerry Mok, a senior executive at logistics giant DHL Supply Chain, said the five-day event was far removed from the standard leadership seminar.
'This one definitely stands out because it offered a mixture of good professors from around the world, as well as government leaders and entrepreneurial (chief executives),' he said.
'It is unique for us to get all these leaders in this environment interacting together. This is where Singapore plays a fantastic role.'
Mr Leo Yip, chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB), which helped organise the event, said global companies seeking growth in Singapore, or Asian ones looking to expand internationally, need a place to groom leaders and set out strategies to access talent.
He said this is where Singapore can stand out: 'The Singapore Business Leaders Programme is an initiative that enables and offers value to global companies that are seeking to develop their leadership bench strength in Asia.'
The EDB hopes the programme, which will be an annual event, will raise the profile of Singapore as a talent hub and embed companies deeper in Singapore in the long term.
Mr Yip added: 'Companies want to grow in Asia. That is a given. So the question is from where do they want to grow?
'Where would that business strategic location be, where would that innovation strategic location be, and where would that talent engine be driven out of?
'And we are saying that Singapore offers certain value to be your business control tower, to be where that innovation engine is established and, in our case, where your talent engine will be driven from.'
Mr Yip said that as Singapore offers more value to a company, 'in turn, the companies' activities will grow'.
'Once those are strategic enough, it means companies' presence in Singapore will be very deep and broad... It means many more jobs here, a much richer mix of job and career opportunities that the company offers as it goes in search of growth in Asia, and as an Asian company goes in search of growth internationally.'
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) permanent secretary Loh Khum Yean said it would also help in the continued improvement of the Singapore workforce.
'A globally competitive workforce will require world-class human capital practices and leadership,' he said.
'The sort of human capital practices and strategies adopted here that inevitably affect the workforce will determine how much, collectively, the workforce is able to innovate and to value-add.'
After a round of ice-breakers and goal-setting, participant Goh Swee Chen said the May 2 to 6 programme quickly became very pragmatic and intense.
Ms Goh, Shell's vice-president for bulk fuels and lubricants in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said: 'We were doing case studies to understand the dilemma of companies in Asia that grew very fast, and putting our thoughts around how to address those dilemmas.'
Using the case of Olam International and its journey from a small trader of cashew nuts in Nigeria to a global leader in agri-business, they worked together to develop a strategy and leadership agenda for its next phase of growth, and then presented their ideas to Mr Verghese.
The programme was set up by the Human Capital Leadership Institute, a collaboration between MOM, EDB and the Singapore Management University.
Mr Yip noted: 'In this strategic approach we have chosen, we are in our own way harnessing the growth of Asia in a way that will strengthen Singapore's value offering to the business world, deepen companies' presence in Singapore, and enhance the industry competitiveness of all the companies that they represent.
'And I think Singapore, over time, becomes an even more strategic global business city, tapping more effectively into the growth of Asia... A global business city in the heart of a rising Asia - will you find that same characteristic in many other cities?'
[email protected]
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