2023 BAFG Awards – Meet the Judges Interview Series #5

Meeting with Nadir Ali Zafar  – Chief Experience Officer, Human Capital Leadership Institute, MBA’09J

What do you believe are the critical elements for a business to act as a force for good?
It means focusing on impact more than profitability.

What are some specific actions employees should do to enable a positive social impact on our community?
Volunteer work which can be facilitated by the company. Donate to good causes. Advocate for issues that are important to the community. Reduce waste at the office. Create awareness at work on important social issues.

What are some examples in your profession/ company where you’ve experienced BAFG first-hand?
Focusing on impact to customer rather than on the profit margin.

What key BAFG principles would you like businesses in Singapore to embrace?
Reduce carbon footprint. Introduce sustainability measures in the office.

What were the main reasons for accepting an invitation to be an IAA Singapore BAFG judge?
To serve the community and network.

What motivated you to be an advocate for businesses to act as a force for good?
Governments alone cannot be responsible – businesses must act as they are the major influencers in this field.

What would like to see in the upcoming review of the companies who are nominated?
More diversity in terms of countries where they are coming from, and also industries.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Post #2- Kaushik Burman – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

Post #3 – Dr Vinika D. Rao – Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets, Gender & Africa Initiatives; Asia Director, HGIBS

Post #4 – Mike Summers  – Defence & Security Director, Singapore (ASEAN); Australia Trade and Investment Commission; Australian High Commission, Singapore

Post #5 – Nadir Zafar  – Chief Experience Officer, Human Capital Leadership Institute

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

2023 BAFG Awards – Meet the Judges Interview Series #4

Hearing from Mike Summers  – Defence & Security Director, Singapore (ASEAN); Australia Trade and Investment Commission;
Australian High Commission, Singapore

What were your key takeaways after graduating from INSEAD in relation to having a positive social impact on the community?
Future-ready businesses that deliberately balance socially responsible impact with short-term financial gain can capture a competitive advantage over the long term. An integrated environmental and social value strategy is critical to today’s business decision-making. Employees, customers, and investors have evolved with more agency and engagement and increasingly expect a company’s values to align with being a force for good. In a post-pandemic world, socially responsible companies that positively impact their communities can differentiate and take advantage of new market opportunities that lead to greater market share and company profits.

What do you believe are the critical elements for a business to act as a force for good?
A company must stand for its beliefs and establish and articulate a higher corporate purpose that embodies a vision, mission, and strategy and shows its employees, customers, suppliers, and community that it can be trusted to live up to its promise to be a force for good. A company that prioritises sustainability and other important ESG issues in its communities can turn the dial on value creation and outperform the competition that only focuses on maximising profits. The days of businesses taking resources and profits without giving back to society are ending.

What actions from companies have you seen which have been a force for good?
Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor of bilateral military aid to Ukraine’s war. Australian defence companies are providing military and humanitarian assistance, including medical equipment and crucial ballistic body armour for the personal protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilian first responders on the front lines of the conflict. Their patent body armour protects the user from artillery, grenade fragmentation, and impact from firearms, which saves lives. Australia continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and will provide additional support measures in response to Russia’s ongoing violation of international law.

What are some examples in your profession/ company where you’ve experienced BAFG first-hand?
During COVID-19, the Australian High Commission in Singapore focused on training its leaders to understand their pivotal role in fostering well-being within their teams and the ability to observe and act when their team members were struggling. Educating and empowering our leaders through proactive support programs on mental health and well-being have been key elements of a successful Well-being Strategy. Good business leaders recognise that creating a mentally healthy workplace is no longer a peripheral concern but is at the heart of any successful business strategy that connects productive employees with productive communities and a profitable business.

What were the main reasons for accepting an invitation to be an IAA Singapore BAFG judge?
It is a pleasure to be a BAFG Judge on the IAA panel that champions Singapore business leaders that inspire others to be a force for good and have taken action to solve urgent societal problems that enrich communities while creating profitability and responsibility to shareholders. I am grateful to be a part of a cohort of thought leaders who value giving their time to share their outlook for the future of social and economic responsibility.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Post #2- Kaushik Burman – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

Post #3 – Dr Vinika D. Rao – Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets, Gender & Africa Initiatives; Asia Director, HGIBS

Post #4 – Mike Summers  – Defence & Security Director, Singapore (ASEAN); Australia Trade and Investment Commission; Australian High Commission, Singapore

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

2023 AGM – electronic voting notice

Notice is hereby given that electronic voting will be conducted for 2023 AGM from 9th February to 2nd March 2023, 6:30 pm. 

AGM will be conducted as an in-person event.
Date: Thursday 2nd March 2023, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Venue: INSEAD Asia Campus, 1 Ayer Rajah Ave, Singapore 138676

A virtual session will be held on 16th February 2023, 7:00 – 7:30pm, to answer questions raised by members so that you can make informed decisions with regards to the voting motions. To register for the session, please click here.

INFORMATION

Please find the 2022 Annual Report inclusive of the proposed 2022 AGM minutes (pages 27-29), 2021 EGM minutes (pages 30-31) and Financial Reports (pages 24-26) relating to The INSEAD Club of Singapore (INSEAD Alumni Association Singapore).

Do not hesitate to contact our President, Jaz Athenia Chua TIEMBA’16Jan, Treasurer Youyi Yuan EMFIN’19Feb or Secretary ChenSiew Lim MBA’22J if you have questions by 2nd March 2023.

ELECTRONIC VOTING

Members will receive an email from [email protected] on 9th February 2023 with the subject: INSEAD Alumni Association Singapore Annual General Meeting 2023 – Voting. Kindly check your SPAM folder if you have not received this email.

Voting ends on 2nd March 2023 at 6:30pm.

We require your participation to vote on these 6 motions:

1. Vote on the 2022 Financial review and statement (pages 24-26 of the 2022 Annual Report)

2. Vote on the proposed 2022 AGM minutes (pages 27-29 of 2022 Annual Report)

3. Vote on the proposed 2021 EGM minutes (pages 30-31 of 2022 Annual Report)

4. Vote for the election of the Executive Board Committee of our Society
4.1 Election of the following Board members or Office Bearers:
4.1.1 Treasurer: Youyi Yuan, EMFIN’19Feb
4.1.2 Secretary: ChenSiew Lim, MBA’22J
4.1.3 Board Member (Lifelong Learning & Career Development): Vandana Ahuja, EMC’19Dec-S
4.1.4 Board Member (Marketing & Communications): Madhura Chavan, EMBA’21Jan
4.2 Re-election for a third term of the following Office Bearer:
4.2.1 President: Jaz Athenia Chua, TIEMBA’16Jan

5. Vote on the constitutional revision of Article X: Dissolution (2) of our society and approve that remaining funds can be transferred to our company limited by guarantee when the society is dissolved

Under Article X: Dissolution (2) of our existing Constitution:

“In the event the Club is dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Club shall be fully discharged, and the remaining funds will be devoted to such local charitable organizations as the general members shall decide.”

To ensure that the remaining funds can be transferred to the company limited by guarantee once the society is dissolved, we will add “… or transferred to the new legal company…” and this requires a constitutional revision that is subject to approval by the Registry of Societies.

Once this revision is approved, we will proceed to dissolve the society and transfer the remaining funds to the company limited by guarantee.

6. Vote on the proposed Constitution and By-laws of our Company Limited Guarantee

Based on the mandate given in AGM 2022 to shift our organization from a registered society to a company limited by guarantee, the office bearers and volunteers have dedicated their efforts to initiate discussions with the lawyers to define the constitution and by-laws of the company limited guarantee before incorporating the company.

The approach involved using the existing Constitution and by-laws of the society as the benchmark and making adjustments to comply with the Companies Act that the company limited guarantee is bounded by. The objective is also to maintain the current procedures and processes of the general meetings and daily operations for simplicity.

• Ordinary members are INSEAD alumnus who has paid membership fees and thus have voting rights at the Ordinary Members’ Meetings
• Council members are known as the “Executive Committee Members” under our society structure. They are also the board of directors running the organization. The maximum term that each council member can serve on the board is 6 years.
• A corporate secretary will be employed by the company limited guarantee to carry out secretarial and administrative duties as required by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)

Once the proposed Constitution and By-laws are approved by the Members, we will proceed to set up the company limited by guarantee. The name of the company limited by guarantee can only be confirmed after application is made and approved. The proposed name is “INSEAD Alumni Association Singapore Limited” which is subject to approval by ACRA.

 

2023 BAFG Awards – Catch-Up with 2022’s Winners Series #2

Listening to Masami Soto, Founder of Buy One Give One – Empirics Asia

Can you tell us about your experience winning this award and what it means for your business?

It’s fantastic to see prestigious business schools like INSEAD is focusing on this topic to mobilise businesses as a force for good. And we are excited to be awarded the award that we see as a special recognition for the years of work we have been doing with small to medium size businesses around the world for the last 15+ years. We know keywords like ESG, Sustainability and COP27 are trending. But we often neglect the power of small businesses and the everyday choices of people around the world. So, for us to receive this recognition is an indication that ‘the power of small’ can really become a force for food in the world.

How does your business balance the need to be profitable with the desire to make a positive impact?

We have a limitless desire to make a positive impact which is sometimes hard to match with the ability to make more money because money wasn’t the motivating factor for us when we started this work. But to sustain and grow what we do, to create a greater impact, we definitely need financial sustainability and growth. That balance is required for real sustainability whether we are a full-profit or non-profit entity. For us, balancing that comes with our pursuit to find ways to add greater value to our members (they are our clients).

Can you discuss any measurable impact your business has had on society or the environment as a result of its efforts to be a force for good?

Our work over the past 15+ years we’ve worked with hundreds of projects in 48 countries supported by thousands of businesses from 47 countries. And those activities created more than 310 million positive impacts. These ‘impacts’ include over half a million trees planted, more than 5 million meals given, nearly 30 million days of education support provided, and much more.

Can you discuss any partnerships or collaborations your business has formed in order to have a greater positive impact?

We collaborate with small businesses that are running their different business activities everywhere, every day and help them incorporate positive and tangible global impact in their everyday actions and transactions. For example, every time a coffee shop serves a cup of coffee, they might give access to water to people in need. Every time, a consultant has a Zoom call, they might educate a child for a day. These everyday actions are part of the fabric of our society and when we collectively integrate acts of kindness and social impact into these ordinary actions, we really can change the world for good. \

How does your business communicate and educate the public about its efforts to be a force for good?

We continuously work on doing good easier and simpler. By finding great projects and breaking them down into micro opportunities, we can make it possible for every small business to consider making ‘doing good’ part of their everyday operation and journey as a business. It’s so easy to say “one day, when we are more successful…” but today is the day we can start doing good when we are not worried about the size of good we do.

Can you discuss any advice or lessons learned that you would like to share with other businesses that are looking to make a positive impact?

Taking small steps regularly – rather than waiting for large opportunities.

 

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Post #2- Kaushik Burman – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

Post #3 – Dr Vinika D. Rao – Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets, Gender & Africa Initiatives; Asia Director, HGIBS

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Post #2 – Masami Soto, Founder of Buy One Give One – Empirics Asia

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

 

2023 BAFG Awards – Meet the Judges Interview Series #3

Hearing from Dr Vinika D. Rao  – Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets, Gender & Africa Initiatives; Asia Director, HGIBS

What motivated you to be an advocate for businesses to act as a force for good?  When you do something that has an impact on others, you have to ensure that said impact is positive rather than negative. It’s about feeling that you are ‘stewards’ who have been entrusted with something that you need to take care of, develop and be accountable for protecting. To be done with a sense of humility, an awareness that you will not be around in this role forever, only for as long as you are useful to those that you are impacting, and so you should also be developing other stewards who can take over from you. I believe the BAFG awards will recognize the efforts of such leaders and organizations and catalyse similar impetus by others.

What were your key takeaways after graduating from INSEAD in relation to having a positive social impact on the community? By intentionally delivering profit with purpose, responsible business leaders can prioritise the needs of current and future generations and our planet. As the recent discussions at COP 27 have highlighted, the problems that we need to solve require the combined and urgent stewardship efforts of all of us. BAFG has to go a step beyond being driven by the business case for doing good. For true impact, responsible business leaders have to embrace the idea that their organizations must be ‘purpose-driven’, delivering value to a wide array of stakeholders. They need to look beyond their shareholders, to include their employees, customers, suppliers, and the larger communities that they operate within, to be effective stewards for all.

What were the main reasons for accepting an invitation to be an IAA Singapore BAFG judge? The BAFG awards provide their nominees with the opportunity to showcase their Stewardship Approach of long-term value creation by balancing the needs of all their stakeholders, including their present community, future generations, and the Planet.

What do you believe are the critical elements for a business to act as a force for good? Companies need to understand that increasingly customers will not buy from them, employees will not work with them, investors will not fund them and partners will not collaborate with them if they do not integrate the SDGs into their value chains to optimize their impact on multiple stakeholders.

Anything else you would like to add? As a leading global business school, INSEAD can lead by example by integrating societal impact into its own operations and pedagogy, developing responsible business leaders, and contributing to local and global prosperity.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Post #2- Kaushik Burman – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

Post #3 – Dr Vinika D. Rao – Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets, Gender & Africa Initiatives; Asia Director, HGIBS

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

2023 BAFG Awards – Meet the Judges Interview Series #2

Hearing from Kaushik Burman, MBA’11Dec – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

What were your key takeaways after graduating from INSEAD in relation to having a positive social impact on the community? To build businesses which have a deeper purpose, and lead by example. Next, contribute to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals example access to affordable and clean energy and climate action. Lastly, corporates and start-ups need to build an inclusive society, with deep empathy and care.

What do you believe are the critical elements for a business to act as a force for good? Businesses/Corporates need to spend time and efforts in better understanding of the key issues facing societies and communities, fissure points which may be lurking within societies as these have long term implications on people. Develop business models which dovetail solutions, which can solve some of the most pressing issues faced by communities – for e.g. ed-tech product offerings which can provide access to affordable and high quality remote learning solutions to the underprivileged community – thereby upgrading their incomes and livelihood. Focus on the UN SDGs and develop a set of concrete actions which would lead to achieving the SDG goals.

What actions from companies have you seen which has been a Force For Good? Leadership action to create an overall positive impact on life of citizens; Organizational wide cohesion to believe in deep purpose, where employees are fully committed to the vision and mission; Building the cognitive engine with well defined OKRs (Objectives and Key results), with a robust measurement and monitoring process; Diverse mix of board members, with strong governance protocols in place.

What are some examples in your profession/ company where you’ve experienced BAFG first-hand? Shell have led business teams with a well defined charter of SDG goals to solve the topics around sustainability, clean energy and energy access. As for Gogoro, this is NASDAQ listed firm, intersection of sustainability, electric mobility, innovation, clean energy infrastructure – solving the urban mobility, smart grid and clean energy topics aided by an AI driven battery swapping platform. Intellect, a Digital platform, which is solving mental health and wellness problem in a scientific and structured manner – got few of my colleagues to try out the product with excellent benefits.

What were the main reasons for accepting an invitation to be an IAA Singapore BAFG judge? As an INSEAD alumni and IAA SG member, I feel accountable to champion the values of INSEAD, which stands for diversity of thought and action. As a business leader, having led multi billion dollar businesses across diverse international markets, have contributed to the delivery of SDG outcomes, therefore have relevant experience in evaluating business models which are designed for BAFG outcomes. I have been mentoring startups, and angel investor in BAFG driven startups, I feel this is a great opportunity for me to explore and evaluate the companies who are in the fray.

What would like to see in the upcoming review of the companies who are nominated?  Those with bigger and bolder plans to solve SDG goals, capable to embracing innovation in problem solving issues faced by the communities; and societies and be inclusive and diversity in team composition, thoughts and actions.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Post #2- Kaushik Burman – General Manager & Managing Director at Gogoro India Pvt Ltd)

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

2023 BAFG Awards – Catch-Up with 2022’s Winners Series #1

Hearing from Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific

How does your business’s commitment to being a force for good align with its overall mission and values?

Faced with the climate emergency and the need to reduce polluting emissions, it is now essential to find faster ways to transition to carbon neutrality. ENGIE is investing and working to conceive new innovative solutions for low-carbon energy and services, or for the circular economy. With one purpose: decarbonize human activities.

In Southeast Asia, ENGIE we are a fast-growing team with a geographical focus in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines to provide tailor-made integrated solutions for our customers in commercial buildings, industries, cities, and communities. Using globally leading technologies, we create innovative energy and smart solutions that enhance the performance of homes, businesses, and communities to make the world a better place. We act throughout the value chain: strategy, design, engineering, energy-efficient asset construction, digital platforms, operations management, financing syndication and outcome assurance.

To accelerate our decarbonisation efforts, the company has a dedicated corporate startup studio called ENGIE Factory (formed since 2018) which focuses on building new climate-tech startup solutions. ENGIE Factory works with founders to deliver investment-grade venture opportunities. We build their ventures by combining the best of both worlds: the entrepreneurial skillset and the established corporate assets. This results in commercialised climate-tech solutions that are customer-focused, affordable, and market-ready.

Can you discuss any unique or innovative approaches your business has taken to be a force for good?

With our start-up studios, research teams and investments in start-ups, ENGIE has built a single ecosystem focused on innovation. ENGIE Factory was created as the startup studio of ENGIE Group. We partner with entrepreneurs to build new, scalable startups that will impact our climate. We co-build the new business with the founders, provide early-stage funding, and direct access to enterprise-grade resources and networks from ENGIE which gives our startups a competitive advantage and fast track to global growth.

The climate-tech businesses that our founders build with us are all on the same mission to accelerate decarbonisation and resolve our climate urgency. And the ENGIE Factory team is dedicated to supporting our startups throughout their growth.

Can you discuss any partnerships or collaborations your business has formed in order to have a greater positive impact?

As a leader in the energy revolution, ENGIE offers a comprehensive range of clean mobility solutions that transform the way energy is used. We are proud to share that ComfortDelGro ENGIE Pte Ltd (CDG ENGIE) is set to grow its islandwide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging points with its latest tender win.

The year-old consortium comprising ComfortDelGro’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ComfortDelGro Engineering Pte Ltd and ENGIE South East Asia (ENGIE), has been awarded two in 10 packages in a highly contested Land Transport Authority (LTA) tender for the installation of EV charging points covering nearly 2,000 Housing Development Board (HDB) car parks. This further cements CDG ENGIE as one of Singapore’s largest EV charging operators with operations spanning across the East, West, Central as well as the North regions of Singapore.

The latest tender win, which comprises up to 4,509 alternate current (AC) charging points at 387 HDB car parks comes hot on the heels of its successful bid in the 2021 pilot tender by the Land Transport Authority-Urban Redevelopment Authority (LTA-URA) for the operation of 479 charging points at car parks managed by HDB, JTC Corporation, NParks, People’s Association and URA. Two-thirds of these charging points have been deployed, with the remaining on track to be deployed in the next few months. Outside of the LTA-URA pilot tender, CDG ENGIE also operates charging points at car parks on ComfortDelGro premises, school campuses and commercial sites.

Beyond this tender, CDG ENGIE has also been working very closely with the authorities and its partners to encourage the adoption of EVs. In May 2022, CDG ENGIE collaborated with GetGo Carsharing to support the deployment of GetGo EVs at Jurong Spring on its electric charging platform, with plans to expand islandwide. In June, CDG ENGIE also joined Voltality, an eMobility platform which provides EV drivers with the convenience of using any EV charger across Singapore using a single interface.

Can you discuss any ways in which your business’s efforts to be a force for good have positively impacted the local community?

With our partners, ENGIE is switching on the power of solar across Singapore. Singapore is targeting to increase its solar capacity to at least 2 gigawatt-peak by 2030. ENGIE is committed to helping Singapore unlock its full solar power potential and achieve its Green Plan 2030 ambitions.

This will mean producing enough energy to power approximately 350,000 households a year sustainably. While Singapore is on track, there is still much to be done, with nearly half of that targeted solar capacity yet to be achieved. We are proud to share that we have secured multiple solar rooftop projects across the country. In fact, we commissioned three solar projects in November alone. In their first year of operation, these projects will provide over 12,800 MWh of energy generation and save over 5,000 tons in carbon (CO2) emissions. That CO2 saving is equivalent to the impact of planting more than 250,000 rain trees, in a single year.

Can you discuss any advice or lessons learned that you would like to share with other businesses that are looking to make a positive impact?

In order to accelerate the transition to a carbon neutral economy, ENGIE strategically partners with startups and innovators. Corporates who work with startups gain a fast track to testing new solutions, exploring new markets and disrupting the market with different business models. Most importantly, working with startups helps corporates keep up with emerging trends and changes in the market.

Our startup studio, ENGIE Factory, partners with entrepreneurs to build new, scalable startups that will impact our climate. We co-build the new business with the founders, provide early-stage funding, and direct access to enterprise-grade resources and networks from ENGIE which gives our startups a competitive advantage and fast track to global growth. The climate-tech businesses that our founders build with us are all on the same mission to accelerate decarbonisation and resolve our climate urgency.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Catch-up with 2022 Winners – Interview series

Post #1 – Michelle Woo, VP Venture Build, ENGIE Factory Asia Pacific (Corporate Winner)

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

 

The Role of Allyship in Advancing Gender Equality

The INSEAD Masters Programmes Team led by Antony Widjaja, Associate Director, EMBA Marketing and Recruitment, organised a panel discussion on The Role of Allyship in Advancing Equality and Inclusive Leadership on 19 January 2023.

Speakers:

Dr Vinika Rao

  • Dr. Vinika Devasar Rao (Chairwoman | Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute & Gender Initiative; Director, HGIBS Asia)

moderated the panel with fellow panellists:

  • Corinna Lim (Panellist | Executive Director, The Association of Women for Action and Research | Director and Consultant, Catalyse Consulting, Business Unit of AWARE)
  • Professor Michael Jarrett (Panellist | Professor of Management Practice in Organisational Behaviour, INSEAD)
  • Hari Krishnan (Panellist | MBA’05D Alumnus | CEO, PropertyGuru Group)

Topics discussed during the session included learning how to recognise talent, sponsorship of talents,  acknowledging that the office can be a safe haven. We also touched on topics such as how we can be first responders if an employee works in a violent home. Most importantly, the main takeaway from the event was on how we should be the voice of each other as an ally.

To end off the session, Sharon Brooks, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, INSEAD closed the session. It was an interactive session and the audience had a great time mingling post the session.

INSEAD commits to cultivating a community that pursues equity, exemplifies inclusion, and cherishes diversity in all its dimensions. In a similar vein, the INSEAD Alumni Association is holding the Business as a Force for Good Award and nominations are open. Read more here: https://blogs.insead.edu/singapore-iaa/bafg-awards-2023-is-back/

Please nominate deserving companies here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAuG3FVRvVw1eHl64RnTq_20VRDHxZVnMjSRB_4MNGiee1kg/viewform

2023 BAFG Awards – Catch-Up with 2022’s Judges Series #2

Hearing from Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S  – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

How do you balance the need to recognize businesses that are making a positive impact with the reality that many businesses must prioritize profitability in order to survive? Making a positive impact and prioritizing profitable are not necessarily competing objectives. On the contrary, we would prefer an impactful business also to be profitable so that they can sustain their operations for the longer term with economic benefits to the society and individuals who are making the change. Positive impact is not and should not be an area of non-profits only, and the companies with bigger profits can do more to create bigger impacts for the values and objectives they lay down.

 

How did you determine which businesses demonstrated a strong commitment to being a force for good? Being a force for good can be interpreted differently depending on the industry and the provided value by the business. For me, it was relatively a simple call; would the world be a better place if this business is successful and potentially bigger. If the answer is YES, then I believe the business demonstrates a commitment to being a force for good.

 

Can you discuss any examples of businesses that you felt were particularly impactful in terms of their positive impact on society or the environment? In last year’s applications, we had an application from RightShip, who is focused on sustainability and governance in shipping business; which is not so visible in our daily lives albeit we benefit from the shipping industry every second of our lives. As we learnt more about their business, the lives they save, improvements they bring to the planet and environment; we realized how little we knew of some of these companies’ impact on society. It was an eye-opener in 30 minutes discussion.

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Post #2 – Apo Ozkececi MCCC’19Dec-S – SVP Commercial & Regional Head, Asia Pacific, Accelya

 

2023 BAFG Awards – Meet the Judges Interview Series #1

Hearing from Diana Gan, EMBA’19Dec – Founder of Elementary Capital

What were your key takeaways after graduating from INSEAD in relation to having a positive social impact on the community? Creating positive impact starts from realising how our relationship with other people and the planet are shaped. Understanding impact lays the foundation for which we exist, and it can be a competitive advantage for businesses.

What do you believe are the critical elements for a business to act as a force for good? Nurturing people and getting the organisation mindset ready. If we provide people with the knowledge and the tools to create impact, the leadership sets a clear direction and empowers individual agency to drive the movement, collective transformation can happen.

What are some specific actions employees should do to enable a positive social impact on our community? Respect and care for others, take pride in doing the right thing, have no fear in calling out influences and behaviour that are toxic to the environment and toxic to other people.

What are some examples in your profession/ company where you’ve experienced BAFG first-hand? Educational offering that is democratising access to quality education, protecting the teaching profession and solving mental health issues. Climate tech companies that are driving decarbonisation. Waste management companies that are reducing plastic and other environmental pollution.

What key BAFG principles would you like businesses in Singapore to embrace? Act as a beacon for creating and sustaining impact. Share best practices with the world. Encourage international exchanges to leverage on latest R&D.

What were the main reasons for accepting an invitation to be an IAA Singapore BAFG judge? There are many like-minded people who care about leading impactful lives. This is a lifelong pursuit underscored by a sense of urgency; if we keep driving the impact agenda collectively, together we can go further and…faster…

What motivated you to be an advocate for businesses to act as a force for good? The destructive forces of over-consumption and neglect for the environment are untenable. We also need to take a hard look at people-to-people connection. I hope I can create some positive examples upon which my children can continue to build.

Catch-up with 2022 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Li Lian Liew GEMBA’13 – Director, Corporate Planning at Tan Tock Seng Hospital & Central Health

Meeting our 2023 Judges – Interview series

Post #1 – Diana Gan – Founder of Elementary Capital