Orient Issue 56

Orient

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - SINGAPORE

SPECIAL FEATURES

ISSUE 56

ISSN 0219-1245

9 770219 124002

56

42

16TH ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS

19

IN FOCUS: APURVI SHETH, DIAGEO

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities WWW.BRITCHAM.ORG.SG

ISSUE 56 / DEC 15

Our winning streak continues...

International Life Awards 2009 WINNER

International Life Awards 2011 WINNER

International Life Awards 2010 WINNER

International Life Awards 2015 WINNER

International Life Awards 2013 WINNER

International Life Awards 2012 WINNER

International Life Awards 2014 WINNER

Friends Provident International wins big at International Adviser Life Awards 2015 We are proud of the award-winning history of our products and services – we have been winners every year since the International Adviser Life Awards first took place in 2009. This year, FPI won awards in all markets where it has a local presence including Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates in addition to the United Kingdom. These awards recognise our ongoing commitment to providing our customers and distribution partners with the products they need, backed by excellent customer service.

We are particularly pleased to have won the Best Adviser Support/Customer Service Award in three out of the four markets that we operate in.

With some exciting developments in the pipeline, we expect to remain at the forefront of the industry, by continuing to deliver compelling propositions to the market and hope the winning streak will continue.

For further information on how FPI can help your customers achieve their financial aspirations, please visit our website www.fpinternational.com

www.fpinternational.com Friends Provident International is a registered trademark of the Aviva group.

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Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

8

Contents

11

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

13

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE SPECIAL FEATURES

16

E-commerce Trends: What to Look Out for in 2016

19

In Focus: Apurvi Sheth, Diageo

42

16th Annual Business Awards

FEATURES 24

Domestic Strength, External Worries: UK Economic Outlook Q4 2015

28

Want To Blog? Get Going Then!

32

Acting Ethically is the Key to Long-Term Business Success — Ignore it at Your Peril

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION / UKTI 38

UK’s £72 billion Design Economy Takes Centre Stage

AT THE CHAMBER 48

Britain in Southeast Asia News

49

Business Group News

52

Business Services News

56

BritCham New Members

58

Sterling News

61

Corporate News

64

Members’ Offers

66

Events

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Sponsors GOLD AND DIVERSITY SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER AND BREAKFAST CLUB SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

BRITCHAM BOARD: PRESIDENT: Hugo Walkinshaw: Ernst & Young Advisory Pte Ltd VICE-PRESIDENTS: Damian Adams: Simmons & Simmons Mark Buchan: Grant Thornton Advisory SECRETARY: Chris Kilburn: Watson, Farley & Williams Asia Practice LLP TREASURER: TBC BOARD MEMBERS: Andrew Vine: The Insight Bureau Ian Williams: HSBC Bank Robert Williams: British Airways Terence Yuen: BP Singapore Sian Brown: Barclays Bank PLC David Pugh: The Fry Group Richard Warburton: Arcadis Annabel Moore: Diageo Singapore Pte Ltd Bicky Bhangu: Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd Ronald Totton: BT Singapore Rudi Geerdink: The Royal Bank of Scotland Chris Pook: British High Commission Roland Davies: British Council Pradeep Rana: Standard Chartered Bank COMMITTEES: Business Group: Richard Warburton Events: Mark Buchan

Editor: Vipanchi vipanchi@britcham.org.sg

Orient is a quarterly magazine published by the British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

Content Coordinator: Clara Tan

© All rights reserved.

39 Robinson Road #11-03 Robinson Point Singapore 068911 Tel: +65 6222-3552 Fax: +65 6222-3556 Email: info@britcham.org.sg www.britcham.org.sg

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

External Affairs: Bicky Bhangu Membership: Damian Adams BUSINESS GROUP CHAIRPERSONS: Diversity: Stephen Trevis Energy & Utilities: Mark Gainsborough Entrepreneur & Small Business: Jonathan O‘Byrne & Miles Gooseman (Co-Chair) Financial Services: Ashley Jones IT & Communications Technology: Andrew Pickup Leadership: Zsuzsanna Tungli & Mike Hughes (Co-Chair) Marketing & Creative: Chris Reed Manufacturing & Operations: Ramil Fakhretdinov Professional Services: Mark Chowdhry Property & Construction: Marcus Eckersley Scottish Business Group: Neil Mclnnes Transport & Logistics: TBC Sustainability & Responsibility: Rosie Danyluk Women in Business: Sian Brown Young British Chamber: Zoë Marmot MANAGEMENT TEAM Executive Director: Brigitte Holtschneider Finance Manager: Pauline Yeo Business Services Manager: Carole McCarthy Senior Events Manager: Alexandra Packman Events Manager: Deborah Harrison Membership Manager: Katie Hudson Marketing & Communications Manager: Vipanchi Marketing & Communications Executive: Clara Tan Business Services Advisor: Umagliya Kankanangai Tina Business Services Advisor: Jared Sim Office Administration Executive: Anna C Garciso

and the Chamber accepts no liability for loss or damage. Copy is not for sale and images belong to their respective owners. They are for illustrative purposes only, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Sub-edited, designed and printed by: NOVUS CONTENT. DI G I TAL. PUBLI SH ING.

www.novusasia.com

Contact: Simon Cholmeley simonc@novusasia.com Design: Kevin Ong kevinong@novusasia.com Khairunnisa khai@novusasia.com Sub Editors: Chua Kim Beng kimbeng@novusasia.com Chin Wei Lien weilien@novusasia.com Creative Services: Kwan Gek Lian gek@novusasia.com

Your child’s early Passport to Success

Bo p gi er ok st er so na you at lt r w w w. ou r ai s

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Part 1:

Creativity

INTRODUCING

EARLY YEARS

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Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

11

President’s Message

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Dear Members,

2015 has been a momentous year for Singapore. Although the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew made headlines in March, Mr Lee’s spirit of perseverance and dedication continues to put Singapore ahead of the curve. We joined the people of Singapore in celebrating the nation’s Golden Jubilee, which was commemorated in splendour and style. The presence of UK ministers in these key events underscores the deeprooted relationship between the UK and Singapore.

This was strengthened further with PM David Cameron’s two-day visit to Singapore along with Business Secretary Sajid Javid and the Northern Powerhouse mission.

Several deals were inked and MOUs agreed upon during the visit — creating new opportunities for companies in both countries. I believe this reflects the UK government’s perspective and priority with regards to long-term economic plan, which seeks to rebalance growth across the regions of the UK and boost the economic relationship between the two countries.

Hugo Walkinshaw

President, British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

In supporting the UK growth agenda and Singapore’s business landscape, our Business Services team recently participated in the eighth edition of the Explore Export initiative, organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). They were joined by 140 UKTI Commercial officers as well as British Chamber of Commerce representatives from 66 global markets. More than 150 companies have expressed interest in exploring Singapore as an export market.

It is evident that the Chamber is moving from strength to strength, and continues to deliver a strong value proposition that underpins our core strategic objectives — Building Networks, Connecting Business and Creating Opportunities.

Overall, it has been a landmark year in Singapore, and it is only fitting that we end it with a grand finale celebration of the SG50 year at The BritCham Ball — Colours of Singapore.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank HE Scott Wightman and his teams at the High Commission and UK Trade & Investment office, Sponsors, Members of the Chamber, my colleagues on the Board, Committees, Business Groups and the dedicated Chamber executive Team lead by Brigitte Holtschneider for all the milestones we achieved in 2015.

I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, wherever you may be this holiday season.

Best regards,

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

13

Executive Director’s Message

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Dear Members, A busy, exciting and in many ways challenging year 2015 is fast coming to a close!

Your Chamber continuous to be in good shape, having crossed the 400 mark in number of corporate member companies; the network of professionals representing these companies has grown to 2,800 and is developing further.

Brigitte Holtschneider

Executive Director, British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

In review I like to reflect on some of the priorities the board set for 2015: 1. A frequent, relevant and affordable business networking programme • We will have hosted 90 events keeping frequency and traction we have established in 2014 • We added a Back to Work pure networking session to our calendar proactively encouraging member to member exchange and conversation • We hosted our first Chamber Open House in our offices at Robinson Point, using this as an opportunity for closer dialogue between members, office bearers and the Executive team 2. Closer link up between all Business Groups • The newly formed Business Group Chairs Committee, led by Board Member Richard Warburton, Head of Performance Excellence at Arcadis, ensures regular exchange and dialogue between all 15 Business Groups, providing the platform for collaboration and link ups • Richard lead an initiative strengthening Business Group Committee Governance updating and further developing the TOR framework to ensure we keep delivering excellent value to the membership • We successfully relaunched the Marketing and Creative Business Group Committee in October; Chris Reed, CEO of Chamber member company Black Marketing has been elected as Chairperson; he will be supported by Andrea Edwards, Director, Content Marketing & Training at Novus Media Solutions and Tolla Duke Sloane, Consultant Curator at The Artling as Co-Chairs.

The Committees objective is to inspire and help Chamber members and the larger Singaporean Business Community to embrace the new world of marketing and the new consumers. Watch this space in 2015!

3. Further strengthening the connection with the Singapore Business Community and relevant government bodies and agencies • The External Affairs Committee, chaired by Board Member Bicky Bangu, Senior Country Manager Rolls-Royce Singapore, made progress strengthening the connection with EDB; some of our Business Group Committees are now establishing links with EDB Cluster Heads; outcomes and actions are to be expected in the 2015 programme • We continued to foster the link with the Ministry of Manpower hosting MOM senior officials for an update on the Fair Consideration Framework • A connection to the senior leadership of IDA, Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority, has been established and will be further developing in 2015 4. Further develop digital platform with emphasis on knowledge sharing and content • The online Knowledge Bank has been built up and continues to develop through active participation from many member companies • The number of monthly website users has doubled year on year to currently 7,000 • LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook profiles have been revamped and all three channels are proactively used to share Chamber events, news and content.

5. Continue to closely collaborate with UKTI and the High Commission supporting British/Singapore Business • We have built capacity and capability in the Business Services Team comprising of Business Services Manager Carole McCarthy, Business Services Advisor UK Tina and Business Services Advisor Jared Sim • Over the last 18 month, we serviced more than 600 UK companies looking into doing in Singapore • The priority for the next 18 months lies on further developing this Chamber division A robust platform to build upon for further progress and development in 2016!

In closing, I would like to thank you all for your loyalty, participation and commitment and look forward to seeing you in 2016.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/britishchamber-of-commerce-singapore Twitter @britchamsg

I wish you and your families a peaceful and relaxing Christmas break and a happy and healthy New Year.

Warm regards,

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

15

Sterling Members

SINGAPORE

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

16

Special Feature

E-commerce Trends: What to Look Out for in 2016

By Matthieu Vermeulen Beacons are likely to be the next big thing to revolutionise your online and offline shopping experience

E

-commerce is an industry that has experienced phenomenal growth rates over the past decade. Just look at players such as Amazon, Alibaba, Flipkart and Zalora and you know what I mean. E-commerce is also cannibalising retail. Articles in the press about retailers and shopping mall owners complaining about dwindling sales are a common sight. So e-commerce will come out blazing, right?

Well, not so fast. There are a few things around the corner that you would want to look out for in 2016.

1. Data The No. 1 handicap for any retailer compared to e-commerce is the lack of data. Most retailers simply don’t know who is in their stores, how often they have been there, what they’re looking at, and where they spent most of the time. This is about to change with the arrival of beacons. These sensors are able to track and identify phones by ‘sniffing’ constantly for GPS, bluetooth and

Wifi signals. Unless your mobile phone is in Airplane Mode, these devices will be able to identify each phone. Each phone is also unique, and since mobile phones are personal devices, they’re invariable carried by the same person, ie the owner. Beacons, these days often enhanced with video cameras that can recognise faces, can determine exactly how many times you have been in a store, where you have walked, and where you have dwelled. This is still ‘anonymous’ because beacons cannot read your personal data. But as soon as you sign up for an app initiated by the retailer, this changes.

Once a retailer has insights into your so called ‘mobile body language’, he can start optimising his retail offering. If you sign up for his retail app, he can all of a sudden know when you’re approaching the store.

Or he can allow you to place an order for coffee, and the coffee is only made when the system senses that you are approaching the store.

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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2. Omni-channel The use of beacons to track physical presence of consumer, or rather their mobile phones, creates a host of opportunities to align online and offline experiences.

It is perfectly thinkable that a consumer begins to discover a product online and gets suggestions to try, see and feel the product in a physical store. If a retailer works with beacons, he can know if this journey is actually undertaken by the (potential) customer and, using automated marketing responses, he can improve the chances of improving the customer’s in-store experience and, with that, the chance of converting the visit to a sell.

3. Online payments for offline purchases Another trend that will be more visible in 2016 is the possibility of walking into a

About the Author: Matthieu Vermeulen is Director of Marketing & E-commerce Solutions at DHL eCommerce. He focuses on helping DHL clients connecting in the best way to DHL’s digital services and improve their marketing activities. In

Feature: E-commerce Trends: What to Look Out for in 2016

store, paying online via their e-commerce site, receiving a payment confirmation, and then taking the product from the store directly with you. Decathlon in Singapore has already experimented successfully with this concept.

4. Online going offline Proof of the need for online e-commerce to be more present in an offline world was recently provided by Amazon. They have decided to open up a brick-andmortar bookstore in their hometown, Seattle. Apart from the fact that they acknowledge that some customers prefer physical books, they claim that what sets them apart from other bookstores is the use of their massive amount of online data to optimise the collection and the in-store experience.

previous positions, he gained extensive experience in the areas of publishing, marketing, branding and innovation. He is a graduate of the Trium Global EMBA programme and currently resides in Singapore.

So what to expect In short, 2016 is going to be the year when offline and online commerce start to benefit and leverage off each other. The driving factor for both will be the gathering of data that will be used to gain insights, with the ultimate goal of improving marketing and sales tactics. 2016 will therefore be an excellent and exciting year for both online and offline retail.

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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In Focus

In Focus: Apurvi Sheth Diageo’s Managing Director of Emerging Markets and Joint Ventures in Southeast Asia shares the company’s Sustainability and Responsibility Strategy as well as its other goals for the next five years

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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You have had a long career in the beverage industry. Share some insights on how it has transformed over the years. What transformation do you see in consumers’ expectations?

We are seeing consumers place increasing emphasis on corporate responsibility at the company and brand level, both in our industry and more generally. Corporate transparency and sustainability issues — such as sharing value and optimising the impact of business on communities — are here for good, and I support that fully. Growth for businesses cannot come at the expense of societal or environmental wellbeing, and we will increasingly see consumers acting on these concerns through their purchase decisions.

Millennial consumers today are also expecting enhanced experiences from brands — whether they are buying or consuming, online or offline, mainstream or luxury. At

In Focus: Apurvi Sheth, Diageo

every stage and touchpoint, they’re expecting an enhanced experience.

Digital channels and technology are becoming increasingly critical as a means of consumer communication, and provide brands with the very platform to meaningfully engage and create those enhanced experiences. We’re seeing this particularly in emerging markets, where consumers are only just developing their online presence. While brands moving online will not replace the need for physical presence, the digital world will definitely be an integral part of winning consumers’ hearts and minds.

Diageo is one of the largest producers of luxury products. What trends do you see in the emerging markets’ luxury sector?

Economic growth leading to increasing wealth is still a key driver of our luxury business. The Southeast Asia luxury market

is expected to grow CAGR 15–20% over the next five years, while Southeast Asia’s middle class population is forecast to exceed 150 million by 2020, which are very exciting demographics for consumer goods companies like us.

With this, we are also seeing the ‘democratisation of luxury’, where a new category of luxury goods at affordable prices are now available to more consumers.

Previously, we saw a trend for conspicuous consumption, but with changing tastes, this has been replaced with an emphasis on quality, authenticity and uniqueness.

Increasingly, consumers are demanding a more meaningful, experiential and personalised return on their investment.

However, the top 1% of luxury consumers are looking for exclusivity, customisation, and

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

The liberalisation of economies is already causing unprecedented change across Asia, as countries become increasingly open to trade and investment. However, bureaucracy, unpredictable and tightening regulatory environments, and increasingly protectionist policies are still prevalent in Southeast Asia, which increases costs and acts as a disincentive for foreign investment.

This underscores the importance of companies working closer as an industry to engage governments and understand their concerns, as well as actively creating dialogue platforms to share global industry best practices and industry perspectives, as part of governments’ policy-making process.

You have an impressive Sustainability and Responsibility strategy. Your 2015 target has just expired. Please share some of the learnings you have had in the last five years.

bespoke products and experiences, which have led to an increased focus on heritage, craftsmanship and authenticity as part of a brand’s story.

Our ‘Living Luxury’ strategy is a perfect example of how we’ve embraced these exciting changes and innovated by making our brands relevant and accessible in the daily lives of luxury consumers across all tiers.

The embodiment of this is the Johnnie Walker House, which acts as an ‘embassy’ for whisky culture. With four in Asia, each House is designed with the local culture in mind, and is intended to build the Johnnie Walker brand into a lifestyle concept that brings to life 180 years of blending history, provenance, and the pioneering spirit of Johnnie Walker, but in a fresh and modern way that today’s discerning consumer can relate to and appreciate.

These houses are the first of their kind outside Scotland, and allow us to reach consumers directly through immersive luxury whisky experiences, from beautiful limited-edition products — such as our Johnnie Walker Blue Label SG50 — which are available to many yet offer a level of exclusivity, to luxury bespoke services where customers can work with our master blender to create their own signature blends.

With many successful labels under Diageo’s belt, what challenges do you see in today’s economic climate?

Diageo constantly innovates to adapt to changing consumer tastes and patterns, as well as to ensure we keep our brands relevant to the market. We’re a Total Beverage Alcohol player, and our brand portfolio operates across a range of price points, so we are ideally positioned to cater to consumers in both the affordable and luxury spaces.

We understand that our distilleries and breweries are at the heart of the communities in which we work, and that we have a responsibility to create shared values for our shareholders, our people who work so hard to make our business successful, and for the wider society that enables our business to flourish and grow.

Our targets are focused on three pillars: leadership in alcohol in society, building thriving communities, and reducing our environmental impact. Overall, we are proud of the progress made since we set our 2015 targets back in 2007. We have significantly reduced our overall impact on the environment over a period of time when we have also grown our business, with increased production volumes and through significant acquisitions. Over the last eight years, we have incorporated several new acquisitions into our environmental programme, which often makes it more challenging to maintain our originally desired progress towards our targets.

As a result, our operating standards now have greater reach, increasing the potential scale of their impact in the long

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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term. We have also recognised the need for broader partnerships to help scale up our community programmes, which we’ll continue to develop to increase the impact we have already delivered.

Our ongoing investment in our business, our supply network, and the communities where we work continue to improve our environmental and social performance, and will support our progress towards these 2020 targets and beyond.

What goals does Diageo have for the next five years?

2015 has been a year of significant progress in Diageo’s approach to sustainability and responsibility. With our 2015 targets expiring this year, we evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of our strategy against our track record of performance and, in December 2014, we launched new and ambitious targets for 2020 for our most material issues.

In Focus: Apurvi Sheth, Diageo

Creating a positive position for alcohol in society is a priority, because it creates a more confident role for our business and industry as a whole. Across Asia, we currently support more than 60 programmes to promote moderation and to help tackle irresponsible and underage drinking, collaborating with local authorities on programmes that tackle key issues such as drunk driving.

usage through a 50% improvement in water efficiency.

In developing more sustainable supply chains and raw materials sourcing, we support the building of self-sufficient, thriving communities, and thus plan to source 80% of our raw materials in Asia and Africa by 2020.

We have already begun this work with our new integrated water strategy, our Water Blueprint, which was launched in April 2015.

This has given us a deeper understanding of the total impact of our water use, and helped us to prioritise what we need to do to improve our stewardship of water.

We have also committed to reducing our environmental impact through better managing water stewardship and carbon emissions across our whole supply chain.

By 2020, our target is to reduce our water

All these are an essential part of our ambition to create one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer goods companies in the world. We need to understand the impact we have as a company, with the aim of ensuring that, overall, our contribution is a positive one.

What advice do you have for companies that are trying to implement sustainable and responsible initiatives?

My advice would be to communicate

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Creating a positive position for alcohol in society is a priority, because it creates a more confident role for our business and industry as a whole. Across Asia, we currently support more than 60 programmes to promote moderation and to help tackle irresponsible and underage drinking, collaborating with local authorities on programmes that tackle key issues such as drunk driving.

initiatives — both internally and externally — and make sure the initiatives are relevant to your business. Employees are a company’s best ambassadors!

women across all socio-economic profiles, and provide opportunities to learn and develop skills. This initiative is part of Diageo’s 2020 targets.

At Diageo, we include some of our initiatives as non-financial performance indicators — such as carbon emissions, responsible drinking programmes, and water efficiency — which are a source of great pride to employees as well.

I also play a role in developing female leadership within Diageo. During my time as Managing Director of Innovation in Asia Pacific, I led what we call a ‘lean-in’ group, where female employees to come together each month to share inspirational leadership stories, and challenges that have been overcome in the workplace, as well as insecurities.

This helps stakeholders benchmark our performance, ensuring that we are “walking the talk.” We only earn trust and respect through our actions, so we work hard to ensure that Diageo delivers on its promises.

How have these initiatives inspired you personally?

I am actively involved in gender issues, both within and outside the business through Plan W, Diageo’s initiative that aims to empower

I also join public speaking forums on gender and diversity as I believe that it is important to be part of the dialogue, to share my personal experiences with young professionals.

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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Feature

Domestic Strength, External Worries: UK Economic Outlook Q4 2015

By Ian Stewart After a long period of austerity, things are looking up for UK consumers, with rising incomes and low inflation.

Growing demand may well offset global instability and China’s slowdown to make the country a European bright spot

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

T

he global recovery has been punctuated by a series of shocks that, at times, slowed activity and sometimes threatened to derail it. From the US debt crisis to worries about the breakup of the euro area, Western policymakers have had to contend with a string of shocks. The latest is China’s slowdown and a more generalised weakness in emerging markets. Financial markets took the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) decision not to raise interest rates at its September meeting as confirmation that US growth — and growth in the rest of the industrialized world — is vulnerable to China’s slowdown.

In the United Kingdom, there are signs that external weakness and a strong British pound are having some dampening effect: manufacturing output has slowed, and surveys of manufacturers point to no improvement in the near term. Net trade unexpectedly contributed to a rebound in second-quarter UK activity, but this seems unlikely to last. Indeed, hopes of an export-led recovery look ambitious in the current environment.

A collapse in food, fuel, and transport costs, along with a strong pound, pushed year-overyear UK inflation down to zero in August.

Yet elsewhere the United Kingdom seems in decent shape. Lower commodity prices are a headache for producing nations — such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Brazil — but a boon for the commodity-consuming countries of the West. A collapse in food, fuel, and transport costs, along with a strong pound, pushed year-over-year UK inflation down to zero in August. At the same time, a tight labour market is, at last, putting upward pressure on nominal earnings. The interaction of flat inflation and accelerating wage growth means that real earnings are growing at the fastest rate in eight years (Figure 1). Falling interest rates on mortgage and consumer credit have given the consumer sector an additional tailwind.

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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After a long period of consumer austerity, with spending battered by sluggish or declining earnings, things are looking up for UK consumers. In August, consumer confidence reached the highest level in 15 years.

The government has responded to emerging-market risks by pushing back the timing of interest rate rises. In August, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney repeated a well-worn formulation that the decision on UK rate rises would come “into sharper relief around the turn of the year.”

This was widely interpreted to mean that rate rises were likely by late 2015 or early 2016. Yet by late September, following the Fed’s decision to keep rates near zero, the message abruptly changed: Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane said that the next move in UK interest rates was as likely to be a reduction as a rise. Financial markets took notice and have priced in a less aggressive path for

Feature: Domestic Strength, External Worries: UK Economic Outlook Q4 2015

tightening — just as, when faced with previous external shocks, the central bank is leaning against the dampening effect on UK growth of emerging-market weakness by driving down interest rate expectations. With headline inflation flat

on the year and core inflation at just 1.0% (Figure 2), the central bank can afford to take its time in raising rates. The sell-off in the UK equity market and slackening house price inflation further ease the need for immediate rate hikes.

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Most opinion polls currently point in the direction of a vote to remain in the European Union, but that outcome is not guaranteed.

The United Kingdom has been on the sidelines of the euro crisis and the more recent Middle Eastern migrant crisis. These events have seized the world’s attention, but they may well also influence UK public attitudes toward the European Union. The UK government is committed to holding a referendum on EU membership before the end of 2017; at the moment, the most likely dates for the vote appear to be around June or autumn of next year. Most opinion polls currently point in the direction

Most opinion polls currently point in the direction of a vote to remain in the European Union, but that outcome is not guaranteed.

About the Author Ian Stewart is chief economist, Deloitte UK. This article originally appeared in Global Economic Outlook, Q4 2015, Deloitte University Press.

Copyright © 2015 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

of a vote to remain in the European Union, but that outcome is not guaranteed. As the vote gets nearer, the issue may well exercise a growing effect on business sentiment, especially if the polls show a narrowing lead for the “yes” vote.

Despite political risks and external uncertainty, the momentum of domestic demand seems likely to sustain UK growth well into 2016. Our assumption is that the United Kingdom should post GDP growth around the 2.5% mark this year and next. This is a respectable if unspectacular performance, though it would be enough to put the country near the top of Europe’s not terribly impressive growth league.

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Feature

Want To Blog?

Get Going Then!

By Andrea Edwards You are missing out on establishing your credibility and increasing your reach if you do not blog. Moreover, the act of writing crystallises your thinking, while feedback received will help you refine your ideas

S

hould my business have a blog?

According to HubSpot, businesses that blog are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive return on investment than those that do not.

But should you blog? I believe you should, and I’m going to help you understand why.

But first, a story.

I started blogging almost a decade ago, becoming very serious about it by 2009.

Today, I have three blogs: a professional blog, a personal blog, and a kids’ adventure blog for Singapore. I also blog on LinkedIn, my company site, and my blogs are featured on various sites around the world. Let’s just say that for me, blogging is like breathing.

But why do I invest so much time and effort in blogging?

Because I know it’s the most powerful business resource of our time.

Additionally, my professional career has always been in communication; I am a natural communicator, so I definitely

chose the right path for my natural skill set. Blogging as an art form appealed to me immensely. It is a platform to share my thinking, and to create conversation opportunities with my tribes — both personally and professionally. Roll the clock forward to today, and with LinkedIn’s blogging platform, Seth Godin’s prediction that everyone will blog is coming to a future near you. The momentum is here, and it is time to consider it seriously.

Blogging is the greatest career asset you have, and I encourage you to take the leap of faith and start your blog. Your community is ready to hear your voice, even more so if you are a leader in business. But blogging is not easy, and it is easy to make silly mistakes (I’ve made a few), but you learn and grow.

Blogging Insights

It takes time to develop confidence in your written voice, but as your blog experience evolves, so does your voice. Mastering blogging is a never-ending process, but the greatest benefit is that it teaches you a lot about yourself, thus helping you to grow. I have never worked with a senior executive

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on launching a blog who has regretted doing it — quite the opposite. They are always delighted.

Blogging is amazing. It calms your mind and crystallises your thinking. In today’s social world, it is a privilege of our time.

It is definitely the greatest tool for anyone seeking to build professional credibility.

Blogging Benefits

• It’s an opportunity to define your voice and clarify your thinking • It will help you structure your thoughts around your core area of expertise • It is an amazing personal growth tool; the more you blog, the more you grow • It is a platform to share your wisdom, inspire your audience, and become a superstar in your field of expertise • As a leader, you are providing your employees as well as your customers, partners, stakeholders, the media, and other influencers with access to how you think. It is an opportunity to share, to give, and, most importantly in today’s authentic online world, it enables people to know you • You will learn, increase your network, and build trust with your communities — internal and external • Your ideas will be challenged, which is a very good thing, as it will help you to refine them • You will grow business opportunities and open new doors for yourself, because blogging is the core of social in business • You will have the opportunity to take your personal brand to the next level, with speaking invitations, media requests, influencer interviews, guest articles (as I am doing here), and so on

How to Start?

The most common questions senior executives ask me is, “Where do I start?” and “What should I blog about?”

Let’s start with the C-suite. If you are a business leader, it is natural that you want to leave a legacy. A legacy can be many things, such as being known as a champion of your employees, an entrepreneurial leader who challenged the status quo, a customer-obsessed leader who always puts yourself in your customer’s shoes, an

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Feature: Want To Blog? Get Going Then!

inspiring thought leader in your field of expertise, and so on. Tap into what you want your legacy to be and start defining your blog conversation around this core topic. This is how you become authentic in your communication, because it is tied to the heart of what you want to achieve as a leader.

The critical thing is not to make your blog about you or your business. Make it about the audience you want to speak to.

Do you want to make their lives better, or help them to succeed professionally?

Perhaps you’re thinking of educating them, inspiring them, or creating more opportunities for them? Maybe you wish to help them understand your area of expertise? The key to being successful at blogging is to always make it about them.

Here are my 10 steps to getting started: 1. Start by defining your content strategy: who, what, when, why, how 2. Come up with four ideas or four themes as part of your overarching theme 3. Struggling for ideas? What questions do you get asked frequently? Answer them 4. It doesn’t matter how often you blog (weekly, monthly, bi-monthly); the most important thing is consistency 5. A great way to grow your following and readership is to support other bloggers — comment on their content, engage with them. They will return the favour and help elevate your blog 6. Make the blog broader in appeal by interviewing people you admire and host guest bloggers aligned to your topic 7. It’s critical you start by defining your audience (who) and then always write with them in mind 8. SEO is important but don’t let it define your style. Google has changed and it is not looking for key words so much as valuable content these days 9. Ask for comments, finish with a question, encourage sharing 10. The most important thing is to be authentic. Write as a human: be you, and don’t let people change that

Suggested Topics

As a reader, you might be looking for some specific ideas linked to your job function, so here are some further suggestions that may be useful: • If you are in sales, answer your customers’ questions and answer the questions you know they should be asking. Do not talk about what you sell, but talk about the challenges your customers are facing and help solve them. Become a resource of value to your customers • If you are regularly networking and connecting with peers from your industry, pay attention to the conversations and questions. Share your learnings and perspectives, highlighting the conversations you are referring to.

This builds your credibility • If you are a thought leader or specialist in your field, break down your expertise and create bite-sized chunks of knowledge, taking your reader on a journey of learning • If you work in technology, discuss the common challenges your customers

are facing and possible solutions — focus on the technology solutions aligned to the problem your business solves • If you are in marketing and communications, there will be one or two core areas that you specialise in. As an example, I am a communicator, but my topics are personal branding, blogging, employee advocacy, social media, and more. There is a market for your specialisation and you have a unique take on your topic based on your experience, geography, and more. To help, research other leaders in your field, read what they are blogging about, then create your own unique perspective on your topics • HR leaders have a wonderful opportunity, and can talk about recruitment and retention issues, interview tips, career advice, what to wear for an interview, what not to say in an interview, the worst answer an interviewee ever gave you, and so on

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• And don’t forget to monitor the LinkedIn themes and blog on them — recent ones were #IfIwere22 #Thankyoumentor #HowIHire

Seek Help

It is absolutely okay to work with ghost writers and editors on your blog, but DO NOT outsource this work 100%. The world is full of ghost-written blogs that are soulless and this content is just adding to the noise. Use resources available to you (we are not all great writers), but be involved. Integrate your stories and personal experiences, and do not publish any blogs that do not sound like you. You must take ownership of your voice and your social presence. People are switching off to the inauthentic.

Also, wherever your blog is originally published (your own blog platform or your company site), publish it on LinkedIn as well, linking it back to the original post. LinkedIn opens up a massive new audience for you, beyond your connections. If your blog is featured on Pulse, you can reach thousands more connections. Blogging on LinkedIn also alerts your followers to your blog. Crosspublishing on LinkedIn is a very big missed opportunity for executives today.

Parting Words

If I could sum up my thoughts on blogging, it is pretty simple: • DO IT! • Ignore the rules and carve your own path • You must be really connected with the authentic you

About the Author Andrea Edwards is a globally awardwinning communications professional and Head of Content Marketing and Training at Novus Asia, an innovative Singapore-based content and brand publishing agency that strategises, creates and curates content across all platforms, from books and

magazines to websites and applications that are tablet-, mobile- and social platform-ready. Novus also trains the C-suite and business executives to shift mind-sets and harness the power and opportunity personal branding and content marketing delivers to businesses today.

• Cross publish your blogs for maximum reach — your blog site, your company blog site and LinkedIn • Be SEO-savvy but don’t be SEO-stupid • It doesn’t have to be written. You can create a podcast, do up a video blog, take photographs, create images or artwork if you are a designer. However, writing is the most effective tool for business leaders — it’s just not your only option Most importantly, be patient. It’s hard to cut through the noise, and it takes time to build credibility and trust. Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to blogging, but more important than patience is starting and being committed.

So why not get started today?

NOVUS CONTENT. DI G I TAL. PUBLI SH ING.

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Feature

Acting Ethically is the Key to Long-Term Business Success — Ignore it at Your Peril

By Tanya Barman With the recent Volkswagen emissions scandal, it’s no wonder that trust in businesses is at an all-time low, which is precisely why companies that act ethically are going to stand out

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s I write, it is one month since automotive giant Volkswagen revealed they had knowingly fitted 11 million cars with software that duped regulators in to believing that the level of dangerous — sometimes deadly — emissions of nitrogen oxide were lower than they were.

This set off worldwide industry panic and government investigations, and they now find themselves at the heart of one of the biggest scandals the industry has known.

The reaction to this ethical transgression only serves to emphasise the vital importance of responsible business practices to the long-term success of an organisation. In our interconnected world of unprecedented levels of data, extended supply chains and increased scrutiny, it is more important than

ever for a business to have rigorous ethical standards. In fact, according to our recent Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) report, 2015 Managing Responsible Business, 93% of the largest companies have a code of ethics.

Volkswagen, a brand that was positioned on values, naturally had a code — which publicly highlighted “it is our conviction that sustainable economic success can only be safeguarded by following rules and standards. In our daily business we advocate honourable and honest behaviour that complies with the rules.”

However, as has now been seen, how that code is put in to practice is a different story and words alone do not suffice. Culture

matters — embedded throughout the organisation. Although there is a general consensus that acting ethically is imperative to business success, more respondents to our research report feeling under pressure to compromise their firm’s ethical standards than three years ago. Added on to that is the fact that only 36% of the 2,500 respondents collect ethical information that could inform their business strategies. And given the complexity and relative recent interest in the issue, 90% admit struggling to get any valuable insight from this data.

This is a problem because acting in an unethical manner is damaging to the relationship business has with the society in which it operates. Corrupt practices deplete national wealth, hinder the

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development of fair market structures and distort competition. It is a sobering fact that, according to the Edelman Trust barometer 2015, trust with business is at an all-time low. In an era when responsible business means more than just getting a product to market, and customers increasingly engage with organisations that act ethically, it is vital that we regain this confidence.

Long-term thinking is vital to this. Those companies that understand that putting short-term commercial interests before issues such as climate change or child labour will suffer huge reputational risks, as well as affect the bottom line.

About the Author Tanya Barman is Head of Ethics at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Feature: Acting Ethically is the Key to LongTerm Business Success — Ignore it at Your Peril

It is fundamental that organisations create an operating environment that promotes and instils good practice through a combination of processes and behaviours — something that must be undertaken by the leadership team and board. They must ensure that acting ethically is at the heart of their business strategies and activities, as well as those in their wider value chain, by setting an ethical tone from the top. Having clarity on what is business critical will also help decision makers to prioritise where to direct their attention.

Businesses that use and analyse ethical data by incorporating it in to their

strategic planning processes will be able to preempt risks and even enable innovation.

Management accountants, with their role as business partners, are ideally equipped to navigate this arena, providing the relevant insight to manage the risks as well as innovations that come with ethical scenarios.

And while the Volkswagen story unfolds before our eyes it serves as a timely reminder: ignore acting ethically at your own peril.

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Advertorial

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How can Strengths Accelerate Achievement?

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uman nature focuses us on fixing our shortcomings as a path to improved achievement. In doing so, we often overlook our most powerful asset, our strengths. What would happen if we spent more time challenging ourselves in the areas that we excel at as opposed to investing time and effort in areas of weakness?

The idea of further extending students that excel in particular subjects is at the core of the Australian International School’s (AIS) Maths Project. The project uses researchinformed strategies to support differentiation in elementary maths and, in particular, challenge more able students.

Guided by Professor Peter Sullivan, Australia’s leading expert in the field of maths education, the AIS Maths Project grew out of an intensive programme to collect, analyse, and better interpret data from over 1,600 Elementary School students. Under

Prof Sullivan’s guidance, AIS teachers and the leadership team, including a dedicated Elementary Maths Coordinator, created a three-year plan to install collaborative practices, redesign the curriculum, and develop a new approach to classroom differentiation at the end of 2014.

Prof Sullivan has spent 85 hours with the AIS leadership team and teachers developing differentiating strategies to develop a growth mind-set, enabling each child to meet their academic potential.

The approach to revolutionising maths at AIS was taken within the context of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). This curriculum framework ensures that the values of the project scope held true to the IB with certain non-negotiables such as not streaming students and ensuring an inquiry-based approach. The use of data and research to inform strategies of

differentiation has created opportunities for all students to progress to their optimum level of learning ability. As an example, the 2015 Elementary NAPLAN Numeracy results display 28% more top performing students at AIS than the New South Wales state average, demonstrating the impact of teachers and students engaging in higher challenge tasks to develop a growth mindset.

For more information on AIS’ Elementary Maths Project visit www.ais.com.sg or call 6653 7906.

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Advertorial

Home is Where Singapore Investors Park Their Money • Singapore is the first choice of destination for Singapore respondents to park their savings and investments • On average, globally mobile investors direct almost half of their take home pay (49%) towards savings and investment compared to the general consumer (35%) • Two-thirds (66%) of affluent investors expressed that retirement remains their key saving/investment goal • Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) are the most relied upon source of financial information or advice for Singaporean investors

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riends Provident International (FPI) released the findings of their sixth edition of the Investor Attitudes survey conducted in Singapore and Hong Kong (survey period between 24 June and 17 August 2015), which forms part of Aviva’s Consumer Attitudes Survey. The latest edition of the Investor Attitudes survey drew responses from 1,000 global expatriates and local nationals across Singapore and Hong Kong, unearthing interesting statistics from financial confidence and attitudes to investment outlook to spending and saving behaviour in these markets. The results showed that despite economic

optimism remaining low with 31% believing it will worsen in the next 12 months, Singapore remains the first choice of destination that respondents would like to park and invest their money.

Whether someone has worked overseas or not influences their preferences in relation to investing. Globally mobile investors are more willing to take financial risks and are more positive about their investment options compared to those who have only worked locally .

Mr Chris Gill, General Manager, Southeast Asia at FPI said,

“Among all financial products, affluent respondents prefer investing in equities/ shares and residential property. Despite the recent stock market volatility at the time of the survey, almost half of affluent respondents (48%) believe investing in equities offers the potential for growth when compared to the general consumer (35%).

Investing in properties is generally perceived as a good, long-term investment, a view endorsed by the survey results, which shows that more than half (53%) of affluent respondents feel that residential property is a good long-term investment.

They also believe residential property prices

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on financial services. This is even more evident in the globally mobile space (30%) compared to those who have only worked locally (22%).

Mr Gill adds, “Longer life expectancy and an aging population pose tremendous challenges across the globe in relation to planning for our long-term future. It is encouraging to note affluent investors are aware of the need to put aside part of their savings in a bid to provide them with peace of mind that their retirement and future medical bills will be taken care of.

It is also really pleasing to see that respondents place a high degree of trust in their professional advisers when seeking expert advice on insurance or wealth planning solutions. This is a timely reminder to the financial services industry to consider not only their products proposition but their customer engagement strategy.”

will continue to go up. However, it is also important to consider a diverse portfolio to ensure risk is mitigated and long-term goals can be achieved without placing too much reliance on one asset class.”

The findings also revealed the top two greatest personal concerns from the

About the Research This research was conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Friends Provident International. All previous waves have been conducted

by TNS. Any trend

data needs to be viewed with caution.

The fieldwork was conducted as an addition to Aviva’s Consumer Attitude Survey (conducted 24 June to 27 July), with a supplementary sample

respondents are funding for retirement (66%) and serious illness (52%), including in family and loved ones. Hence, their saving and investment goals are mainly focused on addressing these concerns. Singapore investors rely heavily on independent financial advisors (IFAs), citing them as the most trustworthy source of advice

of affluent consumers (interviewed between 28 July and 17 August).

N=500 respondents 18+ interviewed online, participated in the survey.

Other key findings from the survey: • Sentiments across all investment categories became worse compared to a similar time period last year, with gold being the hardest hit, reflecting the recent market turmoil. Forty percent of Singapore investors had considered increasing their long-term exposure to gold over the course of six months in 2014, compared to only 26% in 2015.

• Greater improvement is expected within emerging markets. Thirty-four percent of respondents expect the emerging markets to perform better, compared to 28% who expect the developed markets to perform better in the next six months.

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UK Trade & Investment

UK’s £72 billion Design Economy Takes Centre Stage Business leaders celebrate Britain’s booming design industry at The GREAT Global Investment Conference in London

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Prime Minister David Cameron at The GREAT Global Investment Conference in London 2015

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lobal business leaders celebrated Britain’s booming design industry at The GREAT Global Investment Conference in London on 17 September 2015. Organised to coincide with the Rugby World Cup, visiting international business leaders heard from some of the UK’s most influential figures from the creative, automotive and design industries.

Excerpts from new research by Design Council were exclusively previewed, with statistics showing the true value of design to the wider UK economy. Design contributed £72 billion to the UK in 2013, employed 5% of the UK workforce and created jobs at 3 times the national average. The full report will be released in October 2015.

British talent in technology, design, creativity, advanced manufacturing and automotive was on display to demonstrate UK design capability at its best, in a bid to encourage more investment in the UK and bolster

market that delivered nearly $90 billion of global sales in 2014 and has 285 million active customers worldwide.

its position as No. 1 for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Europe.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, “The scale of foreign investment we are now seeing across Britain is a great success story and a vote of confidence in our longterm economic plan, creating growth and jobs for working people. As the UK takes centre stage once again, I am determined that we show the world just what we have to offer — with a strong economy and a wealth of talent, creativity and unbeatable investment opportunities.”

Investment deals announced at the conference include: • Global e-commerce company, Amazon and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalise a partnership giving UK sellers access to new resources and dedicated programmes. The partnership will give customers access to a global

•

UK-based Codemasters and Intel Corporation are collaborating to bring a suite of innovative new graphics technologies to the worldwide PC gaming market. The collaboration between Codemasters’ game and Intel’s UK-based engineering teams has resulted in improved visual effects, adding much improved photo-realism and life-like, real-world simulation effects to Codemasters’ gameplay on Intel-powered PCs. The full suite of cutting-edge effects is due to be announced to the public in the final quarter of 2015.

The conference at Lancaster House, on the eve of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, brought together more than 150 government leaders, investors and entrepreneurs.

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Between them they represent nine of the UK’s target markets for overseas investment, all of which have teams competing in the World Cup. Speakers included Sir John Sorrell, Brent Hoberman of Founders Forum, Kathryn Parsons from Decoded, John Mathers from Design Council, Jamal Edwards of SBTV, and Mike McGee of Framestore.

Nearly half a million foreign visitors are expected at the Rugby World Cup, which represents a wealth of opportunities for UK businesses. Representatives from the sports industry will be present in London to show what the themes of teamwork and perseverance can add to business, and why the UK is such a good place for sports to flourish.

UK Trade & Investment: UK’s £72 billion Design Economy Takes Centre Stage

The UK is worldrenowned for its design and creativity in a variety of sectors — from fashion to automotive.

Through this event, we’re demonstrating that the UK is very much open for business and seeking to build on the record FDI results we secured last financial year.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said, “It’s fantastic that once again the eyes of the world will be on the UK as the first match of the Rugby World Cup gets underway at Twickenham tomorrow.

This government wants Britain to be the most prosperous major economy in the world by the 2030s, and global investment will play a key part in achieving that.

This conference shows our continued commitment to welcoming the world’s investors to our country, and I want the message to be clear to all: Britain is open for business.”

Trade and Investment Minster Lord Maude said, “This government is focused on continuing

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to secure high-quality foreign direct investment to create sustainable jobs and growth for the UK economy.

The UK is world-renowned for its design and creativity in a variety of sectors — from fashion to automotive. Through this event, we’re demonstrating that the UK is very much open for business and seeking to build on the record FDI results we secured last financial year.

Through UKTI, the British government is supporting more projects than ever before and playing a valuable role in securing economic growth.”

UK Trade and Investment’s recent annual report shows the UK’s FDI stock passed the £1 trillion level for the first time last year, increasing nearly 50% since 2010 and helping to create 85,000 new jobs.

A global study announced by IBM also

The GREAT Global Investment Conference brought together more than 150 government leaders, investors and entrepreneurs; they represented nine of the UK’s target markets for overseas investment, all of which have teams competing in the Rugby World Cup 2015.

This article was first published in www.gov.uk website on 17 September 2015.

identified London as the world’s leading city for attracting FDI, putting it ahead of Paris and Singapore.

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Special Feature

16 Annual Business Awards: th

Celebrating Business Excellence in Singapore

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HE Scott Wightman, British High Commissioner

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nnovation and business excellence dominated this year’s 16th Annual Business Awards, organised by the British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

The Awards were presented to the winners in eight different categories during a gala dinner ceremony hosted by BBC World News’ business presenter Sharanjit Leyl on 1 October 2015. We welcomed the British High Commissioner, HE Scott Wightman, as our keynote speaker.

He congratulated all finalists and winners of the Awards and their contribution to the business landscape in Singapore.

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In his address, HE Scott Wightman commended the Chamber for organising an initiative like this, which supports British and Singaporean businesses and builds on the UKSingapore relationship. He also highlighted the strong relationship between the two countries, and cited a few important agreements that were signed recently during Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit and the visit of Business Minister Baroness Neville Rolfe.

Hugo Walkinshaw, President, British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

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Special Feature: 16th Annual Business Awards

Here are the winners in each category: Leadership in Customer Focus:

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Stamford American International School

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Malcolm Kay

Leadership in Diversity:

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British Council (Singapore)

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Joe Tofield

Leadership in Innovation & Productivity: IECO

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IECO A joint venture between Rolls-Royce & SIA Engineering Company

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Steve Price

Leadership in Sustainability:

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Swire Pacific Offshore

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Simon Bennett

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Small Rising Business Star:

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Black Marketing

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Chris Reed

Success in Business:

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Rolls-Royce Singapore

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Ben Khoo

Young Professional of the Year:

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Joe Tofield British Council (Singapore)

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Joe Tofield

Community Star:

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Coutts & Co Ltd

Hugo Walkinshaw and H.E. Scott Wightman hand the trophy to Yvonne Chan

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Special Feature: 16th Annual Business Awards

Established in 1999, the Awards were organised in order to recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements across the various business sectors. It has since grown in stature to become one of Singapore’s most prestigious accolades, garnering the continued support of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Singapore Business Federation (SBF), as well as the UKTI, British High Commission and EuroCham.

Companies entering the Awards were required to showcase achievements that are Singapore-centric, thus building on Singapore’s brand image. The Awards are open not only to British companies, but also all Singapore-registered companies regardless of membership with the Chamber.

BCCS President Hugo Walkinshaw said, “The business community in Singapore continues to show a high level of engagement and enthusiasm with the Annual Business Awards, demonstrated by the consistently high quality of this year’s submissions. I am delighted to see the level of commitment shown by entrants from across the spectrum of corporate and SME organisations. This reinforces the strength of the ongoing relationship between Singapore and Britain, and is an area that the Chamber will continue to focus on in conjunction with UKTI and the British High Commission. The competition was intense and every organisation that won should be proud.”

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Our Sponsors and Supporters Title Sponsor

Category Sponsors

Supporting Organisations

Beer & Wine Sponsor

Exclusive Media Partner

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Britain in Southeast Asia News

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BiSEA News For 2016, BritCham Cambodia will be focusing heavily on promoting Cambodia as a destination to export and do business in. Trade services on offer can be found on our website www.britchamcambodia.org. We see a number of interesting business opportunities in Cambodia, including in: • Education: STEM, educational technology, consultancy on higher education, vocational training • Agriculture: food safety and quality standards, soil nutrient management, quality control, training • Construction: building material, machinery and equipment • Infrastructure: railways, airports, ports • Engineering: industrial equipment • Tourism: consultancy in tourism attraction site, visitor centre, eco tourism, adventure parks, marketing/branding • Luxury/Consumer goods We further see opportunities for investment with the launch of the country’s new Industrial Development Policy. For more information, contact Olivia Widen: director@britchamcambodia.org.

We are committed to furthering its strategic role in facilitating trade and investment between Britain and Indonesia and showed this commitment by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the West Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, 6 October 2015.

Representing the two parties were BritCham Chairman and President Director of PT Rolls-Royce Indonesia, Adrian Short, and Chairman of West Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Agung Suryamal Sutisno. UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia and the ASEAN Economic Community, Richard Graham MP, witnessed this landmark agreement.

Following the recent VVIP visit to Indonesia in July 2015, UK PM David Cameron clearly stated that British businesses, both existing and future, have great intention to expand their business to second cities (outside Jakarta), primarily in West Java and East Java. Graham commented, “There are real opportunities both to increase our exports and contribute to ASEAN nations’ growth.”

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At the Chamber: Business Group News

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IT & Communications Technology Group Chairperson: Andrew Pickup — Microsoft Asia

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echnology is radically changing the way people live and go about their daily lives. However, one thing remains for certain: people will not use technology they do not trust. This was the overarching message we shared during a visit in October by British Chamber of Commerce members to Microsoft’s Asia Pacific Cybercrime Satellite Centre in Singapore.

In fact, based on our Digital Crimes Unit’s research, one of the top security threats in ASEAN at the moment is the Bladabindi/ Jenxcus (B106) malware family. This allows hackers to steal sensitive information, as well as the ability to download other malware that gives them unauthorised access to your PC. Some variants can also control a PC’s camera to record and perform keylogging functions.

Each year, there are close to 400 million victims of cybercrime globally, costing public and private organisations billions of dollars in losses. Cyber threats are real and a growing concern for both individuals and organisations, especially with the spread of malicious software.

In order to build a trusted computing environment, organisations need to ensure policies are in place to address weak links in their IT supply chain.

One area to focus on is procurement hygiene, which is an often overlooked

factor. The components of cybersecurity spend — IT infrastructure and procurement, IT administration and support, website and online services maintenance — are often vulnerable to cybersecurity bypass and loopholes. These include using unlicensed or lapsed-license software, purchasing from questionable vendors, and using outdated software — quite often without knowing.

As the vulnerabilities of the digital world are increasingly thrust under the spotlight amid a growing number of reports on cybersecurity incidents, there will likely be a flight to quality and trust among technology users. By making security and privacy a priority, organisations can build greater trust in technology and all it promises.

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At the Chamber: Business Group News

Marketing & Creative Business Group Chairperson: Chris J Reed — Black Marketing

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am delighted to announce a brand new business group for you to enjoy.

The Marketing and Creative Group will look at all things to do with marketing and the creative industries. From digital marketing to social media, from marketing to the new consumer from B2B and B2C perspectives to PR, from content marketing to direct marketing, from e-commerce to advertising we will endeavour to cover everything you could possibly wish to know about marketing.

I and my co-chairs — Andrea Edwards from Novus Asia, Tolla Sloane from the Artling, and Abby Chan from UKTI — will be putting together both an ambitious event schedule and a content marketing platform on the BC website and social media platforms for you to enjoy.

Our Mission: To inspire and help British Chamber members and the larger Singaporean business community to embrace the new world of marketing and the new consumers; to bring the creative spirit and achievements of UK players closer to the British Chamber members and the Singaporean business community.

Tag line: Connect – Inspire – Share – Learn We aim to have four flagship British Icons events throughout 2016 featuring brands such as Rolls-Royce, Burberry, Gordon Ramsay and Chelsea Football Club. We will underscore this with events that tie into UK Trade and Industry-linked events in Singapore such as the annual Fashion Festival, Spikes, Culinary events, UKTI business visits, and a host of other events.

We shall also be putting on ad-hoc events linked to British personalities who lead by example in the world of marketing and innovation, and Andrea and myself will be

doing a series of workshops around subjects such as blogging, content marketing and social selling. We will be looking at all of these areas and more:

myself and the marketing committee as well those members of the chamber and others who wish to network with professionals in Singapore with a passion for marketing.

The Marketing and Creative Committee will kick off 2016 in true marketing style with a networking event at an interesting location, with some quirky wines and the chance for all members and non-members to meet

Please follow us on LinkedIn for all the latest event and content news and information and join us at our inaugural networking event as the marketing and creative committee.

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Professional Services Group Chairperson: Mark Chowdhry — Baxter International

T

he PSG had an exciting last quarter of 2015 and has a number of events planned for early 2016.

In early 2015, following Martin Riddett’s departure as Chair of the PSG, Mark Chowdhry, following an open voting process, was appointed Chairman of the Committee, with Anna Tan as Co-Chair. The Chair and Co-Chair roles can be held for an initial term of two years. The maximum time that the position can be occupied by the same individual is four years per role.

Both Mark and Anna have been part of the PSG committee for over the last two years and look forward to taking the PSG committee forward over the next couple of years. The PSG committee is currently undertaking a recruitment drive, and any interested members should reach out to

Mark Chowdhry, Anna Tan, or any of the chamber staff should they wish to become further involved in the PSG committee.

Following feedback over the past year, the PSG committee has been active in incorporating an event review process aimed at inviting high-profile chamber members who visit Singapore to speak at events organised by the PSG group, along with holding relevant content and professional development-led events. As part of this initiative, in September 2015, the PSG committee invited Control Risks’ Global CEO Richard Fenning to speak at a Breakfast Club briefing, where he discussed the challenges and opportunities for the investment climate in Asia, Europe and beyond, along with other global business

risks for 2016. Richard was assisted by Stephen Norris, the Associate Director and Senior Southeast Asia Analyst, who discussed specific business risks across Asia: the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Further interesting content-led and speaker presentations are due to be held in 2016.

The PSG committee is also currently working with the British High Commission and a number of British Chamber of Commerce British product producers to hold a ‘Best of British’ networking event for early 2016, so watch this space! All committee members look forward to seeing you at future PSG events, and the PSG committee wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2016.

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Business Services News

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Business Services Update Carole, Tina and Jared from the Business Services Team at BritCham Singapore met British Exporters on the North & South Explore Export Tours. We met more than 250 UK companies looking to do business in Singapore in one-to-one meetings, and provided them with advice on exporting to Singapore

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s a part of the ever growing Export Week, now entering its eighth year, ExploreExport 2015 gave UK companies access to practical advice from 163 UKTI Commercial Officers and British Chamber of Commerce Representatives from 83 markets, who split across two tours covering 11 locations across the UK. Each regional event offered the chance to attend one-to-one meetings with market specialists, participate in engaging seminars, and engage with exhibitors that specialise in offering export support to SMEs. On 9 November, the UK government launched its most ambitious exporting initiative in Gateshead. Exporting is GREAT is part of the GREAT campaign, and is set to make the UK the world’s greatest exporting nation — with a target to inspire and support 100,000 new British exporters to sell their goods and services overseas.

Exporting is GREAT will run for five years as part of the world-renowned GREAT Britain

campaign. Its approach is unique: presenting real-time export opportunities to businesses of all sizes, sectors and regions of the UK that they can apply for immediately.

services but many companies don’t realise this demand exists.

UK companies are set to benefit from a unique, new five-year programme presenting real-time export opportunities that businesses can apply for online. This is part of a move to get 100,000 additional companies exporting by 2020.

We are confident that through this campaign, by raising awareness of and providing access to these opportunities, together with giving companies the practical advice and guidance they need, we will inspire and support thousands of new companies in an exciting new venture of selling overseas.”

It presents live export opportunities to businesses, across a range of media outlets and digital channels. Hundreds of these export opportunities, with a potential total value of more than £300 million, are hosted on a new platform, www.exportingisgreat. gov.uk, with many more set to come online each month.

Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sage, which is supporting Exporting is GREAT, said, “We’re passionate about supporting businesses at every stage of their growth. Exporting is a significant step on the journey – one that many small and medium businesses don’t feel they have the support or knowledge to take.

Speaking at Sage Gateshead, Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Francis Maude said, “Travelling overseas in my capacity as Minister for Trade, I see first-hand the demand that exists for UK products and

Our customers tell us that awareness of the opportunities and more government and industry support would help them make the move, so we are thrilled to be supporting Exporting is GREAT.

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Exporting is GREAT will provide advice and expertise to support businesses at every step on their exporting journey, from initial interest to selling in market.

This will include a year-long roadshow that will travel the UK, giving face-to-face assistance to potential exporters. It will use the latest technology to connect these businesses with live export opportunities.”

About the Campaign

One campaign — kick-starting Export is GREAT Week.

Business Services News

Travelling overseas in my capacity as Minister for Trade, I see firsthand the demand that exists for UK products and services but many companies don’t realise this demand exists.

One roadshow — reaching out to businesses across the UK. The Exporting is GREAT roadshow kicked off on 10 November in Gateshead. Over the next 12 months, the roadshow truck will visit every part of the UK, attending major national and regional business events, and locally organised training sessions and seminars at industrial estates, science parks and other local business venues.

One team — the roadshow might be national, but the campaign’s reach is global

The national multimedia advertising campaign is now live, broadcasting realtime business opportunities from 10 global markets.

When the business day is ending here in the UK it will start somewhere else in the world.

There is huge international demand for British services.

The plan is that whatever you’re doing — listening to the radio, watching TV, reading a paper, driving your car, waiting for a train — you’ll see or hear about a potential major exporting opportunity for UK businesses.

One aim — working with partners to secure success Exporting opportunities are out there for potential exporters, but UKTI and

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BritCham Singapore team visited the following places North Tour Edinburgh Gateshead Barnsley Nottingham Birmingham Manchester

6 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November

South Tour Belfast Newmarket London & South East Bristol Cardiff

HMG can’t do this alone. Working with commercial partners and business organisations is vital to increase reach and broaden influence with the public and inspire more businesses to start exporting. The aim is to increase the supply of available trade opportunities, provide offers and discounted services to SMEs, thus helping businesses boost their capability in areas essential to successful exporting, such as finance, legal, market insight and freight/logistics.

One website — www.exportingisgreat.gov.uk

Carole McCarthy Business Services Manager carole@britcham.org.sg Tel: +65 6222 3552 DID: +65 6718 0540

6 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November

This dynamic and continuously updated new site will engage, direct and support businesses that have responded to the campaign.

Conrad Bird, GREAT Campaign Director and interim Managing Director, Marketing at UKTI, commented, “We want to capture the imagination of British businesses, boosting their confidence that there are real opportunities around the world and empowering them to go out and succeed in global markets. And we’ve got an exciting programme of media, online activity and events planned, as well as incredible UK business champions lending us their support.

So please get involved.”

U K Tina Business Services Advisor tina@britcham.org.sg Tel: +65 6222 3552 DID: +65 6718 0538

Jared Sim Business Services Advisor jared@britcham.org.sg Tel: +65 6222 3552 DID: +65 6718 0539

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At the Chamber

BritCham New Members Sterling

Corporate

UPS Jim O’Gara

Withers Khattar Wong Roy Ang

Corporate Plus Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Pte Ltd Amanda Goh Lagardere Sports Anne Ng GEMS World Academy (Singapore) David Edwards

Ryan Coleman Mah Fifth Ring Pte Ltd Suzanne Yap JT International Tobacco Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd Julia Gough Shangri-La Hotel Limited Reto Konrad Klauser

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Affordable Art Fair Camilla Hewitson

CIO Connect Pte Ltd Emma Burrows

GlaxoSmithKline Pte Ltd Raymond Francis

CREATE-Creative Arts Therapy and Training Pte Ltd Caroline Serena Essame

Singapore Management University Alissa Lurie

Flower Diamond Boutique Pte Ltd Belinda Chua

Corporate SME

Aquis Search Pte Ltd James Hickman

Eva Group Magda Lilia Chelly

Overseas Corporate

Delta Juliet Group Dayyan James

Vibrant Frog Pty Ltd Charlie O’Connor

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At the Chamber: Sterling News British Airways officially unveiled its new lounge at Changi Airport in a ceremony attended by the airline’s partners, customers, media and VIP guest of honour Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport. Hosted at the new lounge in Terminal 1, guests were treated to a traditional lion dance and the finest food and wine.

Prior to the official opening, Formula 1 superstar Jenson Button was one of the first customers to enjoy the airline’s new state-of-the-art facility as he travelled through Changi Airport.

Located within the new lounge is the airline’s first ever Concorde Bar, which embodies the finest in British design, style and art. A tasteful and secluded area exclusive to First Class customers, the Concorde Bar features the digital panoramic views of the Singapore skyline reflecting the time of day, to enable customers to connect to the time of day outside when travelling through time zones.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Debra Durnford as Immigration Practice Manager at Magrath Global with effect from 1 October 2015. Debra joins Magrath Global with a wealth of experience in Singapore and Asia Pacific immigration matters, having worked in a leading local practice for more than 17 years. Debra will play a key role in the consolidation and development of the Magrath business in Singapore.

Senior Partner Chris Magrath said, “We are delighted to welcome Debra to our team.

We have experienced strong growth in our Singapore business since we commenced operations in 2012. Debra will play a key role in providing our clients with the outstanding service levels and client care that we seek to deliver. We look forward to working with Debra in the next stage of our local development.”

SIRVA, Inc., a leading provider of global mobility services has expanded mobility service capabilities in India, Qatar and Macau SAR. The new office locations in Bangalore and Doha expanded SIRVA’s service delivery capabilities in the region. SIRVA also strengthened their direct delivery of household goods moving services in Macau through Allied Pickfords, its international household goods-moving brand.

A new Lloyd’s Asia service company, the Standard Syndicate Services Asia Pte Ltd, began underwriting a broad range of marine and energy covers from June 2015.

Kent Chaplin, Lloyd’s Head of Asia Pacific and Managing Director of Lloyd’s Asia, said, “I am delighted to welcome The Standard Syndicate to Lloyd’s Asia and see the capabilities and capacity of the Lloyd’s Asia platform go from strength to strength. Lloyd’s Asia now has 19 service companies providing tailored insurance and reinsurance solutions for clients across Asia Pacific, and is a recognised market leader in Marine Cargo & Hull, Energy, Property, Aviation, Political Risk, Trade Credit and Engineering & Construction business. The Standard Syndicate’s international marine expertise and business relationships are a welcome addition to the Lloyd’s Asia platform.”

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Recognising the industry’s need to better understand pay TV viewing and its reach, Singapore’s largest pay TV operator StarHub has partnered leading global information and measurement company Nielsen to launch StarHub SmarTAM, Singapore’s first Television Audience Measurement system using Return Path Data (RPD) technology. StarHub has also commissioned Nielsen to support the subscription and sales of SmarTAM data.

Harvesting RPD from StarHub’s two-way digital set-top boxes in 545,000 homes and applying Nielsen’s proprietary research for TV viewership measurement, StarHub SmarTAM offers advertisers, advertising media buyers, and content providers granular insight into what StarHub TV households and individuals are watching.

The TV audience measurement system tracks both real-time and time-shift viewing of TV content and advertising spots across more than 200 StarHub TV channels. 5,000 StarHub TV homes have been carefully selected to be statistically representative of StarHub TV households in Singapore, providing the industry-largest viewer panel that produces accurate data on the viewing behaviour of pay TV channels.

Standard Chartered Bank recently announced the official appointment of Judy Hsu as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank in Singapore, effective 1 October 2015, subject to regulatory approval. She will be based in Singapore and reporting to Ajay Kanwal, Regional CEO, ASEAN and South Asia.

Judy has a career spanning more than 25 years in the financial industry, and extensive experience for the last 16 years in Wealth Management, Retail Banking and Private Bank.

She joined Standard Chartered in 2009, and her most recent position is Group Head, Wealth Management, for which she will remain responsible over a transitional period.

In her role as CEO for the Bank in Singapore, Judy will be responsible for developing and executing the strategy for the business, building relationships with local clients and businesses, bottom-line profitability and capital, and relationships with local regulators and stakeholders.

A new 140,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) high-purity ethylene oxide purification unit and new 140,000 tpa ethoxylates unit are supplying local and regional customers.

Shell recently announced that it has more than doubled the production of high-purity ethylene oxide (HPEO) and ethoxylates at its site on Jurong Island, Singapore.

The company has successfully started up a new purification unit with a capacity of 140,000 tpa of HPEO. A new world-scale production unit today can manufacture 140,000 tpa of ethoxylates. Shell delivers HPEO through an ethylene oxide pipeline grid to ‘over-the-fence’ customers and its own expanded ethoxylation operations on Jurong Island. Feedstock for the new HPEO plant comes from Shell’s ethylene oxide/monoethylene glycol plant, which is integrated with the company’s ethylene cracker through to its largest fully-owned refinery on Pulau Bukom.

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At the Chamber: Sterling News A worldwide first in Early Years education will be launched here in Singapore by the Australian International School (AIS) through a purpose-built campus for students 18 months to 6 years old.

Inaugurated in a groundbreaking ceremony by Their Excellencies the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove, this state-of-the-art facility will offer children access to a 22m swimming pool, large sports gym, five library and learning resource centres and nine arts and language specialist classrooms.

The campus will house teaching and learning for an enhanced Early Years curriculum that launches at AIS in January 2016, including weekly violin lessons, LAMDA Speech and Drama, the SMART Steps Perceptual Motor Programme, Accelerated Literacy Programme and daily maths and Mandarin.

Cognita Asia CEO Brian Rogove states, “This $200 million investment is the largest worldwide for a dedicated Early Years campus. Children at AIS will gain a strong academic foundation and personal confidence, ensuring an early passport to success.�

Find out more at www.ais.com.sg or call +65 6653 7906

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At the Chamber: Corporate News

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Friends Provident International (FPI) scooped 11 out of 44 awards at the recent International Adviser International Life Awards 2015 held at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. FPI won awards in all markets where it has a local presence, including Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the United Kingdom.

This is the seventh consecutive year that FPI has been honoured at the Awards since it first took place in 2009, testament to the company’s success in creating innovative propositions as well as bespoke services by putting its clients and business partners at the heart of its business.

For more information, please visit our website: www.fpinternational.com

Holding the prestigious honorary title of ‘Datuk’ in Malaysia, Alexandra Chin is the first Malaysian to be elected to the role and the fourth female President of ACCA. Having served in the public practice sector since 1981 with her own practice in Sabah, Malaysia, she qualified as an ACCA member in 1986 and has been a member of ACCA’s Council since 2005.

Prior to this, she was a member of the ACCA’s International Assembly, representing Malaysia from 2003 to 2005. She was also President of ACCA Sabah from 1999 to 2005.

Reading Room in Australia and Singapore has received a major capital injection following a buy back from external shareholders by the founders, Margaret Manning and Simon Usher.

At the same time Margaret and Simon sold the UK businesses to a third party: “Idox is pleased to announce its acquisition of Reading Room Ltd, an award-winning digital consultancy with major public and private sector clients. The Asia Pacific parts of the Reading Room Group are not included in this acquisition.”

This transaction means that significant additional investment will become available to push forward with the expansion in this region.

We are delighted to announce that the legendary Voice of Rock, Glenn Hughes, will be bringing his 2015 Solo Tour to Singapore on Friday 11 December 2015 8pm at TAB! Joining Hughes will be guitar player Doug Aldrich (formerly of Revolution Saints, Whitesnake, Dio) and powerhouse Swedish drummer and longtime solo band member, Pontus Engborg.

The set will showcase highlights from Glenn’s colourful career, including stints with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Country Communion and California Breed. He will also be playing his solo material.

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At the Chamber: Corporate News Malaysia: Eco World Development Group Berhad (EcoWorld) announced its entry into five sale and purchase agreements to acquire approximately 2,198.4 acres of leasehold land in the Mukim of Ijok, District of Kuala Selangor, for a total cash consideration of RM1.181 billion.

The land is located at northwest Klang Valley, approximately 45km from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. EcoWorld also announced that it is in the process of refining its partnership-for-growth business model to raise equity funding at the project level.

Knight Frank recently launched the Asia Pacific Prime Office Rental Index for Q2 2015.

Results: The index increased 1.2% in Q2 2015, as the average vacancy rate dropped by 0.1%.

Eleven out of the 19 markets tracked experienced rental growth, three registered no movement, and five recorded rental declines.

Tokyo saw the highest rental growth in the region while Perth continued to be at the bottom of the list since Q1 2015.

We expect rents in 12 markets to either increase or remain steady over the next 12 months.

Linklaters has advised on the sale of the payments business of Great Indian (GI) Retail Group to Wirecard AG, the German payments company.

Wirecard will acquire 100% of the shares from GI Retail and financial investors of companies operating payment services in India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, and includes the iCashcard, Smartshop, StarGlobal and Commerce Payment brands. iCashcard is India’s No. 1 domestic remittance instrument, and the leading payment instrument on IRCTC, Indian Railways’ website and one of the largest e-commerce sites in Asia-Pacific.

See more at: http://www.linklaters.com

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has received an award from Airlink, a humanitarian non-profit organisation that links airlines with prequalified non-profits, for its efforts following the Nepal earthquake disaster in April this year.

When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Nepal on 25 April this year, Airlink immediately contacted Etihad Airways to request flight tickets for volunteers. In all, working with Airlink, Etihad Airways provided 54 flight tickets for aid workers from the USA, Europe and Australia to fly into Kathmandu.

The award was presented to Linden Coppell, Head of Sustainability at Etihad Airways, at the Airline Economics Conference gala dinner in Hong Kong.

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Singapore-based companies venturing into China can look forward to a one-stop service platform with the official opening of the Singapore Centre at Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC). Named Singapore Centre @ SSGKC (Singapore Centre), the centre is located within Ascendas OneHub GKC, an integrated business park within SSGKC. The official opening was graced by Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Defence, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, who is also the Co-chairman of Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council. He was joined by Mr Chen Zhiying, Member of Guangzhou Municipal Standing Committee and Huangpu District Party Secretary and other key officials.

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) was a big winner at the Singapore Experience Awards 2015, taking home four awards once again. RWS also recently won the Best Integrated Resorts prize, given by TTG Travel Awards, for the fifth year running. These awards are testament to RWS’ world-class offerings and hospitality excellence.

The Singapore Experience Awards, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board, is an annual award, the most prestigious awards platform in Singapore’s tourism industry. Award recipients are recognised for their exemplary efforts in delivering a holistic customer experience, offering quality product and service excellence to create memorable experiences.

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At the Chamber: Members’ Offers To find out more about our members’ offers, visit our website under Membership -> Members Offers.

Affordable Art Fair

Invitation to a private view

Avis

10% off your next car rental worldwide!

British Airways 10% off airfares

British Standards Institution

10% discount on ISO certification, training services and purchase of standards

The British Club

15% off lifetime memberships

British Council

10% off all Professional Development Centre public courses

Bupa/Expat Insurance

10% off medical insurance plans

City Serviced Offices

10% discount on facilities and services

Courts

5% off electrical and 10% off furniture

Emirates

Savings on regular and promotional fares from Singapore

GEMS World Academy

Special offer for BritCham members

Grand Hyatt Singapore

Club at the Hyatt membership offer

Harry’s

15% discount

Highlander

15% off at Highlander CHIJMES

IOM Singapore

20% off NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) courses

Marina Mandarin Singapore

Discounts off room rates and food & beverage

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Meeting Magic International

Free live graphic recording at facilitated meetings and conferences in Asia 2015

MCCS

25% off regular rates for corporate services

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay

15% off total food & beverage at The Square

Raffles Singapore

Discounts off food & beverage, restaurant bookings, and event meetings

Progress U

15% off International Corporate Coaching programmes

Quayside Isle

Up to 15% off food & beverage

Regus

Complimentary membership at Regus Business Lounges

Singapore Cricket Club

Up to $1,000 credit on food & beverage

SandBank

10% off total bill

Sonru

10% off annual subscription for corporate members

The Economist

10% print & digital subscription discount

Survival Chic

10% off a one-year Survival Chic Membership ($450)

The Bank Bar & Bistro 15% off total bill

The Fry Group

Special Offer on life insurance plans

Tower Club

Complimentary six-week trial membership

Voxtree

10% discount on in-house training to manage e-mail conflict

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At the Chamber: Special Event

BritCham F1 SkyHigh Networking Evening 17 Sep 2015 More than 130 members and guests attended the F1 Sky-High Networking Evening, where they enjoyed whisky and gin cocktails, canapĂŠs, and the company of members, friends and guests.

Title Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsor:

Venue Partners:

Cocktail Sponsor:

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Back to Work Networking 27 Aug 2015 More than 130 of our members and guests attended the Back to Work Networking night at Treetops Terrace at the British Club.

Members had the opportunity to bring a friend or colleague for free to network and meet new contacts. Three guests walked away with lucky draw prizes courtesy of the British Club and Courts.

Lucky draw prize sponsor:

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At the Chamber: Special Event

Cambodia: A Market Outlook 1 Sep 2015 In this session, three speakers currently based in Cambodia provided an overview of the situation in the country today, and shared case studies of companies that were entering the Cambodian market.

The first speaker, Trevor Sworn, gave some political and economic highlights, and featured some key sectors with strong British presence as well as the opportunities that exist for doing business there.

Following that, David Wein discussed the why and how of investing and doing business in Cambodia, particularly the stronger industries, such as energy, services, manufacturing, and real estate.

The last speaker, Adrian Low, spoke about the Cambodian labour market, and gave an overview of the workforce and recruitment trends.

Daniel Wein - Deputy Head of Cambodia Corporate & Commercial Practice Group, DFDL

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Adrian Low - Board Member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia

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The session ended with a Q&A session, and an opportunity for members and guests to speak individually with the panellists.

Trevor Sworn - Secretary of the British Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia

Sponsored by:

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At the Chamber: Breakfast Clubs

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Global & Asia Business Risks for 2016 8 Sep 2015

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> >

The audience learnt about the top global business risks to expect in 2016, and how these geopolitical and economic events will impact the business climate in Asia and beyond.

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In this event, Control Risks’ Global CEO Richard Fenning discussed the challenges and opportunities for the investment climate in Asia, Europe, and beyond, as well as other global business risks for 2016. Stephen Norris, the Associate Director and Senior Southeast Asia Analyst, discussed specific business risks across Asia — the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

Richard Fenning - Global CEO, Control Risks

Stephen Norris - Associate Director and Senior Southeast Asia Analyst, Control Risks

Success in Talent Engagement: Learn from the Experts!

10 Sep 2015 The event started with a brief presentation

by Don Chen, the Senior Researcher at the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI), on some key research findings regarding employee engagement in Asia. Bicky Bhangu, a Senior Country Manager at RollsRoyce Singapore, and Hugo Walkinshaw, a Partner at EY, then took to the stage and shared their challenges and examples of how they have successfully built an engaged workforce. The panel discussion that followed was moderated by Wong Su-Yen, CEO of HCLI. The discussion centred on employee engagement programmes within their organisations, the unique elements of these programmes, the challenges faced in implementing them, and more.

Hugo Walkinshaw - Partner, EY

Bicky Bhangu - Senior Country Manager, Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd

The BritCham Breakfast Club is proudly sponsored by:

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At the Chamber: Breakfast Clubs

Oil Trading in Turbulent Times 15 Sep 2015

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The Chamber’s Energy and Utilities Business Group brought together a panel of experts within the Oil and Gas sector to discuss how trading of energy commodities has been affected / changed by the end-2014 slide in oil price as well as other factors. The themes of the discussion under the broader topic of the impact of low oil price on trading activity included: • How trading is changing • The philosophy of trading • Value shift in owning assets to asset optimisation • Flexibility of generators • The impact of low oil price on mining

(L–R) Phillip, Iain, Tan Kah Keng, Tim

SGX Head of Derivatives Michael Syn discussed how the exchange has successfully positioned itself against the Goliath exchanges of the world, how this helps market participants manage the current volatility, and how SGX’s story is shaping the next chapter for the exchange, and Singapore as a nation.

The audience enjoyed a discussion on: • Redefining the role of the exchange • SGX’s leadership in developing the commodity risk management ecosystem, including its pioneering of the iron ore derivatives contract • How success factors are being replicated across new markets, including electricity and LNG • How this has complemented and enhanced Singapore’s particular strategic and locational advantages • How SGX is helping companies implement strategies to mitigate uncertainties in regional markets and across asset classes

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SGX: Staying Ahead of the Game in a Competitive and Volatile Market 16 Oct 2015

Michael Syn - Head of Derivatives, SGX

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How to Ensure Your Top Leaders are Top 27 Oct 2015 The top leaders of an organisation have a tremendous impact on its future success.

Traditional leadership development programmes have proven to be ineffective in further developing C-level executives because they are usually not tailored to their specific development needs.

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In this event, Charlie Lang, shared why C-level executives need development, why traditional approaches would not work, and some innovative development approaches for CXO.

Charlie Lang - Managing Partner & CXO Coach, Progress-U Asia Group

Amy Lim - Corporate Engagement, raiSE

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This event was an initiative by the Chamber’s Sustainability and Responsibility committee.

Members and non-members alike were invited to learn more about raiSE Singapore’s new Centre for Social Enterprise. Amy Lim shared information on (1) raiSE’s new online directory of social enterprises in Singapore and (2) ways to form new partnerships between corporates and winning social enterprises of the President’s Award 2015. Rob Bratby shared examples of Olswang’s social responsibility engagements with Singaporean social enterprises. He presented learnings that made a strong business case for corporates to engage with social enterprises.

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Introducing raiSE: The new Centre for Social Enterprise in Singapore 30 Oct 2015

The BritCham Breakfast Clubs are proudly sponsored by:

Rob Bratby - Managing Partner, Olswang

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At the Chamber: Evening Presentation/Networking

ICT Inter-Chamber Networking Night 18 Aug 2015 The foreign Chambers in Singapore teamed up and organised an inter-Chamber networking night with members from the Information Communication and Technology Committee industry. Overall, it was a night of fun and networking as members had the chance to connect with ICT professionals in Singapore.

In a very interactive session, thought leaders from DBS, AIA, Aviva, MetLife and Fastacash shared insights on innovative thinking and how it is taking banking and financial services into the future. The speakers discussed the following topics with members and guests: • Balancing innovation with trust and security • Innovation trends in banking and insurance • What the customer expects versus what the industry can offer • Where does mobile and social fit within financial innovation • What is holding back financial innovation • The difference between B2B and B2C financial innovation • How does Singapore compare to Asia and the West in financial innovation • What will financial innovation mean to SMEs • What experts think will happen in the next five to 10 years in financial innovation

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Innovation in Finance 22 Sep 2015

(L–R) Andrew Pickup, Neal Cross, Steve Monaghan, Alex Kimura

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At the Chamber: Working Lunch

How to Reduce the Impact of MERS and Other Risks to your Business, and Save Money 18 Aug 2015 SMEs that sustain damage via fire, flood, earthquake, cyber-attack and more almost never recover. This briefing outlined low- and no-cost risk-mitigation techniques.

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Key learning and takeaways from this briefing: • Simple techniques to enable SMEs to identify risks • Practical ways of mitigating those risks, using MERS as a case study to build a robust business continuity plan • A checklist of considerations regarding what insurance should be bought • Key points about managing major insurance claims Peter Jackson - CEO, Lockton Companies (Singapore)

Web Analytics: A Lot More Than You Think 28 Oct 2015 In this event, the speaker provided the framework for analysing website data. The audience learnt that web analytics was a lot more than Google Analytics or graphs, and should not been seen in isolation, but has to be integrated with business and online marketing analysis.

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Through critical-thinking skills and a mind for curiosity, one can harness the data correctly to meet one’s business objectives.

Lastly, the speaker shared some case studies on the ‘how’ of analysing website data.

Adrian Roche - Analytics Evangelist, WACA Singapore

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At the Chamber: Special Event

Female Entrepreneurship: Stumbling Blocks and Road to Success 4 Sep 2015 In this event, the Chamber’s Women in Business group brought together a kaleidoscope of female entrepreneurs in a moderated discussion. Each speaker shared her experience of setting up a business, and the highs and lows of running a business.

Overall, it was an inspiring event as guests and members listened to the panellists’ real-life stories.

Speakers: Pamela Yeo Co-founder, Saught Sasibai Kimis Earth Heir Reeta Nathwani Atom Coaching, Board Agender Committee Member Isadora Noble Co-founder & Marketing Director, Goodwood Capital In the auditorium: Hanna and Sarah Gösch, Bubbletime

(L–R) Katharina, Reeta, Isadora

(L–R) Pamela, Sasibai

Diversity Sponsor:

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Moderator: Dr Katharina Lange, SMU

Hanna and Sarah Gösch, Bubbletime

Venue Sponsor:

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

Sustainable Islands: The Scottish Story 29 Oct 2015 Over the past 10 years, Scotland has established itself as a world leader in the development and testing of renewable energy and clean technologies.

As more and more governments across Southeast Asia turn their attention to renewables, Scotland’s experience could hold many lessons. The vast majority of Scotland’s renewable technologies have been developed in its island communities, and this experience could offer great insights to other island nations within Southeast Asia.

The event started with an affirmation for Scotland as the world leader in the development and testing of renewable energy and clean technologies from Dame Julia King, the UKTI business ambassador. The second speaker, John McGuiness, spoke about Scotland’s history of developing successful renewable energy and clean technology, and capabilities that existed in Scotland, and how other island nations in Southeast Asia could benefit from Scotland’s experience.

> John McGuiness - Senior International Executive, Scottish Development International

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Deepak Wadhwa - Business Development Director, IPEx Cleantech Asia

Andrew Dagley - Head, Asia Pacific, Atlantis Resources

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APAC Head Andrew Dalgley shared about the MeyGen project, the world’s largest tidal array, located in Scottish waters and managed

by Singapore headquarter company Atlantis Resources. The event concluded with a briefing from Deepak Wadhwa, who gave an introduction on the role and value proposition of IPEx Cleantech Asia.

Prof Dame Julia King - UKTI Business Ambassador

Sponsored y:

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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An Evening with a Former US Navy Intelligence Officer 19 Aug 2015

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Ray Corrigan, the country head of Raytheon and a former US Navy Intelligence Officer, shared his working experience and gave advice on how young professionals can have lots of different roles within their career. He also offered insights into achieving career success.

At the end of the session, members and guests had opportunities to network and catch up with one another.

Ray Corrigan - Country Head, Raytheon

At the Chamber: YBC Mentor Series

Building Networks Connecting Business Creating Opportunities

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YBC Twilight Sail 3 Sep 2015 Guests and members of the Chamber took part in a twilight sail around Keppel Bay and gained first-hand experience on how to sail.

In addition, they learnt the importance of skills such as co-operation, teamwork, and communication, which they could apply to real workplace environments.

At the Chamber: YBC Networking Evening

W W W. B R I T C H A M . O R G . S G

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Master the art of me-time Sneak in an indulgent midnight snack or order a gourmet meal for brunch. Dine completely at your leisure with our First Class gourmet cuisine and exclusive wines.

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