Orient Issue 40 by BritCham Singapore

Orient

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - SINGAPORE

ISSN 0219-1245

9 770219 124002

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ISSUE 40 / DEC 2012

It all comes down to ideas that generate shared value. Which requires a different than usual approach. One that truly focuses on the long-term interests of our clients and the communities we serve. Where collaboration is incentivised so that the best resources from across our global organisation work together to deliver the right solutions. And where the personal courage of our clients is matched only by our confidence in their vision. Because when our clients succeed in this way, the results benefit everyone.

Bank of the year

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Contents

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FEATURES

Female Technologists Trailblazing for Women in Business

Goin’ Mobile? Leave These Strategies Behind

Employee Travel Risk Management

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION / UKTI 27

British High Commission News December 2012/January 2013

2012: A Year of GREAT News for UK–Singapore Business

AT THE CHAMBER 37

Executive Director’s Message

Members’ Offers

BritCham Events Review 2012

57 66

Sterling/Corporate News

Events Events Calendar

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE 69

Pollinating Culinary Genius

City of Perfume—Grasse

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British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Sponsors PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE AND BREAKFAST CLUB SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSORS

BRITCHAM BOARD: PRESIDENT: Steve Puckett: Tri-Zen International VICE-PRESIDENTS: Hugo Walkinshaw: Deloitte Consulting SE Asia Andrew Vine: The Insight Bureau TREASURER: David Macdonald: JOOL Capital Partner International HONORARY SECRETARY: Damian Adams: Watson, Farley & Williams LLP EX-OFFICIO: Judith Slater: British High Commission Mark Howard: British Council BOARD MEMBERS: Andrew Jones: Barclays Andrew Thomas: Ogilvy & Mather Singapore Brandon Malone: The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Caroline Bagshaw: Standard Chartered Bank David Pugh: The Fry Group Dominic Nixon: PricewaterhouseCoopers Emma Boyd: Pinstripe Business Solutions Ingrid Child: HSBC Bank Neil Montefiore: StarHub Nick McGlynn: British Airways Paul O’Neil: Rolls-Royce Singapore Pek Hak Bin: BP Singapore Peter Allen: Pacific Century Regional Developments Richard Burn: Diageo Singapore Editor: Vipanchi vipanchi@britcham.org.sg Assistant Editor: Yong En yongen@britcham.org.sg 138 Cecil Street, #13-03 Cecil Court, Singapore 069538 Tel: +65 6222-3552 Fax: +65 6222-3556 Email: info@britcham.org.sg www.britcham.org.sg

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS: Corporate Social Responsibility: Richard Burn Events & Sponsorship: Hugo Walkinshaw External Affairs: Steve Puckett Membership: Andrew Vine BUSINESS GROUP CHAIRPERSONS: Energy & Utilities: Damian Adams Entrepreneur & Small Business: Peter Seligman Financial Services: Patrick Donaldson IT and Communications Technology: Henry Farahar Leadership: TBA Media & Marketing: TBA Professional Services: Carolyn Lints Property & Construction: Richard Warburton Shipping Transport & Logistics: Neil Johnson Young Professionals: Miles Gooseman MANAGEMENT TEAM: Executive Director: Brigitte Holtschneider Accounts Manager: Sabitha Munnangi Marketing & Communications Manager: Vipanchi Marketing & Communications Assistant: Loong Yong En Events Manager: Tiffeny Kua Membership Manager: Katie Hudson Membership & Events Assistant Manager: Emi Hosono

Orient is a bi-monthly magazine published by the British Chamber of Commerce. © All rights reserved. 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 own risk and the

Chamber accepts no liability for loss or damage.

Design: Kevin Ong kevinong@novusasia.com

Sub-edited, designed and printed by:

Cherlin Chan cherlin@novusasia.com

www.novusasia.com Contact: Paul Coleman paulcoleman@novusasia.com

Sub Editors: Chua Kim Beng kimbeng@novusasia.com Iliyas Ong iliyas@novusasia.com Creative Services: Kwan Gek Lian gek@novusasia.com

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President’s Message

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

Dear Members, This final issue of Orient for 2012 reflects on a historic year for Britain. The Annual Ball closes our events for the year, and it is fitting that our Diamond Jubilee Ball celebrates 60 years on the throne for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We can look back on a summer and a year to remember, when the eyes of the world were on London: first, for the wonderful Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and second, for the golden and glorious spectacle of the London Olympics. The Olympics will be remembered by most of us for the genuine, warm welcome that athletes and visitors from all over the world received. Later, as the summer closed, Singapore played host to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they began their tour of Asia to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. The royal couple were keenly received as they paid tribute to the Queen’s lifetime of dedication to the many people of the Realm and the Commonwealth, and we were pleased to present them with the Chamber’s commemorative book during their stay. This year has seen more high-profile visitors from the UK than in previous years. These include UK government officials—including the Foreign Minister William Hague and the Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Stephen Green—and countless business leaders who seek growth in Asia and view Singapore as a launching pad for new or renewed regional initiatives. Steve Puckett

President, British Chamber of Commerce

The year has also seen the Chamber continue to strengthen its relationships with partners in the business community. Once again, we have had a robust year despite a challenging economy that was mainly due to the ongoing financial troubles in Europe and the slowing down of China’s economic growth. Within the Chamber, our membership and network have continued to expand, with an unprecedented number of events held this year—a testament to the energy and competency of our executive team. I hold firmly to my belief that there is an ever present opportunity for the Chamber to play a strong role within the business community here and to provide valuable links for British businesses, while all the time maintaining a focus on delivering value to our growing membership base. The Board recognises this opportunity for furtherance and will not lose sight of it as we enter another new year. Finally, on behalf of the Board and our executive team, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, wherever you might be this holiday season.

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Feature

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Female Technologists Trailblazing for Women in Business We sit down with Singapore-based Margaret Manning, award-winning CEO of international digital consultancy Reading Room, to discuss how women can succeed in the digital communications industry.

Margaret Manning

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he digital communications industry is still largely male-dominated. Its creative and technical focus supports the stereotype that it’s a man’s world. So if I were to give young women advice on how to tackle the industry, what would I say? Firstly, be tough but don’t forget who you are. To overcome some stereotypical views, you’re going to have to be as tough, if not tougher, than your male counterparts. At the same time though, don’t forget to be yourself. You need to remember that it’s your skills and personality that have got you this far, and it’ll be these same skills that will take you to the next step. The digital world is complicated, and we need as many diverse views and skills as possible to help us succeed as an industry. Secondly, take inspiration from successful people. When I first started out, the only inspirational female CEO in the spotlight was the founder of The Body Shop, Anita Roddick. There weren’t many other female role models from whom to take encouragement.

Feature: Female Technologists Special Feature Trailblazing for Women in Business

Since then, media coverage of businesswomen has helped my peers tremendously in overcoming prejudice, and leaders like Martha Lane-Fox have shown that women are more than equal to the challenge. However, it’s important to take inspiration from everyone. One of my personal sources of inspiration is Richard Branson. He built a business empire from nothing, and proved that innovation, smart thinking, and a challenger’s mindset can beat sectorleading companies. It’s important that we take inspiration from everywhere we can, regardless of gender. Keep a balanced mindset and you’ll find more ideas that will help you. Finally, remember that digital communications is about teamwork. The digital landscape is increasingly complex. No one person—male or female—can retain all of the knowledge needed for success. Build strong relationships; help form and be part of strong teams who deliver brilliant work. This is the ethos I’ve tried to instil at Reading Room. We’ve created, I hope, a talented team who

About Margaret Manning Manning is CEO of international digital communications business Reading Room. Over the last 15 years, Margaret and her team have grown Reading Room into a global, award-winning consultancy, with offices in London, Manchester, Sydney, Canberra,

Melbourne, Brisbane and Singapore. Reading Room is the UK’s top digital agency (Design Week Top 100, 2010) and a global top ten digital agency (Interactive Media Awards) working with clients such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Skoda, Philips Healthcare ASEAN and UNHCR.

is passionate about the digital world. They understand the challenges that businesses and brands are facing to deliver relevant content to consumers whose habits are changing. In an increasingly fragmented world, there are hundreds of media channels across a plethora of different platforms. Personalisation and engagement are key in this new landscape, and businesses have had to adapt their marketing strategies to keep up. Digital media is taking priority over many offline channels because it focuses on the individual. But, somewhat ironically, this focus on the individual is too complex for one or two people to deal with. We need to move from small teams thinking about ‘consumers’ to larger teams thinking about ‘individuals.’ So be prepared to be tough but remember who you are. Be inspired by all sorts of people, and most importantly, work collectively with others. Your future success will depend on it.

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Feature

Goin’ Mobile? Leave These Strategies Behind By Sanjana Chappalli The numbers are on the table: three billion mobile connections in Asia Pacific at the end of Q1 2012, according to the GSM Association. Google’s Our Mobile Planet research concurs: smartphone penetration in Asia Pacific beats growth rates in every other region by a mile.

xpectedly, the explosion in mobile connectivity has created a buzz among marketing and communication professionals in the region as they scramble to understand user behaviour and adapt communication campaigns accordingly. There are plenty of buzzwords to go around as well: “mobile marketing,” “mobile site optimisation,” “mobile SEO,” “augmented reality apps” and so on. Despite the slew of buzzwords, a communication campaign for mobile platforms can be remarkably easy to adopt and execute. Mobile marketing is, quite

simply, marketing to mobile devices. Here are a few strategies to note, especially if you are in Asia Pacific:

SMS/TEXT MESSAGES

When I mentioned mobile marketing to an industry colleague, her immediate response was a telling one: “Don’t tell me you want to spam people with text messages.” (I didn’t want to, but that is a different story.) In Asia Pacific, there are markets where mobile network coverage does not necessarily extend to 3G. As a result, marketing messages are still delivered via SMS/text messages—much to the annoyance

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of subscribers. In India, the daily limit of 200 text messages per subscriber was recently lifted, and subscribers can choose to opt out of such message blasts from marketing companies. #Fail: Text messages don’t have embedded links for users to click and access more information. The chances of users pasting URLs onto their mobile browsers are very remote. #UpcomingTrend: Geomarketing— sending location-based messages to subscribers. For instance, SingTel, a leading network provider in Singapore, markets its roaming services to all subscribers who enter Changi Airport.

QR CODES

Quick Response (QR) codes spawned from Asia, and these monochromatic squares have made their way to milk cartons, shopping bags and even buses.

About the Author Sanjana Chappalli is a digital marketing specialist with 10 years’ experience on both agency and client side. Her background is in advertising, journalism and video production. At LEWIS, she advises clients on creating and enhancing digital marketing strategies across online and mobile platforms.

Feature: Goin’ Mobile? Leave These Strategies Behind

However, the impact of QR codes on website traffic has been dismal. If a communications professional advocates inclusion of QR codes in your marketing campaign, you might want to take caution. #Fail: It is naïve to assume that mobile users will download QR code readers, scan or photograph your particular code and visit your website to access information. #StillUsed: The only companies in Asia Pacific successfully using QR codes nowadays are those marketing loyalty rewards (PointPal, Perx, etc).

APPS

Unlike the preceding two, apps have been successfully used as a mobile marketing strategy. Nonetheless, it should be noted that universal adoption of this strategy hasn’t helped with marketing.

Like in other regions, mobile apps are quite popular in Asia Pacific. Companies across different sectors— from insurance companies to B2B tech companies—have released mobile apps. Mobile apps may be the latest style statement, but it is important to remember that they are not marketing tools in themselves. #Fail: Simply releasing mobile apps in Google Play, Apple’s App Store or BlackBerry’s App World may not necessarily help you reach your target audience. If they can’t find the app, they won’t use it. #QuestionsToAsk: Questions you might consider before planning a mobile app development project: How integral are mobile apps to the business as a whole? What business requirement does the app fulfil? What value does it add for your customers/users?

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Feature

Credit: Alex Graves from Lugano, Switzerland (Mumbai airport) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Employee Travel Risk Management By Shaun Boulter

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Feature: Employee Travel Risk Management

Credits: USAF [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Credits: Garmin eTrex Legend C in hand By Paul Downey from Berkhamsted, UK (Earthcache De Slufter Uploaded by Partyzan XXI) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

orporations and employers have realised over the years that their most valuable asset is their employees. Should employers fail to contact or account for their employees during an emergency or crisis, their duty of care has failed and they could find themselves liable. This could have a catastrophic effect on the organisation.

GPS-tracking apps such as Spot, Garmin, RUOK and Journey Watch. These types of services rely heavily on the traveller though: he/she will need to ensure that data roaming is switched on and live tracking is activated on his/her phone. Of course, corporations requiring such services can enforce these procedures through policies, but rules are sometimes broken.

Business trips have become an essential part of a business now due to a thirst for growth and a need to retain competitiveness in the market. It is estimated that every dollar of travel equates to approximately $15 to $18 of business.

The other way to track travellers is through the subscription of a software that links your organisation and the travel logistics company that provides your organisation with flight and hotel booking services. Such a software enables companies to instantly track, locate and communicate with their travelling workforce. It provides a visual overview of travel activity and country-specific risk levels. It also performs a geospatial search and communication function to easily locate and initiate two-way communication from a dynamic interactive map. Companies equipped with this system know exactly where their travelling employees are,

There are many tools available now to corporate business travellers, and even leisure travellers, to allow them to be tracked and enable them to report their locations, movements and itinerary changes as they move around. Some come in the form of smartphone apps such as Flight Track Pro, Trip it and World Mate Pro. There are also

have been or are going at all times. Travel security and duty-of-care processes are streamlined during a crisis through targeted communication and the ability to monitor travellers’ responses. The results are then rendered onto a map. The features for such a system are: • Traveller-tracking based on travel booking data and global distribution system • Access to country-specific risk levels • Geospatial maps to search and locate travellers • One-or two-way targeted communication, directly from the geospatial maps So what are the risks then to these travellers since the organisation is fully aware of the travellers’ whereabouts? For one, are the travellers aware of the risks associated with overseas travel in general? What about the risks associated with that region, country or city? The risks of travelling abound: one could face natural disasters or even terrorist attacks in certain parts of the world. However, the biggest travel-related risks are: travel disruption such as transportation strikes; poor standards of airlines and airports; petty crimes like break-ins and theft; extortion, which can be disguised in various forms; credit card fraud; and street protests.

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security, identity security, pandemic and health awareness advice. Additional services include: daily push email news bulletins featuring global security-related news feeds, and geographical security push email alerts specific to the member’s geographical location. The security alerts offer both proactive and reactive advice and news. The service provider of these access assistance services has a 24-hour hotline call centre manned by security professionals who are able to offer advice and support when required, escalate the call response procedures to a tailored crisis management level and provide support services such as political security evacuation and natural disaster support.

The greatest concern and risk to the business traveller over the past few years has been travel disruptions. Such disruptions can have dire consequences for the traveller and his/ her organisation. A traveller may be stuck in an airport at a foreign location that may be considered high risk or even hostile; worse, he/she could be stranded outside the airport as all flights are cancelled. The traveller may not have access to funds to pay for accommodation, transportation or even basic necessities such as food and water. A recent major travel disruption was the volcanic ash cloud that had enveloped Europe, which impeded flights for more than a week. Airlines have varying standards around the world in terms of service and maintenance. This should be taken into account when booking travel, and caution should be paid towards cheap airlines. Airports also vary in standards of safety and service—routes with connections should be looked at in detail during travel booking.

The risk of disruption needs to be rated against the financial cost of the loss of business as well as the costs of implementing travel risk management plans. As the employer’s duty of care for the staff is imperative, the question is not whether travel security risk management is required, but the extent to which it is required—it is a balance between cost and acceptable risk. Other services that are available to corporate entities are access subscription services that allow members to access a travel risk security-related website. These websites include information such as country-specific information: • • • • • •

Overview Political condition Security and terrorism threats and risks Cultural factors Travel logistics Useful and emergency contacts.

Other information available on these sites pertains to personal security, property

However, the biggest travel-related risks are: travel disruption such as transportation strikes; poor standards of airlines and airports; petty crimes like break-ins and theft; extortion, which can be disguised in various forms; credit card fraud; and street protests.

All of these services ensure comfort to not only the business traveller and overseas expat but also the employer because the duty of care provision is in place and support is available to their staff in times of need. There are some basic rules that the business traveller should adhere to when travelling. The top 10 advisory tips are: 1. Do let your family, friends and employer know of your travel itinerary, including flights, hotels, dates, times, contact numbers and meeting schedules (who you are meeting and their contact details). 2. Research your destination and examine the risk factors associated to that country and city. Also do not forget to look at the cultural specificities of the destination. 3. Study and plan your mode of ground transportation once you arrive in the country. Always try to use a reputable means of transport that will get you to your destinations safely. 4. Dress down when travelling and try to blend in upon arrival at your final destination—crime syndicates often have spotters in airport arrival halls looking for travellers who look vulnerable, lost and wealthy. 5. Make use of the hotel safe as well as the room safe. Items of tremendous value and your passport (if you decide

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not to bring it out) should be secured in the hotel safe, which is generally a lot more reliable than the room safe. 6. Choose a room above ground level but no higher than the seventh floor and preferably rear-facing or overlooking the pool areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fire ladders will then be able to reach you in the event of a fire. 7. Walk accompanied as much as possible and avoid dark secluded areas. If you plan to enter an area with a high crime rate, carry a secondary wallet or purse with a small amount of money, with the bulk of your money and credit cards hidden on you. This item serves as a decoy should you encounter a robber. 8. Avoid routine when staying in one hotel or location for an extended period of

Feature: Employee Travel Risk Management

time. Go for breakfast at different times, alter your departure times to and from the hotel and alternate your routes if possible to provide an impression of unpredictability should a criminal be watching you. 9. When socialising in a foreign environment do not drop your guard. Avoid large amounts of alcohol, never leave your glass in a bar unattended, avoid talking too openly about personal and company information and do not tell strangers your home or hotel details. 10. In the event of an emergency: there are no textbook answers to this, but the general advice is to move away from any danger, trust your instincts and always remember that communication is key during a crisis.

For more information about Travel Security Risk Management services please contact: Shaun Boulter Director of Security AA International â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Global Secure +65 9689 7355 shaun.boulter@aa-international.com

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British High Commission / UKTI

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December 2012/January 2013

British High Commission News

By HE Antony Phillipson

High Commission send off reception for Team Singapore at Eden Hall

It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly the end of 2012. The year has passed in a blur. At the start of the year we were looking forward to the celebrations of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and also to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our aim was to use both to promote the profile of the UK in Singapore. To do so in partnership with the other British groups here including, of course, the British Chamber of Commerce. As we look back I hope most would agree that we achieved this aim. The Olympics

and Paralympics have been hailed for their organisation, the quality of the sporting displays, not least from the two Team GBs, and also the venues, all of which will be passed on to other organisations to ensure a lasting legacy. This didn’t happen by accident. The staging of these Games showed that we can deliver projects on time, on budget and on a global scale. In the lead up to the Games we held a number of events to mark the key milestones on the road to London. At those events we also praised the contribution that the Chamber was

making to Team Singapore through their Dream Awards supporting athletes of the future. I think it is safe to say that, for the next few years and beyond, the memory of the London Games will burn bright and reflect positively on the UK. Our celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee came in two chapters. First, in June, we joined in with the events in the UK to mark the formal anniversary. Then, in September, came the visit to Singapore of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Our partnership

British High Commission / UKTI

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(From L-R) Mark King, President, Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce; TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Jonathan Asherson, Regional Director Southeast Asia

with the Chamber, as well as that with the British Council, British Association and the British Club was prominent in their programme. I was delighted to be able to invite Steve and Yoshiko to the Istana for the State dinner and to welcome them and a number of other Chamber members to Eden Hall the following evening. The commemorative book that the Chamber produced to mark the Diamond Jubilee and 60 years of UK/ Singapore business ties was presented to Their Royal Highnesses during their visit. The warm words from President Tony Tan Keng Yam in his foreword are testament to the strength and depth of the relationship, and to the role of the Chamber in achieving that. But the year has not only been about high profile events. At the start of my posting I heard a few people, UK and Singaporean, talk of a risk that the UK

was taking its historic relationship with Singapore for granted. I very much hope we can now put that to rest. 2011 was a good year for high level attention with visits from the Defence Secretary (twice), the Business Secretary and the Duke of York. We sustained and surpassed that in 2012 with visits from the Prime Minister (briefly, but he had an excellent exchange with PM Lee); the Foreign Secretary; the Secretary of State for Wales; the Lord Mayor; Lord Green, Minister for Trade and Investment; the Minister for the Armed Forces and countless senior officials. As I write we are expecting two more Ministers to visit before the end of the year. In the other direction we were pleased to welcome in the UK President Tan, both Deputy Prime Ministers and other key interlocutors. There was also plenty of contact in the margins

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague at the IISS Fullerton Lecture

of international meetings including a meeting between PM Lee and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in Seoul last March. So in terms of political commitment to the relationship, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little lacking. The key issue, of course, is what we can do together, in particular to support business across the prosperity and growth agenda. It was in order to take that forward that we were pleased to welcome key officials like Adrian Smith, Director General for Research and Innovation at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS); Simon Fraser, Permanent Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and Martin Donnelly, Permanent Secretary at BIS. All were focused on practical cooperation between the UK and Singapore. And all had the chance to hear from business about what our

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Lord Mayor of London, Alderman David Wootton

As we approach the start of the New Year, it’s hard to imagine how we are going to top the excitement of 2012. But if anything, it’s going to be an even more important year for the UK as we continue to strive for growth and a return to fiscal health.

About the Author HE Antony Phillipson British High Commissioner

The figures for trade with Singapore are very robust and we are doing our bit to contribute to the Chancellor’s target of doubling exports to £1 trillion by the end of the decade. But the world we are in is increasingly competitive and we cannot relax our efforts. So, 2013 is going to be another busy year. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Chamber to achieve our goals. In the meantime I wish you, and your family and friends, all the best for a Merry Christmas and a Happy, and Prosperous, New Year.

priorities should be in this context. For my part I find these sessions that we have arranged with Chamber members and other business people invaluable, and this effort to enhance and increase the strategic dialogue between the High Commission and business is going to remain a priority for me going forward.

In celebration of HM’s Diamond Jubilee

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British High Commission / UKTI

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2012: A Year of GREAT News for UKâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Singapore Business By Judi Leon

British High Commission / UKTI: 2012: A Year of GREAT News for UK-Singapore Business

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The Duchess of Cambridge signing a ceremonial plaque at the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus, where the first Trent aero engine was assembled and tested in Singapore. Looking on are (L-R) Jonathan Asherson, Rolls-Royce’s Regional Director, SEA; Paul O’Neil, Director, Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus; Mark King, Rolls-Royce’s President, Civil Aerospace

hat a year! I don’t think that in January any of us could have forecast such a busy, high profile period for UK-Singapore relations and I’m pleased that commercial success has been a key part of this. We are happy to note that UK Trade in Goods with Singapore for the period January to August 2012 had increased 19.3% over the same period in 2011. This growth is a particularly notable achievement given the global economic situation and reinforces our belief that both countries have much to gain through our continuingly close relationship.

A lot of work and individual successes across a wide range of sectors have gone into gaining these encouraging numbers. It’s great to see that business is being won by both SMEs and MNCs, sometimes with the help of the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team at the British High Commission. These recent successes include: • British companies winning contracts for MRT projects worth £179 million since April 2011; • Two UK companies being awarded tenders totalling over £8 million for

• •

•

engineering consultancy work for the new North-South Expressway; The Institute of Occupational Medicine being launched in September 2012; Due to a liberalisation of Singapore’s legal sector, some 30 UK law firms are now here; Imperial College has established a joint venture with Nanyang Technological University that will enable it to open Singapore’s third medical school in 2014; The Serious Games Institute Development Centre has been set up to apply advanced game technologies

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for education, healthcare and tourism; • 26 UK companies exhibited at Food and Hotel Asia in April 2012 resulting in orders to export regional specialities and a wide range of products to Singapore. In the other direction, more Singaporean companies are choosing the UK as the place from which to expand their business into Europe and beyond. Between April 2011 and March 2012 the UKTI investment team in Singapore were directly involved with 17 new investment successes. This represented a 50% increase over the previous year and resulted in the creation of over 200 new jobs and safeguarded a further 86; this trend has continued in 2012. 2012 will of course be remembered for two events, both of which enabled UK business strengths to be promoted in innovative ways. Alongside the hugely successful Olympic and Paralympic Games, UKTI organised the British Business Embassy in Lancaster House

in London—the biggest trade and investment event any government has ever run. Singaporean Ministers and companies attended some of the sessions, and we streamed part of the ICT seminar to invited guests at an event in the British High Commission. The other main event of 2012 was of course HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and the visit by TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge highlighted two specific UK business successes: the first engine assembly line and fan blade plant set up by Rolls-Royce outside the UK, and the contribution to the stunning Gardens by the Bay by the British design team led by Grant Associates. A record number of other senior visits— including the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Secretary of State for Wales and Lord Green, the Trade Minister—has enabled us to hold events promoting UK-Singapore business and take forward high level discussions, for

British Business during the Olympics and Paralympics

From 26 July to 7 September at the British Business Embassy, over 40 Ministers (including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor, Business Secretary and Foreign Secretary) welcomed over 4,000 business leaders and global figures, including more than half of the FTSE 100 companies and hundreds of international buyers, investors and policy makers, to the Global Investment Conference and a series of Global Business Summits • Speakers included IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, fashion designer Stella McCartney and Apple designer Sir Jonathan Ive • Events focused on key sectors including creative industries, energy and life sciences, and showcased the best of British business, design and technology • Businesses and Governments exchanged views and ideas, discussed challenges and developed strong global partnerships. Participating businesses are expected to generate £1 billion of extra sales

• Media coverage in the UK exceeded £4 million in advertising equivalent, and over 200 pieces were published outside the UK with a reach of 29 million people

Lord Mayor Alderman David Wooton being interviewed by Business Times’ editor Vikram Khanna after his presentation at the Leaders in Business Lunch organised by BritCham Singapore in May 2012

• An important element of the Olympic Legacy is to support the generation of a further £12 billion in business benefits through additional exports, investment into the UK and contracts for the delivery of international sporting events

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British High Commission / UKTI: 2012: A Year of GREAT News for UK-Singapore Business >

Left: Lord Green at the Singapore AirShow 2012 Below: Foreign Secretary William Hague at the British Business Embassy in London

Are you looking for a different venue for your Board meeting, to launch a new product or meet potential customers?

Eden Hall, the High Commissioner’s Residence, and the British High Commission site on Tanglin Road offer a range of rooms and facilities and are both available for UK companies to use to promote their business. Over 70 business-related events were held at Eden Hall in the first nine months this year, including 15 commissioned by companies. We can also help identify invitees, take care of the catering and provide support at the event. The cost is dependent on your requirements and in some circumstances may be subject to a discount until March 2013.

example on the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which we hope will be agreed shortly. Looking ahead to 2013, it’s difficult to say quite what the year will bring, but I am sure it will be busy! We have a number of initiatives to try and turn the goodwill generated from the UK’s high profile in 2012 in Singapore and the first year of the UK-Singapore Economic and Business Partnership into commercial success. We will continue to work with UK companies to do this, and I’d like to mention two ways in which we want to work more closely with British companies in Singapore. The first is to build on our

efforts to help UK companies access opportunities in third markets, especially some of the regional cities in southern China, through closer collaboration with relevant Singaporean entities and activities such as a joint trade mission. We also want to increase the opportunity for UK companies based here to use our facilities to meet their own objectives. Please see the sidebar for more information. We also look forward to working closely with the British Chamber over the next year to build more networks, connect more businesses and create additional opportunities for UK-Singapore commercial success.

Please approach any of the UKTI team for more information or contact us at Commercial. Singapore@fco.gov.uk.

About the Author Judi Leon took over as Deputy Director, Trade and Investment, UK Trade and Investment in Singapore in August 2012, so it’s been quite a year for her too!

share in our success in Asia When making investment decisions it makes sense to be guided by the experts. Our Executive Investment Account has just been awarded Best Single Premium Investment Product (Far East) in the International Life Awards 2010. And our Investment Account won Best New Product (Far East) in 2009. These were voted for by an independent panel, appointed by ‘International Adviser’, a recognised publication for global investment advice. Royal Skandia is a premier offshore provider that truly understands your financial goals. Please ask your financial adviser how you can share in our success.

Skandia International is the divisional name for the international group of companies within the Skandia Group. Calls may be monitored and recorded for training purposes and to avoid misunderstandings. Skandia International is the registered business name of Royal Skandia Life Assurance Limited (Singapore Branch). Royal Skandia Life Assurance Limited (Singapore Branch), Level 25, North Tower, One Raffles Quay, Singapore 048583. Phone: +65 6622 5406 Fax: +65 6622 5400 Registered in Singapore Number T08FC7158E. Authorised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to conduct life assurance business in Singapore. Member of the Life Insurance Association of Singapore. Member of the Singapore Finance Dispute Resolution Scheme. Royal Skandia Life Assurance Limited – a member of the Skandia Group of companies. Registered Office/Head Office: Skandia House, King Edward Road, Onchan, Isle of Man, IM99 1NU, British Isles. INT11-006

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At the Chamber

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

Dear Members, A busy and eventful year draws to a close, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your loyalty, engagement and involvement in the many activities the Chamber had initiated and organised in the past year. 2012 was an important and great year for Britain, with the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics as the main highlights. Here are some reflections on the Chamber’s activities in 2012: • Orient was re-launched, with an upgraded and modernised design to benefit members, advertisers and readers. • A coffee-table book was published to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. • The final cheque of our Dream 2012 bursary to promising athletes training at the Singapore Sports School for their Olympic dreams was presented, with an award of a cumulative total of $80,500. • The 8th BiSEA conference in Singapore was hosted in August, welcoming guests and delegates from the British Chambers in the ASEAN markets.

Brigitte Holschneider Executive Director, British Chamber of Commerce

• The Chamber collaborated with The Straits Times and published a four-page supplement in October, covering the 13th Annual Business Awards, the Chamber, British business in Singapore and Singaporean business in the UK. • The Professional Services Business Group was re-launched, driven by an engaged core group of members. Its focus is on driving business for all members of the group by connecting with UK Chambers and by being part of the UKTI Launchpad pilot project supporting UK-based SMEs with their expansion to Asia and Singapore in particular. • The new Business Group: Leadership in Singapore and South East Asia was conceptualised, an initiative driven by the board and a group of engaged members. Key topics will be addressed and offered in the Chamber’s 2013 programme. • To proactively engage members, focus groups—comprising of diverse members—were held and detailed feedback was received regarding members’ expectations of the Chamber. For more information, please contact our Membership Manager, Katie Hudson, at katie@britchamorg.sg On the Chamber’s development, I am delighted to report that the network has grown past the 1,500 mark, a sound increase compared to 1,250 at the start of 2012. All in all it has been another active, successful year for the Chamber, and we are now gearing up for an even more engaging and ambitious programme for 2013. I wish you and your families a Happy Christmas. It is now time to relax, rewind and anticipate a dynamic start into the new year. Kind regards,

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At the Chamber: Sterling/Corporate News Akamai Technologies Inc, the leading cloud platform to provide enterprises with secure, high-performing user experiences on any device anywhere, is pleased to announce the following senior appointments: Alex Caro has been appointed Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Services for Asia Pacific and Japan. He is responsible for technical strategy and all professional services teams across the region. Malcolm Rowe has been appointed Regional Vice President, Sales for South Asia. He is responsible for driving Akamai’s growth throughout the region, positioning the company as the leading force in Internet services for business. Akamai also recently announced the opening of offices in Taipei, Taiwan, and Melbourne, Australia, as well as the recruitment of new country managers in Japan and Korea. www.akamai.com

Does your mover understand your business objectives and the needs of your employees? The choice of moving companies is largely influenced by price, scope of local presence and track record. Allied Pickfords provides you with a proactive approach to your move, with involvement and ownership from the point of enquiry all the way through to delivery. With over 400 years of experience, the Allied Pickfords name is synonymous with moving expertise. While others move cartons, Allied Pickfords provides you with moving solutions. So relax, and let them carry the load. Call us at 6862 4700. www.alliedpickfords.com.sg

Geodis Wilson, one of the world’s leading freight management companies, announced its expanding trucking operations to include China. This marks an extension of its existing routes through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Indochina region. The full cross-border route between Singapore and China covers a total distance of 5,950 km and has an efficient lead time of seven days. Customers can choose between full-container-load (FCL) or less-than-container-load services. Full container loads are sealed from door-to-door and opened only if required by border customs, while less-than-full container loads are consolidated at Geodis Wilson facilities along the route and fed into the main road network by regional trucks. www.geodiswilson.com

ICAEW, a world leader in the accountancy and finance profession, celebrates the achievements of newly qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountants in Singapore. The ceremony, which was held in November, marks the success of the latest batch of locally trained ACA graduates. Currently undergoing training at some of Singapore’s top accountancy firms and businesses, the graduates will continue on their path towards being business leaders of tomorrow. The ACA is a vigorous and challenging professional development programme and is globally recognised as a premier business and finance qualification. www.icaew.com

Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Ink, media experts in connecting with travellers, are to launch the first magazine—AUH—for Abu Dhabi International Airport. “We were given a clean slate to come up with the design for the magazine. As a result, we have one of the most attractive and innovative layouts I have worked on,” said Michael Keating, Executive Creative Director at Ink. “We already believe that this is a magazine that we are all going to be very proud of.” www.ink-global.com

The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd is the largest luxury hospitality organisation in the world, representing over 430 of the finest hotels, resorts and spas in over 80 countries. The latest offering from the organisation is Café Royal Hotel on Regent Street, in the centre of London. Due to open in December 2012, Café Royal was once a famous West End meeting place for artists and intellectuals. The hotel combines heritage with contemporary sensibilities. And complementing the 159 stylish rooms and historic suites is an array of food and beverage venues, the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre and five meeting and banquet rooms. www.lhw.com/caferoyallondon

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At the Chamber: Corporate News

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

Friends Provident International (FPI) has won at the International Adviser Awards for four consecutive years—a demonstration of real achievement and a reflection of the high regard in which its business is held. The awards are for the international life industry covering cross-border sales into the UK, the Middle East and Asia. They reward excellence in product design, distribution and servicing intermediaries. FPI has won: Asia: Best Single Premium investment Product—Reserve. Best Protection Product—Int Pro Asia. Best Overall Product Range. Middle East: Best Single Premium Investment Product—Reserve. Best Protection Product—Int Pro ME. Best Online Proposition. Best Overall Product Range. General: International Advisor Readers’ Choice Award www.fpinternational.com

From October, The Insight Bureau (TIB) will merge the operations of Inspiring100— founded by Bastian Döhling—into its speaker bureau operations in Singapore. Andrew Vine, Founder and CEO of The Insight Bureau said, “TIB’s mission has always been to help senior executives make good business decisions. Now, with Bastian, this will expand our work in areas like leadership development, creativity, innovation and employee engagement.” Both companies have worked with Singapore-based speakers, such as Fredrik Haren and Andrew Bryant, in this area. To view the full range of TIB speakers across economics, strategic affairs, business, technology, innovation and leadership, please visit www.insightbureau.com

International health insurer, InterGlobal, boasts 99% member satisfaction. InterGlobal recently put their medical assistance service to the test with a member satisfaction survey, which revealed high scores across the board: • 99% of 103 members were satisfied with the service they received from InterGlobal Assistance regarding their claims. • 90% would recommend InterGlobal to family, friends or colleagues. • 89% rated InterGlobal as good to excellent overall. InterGlobal is a complete specialist in global private medical insurance, providing healthcare coverage to international business people worldwide. www.interglobalpmi.com

Students from Tanglin Trust School were delighted to meet Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to Singapore on 12 September. Four hundred of the 2,700 students at the school were lucky enough to represent Tanglin and welcome the royal couple during their visit to the Gardens by the Bay, which opened earlier this year. Despite a hectic schedule, the Duke and Duchess made time to speak to the students (aged from five to 18 years old) at length and answered numerous questions. Tanglin Trust School is very proud to have been a part of the royal visit. www.tts.edu.sg

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At the Chamber: Corporate News New Appointments at Meyado Pte Ltd: - Peter Seligman, Assistant Branch Manager. Peter had started in investment banking in London, then became a financial advisor in Edinburgh and now here, in Singapore. His work involves helping private clients and SMEs with their financial planning arrangements. Originally from Scotland, Peter moved to Singapore in February 2011 with his wife, Caroline. The couple have thoroughly enjoyed their first year in Singapore, having the year topped off with the birth of their daughter, Ottilie, in October. - Sujan Roy, Investment Advisor. Sujan spent the first part of his career doing corporate and international taxation. First at Morgan Stanley, then HSBC Asset Management and Lloyds TSB Group. For the last six years he has been advising HNW individuals on taxstructured investments and investments generally with boutique firms in London and now in Singapore. Sujan is married with a two-year-old son. www.meyado.com

Tamarind Hill opens in Singapore. Nestled atop the forested Labrador Nature Reserve, Tamarind Hill Singapore is perfectly reminiscent of the original Tamarind Hill Kuala Lumpur, preserving the milieu of a stand-alone colonial bungalow amid a vast, green surrounding. An ambience redefined by Tamarind’s unmistakeable rustic-luxe Asian character and flair, the restaurant serves its traditional and contemporary Siamese cuisine within this elegant venue just minutes away from the city. With three distinct dining areas, enjoy dining on the lanai open to the jungle or inside the house in private corners and intimate sections. Whet your appetite first with the welcoming long bar at the front of house. www.samadhiretreats.com/tamarind-hill-singapore.html

Spinal Balance is a niche chiropractic clinic conveniently located at Raffles Place and which specialises in exclusive, gentle and holistic Sacro-Occipital Technique care. Experts in improving spine-related conditions such as neck and back pain, Spinal Balance goes beyond treating headaches, migraines and other debilitating health issues: their chiropractor is particularly well trained with pregnancy and infant-related health concerns. If you have been in search for a “drug-free” and “non-surgical” approach to your health that is proven to be effective and long lasting, look no further. Contact Spinal Balance and find out how you and your family can benefit. www.spinalbalance.org

International law firm Stephenson Harwood has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as a partner in its aviation and structured finance practice in Singapore. Saugata’s previous experience includes working as a senior associate in the structured and asset finance group in Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s London office, and as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in London. Saugata specialises in advising on aircraft financing structures, including sale and lease-backs, secured loans, finance leases and PDP lending structures. He also advises on derivatives and structured products. He has experience in structuring creditlinked notes, synthetic equity trades, securitisations, secured margin-lending trades and catastrophe bond issues. Saugata will work closely with Paul Ng, Stephenson Harwood’s global head of aviation. www.shlegal.com

WWW.BRITCHAM.ORG.SG

International law firm Taylor Vinters announces the new partner for its Singapore office. CEO Matt Meyer welcomed new partner Henry Goodwin to the Singapore office this month. Henry began his career in London, and since moving to Singapore in early 2008, has provided corporate and commercial advice to a variety of Asia-based companies, from technology start-ups to MNCs and private investment organisations. Henry specialises in the delivery of cross-border venture capital, M&A, and commercial sourcing solutions to clients in the technology, media, FMCG and professional services sectors. The Taylor Vinters team specialises in legal support for technology, outsourcing and investment activities across Asia Pacific. www.taylorvinters.com

Sporting Memorabilia celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Singapore last November. Check out the latest stock, including new signed items from Olympic legends, Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis and Andy Murray at Icon Gallery, 476 River Valley Road. There will also be anniversary deals and the opportunity to see an official Olympic torch on display. Icon Gallery is a unique concept in Singapore, showcasing music-inspired art as well as two rooms of rare and limited-edition sporting memorabilia. www.sportingmemorabilia.biz

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At the Chamber: Members’ Offers

Members’ Offers

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

Up To 15% Off Medical Insurance Enjoy a 10% discount off your medical insurance with MSIG, and have an additional 5% discount if you take up a family policy! Prestige Healthcare Insurance covers up to an annual limit of $3 million* for inpatient and outpatient treatments. Call 6827 7602 or email service@sg.msig-asia.com and quote your BritCham membership number to apply now and enjoy this offer. *Policy terms and conditions apply.

Treat Yourself To An ECO Retreat ECO Gourmet Cafe Enjoy a 15% discount off your total bill on Mondays to Thursdays when you dine with us at ECO—another reason to treat yourself to a respite in the lush foliage of Labrador Nature Reserve, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. ECO Gourmet Cafe is at 30 Labrador Villa Road (free parking at Car Park A). Bookings and enquiries: 6479 8885 / eco@ samadhiretreats.com Validity: July to December 2012. Terms & Conditions: •

Membership card must be presented for the offer.

•

Applicable Monday–Friday (except public holiday or eve of public holidays).

•

Offer not applicable with other offers, set menu, happy hour, set dinners, group bookings or events.

MC Corporate Services Pte Ltd MC Group of Companies offers you their comprehensive range of services at start-up prices for your company formation, corporate secretarial, business consultancy, accounting or tax advisory needs with no hidden costs. Be assured of personalised professional services from their highly qualified and experienced directors. Members get to enjoy a special 15% discount off their regular rates. Call 6222 8880 or email contact@mccorporate.com.sg

WWW.BRITCHAM.ORG.SG

Expat Living FREE three-month subscription to Expat Living magazine Expat Living is full of great ideas for making the most of life in Singapore. Take a peek inside the homes of your fellow expats and read their personal recommendations on living, shopping, dining, travelling and keeping fit and healthy. Whatever you need to know about expat life in Singapore, the monthly magazine will put you on the right track! Usual annual subscription fee: $60 (with five complimentary annual guides worth a total of $108 delivered to your door). Call us at 6259 0058 or email circulation@expatliving.sg for a longer subscription or to sign up a friend.

Content

We are a Singapore-based content and communications company offering editorial, design, digital and a range of publishing services to companies around the world. Working across platforms and with multi-lingual skills, we will develop the right solution for your specific communications and content requirements.

Magazines & Books

Talk to us. Call Paul Coleman at +65 6220 2900 Digital

Media Sales

Illustrations and info-graphics

www.novusasia.com

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At the Chamber: Members’ Offers

Harry’s Bar 15% discount for Chamber members when you present your membership card.

Newsmag International Pte Ltd Weekend British Press – The Complete Domestic Version Up to 50% discount! Enjoy nearly 50% off retail prices for weekend subscription to Guardian Saturday/The Observer and Times Saturday/Sunday Times (full domestic version with colour supplements and magazines).

Regus 30% discount off Regus Businessworld card! Regus Businessworld is great for professionals who work from home or travel frequently on business. Say goodbye to meetings in noisy coffee shops, catching up on emails in your hotel room and having to host conference calls at the airport. Say hello to productive business lounges or your own private office where you can hold meetings, check email, print reports and run your business at ease. Contact 1 800 622 1565.

Rubicon Reserve Wines Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, NZ Buy 12 bottles and have 18 delivered, saving $216! *Six free bottles* Average cost: $24 nett per bottle (minimum purchase of 12 bottles). *Free delivery included* Order online at www.rubiconreservewines.com/britcham or call our sales team at 6837 8012. Quote “BritCham Wine Club Special” when you order.

WWW.BRITCHAM.ORG.SG

Singapore Cricket Club The Singapore Cricket Club is offering Chamber members a special one-year membership at a rate of $2,500 (usual rate: $3,500). Contact snow@scc.org.sg for more information. (Offer available for Chamber members only, and applies to the NEW Singapore Cricket Club membership, excluding renewals.)

Shipping Business Fundamentals 15% discount for Chamber members. Register now if you are an ambitious professional who deals with trading, shipping, operations, risk management, finance or banking. Quote “British Chamber of Commerce” to receive your discount or email Mariza msantos@smu.edu.sg. This is an entry-level course designed for those who need to have an understanding of the shipping and ship-chartering business in their job functions. Register now and enjoy an additional 30% fee subsidy from the Maritime Port Authority. *Terms and conditions apply

Spinal Balance Spinal Balance Pte Ltd is pleased to offer a 20% discount on the initial consultation and a further 10% discount on subsequent visits. Just present your Chamber membership card upon arrival to receive this special rate and start living a healthy life today! Spinal Balance—chiropractic doctors specialising in gentle, holistic Sacro Occipital Technique. www.spinalbalance.org

Vanda Boxing Club •

Free trial session for boxing and Muay Thai training.

•

Exclusive for Chamber members: enjoy a complimentary month with a sixmonth membership.

•

Upon signing up for the one-year membership, you enjoy a free pair of gloves and wraps worth a total of $100.

•

No joining fee (usual joining fee: $250).

•

For full details contact Sarah Livingston at sarah@vandasportsgroup.com or call 6305 2288

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At the Chamber: BritCham Events Review 2012

BritCham Events 2012 January

Wed, February 15, 2012 - 12:00 PM

Tue, January 10, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Leaders in Business Lunch: The UK’s Growth Strategy: What This Means for International Business

Breakfast Club: Managing Supply Chain Risk Jason Teo - Chairman, TAPA (Transported Asset Protection Association)

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint - UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment Wed, February 22, 2012 - 12:00 PM

Thu, January 12, 2012 - 7:45 AM Special Event: Strategic Partner Event: Turbulence Revisited 2012: An Economic Outlook and Business Forum Dr Yuwa Hedrick-Wong Wed, January 18, 2012 - 8:00 AM Dialogue Session: UK-Singapore Economic & Business Partnership (EBP)

Leaders in Business Lunch: Facilities Management: Friend or Foe? Chris Cracknell - CEO of OCS Group Fri, February 24, 2012 - 8:00 AM CSR Panel: Corporate Social Responsibility: Building Business Resilience Carolyn Lints - Hill Dickinson LLP, Jenny Costelloe - Tulchan Communications, Georgie Passalaris - Diageo

UK Trade and Investment Tue, January 31, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Productivity—More with More, Not More with Less Doing great work that has meaning Ray Bigger - Managing Director, Think8

February

Tue, February 28, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Recruiting the 2020 Workforce New approaches in a different world Guy Day - Chief Executive, Ambition Tue, February 28, 2012 - 7:00 PM Strategic Partner Event: An Evening with Sir John Hegarty: Turning Intelligence into Magic Sir John Hegarty - BBH

Wed, February 1, 2012 - 7:45 AM BritCham/UKTI Briefing: What’s Going on in China Chris Wood - Deputy Head of Mission in Beijing Tue, February 7, 2012 - 6:30 PM Evening Presentation: UK Economy, Blowing Away Nostalgia Why the UK’s economy is like our football George Norris - SE Asia Economist, British High Commission Thu, February 9, 2012 - 7:00PM Annual Event: Sterling and Sponsors Acknowledgement Dinner

Wed, February 29, 2012 - 6:30 PM YBC Mentor Series: With HE Antony Phillipson, British High Commissioner HE Antony Phillipson - British High Commissioner

March Wed, March 7, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Taking Complexity Out of Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Gary Haran Doyle and Michael Wright - KPMG

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At the Chamber: BritCham Events Review 2012

Thu, March 8, 2012 - 12:00 PM Entrepreneurs and Small Business Group Working Lunch: IT on a Shoe-string for SME’s Paul High - High-Tech Solutions Wed, March 14, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Impact Through Leadership in International Education Meeting the education demands of the 21st Century student Jeffrey Beard - IB Director General, International Baccalaureate

April Wed, April 11, 2012 - 6:30 PM BritCham Pure Networking Evening Series Thu, April 12, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Banking Banana Skins: The Slippery Slope of the Banking Industry and its Future Banking insiders, regulators and observers rank their top threats Dominic Nixon - Asia Financial Services Leader, PwC LLP Singapore; Chris Matten - Partner, PwC Singapore

Wed, March 14, 2012 - 6:30 PM Business Group Networking: Entrepreneur & Small Business Networking Evening British Chamber of Commerce Thu, March 15, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Iskandar Malaysia Project: Building a Collaborative Eco-business System Approaching business in the new economy Keith Martin - CEO, Global Capital & Development

Tue, April 17, 2012 - 5:00 PM BritCham Economic Briefing with Dr Tan Kee Wee Dr Tan Kee Wee - Independent Economist Mon, April 23, 2012 - 12:00 PM Leaders in Business Lunch: London 2012: Delivering International Business Legacy Sir Alan Collins KCVO CMG

Thu, March 15, 2012 - 6:30 PM

Wed, April 25, 2012 - 7:45 AM

New Members Night

Breakfast Club: Is the Asian Residential Real Estate Heading for a Crash in 2012?

Tue, March 20, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Asia Pacific Commercial Real Estate Outlook 2012 Will corporate occupiers and investors remain active in AP in 2012? Megan Walters PhD MRICS - Head of Research, Asia Pacific Capital Markets, Jones Lang LaSalle

Tim Murphy - Chief Executive Officer and Founder, IP Global

May Fri, May 4, 2012 - 12:30 PM Entrepreneurs and Small Business Group Working Lunch: Productivity and Innovation Credit Scheme and Budget 2012 Highlights for SMEs

Thu, March 22, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Joan Fuan - Tax Specialist, IRAS

Breakfast Club: Indonesian Upstream Oil and Gas— Outlook and Challenges Jim Taylor - President and General Manager, ConocoPhillips Indonesia and President of Indonesian Petroleum Association

Tue, May 8, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Fri, March 30, 2012 - 12:00 PM ICT Business Group Working Lunch: Clearing the Skies for Cloud Computing What you need to know in order to begin developing your companies Cloud Strategy? Ho Wah Lee - Head of Advisory, KPMG

Breakfast Club: Boris v Ken: The London Mayoral Election and Recent Coalition Headaches—What Next for UK Politics? The impact on business and the financial services industry Iain Anderson - Founding Director and Chief Corporate Counsel, Cicero Group

Thu, May 10, 2012 - 6:30 PM Annual General Meeting British Chamber of Commerce Eden Hall, British High Commissioner’s Residence

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

Tue, May 15, 2012 - 8:00 AM Country Briefing: Doing Business in Indonesia UKTI, BritCham Indonesia, HSBC, The Indonesian Investment Promotion Centre (IIPC) Singapore

Tue, May 15, 2012 - 6:30 PM Entrepreneur/SME Inter-Chamber Networking Night

Wed, May 16, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Ensuring Quality: A Relevant Approach to Rigour Malcolm Kay - Superintendent, Stamford American International School

June Thu, June 7, 2012 - 7:30 PM BritCham Rugby Dinner 2012 Martin Corry (England), Paul Wallace (Ireland) and Peter FitzSimons (Australia) Tue, June 12, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: UK Inheritance Tax and Domicile Planning Explained How to get your planning right Martin Rimmer - International Tax Manager, The Fry Group Fri, June 15, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Wed, May 16, 2012 - 12:00 PM Leaders in Business Lunch: Delivering Results: Growth and Value in a Volatile World Highlights from the PwC 15th Global CEO Survey

Breakfast Club: The West’s Pain, Singapore’s Gain? Jeremy Grant - Asia regional correspondent, Financial Times

Thu, June 21, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Dominic Nixon - Asia Financial Services Leader, PwC LLP Singapore

Breakfast Club: Capitalising on Asia’s Opportunity to be a Leader in Cloud Computing

Tue, May 22, 2012 - 7:45 AM

Per Dahlberg and Mark Ross - Founders of the Asia Cloud Computing Association

Country Briefing: Myanmar: The Next Frontier? Sumana Rajarethnam - Senior Analyst, Asia, Economist Intelligence Unit

Thu, June 21, 2012 - 6:30 PM

Thu, May 24, 2012 - 4:00 PM

Ash Singh - CEO of Interactive.SG

YBC Business Tour: Rolls-Royce Seletar Facility Rolls-Royce Fri, May 25, 2012 - 12:00 PM Leaders in Business Lunch: With The Lord Mayor of the City of London London: A world service Alderman David Wootton - The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of the City of London

YBC Mentor Series: Keys to Success from the Creator of “The Angel’s Gate”

Wed, June 27, 2012 - 12:30 PM Business Lunch: Roundtable Workshop on Third Country partnerships Focus on Korea Douglas Barrett - Head of Trade & Investment, British Embassy in Seoul

Thu, May 31, 2012 - 1:00 PM

Wed, June 27, 2012 - 6:30 PM 13th Annual Business Awards—Nominate Now! Hosted by HE Antony Phillipson

BritCham Annual Golf Tournament

British High Commissioner’s Residence, Eden Hall

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At the Chamber: BritCham Events Review 2012

July Tue, July 3, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Energy and Environment in a Changing Climate A unique opportunity to hear from an international thought leader on energy, the environment and climate change

Tue, August 14, 2012 - 12:00 PM Leaders in Business Lunch: Leading and Succeeding in Uncertain Economic Times Impact of anti-corruption regulations in Singapore and the Asia Pacific Peter Cheese - CEO, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Lord Oxburgh - Former Chairman, Shell

Thu, July 5, 2012 - 9:00 AM Opportunities for Businesses in China’s Regional Cities UK Trade & Investment British High Commissioner’s Residence, Eden Hall

Thu, July 5, 2012 - 6:30 PM Women’s Networking Evening at Solange Azagury-Partridge BritCham in association with Solange Azagury-Partridge #02-12A Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City

Thu, July 19, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Tempest in an Oasis? Impact of anti-corruption regulations in Singapore and the Asia Pacific Wilson Ang - Of Counsel, Norton Rose (Asia) LLP

Fri, July 27, 2012 - 5:00 PM Business Tour: Marina Bay Financial Centre In collaboration with AmCham

August Thu, August 2, 2012 - 8:30 AM Marina Bay—A Sustainable and Attractive Precinct Singapore City Gallery, The URA Centre Fun Siew Leng - Group Director (Urban Planning & Design), URA

Thu, August 23, 2012 - 4:00 PM YBC Business Tour: Port of Singapore, The World’s Port of Call Young British Chamber PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road

Tue, August 28, 2012 - 12:00 PM Leaders in Business Lunch: With Magnus Bocker, CEO of Singapore Exchange Why Singapore? For growth and investment Magnus Bocker - CEO, Singapore Exchange

Tue, August 28, 2012 - 6:30 PM ICT Inter-Chamber Networking Evening In collaboration with AmCham and FCCS BritCham ICT Business Group

Thu, August 30, 2012 - 8:30 AM 8th BiSEA Conference Singapore 2012 Delegates from British Chambers in the region Swissotel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Road

Thu, August 30, 2012 - 6:30 PM 8th BiSEA Conference Networking Evening British High Commissioner’s Residence, Eden Hall

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September

October

Wed, September 5, 2012 - 6:30 PM

Thu, October 4, 2012 - 7:00 PM 13th Annual Business Awards Gala Dinner

New Members Evening

Thu, September 13, 2012 - 6:30 PM Entrepreneur/SME Inter-Chamber Networking Night In collaboration with AmCham and FCCS

Thu, October 11, 2012 - 6:30 PM Professional Services Business Group Launch Networking BritCham Professional Services Business Group The Crown and Anchor Bar at British High Commission 100 Tanglin Road

Fri, September 14, 2012 - 4:00 PM Business Tour: Singapore Sports Hub BritCham Property and Construction Business Group

Tue, October 16, 2012 - 5:00 PM

Singapore Sports Hub, Kallang

BritCham Economic Briefing with Roman Scott Roman Scott - Managing Director, Calamander Capital

Thu, September 20, 2012 - 6:30 PM Formula One Sky High Networking Evening Tower Club, Republic Plaza

Thu, October 18, 2012 - 6:00 PM Inter-Chamber Networking Night with an Artful Twist In collaboration with AmCham The Arts House

Tue, September 25, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: The UK Statutory Residence Test—What Expats Need to Know! Martin Rimmer - Tax Manager, Asia Pacific, The Fry Group

Mon, October 22, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Global LNG Market Forward Outlook Matt Schatzman - Executive Vice President, Global Energy Marketing and Shipping, BG Group

Thu, September 27, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Self-leadership—A New Approach to Develop Leaders and Leadership Teams Andrew Bryant, CSP PCC - CEO and Founder, Self Leadership International

Thu, September 27, 2012 - 5:30 PM YBC Business Tour: YBC Mentor Series with Nick McGlynn, Regional General Manager of Qantas/British Airways A business tour at Changi Airport and Qantas Fleet

Fri, September 28, 2012 - 7:45 AM Indonesia and the Unconventional Gas Boom Investment realities, challenges and opportunities

November Wed, November 7, 2012 - 12:00 PM Mishal Husain: On Air, Off Air Mishal Husain - Presenter, BBC World News

Fri, November 9, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: The Changing Landscape of the Global Construction market What drives the construction industry? Ian Metcalfe - Managing Director, Strategy and Development, Faithful+Gould

Chris Newton - Director, Risco Energy Tue, November 20, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: When Can I Afford to Retire? Julian Chester - Vice President, Coutts & Co

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At the Chamber: BritCham Events Review 2012

Thu, November 22, 2012 - 8:00 AM Property Market Outlook 2013 and Were the 2012 Predictions Correct BritCham Property and Construction Business Group

Thu, November 22, 2012 - 6:30 PM Young British Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Network after Work

Fri, November 23, 2012 - 11:30 AM ICT Lunch: How Can I Take My Business into the Cloud? Simon Kahn - Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Google; Todd Cione - Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Asia Pacific, Microsoft; Dane Anderson - Vice President, Research Director and Region Manager, Forrester Research

Tue, November 27, 2012 - 7:45 AM Breakfast Club: Running an SME Mark Spofforth - President, ICAEW

Wed, November 28, 2012 - 7:45 AM Energy & Utilities Briefing: The Outlook for Energyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;A View to 2040 David Reed - Senior Energy Advisor, Exxon Mobil Corporation

December Sat, December 1, 2012 - 7:30 PM The BritCham Diamond Jubilee Ball

Wed, December 5, 2012 - 7:45 AM BritCham/UKTI Briefing: Opportunities for British Businesses in Thailand An overview of recent economic, commercial and political developments in Thailand Bradley Jones - Director Of Trade And Investment, British Embassy, Bangkok

Fri, December 7, 2012 - 7:45 AM Energy & Utilities Briefing: Unlocking the Resources of the Spratly and Paracel Islands Alan Williams - Oil & Gas Manager, Fugro NPA (UK)

Tue, December 11, 2012 - 4:30 PM Business Tour: Chinatown MRT Station (Downtown Line) Gammon Construction

Thu, December 13, 2012 - 6:30 PM Year-End Networking Evening In partnership with the French and Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce

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At the Chamber: Events

What SMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Need to Knowâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Outsourcing and Banking November 2, 2012

Duncan Merrin, Intro International

Norbert Dy Liew, eVantage-HR

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Business Tour of Singapore Sports Hub September 14, 2012

At the Chamber: Events

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Presented by the BritCham Property and Construction Business Group

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A Business Tour at Changi Airport and Qantas Fleet September 27, 2012

At the Chamber: Events

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New Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Evening September 5, 2012

At the Chamber: Events

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Mishal Husainâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; On Air, Off Air November 7, 2012

Mishal Husain with Steve Puckett

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At the Chamber: Breakfast Clubs

Global LNG Market Forward Outlook October 22, 2012

Matt Schatzman, Executive Vice President, Global Energy Marketing and Shipping, BG Group

The BritCham Breakfast Club is proudly sponsored by:

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2012/2013 BritCham Events: Mark Your Diary

At the Chamber: Events Calendar

BritCham/UKTI Briefing Wednesday December 5, 2012 Opportunities for British Businesses in Thailand

BritCham E&U Briefing Friday December 7, 2012 Unlocking the Resources of the Spratly and Paracel Islands

BritCham Business Tour Tuesday December 11, 2012 Business tour of the Chinatown MRT Station (Downtown Line)

Networking Evening Thursday December 13, 2012 Year-End Networking Evening

BritCham Breakfast Club Tuesday January 29, 2013 Conflict Resolution in Business

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Annual General Meeting Thursday May 16, 2013 Eden Hall

Annual Corporate Golf Tournament June 2013 Sentosa Golf Club

F1 Networking Thursday September 19, 2013 British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

BritCham Business Awards 2013 Thursday October 3, 2013 Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

BritCham Ball 2013 Saturday December 7, 2013 Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

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Culture & Lifestyle

Pollinating Culinary Genius By Vipanchi Dinavahi

Everyone is buzzing about Michelin-starred Chef Jason Athertonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new restaurant in town, Pollen. And theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making beelines for it, too.

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Beetroot sorbet and hibiscus-compressed apple at Pollen

s I walked into Pollen, a restaurant at Gardens by the Bay, to meet Jason Atherton, the place was abuzz with cameramen clicking away as the renowned chef was being interviewed. That was when I realised I was about to speak to a celebrity. Everyone wanted a peek into this man’s life and his creations. Pollen is Atherton’s latest addition to the long list of gastronomic getaways in Singapore. Inspired by the Mediterranean culture and cuisine, and the unique environment of the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay, Pollen presents a welcoming— if unusual—fine-dining experience. The restaurant is housed within a climatecontrolled environment surrounded by temperate olive trees, herbs and vegetation, allowing diners to escape the usual heat and humidity of the local weather. Dressed in his chef’s uniform and sipping on black tea, Atherton quickly rushes into his kitchen to check on the day’s menu before

Culture & Lifestyle: Pollinating Culinary Genius

Exterior of Pollen at Gardens by the Bay

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meeting me. I am in awe at his ability to juggle between the kitchen, interviews, and customers while staying calm and composed. As I rattled off my questions, I realised there is so much to learn from Atherton’s illustrious career and his understanding of food.

What inspired you to run away from home at the age of 16 to study the culinary arts?

I just wanted to be a great chef. It’s very simple. For me, this was the single most important thing. I was in love with food. I was never in love with being a celebrity chef. If I never did another TV show or never wrote a cookbook, as long as I can run my restaurant that serves great food, I’ve fulfilled my dream. It just so happens that part of our day-to-day life now is media, doing TV, writing cookbooks—it’s what people are interested in. But, for me, the single most important thing for me is creating great food. If I can’t do that it would be like chopping my arms off.

Twenty-five years ago, when I decided to become a chef, there were no TV shows, and very few chefs ever got the honour of writing a cookbook. But now, every time you turn the TV on, you have a new TV chef. So, this has lost its appeal. But to be able to give back to the society is important to me. To use my talent and passion at events such as British Chamber of Commerce Ball or at a charity event in Singapore—and we do a lot of these in the UK—is very fulfilling.

When did your interest in cooking begin?

Its very difficult to pinpoint, I’ve got to admit. I was one of the only two boys in the home economics class at school. Everyone else played football. I was interested in cooking. I was quite sensible at that young age. I felt that even if I didn’t take this up as a career, learning to cook for yourself is quite a good thing to be able to do, isn’t it? At some point in your life you are going to live alone; whether it’s at a young or old age, whether I became a carpenter, I would

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Slow-cooked egg at Esquina

know how to cook. I thought this was cool. All of a sudden, I realised I wasn’t too bad at it. And yeah, from the age of 14, I had a passion for it. I always said to my mother I wanted to be a chef—and the rest is history.

What was the first dish you made?

Gosh, I made pizza. I assumed all the pizzas came out of packets at the supermarkets, as did the kids of that generation. We were taught how to make pizza from scratch with fresh tomato sauce. It was great!

elBulli must have been a very exciting stage. What are your fondest memories?

The most important thing for me was Ferran Adrià unlocking my creativity. Up until then, I had already worked for five three-star chefs and felt that I knew a lot. But what I really knew was how to copy people. I would learn to make a bouillabaisse at a certain three-star level. But I didn’t necessarily know how to do

something different with it. I only used to learn new dishes from different chefs, logging recipes into my own database— in my memory—and move on to the next chef. All of a sudden, I am working for Ferran Adrià, this amazing chef with the biggest creative talent on the planet. And he would say, “Guys, this is not just bouillabaisse. What can we do with bouillabaisse? Do we deconstruct it? Do we take a single essence out of it and do something different with that and call it bouillabaisse?” He would completely turn it around in his head and you think, “Hey, he’s right.” Until that point, I was looking at something like bouillabaisse as it was. Why should one change it if it’s already great? He would say, “Yes it’s great, but, it’s not about making it greater but doing something different with it and changing people’s perceptions of bouillabaisse.” This is the single most important thing that happened to me

during that 1998 season. I would call this my finishing school, to be honest. He tuned me up and made me into a finished article.

You won the Michelin star for Maze. Tell us more about this experience and your inspiration to combine Asian and French cuisine.

When you are in this part of the world, you can’t help but get absorbed by coriander and chillies and ginger and all the local things that go into the cuisine. But at the same time, it is not just running into Singapore and chucking all these into a cuisine that is already established. It’s using your common sense. Restraint and simplicity go a long way. People want elegance, people want refinement. When a dish hits your palate, it has got to make sense. It can’t go ginger, coriander then back to sea bass—it’s got to be there for a reason. To win a Michelin star is a dream come true. As a young boy, I always dreamt that one day I would get my own Michelin star.

Culture & Lifestyle: Pollinating Culinary Genius

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Marinated lamb cutlets at Pollen

I never believed it would be reality. And then in 2006 we won our first star at Maze, and I was just over the moon! When I left Gordon Ramsay in 2010 to start my own business, within three months we won our first star— the fastest in British history.

How do you react when people refer to you as Gordon Ramsay’s right-hand man?

Oh, I don’t mind. I mean, everyone has a mentor. Imagine being an amazing dancer and being told that you’re Frank Sinatra’s or Ginger Rogers’ protége—it’s great! Gordon Ramsay is one of the best chefs to ever come out of Great Britain, so to be his protégé or his right-hand man—why wouldn’t I not be proud of that? When Britain was going through a bad recession, he came out the other side and maintained a very successful company. Everything that Gordon does, he does it very well. If he’s on

TV, he’s fantastic; if he writes a cookbook, he’s a bestseller; if he’s at a restaurant, it’s fully booked. So why wouldn’t I want to learn from a guy like that?

Looking back, what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt from working under so many great chefs? I think Ferran and Gordon are very different chefs. Ferran is about pushing boundaries, being creative, and developing a stellar cuisine that no one has ever seen before. With Gordon, it was about striving for perfection. Everything that he touched had to be perfect; we were taught that every single detail would be checked. I learnt things from Gordon that I don’t see other chefs doing, and I don’t believe that they are not doing them. Gordon is a very good restaurateur, and so to learn the two different sides was very interesting for me. I learnt how to be a good restaurateur

through Gordon, and with Ferran he unlocked the creativity in me.

If there was a show like MasterChef, would you judge it? How about teaching young chefs?

If MasterChef came to Asia, it would be an honour to be on the judging panel and train people how to be more confident in the kitchen, because we went through two generations of losing the art. I understand the reason was a very sexist thing: The guy would go out and work while the wife would stay at home and cook. Why would she stay at home and cook when times have changed and parenting has become a dual responsibility? So when that happened, the guy didn’t want to cook, but the girl didn’t want to cook either because she thought it was sexist. She wanted her career, he wanted his career, and all of a sudden they called a nanny

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As long as we improve everyday, then we’re going in the right direction. When we start to go backwards, then we’ve got a serious problem. That’s the most important thing.

Interior of Pollen at Gardens by the Bay

who looked after the kids and cooked. And so, they basically lost the art of taking care of themselves. And being able to cook for ourselves at home is a sort of duty to ourselves and our children. I’m not saying that you have to do it all the time, but just to be able to cook the occasional meat or fish. If I could, in a small way, change that—great!

Asia seems to be your new kitchen. How did the move come about?

I come here a lot, we looked at a few potential sites—and we just said: “Hey, we think we could do something in Singapore.” I love coming here, so let’s go for it, and we did it, and it was a big success. And I just love Singapore! I will continue—hopefully—to be a great restaurateur, to continue to cook great food, to continue to strive, keep ahead of the times, look at new techniques, look at what’s out there. I have this philosophy: Even if tomorrow we tie our shoelaces better than we did yesterday, then we’ve

improved a little. And as long as we improve everyday, then we’re going in the right direction. When we start to go backwards, then we’ve got a serious problem. That’s the most important thing. We just launched in Hong Kong, and the restaurant in Hong Kong has been a huge success. I took my team from Esquina here to Hong Kong to help me launch it, and—no disrespect to Esquina—but for Hong Kong we, almost overnight, kicked it up a notch. So that inspired the whole team to come back to Esquina to kick it up a notch. And that’s the good thing, because we’re inspiring people to get better.

The BritCham Diamond Jubilee Ball celebrates this historic year for Britain. Tell us more about your creation for this event and its ingredients.

First of all, we’re doing something where people feel that they’re getting a little bit of me for a mass market. So the crab

cocktail is perfect. It’s in a martini glass, it’s beautiful, we’re going to get it out to 500 people, and they’re going to just fall in love with it. Then we go on to the Scottish beef, with braised feather blade: a beautiful bit of fillet which is nice and tender, and the feather blade that has been braised for 24 hours so that it’s nice and meltingly tender. It’s all about getting the flavours to marry properly. Then we’ve got the baby celeriac that has been roasted with goat’s curd, charred baby leek and red wine sauce so there’s not too many elements going on, but it is all about flavour. Then for dessert we’ve got the chocolate-topped banana icecream with black sesame crumbs. Really simple but very elegant—a perfect end to the meal. As I walk out through the flower dome, I can’t help but wish my lunch box came from Atherton’s kitchen every day. For those who attended the Ball, I hope you enjoyed your dinner, and for those who didn’t, Pollen awaits you.

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Culture & Lifestyle

City of Perfume —Grasse The French town, Grasse, is all about scents and sensation.

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Aerial view of Grasse

ÂŠ London 2012

Culture & Lifestyle: City of Perfumeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Grasse

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Fragonard shop in Grasse, France is known for its history and perfumes

Congress Hall in Grasse

his modest little town is not just the centre of the French perfume industry, it is widely recognised as the world’s perfume capital. Grasse is where the “noses” (perfume experts) are trained to distinguish over 2,000 kinds of scent. During the 16th century, Grasse was famous for its tanneries, and natural, locally produced essence was used to scent the leather. Flowers have always been a great source of wealth for the town, and this led to a concentration of factories specialising in the processing of raw materials for fragrances and flavours. Grasse’s affinity for flowers may be attributed to the particular micro-climate that is especially favourable for flower farming—it has a perfect combination of

soil, temperature, air and sunshine. Hence, jasmine, lavender and orange blossoms flourish, and there’s a glorious abundance of roses everywhere you turn.

is both educational and enlightening. We were astounded when our guide, Elodie, told us that it takes 850kg of rose petals to produce just one kg of rose essence.

It’s no surprise then that there’s a Rose Expo in May, a three-day exhibition that not only promotes fantastical variations of the world’s favourite bloom, but also roserelated foods and products. Another a big date on the Grasse calendar is the Jasmine Festival in August, which brings together floats, fireworks and “flower battles.”

The tour takes you behind closed doors, showing off the laboratories and workshops, where master perfumers create aromatic magic. Also on show is a collection of objets d’art from over 3,000 years of perfume history, and jewellery dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

While there are over 30 active perfume companies in Grasse, the one most associated with the town is Frangonard, which has a factory and museum housed in a 19th-century mansion. The Frangonard guided tour is a must-do, as it

If you fancy dining out, the Michelinstarred Le Clos Saint Pierre, a top restaurant on the Trip Advisor’s list, is the place to go. Located in the heart of the Le Rouret village, the table d’hote restaurant (“host’s table,” meaning

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there’s only the chef’s menu) whips up exquisite Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Plenty of breathtakingly photogenic medieval villages abound around Grasse, every single one poised perfectly on some rocky hill. Less than a 30-minute drive away is Gourdon, home to glass blowers, little boutiques hawking perfume products, and a wonderful restaurant called Au Vieux Four (literally “old oven”), which serves typical Provençal cuisine. Each medieval village seems more stunning that the last; case in point being Tourettessur-Loup, named for the three towers that oversee the cluster of streets. Within these postcard-perfect stone walkways lies a treasure trove of surprises: a pottery shop burrowed into a cavern, an old-fashioned

For more information on the Banyan Tree Private Collection, please check out the website at www.btprivatecollection.com.

Culture & Lifestyle: City of Perfume—Grasse

ice-cream parlour and a tunnel that opens up to a brilliant vista. My favourite is the unending gallery of whimsical windows and doorways, each brilliantly punctuated by bursts of colour from a random pot of flowers. Less than a 15-minute walk from the town centre is Villa Grasse, Banyan Tree Private Collection’s star property. This hilltop villa enjoys a vintage view of the surroundings. On a sunny day, you can actually see the Mediterranean waters from the pool deck. This Provençal-style three-bedroom house is certainly more cosy and intimate, with a private garden on the lower level, and a poolside patio that looks out across town. You can arrange for a private chef to prepare dinner at the villa. Our in-villa

dining experience was a feast for the senses, as the Chef from Cuisine de Fleurs created a menu with floral accents. The selection of hors d’oeuvres included violet-infused, caramelised foie gras and white and green asparagus with crabmeat with jasmine notes, while the main course of roast chicken was cooked with rose petals and served atop chanterelle mushroom risotto. We rounded off the meal with lavender-spiked goat’s cheese and a strawberry pastry smothered with verbena-flavoured chantilly cream— quite intoxicating. After a long leisurely day traversing hillside villages in search of the small and the beautiful, nothing beats the feeling of returning to your own private residence in the French Riviera. Yes, it feels like home.