Orient Issue 44

BRITCHAM ORIENT MAGAZINE

Orient

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - SINGAPORE

SPECIAL FEATURES

16

ISSUE 44

19

InNovation Uncensored: 7 Big Ideas In Focus: Pete PEDERSeN

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

ISSUE 44 / AUG–SEP 2013

Time and time and time again‌

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The awards recognise our ongoing commitment to providing our customers and distribution partners with the products they need, backed by excellent customer service.

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Contents

11

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

13

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE SPECIAL FEATURES

16

Innovation Uncensored: 7 Big Ideas

19

In Focus: Pete Pedersen

FEATURES 24

Middle Class Marketing

27

Social Media and Compliance: Managing the Risk

30

The Leaders of Tomorrow

33

The New Disruption for Brands

39

The Operational Excellence Challenge

UK Trade & Investment 42

Keep Calm and Carry On Investing

AT THE CHAMBER 45

Britain in South East Asia News

48

Committee News

52

Business Group News

57

A Discussion with the Economic Secretary to HM Treasury

58

BritCham New Members

59

Sterling News

60

Corporate News

68

Members’ Offers

70

Events

78

Events Calendar

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE 83

Antique Trap Goes Far East

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British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Sponsors PLATINUM SPONSOR

GOLD AND DIVERSITY SPONSOR

SILVER AND BREAKFAST CLUB SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSORS

BRITCHAM BOARD: PRESIDENT: Hugo Walkinshaw: Deloitte Consulting SE Asia VICE-PRESIDENTS: Andrew Vine: The Insight Bureau Peter Allen: Pacific Century Group TREASURER: Dominic Nixon: PricewaterhouseCoopers HONORARY SECRETARY: Damian Adams: Watson, Farley & Williams EX-OFFICIO: Judith Slater: British High Commission Mark Howard: British Council BOARD MEMBERS: Andrew Thomas: Ogilvy & Mather Singapore Anthony Lucas: Ernst & Young Solutions Chris Davie: SAESL Clive Christison: BP Singapore David Macdonald: Portfolio Builders David Pugh: The Fry Group Ian Williams: HSBC Bank Peter Hatt: Standard Chartered Bank Richard Burn: Diageo Singapore Robert Williams: British Airways Rudi Geerdink: The Royal Bank of Scotland Sian Brown: Barclays Bank Tim Harris: BT 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: Events & Sponsorship: David Macdonald External Affairs: Steve Puckett Membership: Andrew Vine Sustainability and Responsibility: Richard Burn Diversity: Simon Croxford BUSINESS GROUP CHAIRPERSONS: Energy & Utilities: Damian Adams Entrepreneur & Small Business: Peter Seligman Financial Services: Patrick Donaldson IT and Communications Technology: Henry Farahar Leadership: Peter Hatt Media & Marketing: TBA Professional Services: Carolyn Lints Property & Construction: Richard Warburton Scottish Business Group: Jason Grant Shipping Transport & Logistics: Neil Johnson Young Professionals: Miles Gooseman MANAGEMENT TEAM: Executive Director: Brigitte Holtschneider Accounts Manager: Sabitha Munnangi Business Services Manager: Jennifer Hainsworth Events Manager: Tiffeny Kua Membership Manager: Katie Hudson Membership & Events Assistant Manager: Emi Hosono Marketing & Communications Manager: Vipanchi Marketing & Communications Assistant: Loong Yong En Office Administration Executive: Anna C Garciso

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. Copy is not for sale and images belong to their respective owners. They are for illustrative purposes only, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Sub-edited, designed and printed by:

www.novusasia.com

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

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President’s Message

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Dear Members, The theme of this summer edition of your Orient is Marketing—an area that has seen significant transformation in recent years with the advent of new media, creative brand strategies, increasing globalisation and emerging technologies, while bringing value to and capturing the hearts of customers.

BritCham continuously strives to bring commercial value to our members with offerings such as knowledge exchange, bridging businesses, and personal networking through our various events and business groups. In addition to our existing portfolio, we have started laying the foundations of a new range of business-to-business services, following the signing of an agreement between UKTI and the Chamber in June this year. I hope this will present a new avenue for building networks and developing business.

Hugo Walkinshaw

President, British Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber hosted a roundtable breakfast on 8 July for Mr Sajid Javid MP, Economic Secretary to the Her Majesty’s Treasury. The Minister delivered an informative presentation about the UK financial services industry, government reforms, and an overview of the economic situation in the UK, referencing the Chancellor, who said at a recent Mansion House speech, “The UK economy is moving from Intensive Care to Recovery,” before engaging in a lively question-and-answer session.

On the horizon for the second half of the year, we have the 14th Annual Business Awards.

The Awards seek to recognise excellence in business in Singapore, and the judging process is already underway. I look forward to seeing you on 3 October at the Gala Dinner, as well as to congratulating the worthy finalists and eventual winners. In addition to this premier business event, we have a busy calendar ahead of us, with the F1 Networking Night at the Tower Club on 19 September and, of course, the ever-popular BritCham Ball on 7 December. I would encourage you all to play your part by participating actively in the planned events.

The recently produced Membership Directory 2013-14 is now available. If you have not received it, please contact the management office to arrange delivery of your copy.

In conclusion, I hope that those of you returning from your summer vacations are refreshed.

I look forward to meeting you at our events in the coming months.

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Executive Director’s Message

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Dear members, I am writing this message just days before I head off to a short summer break in Europe.

I hope you have enjoyed your vacation and had the opportunity to relax and unwind in preparation for the next couple of busy months.

At the Chamber, one of the priorities is the 14th Annual Business Awards, which will enter its final phase. By now, all nominations have been received, and we will present the finalists to our panel of judges by the end of August. If you have filed your nominations, as I hope you have, I am sure you are starting to feel the excitement leading up to the awards dinner on 3 October. To ensure that the dinner will be an inspiring and thought-provoking experience, we are very fortunate to welcome Lord David Puttnam as our keynote speaker. In his current role as prime ministerial trade envoy for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, he is visiting the region and has agreed to stop over in Singapore to be our guest and address the Chamber audience. Lord Puttnam is most probably best known for his remarkable achievements as an independent producer of award-winning films, including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Chariots of Fire, Local Hero, The Killing Fields, The Mission and Memphis Belle. His films have bagged numerous awards: 10 Oscars, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Brigitte Holtschneider

Executive Director, British Chamber of Commerce, Singapore

Another main focus is the launch and establishment of the Chamber’s Diversity agenda and activities. The Diversity committee—chaired by Simon Croxford from our Gold and Diversity sponsor, Barclays—met for their inaugural meeting on 1 August. We will be sharing action plans on our website and in regular email communication, so watch out for that!

I’d also like to update you about the latest development in the Chamber’s corporate social responsibility space. The committee, chaired by board member Richard Burn from Diageo Singapore, has decided to slightly refocus its mission to put greater emphasis on relevance for businesses. The committee has been renamed “Sustainability and Responsibility Committee.” For more details, please refer to page 49.

One of our regulars in the dynamic events calendar is the economic briefing presented

by Roman Scott. Please mark your diary for 21 November—Roman will deliver his market and economic review and, more importantly, share his outlook for 2014. Don’t miss this opportunity to get insights for both your business and private investment plans.

To conclude, I would like to inform you that we have hired a Business Services Manager, Jennifer Hainsworth, to develop and deliver support services for UK SMEs who wish to expand to Singapore and South East Asia. The role became vital following the signing of the grant letter with UKTI, witnessed by Lord Stephen Green in early June. Jennifer is British and an experienced trade advisor, having moved to Singapore from the Netherlands where she worked with the British embassy and UKTI. Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to the team and to congratulate her on her appointment in a role that opens a new business stream for the Chamber and, at the same time, renders support for businesses in the UK and Singapore.

Best wishes, and I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.

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Sterling Members

SINGAPORE

Singapore

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

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Special Feature

Innovation Uncensored: 7 Big Ideas

By Abigail Marks Innovation Uncensored brought together the most creative minds in business for two days of idea exchange. Here’s what they talked about.

I

walked 10 blocks north from my office, along the Hudson River on Manhattan’s west side, to get to Fast Company’s Innovation Uncensored New York conference. It’s a lovely walk—particularly on a spring day—and it knits together different threads of the city. The river is on one side, industrial facilities, some decaying, loom over the shore, while the occasional loft conversion drew my eye like an early flower. Walking back, after a day of high-test inspiration, the landscape recalled the nature of innovation itself. Refreshed by a flow of new ideas, innovation happens amidst the life we live now.

Here are seven memorable themes that bubbled up at Innovation Uncensored. Not one of them is entirely new. But like a loft in a hot neighbourhood, they’re some of the most valuable things you can hold on to.

1) Authenticity is a necessity

Authenticity is what you do and whose interests you serve. It’s not what you say. We seek it out in friendships, relationships, and as consumers. It is simply irrational that we aren’t behaving accordingly as organisations.

Being authentic leads to the development of

the most successful and enduring personal and corporate brands. Both Mario Batali and Diane von Furstenberg offered up personal reflections to the audience, and both have built a brand that is bigger than themselves or the products they sell. Diane von Furstenberg is still learning to grow into the brand DvF has become.

Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org, made it clear that in the world of social good, the days of supporting a cause based on the “CEO Wish” are over. Corporations need to get involved—both authentically and tactically—with causes that mean something to their business, employees and consumers.

Young people are hungry to have an impact on the world around them, and if your consumers care about something, you should too. Co-founder and Co-CEO of Warby Parker, Neil Blumenthal, predicted that in 20 years, you will not be able to hire decent talent if don’t put community ideals above your own. I don’t think it will take that long.

2) Innovation means real talk

I joined in a collective sigh of relief the moment it happened; even though there

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

was no name calling, bad digital and mobile ads received a public shaming.

The lesson: don’t hate the player; change the game. Care about consumers’ experiences; don’t aim to disrupt what they’re trying to do. To that point, don’t expect an exchange of value in order to get a consumer to disclose personal information to the brand. If you are getting information from a consumer, use it to improve his or her experience.

Don’t cannibalise the relationship being established.

Brands can be drivers of social innovation as well. Alexa Von Tobel, LearnVest CEO, tackled the taboo of personal debt, the cost of secondary education and the inaccessibility to financial planning tools for those who need it most. The conversation turned to social change, youth culture and equality, topics were opened up and buzzwords were slaughtered, which was all quite refreshing and effective.

3) Innovation can be messy; let it be, then edit

Great innovation is a balance between the brainpower inside big organisations and the agility of the fearless. Matt Kingdon, Co-Founder of ?What If! Partners, requested that all flowcharts be left at coach check. Innovation isn’t about fitting into existing boxes and processes. In order to grow, organisations must play it a bit loose—not just tolerating creativity, but encouraging it.

4) Innovation is born of difference and discomfort, not deference

Matt Kingdon reminded us that innovation is often triggered by those too naïve to be aware of why something can’t be done.

Actively listen to team members with varying levels of experience. Innovation is cultural; as with any culture, it must be supported, reinforced, passed down and fostered.

After some contemplation, Brian Wong of Kiip showed us that his abilities and talent at such a young age were borne out of travelling the world, meeting different cultures and that most ideas are a subconscious culmination of his experiences. In a similar thought, Kingdon

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Special Feature: Innovation Uncensored: 7 Big Ideas playing field and opens up competition based on merit. Technology is merely the canvas. It is up to the creativity of users to put it to use. Gratitude and humility are essential to learning, collaborating, pivoting and adapting.

Consumers don’t care about industry models. Individual needs win every time.

7) 90% of brands still live in ‘ad land,’ but consumers have moved out already David Droga reminded us that brands can no longer rely on buying attention.

Just in case anyone didn’t realise it, most television technology these days is being developed in an effort to avoid the advertising industry.

Dove’s Fernando Machado revealed that the best content is developed from the purpose of a brand. Brands must engage through meaningful experiences, be that content, events, communications, or anything else we can dream up. As proof of concept, Dove’s latest project, “Real Beauty Sketches,” brought tears to the eyes of many audience members, who gravitated toward the cultural insight that only 7% of women think they’re beautiful.

Dove’s sensation, “Real Beauty Sketches,” is the work of a brand that understands where its consumers live. reminded us, via the a simple exercise of folding your arms the “wrong” way, that we need to endure discomfort to break habits, both physically and mentally.

other lessons from previous disasters from the Google crisis team, the Sandy social media response forced a rapid digital evolution of emergency response.

5) Court failure

Innovations happen when you take beta concepts live, sometimes by necessity, sometimes by opportunity.

“Learning by doing” is perfectly acceptable.

Sometimes it is the only way. If the emergency responders on the East Coast had only relied upon approved, established channels during superstorm Sandy, the devastation could have been even worse. By adapting in real time, finding means to reach those in need through Twitter and using

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. It was named both the Cannes Lions Network of the Year and the EFFIEs World’s Most Effective Agency Network for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries.

6) If you refuse to adapt, you will be disrupted

As Jack Dorsey, Creator of Twitter and Founder and CEO of Square, pointed out, technology is a great equaliser; it levels the

This article has been contributed to Orient by Ogilvydo.com

As Dove’s transformative content shows, brands don’t have to invent social challenges to solve. With attention to authenticity and curation of relevance, a thoughtful brand can make an impact beyond the bottom line.

Every company is being forced to look in the mirror. If it doesn’t like what it sees, no amount of marketing magic can change a fundamental business issue. But authentic social magic is a different animal. Making money and doing good are not competing principles; in fact, they are very much the future of business.

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In Focus

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

In Focus: Pete Pedersen

After 20 years with Edelman, Pete Pedersen, global CEO of Grayling, shares his thoughts on technology and public relations (PR) with Vipanchi, as big data, privacy policies and advancing technology bring new channels and challenges for storytellers.

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In Focus: Pete Pedersen, Grayling

It used to be advertising vs PR agencies; now, digital agencies have come into the picture. Is this age-old debate of who’s better still on?

I think there are probably three different perspectives there. One is the client’s perspective, which has changed. Clients used to be very disciplined and regimented about the sort of agency for a particular activity; now, they just want the best ideas. And they don’t seem to care as much anymore about where the best ideas come from. This could be the result of the exchange of information, or it could be that of increased economic pressure to be more efficient with what they have. So, I think it is less of a debate from the client’s perspective—they just want some agency to work fast, be of good value and get the job done.

The agencies are competitive with one another. Everyone has their top track—what they say to the market, and what they really believe. In many cases, we’re doing very much the same thing. PR agencies are buying advertising now on behalf of their clients; the ad agencies are doing PR. So everyone realises that they can come together. What I do think is true—and the third perspective that one can take—is that there are inherent skill sets associated with each of the disciplines, leading each of the agencies down a path. In PR, we’re natural story builders. It’s what PR people have done since the dawn of the profession. We tell real stories, grounded in fact and rooted in research. And, in many ways, PR agencies are more adept at engaging audiences—we engage in dialogue, not top-down messages.

I would say PR and social media go very well together. Advertising and digital marketing go well together, and you have seen the market shaped that way. And then there’s this area in between that we’re not quite sure what to call yet, but I think it is anyone’s game.

Now, after 20 years with Edelman, what’s the first order of business in Grayling for you?

Grayling is an interesting company. Obviously very European, and has its roots in the UK. And that has profound implications on how the company is operated: 65% of our revenue is European, though, of course, Europe continues to suffer through the economic slowdown. So, the first order of business is, broadly speaking, how to grow,

as any business tries to figure out. Europe is still an important market, but we’re going to really focus on the US and Asia.

There’s this huge rush into South East Asia happening right now, and MNCs, big brands are all trying to squeeze onto local shelves. Which business sector do you think, or do you foresee, will face the most difficulty in this market?

I’ve never thought about what’s most difficult. I think technology is an interesting candidate, simply because there are classic last-mile issues. Infrastructure becomes a real issue. How do you get electrical power in some of these places? How do you get stable internet broadband connection to some of these places? And, of course, smartphones, computers and gaming consoles—things that consumers really like—are so highly dependent on stable infrastructure. Even mobile telephony requires stable infrastructure. I think we have seen some real innovation on tackling that problem. I love companies that are springing up all over the world now. There is one company that manufactures a cellphone tower in a backpack—have you seen it? It’s fantastic. Another example is these solarpowered mobile charging stations. They make perfect sense: if I’m in an area with a lack of stable electrical grid, I have a way to

keep my cellphone charged. I think we’re seeing innovation in the business model—we have markets providing low-cost access to the internet and to cell network by virtue of advertising on the ringtone. Turkcell is doing something like that. So, the point is, whether it is the hardware, the software or the business model, you’re seeing all this innovation that helps us get over the very real physical challenges in emerging markets.

As global brands explore new markets, how will the dynamics of market share change? How strong are the local brands?

It will be a mix—a mix of local brands that are either locally produced or, at least, locally designed and catered to local tastes, as well as big multinational brands that are viewed as premium or exclusive to a certain economic status. I think we’re going to see more.

There’s a local rum in the Philippines called Tanduay, which can’t be bought anywhere else in the world, but is massively popular in its home country. The company sponsors sports stadiums and bars, and every other shop corner has Tanduay signage. Here’s a brand that I’ve never heard of that is clearly one of the most dominant brands in a massive market that also has Diageo brands as well as some of the other multinational players. And that’s just one category.

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Traditional-media veterans challenge the importance of social media. What are your views on this?

It is interesting. There is a disservice that has been done by the industry, in the separation of traditional media from social media—they are all just media. Most people these days get their news content via their smartphones or tablets. So, I’m not sure if the conversation is about the “social versus traditional” debate; rather, the conversation is more about content. And that’s the common ground. Whenever I have a conversation with someone who doesn’t really “get” social media, I say, “Forget about social media— that’s a channel. Let’s talk about content.”

It goes back to what I was saying earlier, that PR people are good storytellers, with an understanding of content. If you can get an executive who might not be as savvy, or a client who might not be as willing, and it’s really about producing great content. The channel is secondary to the story.

Wouldn’t this influx affect local businesses significantly?

The question isn’t so much about what’s coming in, but what’s going out. Both are very interesting to look at, but maybe it is just because I’m bored of Western brands; it’s more about what innovations are produced by the region, and what’s exported globally.

And I use the term “export” broadly—it is cultural exports as well as physical exports.

If you pull the lens back a bit and think about Asia’s impact rather than that of South East Asia, what is the impact of low-cost, highperformance and high-quality smartphones from Huawei and ZTE and the entry of some of the Chinese players into markets like Africa and South America? All of a sudden, you are seeing innovation happen in such a way that is enabling the next set of emerging markets. The economics of the local market do drive a certain amount of innovation.

When taken to scale, it is going to do all sorts of interesting things further outside of Asia.

Take Tata Motors for example: Their $3,000 car stunned the entire automotive industry.

India could become the next big hub for auto manufacturing.

This is where you’re starting to see reverse regulations to keep everything in balance and in line with local regulations. The Western

markets have reacted to Chinese technology companies in particular. It will take some time for this flow to settle at a place where everyone feels good. Anytime during market disruption, you would expect that to happen, and that’s what we’re in the middle of right now. It is an amazing time, if you really think about it.

Having seen brands rise and fall, what do you think the PR market in South East Asia for the next couple of years is going to be like?

South East Asia is quite a big region, and it’s tough to answer the question on a regional basis, because you see differences between countries. Singapore, for example, is a very sophisticated, very mature market in terms of its PR and marketing history, as compared to a market like Vietnam, where it is very exciting—everyone’s moving into Vietnam and thinking about the potential there.

The sophistication of their market is not quite what it is in Singapore. You go to Indonesia, and the big city—Jakarta—is every bit as sophisticated. With some of the smaller cities, however, they’re not quite there yet. Overall, the region is progressing incredibly fast. But it is really a question of market-by-market and, in some cases, city-by-city communication.

However, this is a conversation that is rapidly transforming. That education is happening.

It varies on a market-by-market basis, but we are seeing a rapid movement towards digital and social that’s embraced by many organisations and all levels of companies.

That said, I think we still have cultural- and country-specific nuances to which attention should be paid. In Japan, for example, people still rely strongly on newspapers as their primary source of information. Good ol’ afternoon newspapers tend to be massively circulated and widely read in the country, and you wonder why. It is really hard to say something meaningful in 140 characters on Twitter in Japanese. Though Japan is pretty well wired, it’s more about who the people have come to trust and what companies have come to really prioritise as their primary communications vehicles. In contrast, China has new platforms like WeChat.

We can talk about the geographical nuances and differences, or argue about device or outlet, but it’s a combination of all of these things. More and more consumers are flowing freely from one device to the next, or one experience to the next. So, they would start watching something on television, very easily continue their exploration on that topic on their smartphones, then pick up a newspaper, a magazine—and, as it turns out, maybe even the online version of the

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magazine or newspaper. What connects all of these things together, all of these experiences together: search. It makes perfect sense.

Various governments across the globe are introducing privacy policies. Some policies pose significant challenges to businesses. What are your views?

I’m a privacy geek, so you may have just opened up Pandora’s box a little bit. Let’s look at it from different perspectives, starting with the companies’ perspective. What companies are fundamentally trying to do in most cases is to give you a better experience. Serve up an ad that makes more sense, give you a coupon for something that you want to buy. There is, of course, a commercial element to it as well, but fundamentally there’s nothing evil or nefarious about what companies are doing.

The question is a very technical one. How is the data collected? Where is the data stored?

And in some cases, as you well know, the actual server that the bytes sit on could be every bit as legal or illegal as the other issues.

With whom is that data shared with, or to whom is it sold? How is security handled around that data? And, ultimately, what is the data used for? These are all very technical questions, either in the legal sense or the technological sense.

In Focus: Pete Pedersen, Grayling that collects too much data, they won’t use the company. Look at how quickly Facebook has moved to change their privacy policies because they upset their consumers—and things find their way there.

Then you get the disruptive force, the government, who comes wading in and says, “Aha. We don’t trust that this thing is going to balance itself out, so we’re going to start putting in all of these regulations.”

These frameworks, these laws, are all fine and good if the world was defined by just one country. But if you’re a company trying to do business in 225 markets around the world, having to deal with all of those individual privacy policies is a complete nightmare. Most companies would say, “Forget it, I’m not going to do it, I’m not going to deal with it.”

In fact, companies are pouring out of Europe because of the proposed regulation around data protection there. The EU is making it incredibly difficult for a company that collects data to actually have its headquarters in Europe. So they’re going to Brazil, where there could be another level of change that we haven’t yet discussed: what happens when these companies start to headquarter outside of places where they have grown their products?

Now, let’s talk about the consumers, the end users. Most of us don’t care. But at the end of the day, we make the trade-off decision. We involve ourselves in dangerous behaviour all the time, because we have a great experience. We cross the street, even though there are cars, because it gets us quicker to the other side. I give out a piece of information about myself because I know it gets better experience, and—let’s be honest—the experiences are pretty awesome right now. What you can get on your phone right now is mind-blowing!

This ecosystem will eventually work its way out; companies, in particular, are working very fast to figure out the right approach, so they can avoid or stave off the regulation. They are grappling with two issues: collection and use. Collection is easy—they just have to tell you what they are collecting. Use is a trickier issue, because they can’t predict the future.

They can tell you what they are doing with the data now, but they can’t tell you what they are doing with the data in 10 years. And that’s the issue that will trip everything up.

Consumers are savvy from a very early age.

This savviness on purchase behaviour is the same sort of savviness that leads consumers to make conscious, or even unconscious, decisions about what information to give or otherwise. So, here you have these two seemingly players at odds—the corporations and the consumers—when, in fact, their objectives are aligned. There is a natural balancing that happens in that little ecosystem. If consumers don’t like a company

CEOs these days are required to have a more active public profile. With data so easily accessible, it has become a necessity to plan and think ahead about what one says within a quick turnaround time. Comments made can affect a company’s public profile.

What advice do you have for CEOs and professionals when they tweet or put up a Facebook update?

The first thing is nothing new or

groundbreaking, but is certainly truer now than it has ever been: authenticity and transparency really matter. There are no secrets anymore—no burying the truth or hiding it. CEOs, leaders, individuals, employees, all of us in the room—we have to own our behaviour. It is an age of accountability, and folks—whether they are individuals, corporations or governments— who don’t own up to their behaviour, past, present or future, are the ones who tend to find themselves in trouble. That’s the preachy, macro view.

The more tactile view is that online reputation is an important topic, and there are ways to manage reputations online that has to do with how search algorithms are built and so forth. It’s really about making sure there is enough good content about the brand, the product, the CEO or the individual—so that the less flattering stuff is not obvious. But again, Google doesn’t forget: If you go down to the seventh, eighth or ninth page, you can always find what you are looking for. Most people don’t have that much time, though—

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they are searching for a name or a product, and once the first page comes up, they don’t go on to the next page. The question becomes how you fill the channel with enough appropriately tagged content.

Google rewards good behaviour, too— in a funny way. Vastly simplifying, the algorithms are based on how many links [a piece of] content has to it, how that content is shared—there is an authenticity or credibility ranking for content. The lies, the junk and the garbage don’t get higher up on the search returns. Therefore, the good-quality stuff that the community self-polices looks to be credible and real.

In a way, it’s less about our impatience for information than about good content and information rising to the top. It is true more often than not: good information rises to the top.

Which technology has impressed you the most over the years?

I’m fascinated with two things. First, it’s wearable technology—anything from

Google Glass to Nike’s FuelBand. We’re just starting to see the practical applications of wearable technology, which makes the necessity of carrying a phone around obsolete—it will be built into your jacket. In fact, in most cases, the technology already exists; it’s just a matter of figuring out how to reduce the cost so that you and I could afford it.

Going a step beyond the obvious, there are new technologies that have already been introduced, things like tattoos that emit digital signatures and allow sensors built into conference rooms to detect thus: “Okay, it’s me who’s walked in. I like the lights just so, I like the TV like this.” Similarly, there are pills that can be swallowed that emit digital signatures.

A lot were unveiled at the “D: All Things Digital” conference.

There are a thousand different things that are wearable that, I think, will really remove the barrier between humans and data.

Right now, your cellphone is a barrier—it’s

a mediated experience. We won’t have any need for a mediated experience; it would be just around us. We would achieve the greatest use of technology when it disappears. Similarly, something that I’m fascinated with is natural user interface. Speaking of Minority Report, the idea of a keyboard is very antiquated.

The idea of typing anything—we’re talking about voice recognition, speech recognition, gesture-based interface, and so on. This is extraordinarily exciting to me.

A third thing I am excited about is particularly relevant in this region: robotics. In the field of robotics, Japan is leading the market, the world, and for a very good reason: they have a healthcare problem on their hands. They have an ageing population, and they’re going to require quite a lot of caregivers for that, and they’re not keen to import that talent; they are interested in figuring out how to use robotics to take care of their ageing population. We’ll see how that goes.

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Middle Class Marketing

By Krishnan Subramanian

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spiration is the tool that forges the future. And nowhere does this aspiration burn brighter than amongst the middle classes in Asia.

In other words, people seek obvious symbols of upward mobility. No wonder then that their value mindset demands big brands and loud logos.

Enough has already been written about the size and demographic profile of the Asian middle class, in other places also referred to as the consuming class. Some studies estimate that by 2030, the Asian Middle Class could account for as much as 65% of the 4.9 billion middle class individuals around the world*.

Marketing Mantra: Celebrate the aspiration blatantly.

However, not enough has been written about how they consume, their attitudes and behaviours in relation to consumption, and how marketers need to respond to this. This article hopes to articulate some common shopping behaviours of this consuming class, and how marketers could respond to these behaviours.

Here are six guidelines for “Middle Class Marketing” Asian Style

1#

A growing economy, increasing disposable income and high optimism about the future is responsible for the rise of “modernity” aspirations among the Asian middle class. While these modernity aspirations are progress markers, equally importantly, they are also for showing a better face to the world.

Hence, these modern aspirations have an extra emphasis on outward manifestation.

2#

Large-scale urban migration has been a reality across Asia (and indeed the world) for some time now. The first waves of migrants came to the city searching for better economic prospects.

However, the increasingly larger segment in many markets is the second generation of people whose parents migrated to urban cityscapes. These second generation migrants have a rose-tinted view of small town, rustic living. This nostalgic fondness translates into a desire to possess traditional, culture-rich symbols such as handicrafts or ornate furniture. They are the city dwellers yearning for their small-town roots. This has led to the emergence of local designers who create unique blends of Eastern design and Western sensibility in varied categories, from fabrics to furniture.

Marketing Mantra: Look to blend the local culture with the universal brand.

3#

Dwelling units across urban Asia are getting standardised into less than 1000 square feet for a 2BHK (‘two bedroom, hall and kitchen’ for the uninitiated). Simply put, small dwelling units imply a premium on

`organisation’ ideas. With family members making several competing demands on the same space, `organiser’ ideas that streamline and simplify life are always desired. In fact, these space savers capture our urban imagination at a visceral level.

Take a look at multi-purpose collapsible furniture, narrow closets, sofa-cum-beds, and so on! This also may explain the peculiar Asian infatuation for shopping bags and storage boxes.

Marketing Mantra: Deliver savings beyond unit price into insightful convenience.

4#

Ever wondered why so many grandparents accompany the family on shopping expeditions? That’s because we, in Asia, tend to reside in nuclear families, but live within the extended arm of our parents and siblings.

Asia has the youngest demographic in the world, and it is also becoming smaller in family size. However, these smaller units of ‘family builders’ do not directly translate into independence of thought and consumption. Since most Asian societies are relationship and conformity driven, the long arm of the ‘extended’ family impacts purchase decisions, especially the big-ticket ones.

Marketing Mantra: Engage with family motivations while satisfying individual desire

*For an interesting infomercial with interesting data on the Asian middle class, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22951558

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Feature: Middle Class Marketing

Smart marketers are actively using exchange schemes as a part of their marketing mix to overcome this incumbency mindset.

5#

There was a time when value was attached to durability—to the simple idea that stuff should definitely last a lifetime and preferably be passed over to the next generation. Today, obsolescence is hard-wired into our thinking, from technology to celebrities to furniture. We value what is fashionable and current. And yet Asians are loathe to throw away the old. It is this conflict that holds us back from purchase—what to do with that old television, old computer, old cupboard?

Smart marketers are actively using exchange schemes as a part of their marketing mix to overcome this incumbency mindset.

Marketing Mantra: Pave the path to upgrade with creative disposal strategies.

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. It was named both the Cannes Lions Network of the Year and the EFFIEs World’s Most Effective Agency Network for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries.

6#

Organised retail is a relatively new idea in Asia. For the novice shopper, the sheer choice offered by organised retail is contrasted by the inherent risk of having to decide for yourself. Hence, even a simple purchase at a supermarket becomes emotionally challenging. Shopper research indicates that shoppers go through a range of emotions, even on a simple shopping expedition to the neighbourhood supermarket. This ranges from the sheer excitement of choice, followed by confusion, debate, trade-offs, post rationalisation and ultimately, if navigated successfully, purchase. High-involvement purchases only compound this emotional roller coaster. As retail formats evolve, one

This article has been contributed to Orient

by Ogilvydo.com

needs to make this shopping experience culturally relevant and emotionally convenient.

Marketing Mantra: Boost brand presence in modern retail with navigation aids.

As people grow into the aspirational middle classes of consumption, these six guidelines should help bolster the brand’s inherent positioning and make it resonate with the desires of the Asian middle class.

As the famous poet TS Eliot once said, “One starts an action simply because one must do something.” Here are six possible actions. Go ahead and start somewhere!

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Social Media and Compliance:

Managing the Risk

By Rob Bratby and Ashley Hurst A look at the legal and compliance issues surrounding social media and some practical considerations that should be borne in mind when establishing an effective corporate social media compliance framework.

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ompanies from a wide range of industry sectors are embracing social media like never before. Many are now coming to the view that enabling employees to blog freely and engage with social media networks is crucial in order to be able to exploit the corresponding commercial opportunities increasingly available through social platforms.

Whilst once the reserve of companies on the cutting edge of media and technology, social media is now a ubiquitous feature right across the corporate landscape.

Whether it be thought leadership on blogs, responding to customer complaints on Twitter, creating common interest groups on LinkedIn or setting up company pages on Facebook, many in even the most

conservative of industries are beginning to join the social media revolution.

This represents a problem for compliance teams, who may in the past have opted to impose blanket bans on employees using social media at work rather than expose the company to the potential risks that it can bring. Indeed, particularly for those in regulated industries such as financial services and pharmaceuticals, the thought of giving employees carte blanche to use Twitter and Facebook at work is enough to give many lawyers and compliance officers sleepless nights.

As use of social media becomes ever more prevalent, however, companies are realising that the opportunities to enhance brands and build relationships are just too good to miss.

How, then, can firms embrace these opportunities whilst protecting themselves against this exposure? What are the challenges of formulating an effective compliance framework that is consistent in its application, and flexible enough to deal with the needs of individual teams and departments?

Defining the risk

Examples of social media policies are easy to find; indeed there are many tools online which allow you to build your own policy simply by ticking a few boxes.

However, compliance officers should think very carefully before borrowing ideas from elsewhere.

An effective social media policy is one that has been drafted with the individual

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Feature: Social Media and Compliance: Managing the Risk

needs of the company in mind, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The potential risks of social media will vary greatly from company to company. The first step should therefore be to identify the key risks to the company in question, and agree upon what the social media policy should achieve and what it should protect against.

There are certainly many concerns that will apply across the board.

Will allowing employee access to Twitter increase the risk of hacking by fraudsters?

Should the company pre-moderate or postmoderate user comments on the company blog? Can the company be liable for those comments? How, and for how long, should social media communications be retained?

Can employees take their Twitter and LinkedIn accounts with them on exit?

Of course, the answers to some of these questions will simply come down to the approach employers may wish to take with regard to internal strategy and issues of employment law, and these are considered in more detail in the next article in this series.

In addition to these, some concerns will be specific to certain companies—and under the watchful eye of industry regulators like the Financial Services Authority, those subject to regulatory regimes require particular thought.

For example, can a financial services company use a tweet as part of a marketing campaign for a new financial product?

When will a tweet about a financial product be considered to be a financial promotion?

What is universal is that the risks must first be identified before an effective policy can be developed. Only then can companies ensure that the policy will be fit for purpose, and can be monitored effectively going forward.

Joined-up thinking: preparing a policy Most large companies now provide social media policies and/or guidance to their employees, often in the form of lengthy documents. Such documents, though, should not operate in a vacuum.

There is a tendency for social media policies to be drafted by various combinations of the legal, communications and social media teams, and the end result can sometimes be inconsistent with other internal policy documents such as the group communications policy, the employee handbook, the data retention policy and the data security policy.

Consistency across the board is key to avoiding confusion and legal disputes.

A distinction should be made between policy and guidelines, which should each have a clear objective and should not be confused.

Whilst a social media policy should lay down rules that employees should abide by when using social media, guidelines should serve to give advice and suggestions as to how employees should go about this task.

These documents should be drafted with on-going effective compliance in mind, and once drafted, communication of the compliance framework and the training of staff are vital to ensure effective compliance.

It is unrealistic to expect employees to take time out of their busy days to read 20 pages of social media guidance.

Companies therefore need to find ways of distilling these documents into key points, and must ensure that those charged with monitoring and contributing to social media discussions have had the right training to enable them to make sound judgments in the heat of the moment.

And as the world of social media never stops turning, on-going training and monitoring are essential. Old platforms die and new ones take their place at a tremendous pace and, in the process, policy requirements will change. The compliance framework should therefore be seen as a living document; as it evolves, this too should be identified and communicated to employees.

Crisis management

One of the biggest risks posed by social media is the speed with which it moves,

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• Step 3 – Identify the relevant social media channels • Step 4 – Identify the key legal risks for your organisation • Step 5 – Collect existing policies which may impact on employee social media • Step 6 – Form a clear view of the desirable/acceptable bounds of social media use and draft a strategy document • Step 7 – Draft/amend social media policy and guidelines as appropriate • Step 8 – Form a crisis team • Step 9 – Establish a training plan • Step 10 – Build an integrated online communication network for crisis response Care should also be taken to establish whether any industry-specific requirements also apply.

and companies are often caught out by how quickly mistakes can ‘go viral.’

For some companies, problems can escalate to a global level in a matter of hours, and the damage can be considerable. In a report last July by US data security firm Symantec, it was estimated that social media mistakes cost major corporations around the world an average of $4.3 million each in 2010, as a result of PR disasters, lawsuits, regulatory fines, loss of revenue and reductions in share price.

As such, effective crisis response procedures are vital, particularly when external moderation companies are used.

About the Authors Rob Bratby is managing partner in Singapore and his partner Ashley Hurst is a London-based social media expert.

Olswang Asia is a leading international

When a crisis breaks, there simply isn’t time to spend several hours deciding how bad the problem is, whether to respond, who should respond, and who needs to authorise the response. By the time this is done, it is likely to be too late and the potential costs will be even greater.

Last year, the US financial services regulator, FINRA, issued a regulatory notice providing social media guidelines to regulated firms. This includes recommendations to retain records of all social media activity, to avoid recommending securities on social media platforms, to obtain approval from compliance departments on blog posts, to establish policies and procedures regulating social media activity, and to provide evidence that such policies are enforced.

10-Step plan

In the UK, the Financial Services Authority has so far adopted a fairly light-touch approach to social media and has restricted its guidance to financial promotions, but it is surely only a matter of time before it follows a similar path as FINRA, and there is also potential for other industry regulators to follow suit.

• Step 1 – Identify key internal stakeholders and form a social media focus group • Step 2 – Identify what your organisation wants to achieve through employee use of social media

Now is therefore the time to put the compliance framework in place and embrace the opportunities that this new form of communication can provide.

When devising a social media strategy, companies should therefore also consider implementing the following 10 step plan:

law firm focused on advising companies in the technology, media and telecoms industries, as well as advising companies in all sectors on technology, media and sourcing.

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The Leaders of Tomorrow

By Andrew Hancock

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very generation has its leaders— people who stand out from the crowd with their passion, commitment and drive towards excellence, and who manage to motivate others to similarly join their pursuit. Like any type of excellence, it doesn’t happen overnight; it doesn’t happen by accident, but through desire, challenge and effort.

A school is essentially in the business of developing the leaders of tomorrow. There isn’t a Leadership 101 class that can be taught, or a test that can be given to measure progress; rather, leadership and the skills that make a good leader are developed alongside the other lessons of life. Schools should aim to teach through action, to move beyond the theoretical and bridge the gap between the classroom and the world beyond. The leaders of tomorrow are developed through the trial and error of creating plans, motivating support and pursuing their execution. The student’s review of his/her own resulting success or failure is as much a lesson as the process of arriving there.

It is important to create leadership opportunities for young people to help them develop the traits that great leaders demonstrate: passion, creativity, strategic thinking and strong communication, among others. From a young age, students develop the sense of presence and the ability to work with others through participating in group projects and presenting their ideas to an audience. Some great school leadership opportunities include running for the student council and engaging with peers in discussions about school improvement, or acting as a mentor for other students, enhancing the feedback loop and supporting the development of good communication.

Opportunities for leadership expand further for older students through long-term student-driven projects.

Students can build leadership traits by exploring interests, igniting passions, developing and executing a plan, and finally evaluating the results of their

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efforts. A great example of this in action is the community service projects that students work on over the course of an entire school year. Students partner with international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that support causes in which they are most interested. They research about the organisations and causes in advance, and then travel to spend time working directly with the NGO to experience first-hand what they do, how they do it and why. Through this experience, students are then able to create their own community outreach plans for execution in Singapore, guided by the NGO in a mentoring role. Students

Andrew Hancock is the Academic Dean at Stamford American International School.

Stamford American International School provides a worldclass experience for students from

nursery through high school, featuring the International Baccalaureate programme integrated with rigorous American standards, Mandarin and Spanish daily foreign

Feature: The Leaders of Tomorrow

continue to partner with the NGO of their choice to fine-tune their community outreach plans and the process for rolling it out. One avenue by which they can garner support for their efforts is to propose partnership opportunities with different organisations in the school to engage their involvement. By gaining support of other school organisations, students can create additional strategic sales channels, build awareness for their cause and create additional advocates.

The key factor in helping students develop strong leadership skills is to give them time, support and encouragement

language programmes and one-to-one iPad and MacBook Pro programmes.

Stamford’s new $300 million state-of-the-art campus is centrally located, just steps from Woodleigh MRT.

to empower them to bring their ideas to fruition. The application of planning in real-world situations, and the challenge of presenting themselves and their ideas in a context in which adults and peers alike take notice, is the best leadership training possible. The amount of support that audiences provide to the students’ efforts is part of the learning curve in pursuing a goal within a meritocracy. Long-term projects push students to think through a multi-stage approach to implementation, and encourage perseverance and commitment to the success of their undertaking. These are valuable lessons for the leaders of tomorrow.

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The New Disruption for Brands A Global Look at Consumer Mobile and Social Habits

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Feature: The New Disruption for Brands

he idea of leveraging mobile and social media to engage consumers is still in its infancy. We are at the start of a new movement, one that meets consumers where they are—regardless of where you are. The frontier of mobile, and the frontier of social media, provide significant opportunities for brands to truly engage with consumers. There are real costs associated with inefficient marketing strategies that fail to recognise these new frontiers and not acting upon them.

brands so as to improve the customer experience across channels.

To help brands better understand this new frontier and how it plays into a multi-channel strategy, a survey was conducted with 4,000 consumers in the United States, the UK, Singapore and Australia. The goal was to learn about their expectations using mobile devices and social media to engage with brands.

While you can make educated guesses about their experiences, there is nothing like hearing it straight from the source— the customer. Their responses provide insights to identifying opportunities for

Consumers are evaluating products and services with their mobile device in hand.

While the recession may have made consumers more money-conscious, mobile devices made bargain hunting easier. And consumers are not going to a brand’s mobile app; they are comparing prices with the competition to ensure they are getting the best deal.

Showrooming

The trend is here to stay. According to the survey, 62% of global respondents use a mobile device while shopping in stores to compare products and prices. In addition, 77% of global respondents confirm they ‘showroom,’ which is to visit a brand’s physical location to evaluate products and services, knowing they will buy online at another time.

As brands move to better understand how consumers are using mobile devices in physical locations, they must also learn

how to embrace this behaviour and take advantage of the opportunity. If brands were better able to understand individual customer data, they would be able to deliver relevant promotions to specific individuals at the right time, through the channel. This would then create more positive customer experiences and, in turn, increase loyalty and sales.

According to the survey, 69% of global respondents expect a brand’s online store, mobile app and physical store to offer the same pricing, discounts and sales. In other words, by ensuring parity in pricing and products across multiple channels, brands can optimise the customer experience so they are not competing on price alone.

Mobile apps lag behind search engines on mobile devices The survey showed that consumers are slowly changing how they learn more about brands. Only 8% of global survey respondents use a brand’s mobile app to learn more about a brand through their mobile device, compared with more than

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one-third who use a search engine on their mobile device. Yet, according to Nielsen, 80% of mobile consumer time is spent on apps. The lagging pace of branded mobile app usage affects a brand’s opportunity to offer consumers a more personalised experience. Brands need to figure out how to improve consumer adoption of their apps to put themselves in the best position to improve experiences.

Leave the check-ins to the hotels

social channels. And to truly engage with these fans, they must communicate with individuals rather than generic groups.

Companies that rely on websites alone to acquire new customers or to maintain current customers are falling behind, as the empowered consumer expects a multi-channel experience with brands. And consumers expect the same level of service across all of these channels.

The survey also indicated that 73% of global respondents are not checking-in for deals. While location-based deals and promotions seem like an easy way to engage consumers on mobile devices, in reality they are not mainstream enough for brands to see a significant return on investment. Brands may want to wait until location sharing becomes more mainstream before deploying these campaigns.

Brands need to be where their customers are: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, among others. When social media first emerged, it was used to interact with family and friends. Now, marketers are trying to understand what drives customer engagement in social media and incorporate that into their overall marketing strategy.

Social customer engagement

According to the survey, one-third of global respondents claimed promotions on social media; however, marketers continue to

If brands want to be relevant today, they need to be talking to customers across

Promotions on social media turn customers off

struggle to monetise the social media channel. Resistance from consumers may be related to the idea that people use social media to be social, not to purchase; therefore, special offers and promotions are seen as disruptive.

Brands need to stop pushing content and genuinely engage with consumers on social media.

That said, consumers are always looking for a deal. If brands can create a message or promotion that is engaging and appropriate for social channels, using techniques such as gamification or VIP groups, and encourage consumers to ‘like’ them or register, they will improve attention for their brands. It all speaks to the individualisation of experience.

In short, are consumers turned off by promotions on social media—or are brands not offering the right kind of promotions based on individuals?

Smart brands have created exceptional programmes that convert consumers into fans and capitalise on word-of-mouth

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Are brands not offering the right kind of promotions based on individuals?

SDL enables global businesses to enrich their customers’ experience through the entire customer journey. SDL’s technology and services help brands to predict what their customers

want and engage with them across multiple languages, cultures, channels and devices.

SDL has over 1,500 enterprise customers, 400 partners and a global infrastructure of 70 offices in 38

Feature: The New Disruption for Brands

marketing techniques. Brands need to be able to understand their relationship with their fans, what resonates with them and what they respond to.

Conclusion

The survey results confirm that consumers live across channels when interacting with brands. As part of their experience, there is an expectation of consistency and value. Mobile and social media marketing opportunities exist for strategic marketers who want to reach out and engage customers. There is significant opportunity for retailers to increase their share of wallet by enhancing their mobile and social media marketing strategy.

countries. 42 out of the top 50 brands work with SDL. For more information, visit www.sdl.com.

As brands move to better understand how consumers are using mobile devices and social media, they must also learn how to embrace this behaviour and take advantage of the opportunity. The brands that focus on the customer to create positive customer experiences will increase sales.

Mobile and social present greenfield opportunities, but these channels need to be utilised in a smart, focused manner. Consumers expect individualised attention; brands need to know who they are talking to, what to say and where to say it.

When you want to get there faster, aim higher It turned out the fastest way to sail across the ocean, was to fly.

At Standard Life we’ve invested time into developing our savings and investment plans to get you where you want to be, quicker. So there’s never been a better time to invest in the future. www.standardlife.sg

Standard Life International Limited (Singapore Branch) is the Singapore branch of Standard Life International Limited and is registered in Singapore (T12FC0118K) at 30 Cecil Street, #26-00 The Prudential Tower, Singapore 049712. Authorised and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a direct life insurer.

Standard Life International Limited is a company registered in Ireland (number 408507) at 90 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. Standard Life International Limited is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. www.standardlife.sg © 2013 Standard Life, images reproduced under license.

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The Operational Excellence Challenge

By David Hand

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s it possible, in today’s demanding economy, to meet customer requirements in a way that is efficient and profitable?

This is a common question I am faced with in my daily interactions with business leaders.

It is what keeps them up at night and what drives them to re-evaluate their business models. Keeping customers satisfied while sustaining a profit is the yin and yang of business philosophy, and a concept that companies struggle with on a regular basis.

or postpone investment while producing short-term results can damage a business’ long-term overall market performance if not executed carefully.

The answer, of course, is ‘yes.’ Even in the current climate, it is possible to achieve high levels of customer service and satisfaction.

This is achieved through fostering an operational excellence framework that is underpinned by a culture of innovation, that supports sustainable change, maintains improved processes, and engages staff.

Operational excellence in focus

Operational excellence must be a top priority for companies during a period of economic uncertainty in order to have an advantage over their competitors. To merely cut costs

By adopting an operational excellence framework and investing in staff training and development, you will improve workplace efficiency, service quality and market competitiveness, which in turn reduces costs and boosts revenue.

Operational excellence is a continual improvement programme that delivers a quality product or service when customers want it, and is positioned at the right price to make a profit. However, in our many years of consulting experience, we have found operational excellence to be an area of business that is misunderstood. What it is, how it can be achieved and, more importantly, how it can be sustained, are key questions that management teams consistently grapple with.

A common misconception is that operational excellence requires a huge investment in capital or a long lead time to establish. It does not. Operational excellence can be applied to any business, with only a small investment to enhance existing resources and improve overall performance.

How is operational excellence achieved?

Operational excellence is underpinned by three key components: management tools, processes and the appropriate behavioural model. Achieving operational excellence is possible for every organisation through consideration and evaluation of all three areas.

• Management tools Having effective tools and systems in place to manage your processes will help you get the job done efficiently to meet your customer expectations and remove any hidden waste. This involves the right forecasting, planning, scheduling and reporting structures.

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customers start complaining.

An ability to take corrective action is another characteristic of the behavioural model. When variance to plan occurs, having a capability to fix the root cause of the problem will drive operational excellence.

Lastly, the behavioural model comprises a ‘no blame’ culture. When things go wrong, fixing processes so that human error is reduced is a sure-fire way to improve operational performance.

Blaming people is counterproductive to getting to the root cause of the problem.

• Processes To enhance the productivity and efficiency of your business, and your end customer’s experience, it is critical that you have the right processes in place. By actively reviewing your current processes and identifying areas that are not performing well, you will gain insight into what is needed to drive your business forward.

Optimising your processes—through improving, redesigning or creating new processes—can ensure you have the right tools and systems to support your people through change.

• The behavioural model The appropriate behavioural model required for operational excellence has clear characteristics. This includes an active management method that applies to all management levels. An operating problem that invades a manager’s day is far more disruptive and costly than it would be, should that manager have discovered it earlier. Actively managing people and processes involves leaders in the business closer to the point of execution. A quality shortfall discovered during production is less costly than when

Shifting behaviour is often the biggest challenge companies face when implementing change. What people do not realise is that, when asking people to change a current method or behaviour, we are responsible for providing the direction and support to deliver what we are requesting. When we ask people to perform a process or change a behaviour, we require them to act differently; with this comes the responsibility of actively preparing and planning for that change.

It’s important to be clear with your staff and communicate the desired outcome of the changed behaviour, then create a wellplanned outline of what is required to reach it. This means to clearly identify why you are making the changes and creating the appropriate coaching plan.

Getting people involved early in the process is also an effective coaching tool, as it creates a sense of involvement and ownership to achieve the overall goal. Often, if this opportunity is lost, people may not understand what is required of them, creating unnecessary anxiety or prolonged timeframes to reaching your outcome deadlines.

What’s next?

Implementing an effective and sustainable operational excellence framework

About the Author David Hand is one of the region’s leading operational improvement management experts.

He is the founder of Newport Consulting—the hosts of OpsX13, an operational excellence forum dedicated to meeting customer requirements efficiently and profitably. The OpsX13 forum will be hosted in Singapore later this year.

requires a strong commitment and acknowledgement that, while it does not have to be a huge investment, is not a quick fix either. It requires an assessment of current management tools, a review of processes and a shift in behaviour in order to implement sustainable change.

Here are some key tips to consider when implementing a change/improvement plan for your business: • Be flexible: In order to leverage business barriers and constraints that arise in an uncertain economy, it is crucial to remain flexible and adaptable.

• Be innovative and inclusive: Foster an environment that is innovative and involve your staff in the change process—it will empower and engage them.

• Be proactive: Actively review your operations and identify areas that are not performing well. Correcting inefficient processes and outdated management practices is the most cost-effective way to protect margins.

• Review the management and utilisation of resources: Before investing in new machine/equipment or any other resource, make sure your existing resources are fully utilised and managed productively.

• Communicate with your staff: There may be uncertainty about the impact that changing economic forces will have on your team and their position, so take every given opportunity to communicate to them what is happening.

• Enforce skills training: Remain dedicated to skills training and development to maximise staff attitude and commitment to achieving targets.

• Actively review budgets and forecasts: Businesses need to review the forecasts that are driving their budgets and make adjustments accordingly. What are your forecasts in today’s vastly changed environment? What do you need to do differently in your business to meet them?

Trekking in Nepal, Theory of Knowledge in Year 12 and building aeroplanes in Preschool.

A holistic educational approach is central to what we do at the Australian International School in Singapore

Inventing the future

AIS, offering the International Baccalaureate, the New South Wales Higher School Certificate and newly accredited by University of Cambridge International Examinations to offer the IGCSE from January 2013

Globally focused, distinctly Australian... +65 6883 5155 | www.ais.com.sg

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Australian International School Pte Ltd is registered by the Council for Private Education.

CPE Registration Number 199204405H. Period of Registration 6 July 2011 to 5 July 2015

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UK Trade & Investment

Keep Calm and Carry on Investing – The UK is Open for Business

By Phil Hickson

“Inward investment is crucial for our economy. We’re pleased that we are number one in Europe for Foreign Direct Investment but we are not complacent. We’re determined to remain one of the most open countries in the world for inward investment.”

Lord Green, Minister for Trade and Investment.

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ccording to the World Bank, the UK is still the best place to do business in Europe. More overseas companies set up their European headquarters in the UK than anywhere else, and last year, the UK attracted almost threequarters of all Singaporean Foreign Direct Investment into the EU with a cumulative stock at the end of 2011 of $33.7 billion.

All of this despite the economic downturn.

This may well be, in part, due to a very favourable currency exchange rate (Sterling is competitive, as we like to say) and the fact that a recession can be a business opportunity if you are cash rich. Savvy businesses realise the importance of investing when markets are down, and of moving into position early

to reap the rewards when the economy picks up. I think it is also in no small way due to the long-standing relationship that the UK has with Singapore, as well as the shared language, business culture, and legal, social and political infrastructure that exist between us. But whatever the reasons may be, the message today is clear: the UK is very much open for business.

I am also proud to note that the UK, like Singapore, punches above its own weight in terms of providing businesses the perfect environment to grow. Just as Singapore positions itself as the launchpad to Asia, the UK has been used by many of the world’s finest companies as a springboard to Europe and beyond.

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One of our key accounts, and a recent success story, is the award of a 30-year contract worth £1.1bn by Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority to Singapore energy, water and marine group, Sembcorp Industries.

The contract is to manage over 430,000 tonnes of residual household waste each year from Merseyside and Halton and includes designing, building, financing and operating two facilities: a rail-loading waste transfer station on Knowsley Industrial Estate, and a new purpose-built energy-fromwaste facility in Teesside.

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Investors can speak to the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team based at the British High Commission to learn about business and market opportunities.

One area of particular focus for the UK Government and the investment team here at the High Commission is the investment opportunities in UK infrastructure projects. The National Infrastructure Plan 2011 sets out a comprehensive strategy for meeting the infrastructure needs of the UK economy.

This includes setting out a clear pipeline of 500 infrastructure projects the Government is committed to deliver in partnership with the private sector with a priority focus on transport, energy, communications, and water and waste sectors.

In June, the Government announced action to unlock up to £110 billion energy infrastructure investment by 2020.

Secretary of State Edward Davey said: “No other sector is equal in scale to the British power market in terms of the opportunity that it offers to investors and the scale of the infrastructure challenge.”

“Our reforms will renew our electricity supply, attracting up to £110 billion investment in a mix of clean, secure power and demand reduction, and will support up to 250,000 jobs up and down the supply chain.”

Total capital investment for the two facilities will be around £250 million, and both are expected to be operational by 2016.

The total contract value could be in excess of £1.75 billion, with the addition of revenues from the management of third-party waste and the potential sale of electricity. In total, 75 permanent engineering jobs and about 480 jobs during the construction phase will be created. While many Singaporean investors continue to focus on London and the Southeast, particularly in property, it is encouraging that the likes of Sembcorp are making big investments and creating jobs in the North, hopefully blazing a trail for others.

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UK Trade & Investment

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is doing his bit, too. His 2013 Budget set out action to further improve the attractiveness of the UK as an investment destination.

The Government has reiterated its aim of having one of the lowest Corporation Tax rates in the G8 with a further 1% reduction in the main rate of corporation tax by April 2015 to 20%—as low as anywhere in the G20.

UK Trade & Investment is the government organisation that is resourced to help UK-based companies succeed in the global economy and assist overseas companies to bring their high-quality investment to the UK. In the context of Singapore, we are like the Singapore Economic Development

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The Government aims to have one of the lowest Corporate Tax rates in the G8.

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One of the economic priorities is the transport sector.

Board and International Enterprise Singapore combined, if you like. We are helping more foreign investors than ever on their location decisions and their UK business operations. And once in the UK, we help companies expand their business through our tailored support and access to our best-in-class export-support services.

There is a wide range of resources available to investors from the UK Trade & Investment team based at the British High Commission. Our services are all confidential and completely free of charge.

Typically, they can include: • Access to serviced office accommodation in central locations completely free of

About the Author Phil Hickson Senior Trade and Investment Manager and Head of Inward Investment phil.hickson@fco.gov.uk Tel: +65 6424 4323

charge for up to 12 months • Sign-posting to business opportunities in the UK as well as information on a wide range of issues, from marketing and distribution to partnerships, joint ventures and R&D • Access to regional teams and to experts and sector specialists • Practical advice on incorporation and how to get your business up and running quickly One final point to bear in mind: if you are British, with a Singapore-registered company, you can still take advantage of the full range of these services should you decide to open an office in the UK. What are you waiting for?

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Britain in South East Asia News

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Indonesia on the Radar I

t is no surprise that Indonesia is getting more attention than ever before. During the global turmoil, Indonesia was one of only a handful of countries whose fundamentals remained relatively stable: GDP forecasts continued to hover at around +/- 6% and the rupiah did not come under any undue pressure.

Businesses in the UK anticipating a vacuum in sales growth and businesses already hubbed in South East Asia were lured into a closer look at why Indonesia proved so resilient. It wasn’t a long search. Aside from the economic data, the demographics are compelling: 245 million population, more than half of whom are under 30, and a middle class forecast to rise by three to four million each year for the foreseeable future. So, the resilience is driven by domestic consumption.

About the Author On Wednesday, 3 July 2013, Chris Wren, Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, visited our management office for one-on-one meetings with some

Of course, entering a market isn’t as simple as knowing that it is there. Opportunities do abound, but Indonesia is complex to access and equally complex to operate in.

The regulatory environment is mired in frustrating inconsistencies: bureaucracy and red-tape create huge bottle-necks, and legal uncertainty remains prevalent.

So it was not surprising that an offer of face time for BritCham Singapore members with BritCham Indonesia was significantly over-subscribed. What did surprise me was the diversity of businesses taking a closer look at Indonesia: energy, education, recruitment, relocation, legal, banking, new technologies, accounting and architecture.

It is difficult to cover much ground in 15 to 20 minutes, but the time was sufficient

of our members who have indicated interest in doing business in Indonesia.

Born in Crosby, Liverpool in 1961, Chris Wren has now been in Indonesia for 18 years. Since 1998,

he has been involved in consulting relating to HR Development and postgraduate education.

to have an effective introduction and to emphasise a very important message to be patient and very diligent in approaching this potentially lucrative market. And a chat with the Chamber is a wise place to start on what can be a long journey to market access.

As with BritCham Singapore, we too are one of the Chambers transitioning and capacity-building to be able to offer more market access services. So feel free to field your interest directly to me chriswren@ britcham.or.id As a footnote, but not an afterthought, I would like to sincerely thank Brigitte and her team for their friendly and efficient hospitality during my brief visit. More visits to come!

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Britain in South East Asia News

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BiSEA News Britain Brunei Business Forum

The Britain Brunei Business Forum (BBBF) held a very well-attended event in June on the opportunities and challenges of investing in Myanmar. Following a detailed presentation from the Myanmar ambassador to Brunei, Daw Yin Yin Myint, there was a panel discussion with the ambassador, the British High Commissioner to Brunei His Excellency Rob Fenn and a well-known local entrepreneur. Early July saw the BBBF host a farewell event for the outgoing British High Commissioner. At the event, His Excellency Rob Fenn talked about the potential business opportunities as Britain and Brunei develop their knowledge economies, and why both countries can engage in both tradition and innovation.

British Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia

Interested in business opportunities in Cambodia? The British Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia welcomes visitors to our regular networking events and business briefings.

We can provide potential investors with introductions, guidance and the benefit of our experience.

BritCham Cambodia works closely with UKTI, the British Embassy and other Chambers of Commerce to support our members’ success.

Visit our website for news, guides and upcoming events. www.britchamcambodia.org

British Chamber of Commerce Philippines

The Philippines continued its growth momentum with a 7.8% expansion in the first quarter of the year, making it Asia’s fastest-growing economy.

The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines welcomed the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2013, which showed the Philippines moving up five places from the 43rd position in 2012 to being ranked 38th this year. The Philippines improved its ranking in three out of the four factors: economic performance (from 42nd to 31st), government efficiency (from 32nd to 31st) and business efficiency (from 26th to 19th). For more information, please visit www.britchamphil.org

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BBGV 13th Annual Fun Run for Charity in Ho Chi Minh City Date: 29 September

Fun Run is a fun event and a great opportunity for team building, whilst at the same time raising money for needy people within Vietnam. This year, Fun Run will launch ‘Great Week’ in Vietnam to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and UK. Last year’s event raised almost VND800 million and over 7,800 people participated in this exciting event. Throughout the years, we have raised almost VND6 billion for charity and attracted 47,000 people to join the run.

For further information, please contact Tran at officemanager@bbgv.org.

Please visit BBGV’s website to find out more exciting events and activities at www.bbgv.org.

British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce

The British Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (BMCC) will continue to work closely with the UKTI to double trade between the UK and Malaysia. The Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s recent visit to the UK allowed him to revisit and reemphasise the crucial role that SMEs play in increasing economic growth. The executive team will be responding swiftly to the SMEs in membership to support the government initiative. Lord Mayor Alderman Roger Gifford’s visit in October will further strengthen Malaysian business ties with the UK. BMCC members can also look forward to the Great British Ball, the Best of British Comedy with Danny Bhoy and Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap in our calendar of events. Visit our Facebook, Twitter and website for upcoming events and live feeds.

British Chamber of Commerce Thailand

Over the recent months, the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) has implemented a number of improvements in the delivery of information, facilitation and services to BCCT members.

BCCT recently signed an agreement with UKTI on a project that would see BCCT offering market entry services to British businesses wanting to enter Thailand. For further information about our new services, please contact greg@bccthai.com BCCT has also taken the opportunity to refresh the BCCT brand to reflect our progressive role in facilitating the link between the UK and Thailand, as well as the diverse nature of our membership. Our new logo—designed by member company GSBI (www.gsbi.com)— visually represents an organisation that is about people, connectivity and equality, as well as the long-standing link and partnership between British and Thai business communities.

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At the Chamber: Committee News

Membership Committee Chairperson: Andrew Vine —Founder & CEO, The Insight Bureau

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am pleased to announce that British Chamber membership recently broke through the 2,000 barrier for the first time. That’s a network of 2,000 business men and women who are either part of our 370-strong corporate base or who are individual business professionals. To mark this occasion, allow me to walk you through how this has been achieved.

A few years ago, we tended to think about our membership in a homogenous way. Membership Committee started to deliberately think about segmenting our membership base to understand it better and offer more. The more we started to put ourselves into the shoes of a Chief Executive driving his firm’s regional strategy, and then the shoes of a young professional developing her career, and then the shoes of a start-up entrepreneur taking a risk and going for it, and so on… it was so obvious that our membership had a very diverse range of needs.

Progressively, we did two things: firstly, we revised membership categories to reflect the fact that companies of different sizes or at different stages of their development needed different options, and to be ready as companies grew or individuals took on different roles to remain valuable; secondly, to push harder the ‘Business Group’ concept, bringing more people together with common issues and interests.

The combination of doing both these two things simultaneously has further driven the value proposition; we can say, hands on hearts, that through the size and quality of the network, with the range of business meetings and social events that punctuate the year’s calendar, the value proposition of the Chamber has never been more compelling.

I articulate all this now for two key reasons: firstly, to simply congratulate the Chamber team on achieving this milestone, in particular Katie Hudson and Emi Hosono who are dedicated to the membership function; secondly, to explain to everyone that this has not been achieved by accident, but as part of a strategy, and indeed one that continues to develop. As a Chamber, we have received increasingly strong feedback in successive bi-annual membership surveys in terms of value and satisfaction. This has been strong reaffirmation that we are doing many things right. However, to my mind, nothing speaks louder than when people vote with their wallets, which these numbers show us!

It has been extremely gratifying to see how well we do with our wide range of

meetings. Business networking remains the strongest motivation for our members.

Membership committee paused to consider however what ‘networking’ really means. Beyond simply meeting people to do business together, it also means sharing and learning from each other.

This is now driving much of our future work, progressively placing more emphasis on sharing knowledge, highlighting expertise that exists within the Chamber membership and establishing stronger communities within the membership, with the help of smarter use of new technology.

With this new mindset to think ‘beyond meetings,’ we continue the process of becoming even more relevant to a greater number of business executives in Singapore and to fulfilling our mission to the fullest.

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Sustainability and Responsibility Committee Chairperson: Richard Burn —Corporate Relations Director, Asia Pacific, Diageo

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long history backs the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its impact on the ecosystem of organisations and the society.

This evolution saw, and continues to see, a great deal of controversy through the years. Some maintain that this is merely window-dressing an organisation, while those who actively involve themselves in CSR activities defend that it facilitates good governance and has a positive impact on society and the organisation itself.

Several books and papers claim different people coined the term ‘corporate social responsibility.’ However, Howard Bowen is largely credited with coining the phrase in his book Social Responsibilities of

the Businessman. That said, the overall concept gained recognition in the latter half of the 20th century. Significant shifts and changes from a culture of individual philanthropic acts towards a culture of corporate giving, charity and an increased involvement of business in social welfare policies have contributed to today’s contemporary CSR. Despite controversies and changing definitions, one cannot argue the benefits CSR brings to an individual, an organisation as well as those on the receiving end. It is nevertheless a subject that is perhaps still at its infancy stage and needs a deeper understanding to arrive at a concrete definition.

On 30 July 2013, the Chamber’s CSR committee discussed its activities and reviewed issues. They concluded that ‘CSR’ does not reflect contemporary corporate priorities to integrate sustainability and responsibility in their business practices; the term is still much more related to philanthropy and charity. In order to better define social responsibility, the Chamber committee agreed to add a new dimension—sustainability—to the committee’s activities.

With this as our prelude, here’s presenting the newly renamed ’Sustainability and Responsibility Committee.’

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At the Chamber: Committee News

Diversity Committee Chairperson: Simon Croxford —Managing Director and General Counsel, Asia Pacific, Barclays

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he BCC Diversity Committee is the Chamber’s newest addition to the platform for member’s to share experience and best practice. The Committee is chaired by Simon Croxford from Barclays, the Chamber’s Gold/ Diversity Sponsor.

The Committee is planning a kickoff event for Q4/2013 and our Committee web page will share regular updates on best practice and other relevant information about Diversity and Inclusion.

Please visit http://www.britcham.org. sg/diversity for more information

Committee Members: • • • • • • • • • • •

Alex Morris, Arup Annie Abraham, CDL Grahame Wright, Ernst & Young Joe Tofield, British Council Karen Anderson, Portfolio Builders Patricia Pereira, SMU Paul Broom, British High Commission Peter Derby-Crook, Tanglin Trust School Raymond Hoefer, BP Rob Williams, British Airways Yemi Tepe, Clifford Chance

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At the Chamber: Business Group News

Entrepreneur and Small Business Group Chairperson: Peter Seligman —Assistant Branch Manager, Meyado Pte Ltd

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ypically the summer holiday slow-down is well and truly in place by this point, as families take the chance to get off the island for a while. Talking to other small business owners this year, they like us, are not experiencing that yet this year. In fact many of them are busier than ever.

Perhaps it was the efforts made to escape the haze in the previous months, meaning that further holidays have been postponed. Whatever the reason, it’s great for business!

The ESBG has seen momentum continue well over the last two months. More and more ideas are being raised and presenters and guests for events arranged.

Unfortunately, the event by Loyal Reliance on ‘Educational Analysis’ had to be postponed.

However the Chamber enjoyed a really excellent breakfast presentation at the Shangri-La on 8 May by Nick Fawbert of Third Space Consulting. The topic was ‘Boosting Business with Digital Marketing.’ The premise was similar to the “IT on a Shoe-string” event that we held last year—a bluffer’s guide to digital marketing, and how to be effective without spending huge amounts of money.

The room was full to capacity and the questions kept coming at the end. Again we’d like to express our thanks to Nick for his time and a fascinating presentation.

From the most recent committee meeting we have had to prioritise the most valuable projects to work on for the rest of the year.

It was great to be in such a position where there were so many potential events to choose from!

The list produced now includes finalising the two events on sources of funding for SMEs: one on the traditional source, banks—what they can offer and what they look for; the second on alternative sources such as Venture Capital.

Further, we are working on a round-table event covering pertinent professional services for SMEs—what they should know and what they should be prepared to pay for.

Finally there is a further “Shoe-string presentation” being planned, focusing on traditional marketing techniques.

It promises to be a very interesting and frenetic second half of the year!

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IT and Communications Technology Group Chairperson: Henry Farahar —Sales Director, Unified Communications Group, Logicalis Asia

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odern technology is essential as we develop our businesses and the way we work. Access to the latest gadgets—mobile phones, pagers, laptops, etc—in the workplace used to be considered a perk. Today, provision of the latest technology is a benchmark that companies must meet in order to demonstrate their commitment to invest in the tools we need to work.

Access to this technology not only allows workers to be more efficient, but also has a significant impact on the achievement of a proper work-life balance.

As the IT and Communications Technology group continues to expand on and explain the technology megatrends— cloud technology, ‘bring your own

device (BYOD)’ culture/mobility, social media and big data—and their impact on businesses’ top line, the next step is to look at the wider business impact beyond revenue generation or cost savings, and refocusing on what technology can do for the business user. The impact at this level is beyond the business process; instead, it impacts issues like staff retention and talent attraction.

It is imperative for businesses to understand that people aspire to join and stay with a company that promotes an environment where staff are free and comfortable to express themselves, yet are able to work efficiently. Technology enables this. Here in Singapore, we see global MNCs investing in iconic regional

headquarters: Standard Chartered Bank, Credit Suisse, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and the list goes on. All these workplaces have one thing in common: phenomenal technology infrastructures that are built to support their businesses and empower their people.

It’s not just the Fortune 500 who can benefit from technology as part of their complete business strategy. Cloud computing, collaboration tools, smart apps, BYOD and affordable hardware devices mean we can all set up an environment that will not only attract and retain the talent you need, but also enable them to most efficiently perform for your business. What’s the alternative?

Buying a ping pong table?

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At the Chamber: Business Group News

Professional Services Group Chairperson: Carolyn Lints

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he reinvigorated Professional Services Group (PSG) within the Chamber is continuing to make good progress as it addresses its goal of helping members to network effectively, promote their services more widely, and create more business opportunities.

The group’s current strategy to reach these goals is in two parts: first, to create more opportunities for professional services companies within the Chamber to meet each other; and second, to support the UKTI team and the Chamber as a whole in selling Singapore as a business location to prospective UK exporters and investors.

The latest PSG networking event in June

was the best attended yet, with close to 100 people enjoying fish and chips and the best of British beer at the High Commission’s very own Crown and Anchor pub. Encouragingly, the event also achieved a 75% approval rating, with three in four survey respondents strongly agreeing on the high value and quality of the event.

PSG committee members have also been busy promoting Singapore and Chamber services back in the UK. Since February, presentations have been given to Chambers in Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and North Staffordshire. In addition, Memorandums of Understanding have been signed, or are in the process of being signed, with

eight local UK Chambers to create closer links with BritCham here in Singapore; discussions are ongoing with a number of others. The PSG is helping to spread the word around the UK—especially to SMEs—that Singapore is a great place for British companies to do business and that it has a supportive and effective chamber of commerce. Indeed, six new overseas companies have joined the Chamber as a direct result of our initiative.

PSG is also working to build closer online links across the BritCham professional services community: the PSG LinkedIn group now has just under 200 members, making it a very effective way to share the latest news, or to discuss important industry topics.

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Property and Construction Group Chairperson: Richard Warburton —Area Leader, South East Asia, EC Harris Singapore Pte Ltd

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s property portfolios become increasingly globalised, many organisations are looking at a programme management office (PMO) approach to help optimise their capital and operational expenditures, guarantee greater levels of consistency in the final product and drive increased speed to market.

While the theory behind this approach is sound, it is not always so straightforward in practice. One of the biggest challenges when working on international portfolios is the lack of consistency as to how space is measured. International standards for property management do not yet exist, with each market often adopting its own unique approach.

Ambiguities around space make it difficult for global investors and occupiers to make informed business decisions. This is a real challenge for them, particularly now when budgets are being reduced, property teams are shrinking, and profits and losses are under greater scrutiny than ever before.

On that basis, we should all welcome the recent formation of the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition. This group has been set up by 20 globally recognised organisations— including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association and CoreNet Global— to help resolve some of the disparities that surround the measurement of space.

Having an agreed set of principlebased and internationally applicable measurement standards will be crucial when it comes to delivering multi-market or Pan-Asia programmes. They will provide greater cost transparency and build both public trust and investor confidence. In

addition, such standards will also help to ensure greater accuracy, consistency and efficiency in how information is reported in financial statements—an area of increasing importance.

Standards form the building blocks of a global economy; by creating a level playing field as to how property is measured and valued, there is no doubt that the industry is taking a truly positive step forward.

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At the Chamber: Business Group News

Young British Chamber Chairperson: Miles Gooseman —Consultant, The Fry Group

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he Young British Chamber (YBC) committee is a dedicated group of individuals striving to engage and interact with the younger professionals in Singapore.

Whether you are new to the Lion City or a long-timer looking for something different, we have something for you—the YBC has overhauled itself into becoming one of the most popular young professional groups in Singapore.

Over the past two years, the group has worked tirelessly to provide the community with networking events, offsite tours, and mentoring programmes. As with all business groups, we strive to offer something different—and this year, we have achieved that.

Ever wanted to know what the life of a US Navy captain is like, and how he leads his team? Ever wanted to attend a speech given by a knight and discover how his career evolved? Or are you interested in how an impoverished child becomes a successful restaurateur? If so, our mentor series is for you.

If you want a tour of a US Navy aircraft carrier or sail a yacht around Marina Bay Sands, then check out our offsite tours. If a networking night over a glass of wine is more of your cup of tea, we have that as well.

Most people join the YBC to meet new people—both friends and business contacts. They are provided opportunities

and experiences through getting involved in various projects as well as interacting with different cultures. In addition to BritCham, we also work with other chambers, business groups and the UKTI to bring to you the exposure and opportunity you deserve.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please join us for one of our upcoming events. Visit www. britcham.org.sg for more information, and take a look at the profiles of our committee members—we’re a diverse bunch with experience in all industries.

Written by Zoë Marmot Marketing & Communications Manager, Cognita Asia Holdings

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At the Chamber

A Discussion with the Economic Secretary to HM Treasury

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n a two-day visit to Singapore, Economic Secretary to Her Majesty’s Treasury, Sajid Javid, called on Singapore political leaders and businesses. The British Chamber of Commerce hosted a roundtable breakfast on 8 July 2013. The minister delivered an informative presentation about the UK financial services industry and government reforms to Chamber members before engaging in a lively question-and-answer session.

In his presentation, the minister gave an overview of the economic situation in the UK, referencing Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who said at a recent Mansion House speech that the UK economy is moving from “intensive care” to “recovery.”

He commented, “Britain offers excellent investment opportunities and has the biggest and most experienced financial

sector in Europe to manage those investments. The UK is already Europe’s leading centre for asset management.”

He further discussed regulatory changes being made in the UK and the EU, including abolition of the Schedule 19 tax. He also expressed the UK Government’s desire to preserve and grow London as a financial hub, mentioning fund management as one area of particular interest.

During the question-and-answer session, the minister addressed many issues: funding authorisation processes, changes to EU regulation, corporation tax, and the referendum on EU membership, among others.

Such increasingly regular ministerial visits are a testament to the Chamber’s efforts in bringing high value to both businesses and bilateral relations between Singapore and the UK.

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At the Chamber

BritCham New Members Sterling Magrath Global Mark Chowdhry Scottish Development International Jason Grant

Madston Black Singapore Louise Kovacs McGregor Stevens (Private) Ltd Ash David MW Global Connect Pte Ltd Malai Williams

Corporate Plus

Newport Consulting Robert Bolton

Infinite Security Solutions Charlotte Rothery

Panashco Media Pte Ltd Alexander Knight

Nanyang Technological University Terry Farris

Prime Air Global Pte Ltd Chris Humphrey

RP International Resources Pte Ltd Justin Birch

Rice Communications Pte Ltd Anna Goulding

Corporate

The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas - Nusa Dua, Bali Haryanto Tarjanto

ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Andy Gibson

VIA Sustainable Technologies Pte Ltd Dinesh Senan

IOM (Institute of Occupational Medicine) Singapore Robert Aitken

VISION Consulting (Vision Advisory LLP) Hugo Jefferson

Meinhardt Infrastructure Pte Ltd Tham Lai Leng ONE째15 Marina Club Brian Werner The NB Consultancy (Singapore) Pte Ltd Andrew Gillham

Corporate SME Corporate Citizenship Junice Yeo Nicolier Hume Brophy Communications (Singapore) Pte Ltd Una McGirr Lynchpin Leadership Alex Blyth

YI Partners Private Limited Igwe Onyechinaeduanaghaefuuzo

Corporate Overseas CMC Partnership (UK) Ltd Rhiannon Cooke EXUS Margaritis Emmanouil Flight Data Services Ltd Jesse Dave Human Factors International Charlie Atkinson Legacy of Legends Limited Peter Banner Middlesex University David Williams

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At the Chamber: Sterling News

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AngloINFO now offers to businesses—including estate agents and recruitment companies—free classifieds that are user-friendly, well structured and easy to view. Free classifieds are exclusively for local transactions. If you are buying or selling products or services from another country or region, you will need to submit a featured classified.

Private individuals and businesses can submit a free classified for advertisement to AngloINFO users. With a free classified, you can add up to six photos, edit and

SINGAPORE

change images, and mark your classified as sold through the ‘My Postings’ tab in your MyAngloINFO space.

AngloINFO is a trusted brand by expats in Singapore and globally, giving reliable and relevant information to over three million unique users a month. AngloINFO currently operates 81 regional sites in 37 countries. singapore.angloinfo.com

Duncan Merrin, managing director of Intro International Pte Ltd, is pleased to announce that Graham Harkness has joined the company as a senior associate responsible for business development.

Graham Harkness began his career with an international accountancy and business advisory firm, where he worked as an associate in both the audit and tax teams. During this time, he gained experience working with a wide range of SMEs and listed-company clients, providing audit services, company tax and personal tax advice while gaining professional qualifications with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Following this, he moved into a consultancy role, advising companies and individuals in both the UK and Singapore on tax issues, with a focus on group employee benefit structures. Graham joined Intro International as a senior associate in 2012 to strengthen and support the existing services using his experience from the UK and Singapore, as well as to drive business development and head up the employee benefits advisory.

Joining the board of directors are Theresa Cheng, CPA, and Yati Malek.

London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) was presented with the 2013 Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its achievements in international trade. As the UK’s highest and most prestigious business accolade, the awards are conferred by HM Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of the prime minister, to organisations with outstanding performance in international trade, innovation and sustainable development.

With institutes, offices and an online presence worldwide, LSBF is proud of the role it plays in expanding access to global education and in contributing to the continuous development of individuals and communities. LSBF is now one of the very few private higher education institutions to have won the award.

“We are extremely proud to be presented with such a prestigious honour as the Queen’s Award [for Enterprise]. At LSBF, we believe that higher education should take the front seat in the globalisation process and lead a positive and constructive form of international collaboration,” said Professor Maurits van Rooijen, Rector and CEO of LSBF. www.lsbf.edu.sg

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At the Chamber: Corporate News The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of overseas buyers investing in London property, with individuals from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore now accounting for over 50% of sales of new-build properties in central London. The continued weakness of Sterling, high rental demand, chronic housing shortage, strong long-term capital growth and London’s historical reputation as a safe place for investment make London very appealing as an investment spot. Over 100 investors in Singapore turned out for our recent overseas property investment roadshow. Clearly, the demand for investing in London rental property is showing no signs of slowing down.

For more information about letting, management and furnishing of your London property, please contact Lynne Geeves at singapore@brlets.com

On 7 May, BG Group delivered the first commercial cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Singapore’s new LNG terminal on Jurong Island. The delivery will cater to a variety of industrial customers, including six large-scale power generation companies.

This marks a new chapter in diversifying Singapore’s energy supply with a reliable, safe and flexible source of natural gas while also helping to ensure the country’s security of energy supply. BG Group has had an office in Singapore for over 15 years, and is a trusted and experienced global LNG supplier with a proven track record for reliable supplies to Asia Pacific markets.

EY has opened a new member firm in Myanmar. Ernst & Young (Myanmar) Ltd will provide tax, transaction and other business advisory services to clients who are seeking to invest and grow their business in Myanmar. The new firm will be connected with the other EY companies across Asia Pacific. Its Singapore practice will continue to act as a central hub to assist with client enquiries on investing and operating in the market. For enquiries, please contact Max Loh, EY’s managing partner for ASEAN and Singapore, at max.loh@sg.ey.com

In line with its commitment to meet the evolving needs of travellers, Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd—a global leader in premier serviced apartments and boutique residences—has introduced free and unlimited 24/7 high-speed Internet access across all its properties worldwide. This follows the launch of the group’s new mobile website, which allows travellers to make reservations, modify bookings and have instant access to property information, special offers and promotions via their smartphones.

Frasers Hospitality Pte Ltd’s current portfolio, including those in the pipeline, stands at 77 properties in 41 key gateway cities and more than 13,000 apartments worldwide.

To visit our new mobile website, please go to www.frasershospitality.com

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Global law firm Eversheds has announced the appointment of Oommen Mathew as managing director of its Singapore office. A leading figure in arbitration and dispute management in South East Asia, Oommen has been with Eversheds since 2009, having started his career at local firm Allen & Gledhill.

Oommen has extensive experience as lead counsel representing both regional and international clients in the Singapore High Court, the Court of Appeal and, almost exclusively in recent times, in international arbitrations conducted under the International Chamber of Commerce, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law rules regimes. He is highly sought out and well regarded by fellow lawyers, clients and colleagues for his incisive cross-examination skills, advocacy, practical advice and strategic acumen.

GreatNewPlaces.com has partnered with radio station Hot FM91.3 and now has a daily segment (Monday to Friday) together with Charmaine Yee on her Hot 30 Countdown Show. This ongoing partnership was launched in February this year and has not only brought terrific national coverage for GreatNewPlaces.com, but also enabled us to provide even more visibility for the selected new places in Singapore that we feature daily.

Hallin Marine, a superior energy services company, has secured the vessel safety case acceptance from the Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority for its subsea operations vessel Windermere. This enables the vessel to operate in Australian Commonwealth waters, carrying out subsea and offshore support in circumstances where a vessel safety case is a prerequisite. Windermere also holds a safety case approval from the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum for any operations undertaken in state territorial waters. SOV Windermere is equipped for well-servicing, inspection and construction-diving ROV support.

King’s College London, one of the leading universities in the UK, has announced that it has formally reviewed its position on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in order to ensure that IB students with the ability to excel at King’s are made an appropriate and fair offer.

In recent years, despite the grades of IB applicants remaining constant, the admissions requirements have crept up from 32 points in 2003 to 39 points in 2013. King’s has now adjusted its IB offers, placing a little more emphasis on the higher-level subjects while slightly reducing the total point score required to a maximum of 35 points. For more information, please visit www.ibo.org

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At the Chamber: Corporate News International SOS, the world’s leading global medical and security services company, has announced the launch of its HealthMap 2013. Now in its fourth year of publication, the HealthMap assigns medical risk ratings to countries by assessing factors such as the threat of infectious diseases, hygiene and the quality of local health infrastructure. These risk ratings help companies indicate the level of preparation needed by travellers prior to departure. “The higher the country’s medical risk, the more preparation is required, including understanding the quality of local infrastructure, disease risks and how to manage one’s chronic conditions,” says Dr Doug Quarry, medical director, International SOS. www.internationalsos.com

It’s been a fantastic year for market research and insight agency Kadence International.

Following the buzz surrounding our million-dollar regional leadership project, as well as our nomination for the second time as a finalist for the Market Research Agency of the Year category in Marketing Magazine’s Agency of the Year Awards, revenues have increased by 26%. Managing director Greg Clayton attributes the achievements to the winning combination of major new business development successes and increased client loyalty.

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Kerry Consulting general manager Pan Zaixian was recently quoted in two separate articles. In The Business Times, he commented that local talent pools take time to mature alongside their economies: “With or without government intervention [on work visa quota], there will be more locals taking up jobs in time to come. This only comes with time, when the Singapore market builds up depth in the local talent pool.” In Bloomberg, on the topic of private bankers’ pay, he said, “Salaries of Singapore-based private bankers range from $90,000 to $500,000, plus bonuses, depending on the amount of assets managed and revenue.” Pan also remarked that he has not observed “any difference in compensation between men and women in private banking”. www.kerryconsulting.com

KPMG welcomes the draft integrated reporting (IR) framework by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The company noted that IR could be the key that enables capital markets to focus on long-term value.

While the framework, which was launched in April, is an important step in the evolution of corporate reporting, KPMG also called on the IIRC to address the different interpretations of IR in the marketplace.

KPMG expressed hope that the final framework would ensure that reports stay focused on helping readers understand how the earnings potential of the business has been developed and protected.

Ong Pang Thye, head of audit at KPMG Singapore, added that Singapore companies should go beyond financial data and improve how they report other issues such as human capital and sustainability—aspects that are now often neglected.

The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd—the largest luxury hospitality organisation in the world, representing over 430 of the finest hotels, resorts and spas in over 80 countries—welcomes The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur to its family. Originally built in the 1930s, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur is an iconic colonial heritage landmark that became one of the great hotels of Kuala Lumpur in its time. Set on more than three acres of land on Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, the hotel occupies a key location along the historical mile of Kuala Lumpur, opposite the old railway station. Many of the city’s tourist attractions are within proximity. This latest incarnation of the Majestic encompasses the original and fully restored five-storey hotel and an all-new 15-storey tower. www.lhw.com/majestickualalumpur

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At the Chamber: Corporate News Mazars LLP has been appointed as an accredited training organisation (ATO) by the Singapore Accountancy Commission (SAC) for the new Singapore qualification programme (Singapore QP).

Being an ATO signifies that Mazars has been recognised by the SAC as having an appropriate working environment and the mentoring necessary to support professional staff who wish to undertake the Singapore QP. Mazars fully supports the new Singapore QP, which provides a pathway for qualification and recognition for individuals who aspire to be chartered accountants of Singapore. www.mazars.sg

Olswang Asia recently launched an innovative corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in Singapore, called the Social Enterprise Association Partner Programme.

Developed with the Social Enterprise Association, it provides a platform for social enterprises and local and multinational corporations to share their business knowledge, technology and various professional skills to create a successful social enterprise industry in Singapore. The programme was introduced at a BritCham event involving interactive sessions with social enterprises such as Eighteen Chefs, a local restaurant chain. Coincidentally, and on the theme of food, in the same week, Olswang Asia acted for Scripps Networks Interactive on its acquisition of Asian Food Channel, a Singaporebased pay television network with about eight million subscribers in 11 markets.

In line with the government’s effort in fostering a pro-family environment, Sage EasyPay has included new leave options in their software version 10.6.6. The latest Sage EasyPay system is compliant to the new leave schemes introduced by the Ministry of Manpower, featuring new additions such as maternity leave, shared parental leave, paternity leave, maternity benefit, childcare leave, adoption leave, etc.

With Sage EasyPay, human resource personnel can now easily manage their employees’ leave status and other employment records within the same system. It also has an e-portal module for employees to do perform self-application and check on their leave balances.

To know more about Sage EasyPay, visit www.sageeasypay.com

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has released an update stating that the current restrictions on car loans for the purchase of used cars will be temporarily lifted from 6 April for 60 days. This applies to used cars that were part of car dealers’ inventory before the restrictions were introduced in late February. Presto Expat Motoring is your one-stop motoring firm that provides customised motoring solutions to newly arrived expatriate families. Working in a holistic approach, we offer competitive and cost-effective options for all motoring needs.

Contact us to find out which cars within our fleet are eligible for this concession and to take advantage of this temporary lift on restrictions today!

You can also find out more about what we do by visiting www.prestoexpatmotoring.com

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From the writers of Jersey Boys, one of Broadway’s biggest musicals is finally making its way to Singapore. Direct from the United States, The Addams Family debuts here on 9 to 28 July 2013 at the Festive Grand theatre at Resorts World Sentosa. Featuring an original story, The Addams Family tells of Wednesday Addams, the princess of darkness, falling for a man her parents have never met. Everything will change on the night they meet her boyfriend and his family for dinner. Directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, the bizarre and beloved family of characters will have you in stitches by the end of the show. http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Homepage/thingstodo/showsevents

ONE°15 Marina Club is proud to once again be conferred the prestigious Best Asian Marina of the Year award at the Asia Boating Awards 2013. As a benchmark for the industry in the Asia Pacific region, we are honoured to be receiving this award for the second successive year. This serves as a testament to our efforts and mission to be the finest marina in the region, with a commitment to service excellence. We will aspire to reach greater heights each year, always aiming to provide excellent service and live up to the name of being the ‘Best Asian Marina.’

We are a Singapore-based content and communications company offering editorial, design, digital and a range of publishing services to companies around the world.

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Working across platforms and with multi-lingual skills, we will develop the right solution for your specific communications and content requirements.

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Call Simon Cholmeley at +65 6223 7149

Digital

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Illustrations and info-graphics

www.novusasia.com

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At the Chamber: Corporate News Tourism Australia takes on a global approach to local customer experiences using innovative tourism marketing. To promote Australia as a tourist destination and provide personalised customer experiences for visitors to Australia, Tourism Australia has appointed SDL as its trusted localisation partner to ensure consistent marketing communications across multiple languages, cultures and channels.

The nine-month partnership has already delivered significant results: • Over three million accurately and consistently translated words across 17 languages • 20% reduction in localisation costs • Accelerated time-to-market for localised websites • Increased visitor satisfaction through native language communications For more information, please visit www.sdl.com/campaign/ls/australia/Tourism-inAustralia.html

Events provide unique platforms to create amazing moments in a brand’s history.

There are no second chances, and with The Event Company as your event partner, nothing is left to chance.

For over 20 years, we have delivered thousands of successful corporate, governmental and special events for leading brands across Asia Pacific. Our specialisations include product launches, brand experiences, experiential marketing, special events, team building and conferences.

Voted Marketing Magazine’s top event agency for five consecutive years, our events help clients communicate brand messages, build sales, and strengthen relationships and their competitive edge.

For information, please contact enquiry@eventco.com

Viking SeaTech is a premier provider of equipment and services to the global offshore industry. From conception to completion, marine engineering to equipment supply and rental, mooring and inspection to maintenance and manpower projects, the company’s offshore services consistently increase customer uptime. Viking SeaTech has diversified into the provision of personnel and positioning services, with the formation of two new businesses, VS People and Viking SeaTech Survey.

As a result of the rapid development of the thriving business, Viking SeaTech Singapore has moved to new premises.

Contact Viking SeaTech at 6681 9898. Viking SeaTech (Singapore) Pte Ltd, 2 International Business Park, #12-03/04, The Strategy, Singapore 609930.

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The Spa at Traders Hotel, Singapore offer a range of services—from manicures/pedicures, facials, body or eye treatments, to massages suitable for both genders. Signature spa treatments include Abhyanga massage, Heaven & Earth spa treatment and K-Lift facial.

Spa guests enjoy complimentary access to the facilities of the Health Club & Spa—within which the Spa itself is located—on level four of Traders Hotel, Singapore. The facilities are

By Shangri-L a

gender-segregated and include shower rooms, a steam bath, a whirlpool, a sauna, as well as lounge areas for relaxation.

The Spa complements the hotel’s leisure facilities, such as a gymnasium that looks out to the outdoor free-form swimming pool—all nestled amid lush tropical greenery.

For spa promotions and reservations, please call 6831 4350 or email fitnesscentre.ths@tradershotels.com

Think8’s strategic partner Objective Management Group once again brought home the Best Sales Evaluation Tool Award for 2012—its second consecutive win. The tools cover the evaluation of an existing sales force, which comprises the sale personnel, sales management, sales organisation, sales pipeline and an alternative and more robust approach to the sales recruitment process. Ray Bigger, Think8’s managing director, said, “The award underscores the need to use a sales evaluation tool that is designed exclusively and specifically for sales and not adapted from a personality or behavioural assessment—the results from those tools cannot predict sales outcomes.”

The most common issue in Project Management is ‘Communication,’ particularly challenging when project teams span different nationalities, languages and cultures.

MW Global Connect is uniquely placed to bridge cultural and language gaps between local Asian staff and head offices. We assist multinational corporations who have IT projects in Asia to speedily recover projects that maybe at risk of failing and bringing them back on track. We offer Project Management services in English, Thai and other Asian languages as required.

THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS MURDER-MYSTERY PLAY

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie Raffles Hotel, Jubilee Hall, 4–13 October 2013 Seen by over 10 million people, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap has been thrilling audiences from around the world for as long as HRH Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne!

Tickets available through all SISTIC channels www.sistic.com.sg For show and UK cast details, visit www.britishtheatreplayhouse.com

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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.

Early Bird prices for Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap 0% Sales Charge for UK pensions investing $88 tickets for STEREOPHONICS - Live in Singapore

Up to 15% off Medical Insurance

10% discount off OpsX: Operational Excellence Forum Up to 15% off F&B at Quayside Isle •

Grillado #01-10: 15% off total bill (Mon–Fri)

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Paradiso Restaurant & Bar #01-03: 15% off total bill (Mon–Fri)

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Quayside Fish Bar & Bistro #01-11: Complimentary gelato with every main course

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The Straits Wine Company #01-24/25: 10% off regular-priced wines

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Discounts for F&B and Meeting & Banquet packages at Raffles Hotel 18 July–31 August: 20% off Sunday Brunch at the Bar & Billiard Room Between 4–13 October: 10% off stay - Night at The Theatre – The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie Valid till end of 2013: 20% discount off all Food & Beverage outlets of Raffles Hotel, Singapore 10% discount off Meeting and Banquet packages at Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Complimentary access to 1,200 centrally located business lounges all over the world 6 FREE BOTTLES with every 12 Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough NZ purchased Discover a hidden gem in the heart of the city in Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s new Waterfall Cafe S$1,000 off Singapore Cricket Club special Term Membership (1-year term) 10% off all items at Sporting Memorabilia

10% off a 1-year Survival Chic Membership ($450) 85% off The Fry Group Guide to Inheritance Tax for Kindle devices

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At the Chamber: Rugby Dinner

Rugby Dinner with Gavin Hastings, Joe Roff and Martin Bayfield June 5, 2013 Rugby legends Gavin Hastings, Joe Roff and Martin Bayfield took turns to impress and thrill members and guests with anecdotes from their rugby days. The MC for the evening was Justin Sampson, ESPN Star Sports Rugby Pundit.

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Martin Bayfield

MC for the evening: Justin Sampson, ESPN Star Sports Rugby Pundit

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Joe Roff

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Gavin Hastings

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At the Chamber: Economic Briefing

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Economic Briefing with Graeme Maxton May 30, 2013 As part of BritCham’s bi-annual economic outlook series, we had a special opportunity to hear from Graeme Maxton, a global economist, speaker and author, who shared with us his outlook for the world economy and Asia. He highlighted the short- and long-term challenges we are facing, and the opportunities in Asia.

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Graeme Maxton, Global Economist, Speaker and Author

The BritCham Economic Briefing is proudly sponsored by:

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At the Chamber: Breakfast Clubs

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How to Establish and Grow Your Business in Emerging Markets: Lessons Learnt from 20 Years of Doing Business in Vietnam

May 14, 2013

The main benefit of the presentation was that it helped attendees to learn from the mistakes and successes of others when entering an emerging market. Attendees learnt the key do’s and don’ts and better understood the challenges involved and how to overcome them.

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Khalid Muhmood MBE, Co-founder and Director, British Education Partnership, British University Vietnam, Apollo English

A Tax-Efficient Strategy for Your Retirement June 12, 2013

Martin Rimmer, Tax Manager, Asia Pacific, The Fry Group

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In this presentation, Martin Rimmer and Martin Wright from The Fry Group explored the top 10 tax planning opportunities to guarantee a tax efficient retirement. From QROPS to tax-free dividends to Inheritance Tax efficient structures to domicile planning, and much more.

Martin Wright, Financial Planning Consultant, The Fry Group

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Persuasion Psychology: How to Persuade and Influence People July 10, 2013

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Based on the research of Dr Robert Cialdini, one of the world’s foremost authorities on Persuasion and Influence Psychology, this presentation introduced the six principles of persuasion, including case studies and suggestions for how the principles can be applied to daily business life.

Neil Orvay, Founder, Evolution-U Limited

To Bring or Not to Bring... Your Own Device, That is July 17, 2013

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This presentation provided attendees with a deeper insight and a better understanding on BYOD. Decision-makers will be better equipped to manage this trend within the organisation, to not only allow employees the freedom to choose their own devices in the workplace, but also ensure that corporate data is safe and secure at all times.

Stevan Hoyle, President of Asia and Africa, Vodafone Global Enterprise

The BritCham Breakfast Club is proudly sponsored by:

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At the Chamber: Breakfast Briefing

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CSR Breakfast Briefing: Towards a New Social Contract —Making Corporate Giving Strategic July 16, 2013 Attendees learnt about the non-profit landscape in Singapore, the opportunities for companies in corporate community investment in Singapore, and how they could make their corporate community investment more strategic and impactful through the Corporate Giving Marketplace.

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Laurence Lien, CEO, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

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Selling and Negotiation: Avoiding the Trap and Reducing Internal Conflict June 25, 2013 This illuminating talk helped several companies increase their sales and improve their bottom lines while reducing costly internal tensions. By understanding the important and often misunderstood relationship between selling and negotiation, you might save your company both money and headaches.

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Keith Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Sea-Change Partners

At the Chamber: Working Lunch

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At the Chamber: Evening Presentation and Networking

Google’s Nine Notions of Innovation: How to Make it a Part of Your Own Corporate Culture May 29, 2013 Google has learnt some principles of innovation over the years. The approach helps guide us through our product strategy in search, advertising and a suite of consumer products, and also to a number of other endeavours we engage in, from HR to our office buildings to GoogleX. Andrew shared ‘Nine Notions’ that anybody can use to cultivate innovation, foster it, and make it a part of your own corporate culture.

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Andrew McGlinchey, Senior Product Manager, Google, Southeast Asia

Professional Services Business Group Networking June 20, 2013 The Professional Services Group’s networking event at its ‘local pub’ was another great night of making new contacts and enjoying the best of British. Following feedback from attendees at the first two highly successful events, the night was short on speeches and long on entertainment and networking, with a free flow of drinks and a fish & chips buffet. PSG Chair Carolyn Lints gave a brief outline of the role of the group and introduced attendees to committee members.

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Carolyn Lints, Chairperson, BritCham Professional Services Business Group Committee

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Networking Evening and Incorporation of the Scottish Business Group June 27, 2013

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Jason Grant, Chairperson, BritCham Scottish Business Group Committee

YBC Twilight Sail August 1, 2013 Members and guests of the YBC took part in a twilight sail to experience the sunset as they cruised past Singapore’s skyline and the Southern Islands in style. The event focused on building camaraderie and reflects the importance of respect, cooperation, communication and teamwork.

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2013 BritCham Events: Mark Your Diary

At the Chamber: Events Calendar

BritCham Breakfast Club Tuesday August 27, 2013 Digital PR in Your Sales Strategy Leverage on full channel utilisation Tuesday September 3, 2013 Singapore Data Protection: Don’t Panic!

The businessperson’s guide to what you need to know Monday September 23, 2013 Beyond Banks: Alternative Sources Of Funding For SMEs — The options, the benefits and the sacrifices required

Business Tour Thursday August 29, 2013 “The New World of Work” at Microsoft — What Does the Workplace of the Future Look Like?

Business Group Networking Thursday September 5, 2013 “Get Connected” – How You Can Make LinkedIn Work for You

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Annual Corporate Golf Tournament Available for sponsorship Sentosa Golf Club

F1 Networking Thursday September 19, 2013 Tower Club, Republic Plaza

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

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

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Culture & Lifestyle

Antique Trap Goes Far East The wintry English countryside is coming to vibrant, metropolitan Bangkok. This autumn, Agatha Christie’s whodunit, The Mousetrap, is making its debut in South East Asia.

By Molly Tait-Hyland

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Culture & Lifestyle: Antique Trap Goes Far East

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St Martin’s Theatre, London

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n Tuesday, 25 November 1952, 453 people took their seats in the New Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End. Imagine top hats and ladies dressed in silk, muffled chuckles, an air of anticipation and (most likely) a fair bit of gin and tonic. Not one person in the audience could have imagined the success of The Mousetrap, the longestrunning show of any sort, the world over.

Agatha Christie herself did not expect The Mousetrap to have such a long run: “Eight months, perhaps. Yes, I think eight months.” Sixty years later, people from all over the world continue to visit St Martin’s Lane to watch the events at Monkswell Manor unfold. Simon Cowell and Queen Elizabeth II are some of The Mousetrap’s most famous admirers. Interestingly, under Christie’s contract with the original producer, no film adaptation can be made

while the show continues in the West End. This has, perhaps, contributed to the show’s longevity.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie was born in 1890 in Torquay, a seaside town in Devon. Christie was homeschooled and, despite spending a lot of time alone, had a “very happy” childhood.

From a young age, Christie was an avid reader, gobbling up books like The Railway Children. Christie’s first fictional murder in The Mysterious Affair at Styles was so effectively illustrated that it was praised in The Pharmaceutical Journal for “dealing with poisons in a knowledgeable way, and not with the nonsense about untraceable substances that so often happens [in detective novels].” Agatha Christie has 66 crime thrillers and over 15 collections of short stories to her name.

Not one person in the audience could have imagined the success of The Mousetrap, the longest-running show of any sort, the world over.

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Christie also used another name, Mary Westmacott, under which six romantic novels were published. Only the Bible and William Shakespeare trump Christie, the bestselling novelist of all time. An astounding four billion copies of her novels have been sold worldwide, with translations into 103 languages.

China with The Mousetrap in 2010 and 2011. She found Christie to be surprisingly popular in China, where there is even an Agatha Christie society.

Houses were packed; the show was a complete success. Negotiations are currently underway for a version to be performed in Chinese in Beijing.

But why is demand still so high—and for so long? Is The Mousetrap not getting close to its sell-by date? Does it appeal to younger generations? Christie has given us a well-preserved English antique. I think this is what entices people of all ages and races into the trap: everyone wants a bite of this mature cheddar.

The suspense, spiffing British jokes, and murder add to the attraction—not forgetting the famous plot twist.

This cast of The Mousetrap will begin their journey in September, with rehearsals in Pimlico, London. Two weeks and a long-haul flight later, the cast and crew will arrive in buzzing Bangkok, where the show opens. And after five performances, Monkswell Manor will be taken apart, wrapped up in bubble wrap and transported to Singapore, where it will be performed in October at the Jubilee Hall in Raffles Hotel. “A murder? Oh, I like murder!”

This one is not to be missed.

Denise Silvey, director of the new British Theatre Playhouse production, toured

Early Bird prices for Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap Agatha Christie’s classic thriller will be coming to Raffles Hotel, Singapore, from 4–13 October.

BritCham Members enjoy the ‘early bird’ discount off tickets.

most famous murder-mystery play in the world, and which is celebrating an extraordinary 60 consecutive years in the West End.

It is difficult trying to explain the phenomenal success of The Mousetrap, which is, of course, the

Call the SISTIC hotline at +65 6348 5555 to book your tickets.

But in Agatha Christie’s words, “It is the sort of play you can take anyone to!”

Only the Bible and William Shakespeare trump Christie, the bestselling novelist of all time. An astounding four billion copies of her novels have been sold worldwide, with translations into 103 languages.

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