ScandAsia Singapore - March 2014

MAR 2014

Singapore

Scandinavian Women’s Association:

Making a Difference in Singapore

Keeping Norway Competitive Nordic Business Community Eyes The Philippines

Mandarin Oriental’s Christian A. Hassing ScandAsia.dk

ScandAsia.fi

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Coming Events

DABS: ScanBizBar March 6, Thursday, 6:30 pm Danish Business Association, Singapore´s first ScanBizBar of 2014 is on Thursday March 6th at Amara Element on Tras Street at 6:30 pm. The event is sponsored by Finnair, which will sponsor some finger food and two rounds of drinks for the first 50 people to arrive. The event is also open to all members and friends of FBC, SBAS, DABS and NBAS.

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore

SBAS’ Annual General Meeting March 13, 6:00 till 9:00 pm Swedish Business Association of Singapore will host its Annual General Meeting at Hilton Hotel on March 13. Following the Annual General Meeting, SBAS invites members to a dinner with the Swedish Ambassador to Singapore, HE Mr Håkan Jevrell as guest speaker.

The Ambassador will speak on the coming EU Parliament election and the Swedish general election 2014. He will also give his assessment of the political situation in Sweden.

ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Managing Editor: Thana Poopat thana@scandmedia.com Advertising : Frank Leong frank@scandmedia.com Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

NBAS: Norwegian Seafood Dinner 2014 Fri 14-Mar-2014 7:30 PM The Norwegian Seafood Dinner 2014 will be held Friday 14 March at the Raffles City Convention Centre, The Fairmont Ballroom.

This year, celebrity chefs, Mr Erik Teo and Mr Daniel Koh both of Singapore, will be collaborating with Norwegian top chefs Mr Tom Victor Gausdal and Mr Adrian Løvold on this occasion. Price per table (10 seats) is SGD 3000,-.

SWA: Get lost in Little India On Sunday, March 16, 16:00 till 21:00 Little India – and get lost with SWA – Scandinavian Women’s Association on this guided tour by Kirsten Nordahl to one of Singapore’s most fascinating quarters. The tour will drift around from temples, small lanes, marketplaces, Tamils favorite meeting spots, visiting the best gold shop, the pawn shop, the laundry, the Auruvedic pharmacy, the Muslim India, and end up in a lovely Indian restaurant where you prepare your own starter before a rich, Indian meal.

Tour price excl. Dinner: 40 SGD for members – 50 SGD for non members Expect approx. 25 SGD for food and drinks.

Sign up: Fanny N. Iwersen fanny1808@mail.dk – HP 97739458

Past Events

Engaging debate on “Freedom” at Danish Seamen’s church in Singapore

By Kristian Lauritzen

E

sben Lunde Larsen, Danish Parliament member (Venstre), held on Monday 27 January 2014, a presentation on perceptions of freedom and civil society set in a Danish-Singaporean historical context. Twenty people attended the debate and Kirsten Ejstrup, the host of evening and the priest at the Seamens-Church, said it was a successful turnout.

“It was a wonderful evening. After Esben’s presentation, we had a fruitful debate with a lot perspectives on democracy and freedom. I wish we could do this more often.”

Kirsten Ejstrup got the same impression from the people attending. Next time, there is an opportunity for such an event, The Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore will do what is in its power to grab it, she said.

Popular Norwegian singers wow fans with intimate concert in Singapore

By Kristian Lauritzen

T

he Norwegian duo of Maria Arredondo and Torstein Sødal, wellknown Christmas concert singers, held an exclusive concert on Thursday, January 30th, at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Singapore.

Torstein Sødal was truly happy about the event and called it a liberating experience as a musician.

“After so many concerts in a row in Norway, it was fantastic with such a different scenery in Singapore,” he said, while he also heaped praise on the warm welcome he and Maria Arredondo received from the crowd.

“Not to mention, the waffles at the Seamens-Church, is the best in the world, ” Torstein Sødal said.

Around 90 people were in the crowd, and Øystein Tønnesen, the event’s organiser who also played the piano at the concert, was pleased with the visit from their home country stars.

“It was a great concert and also a privilege to host singers of such a calibre at our Church here in Singapore,” he said. Øystein Tønnesen is an acquaintance of Torstein Sødal from years back when Øystein ran a musicians-agency in Norway.

“We were lucky to persuade the two to come to this part of the world. Maybe the thought of a few days of vacation in the sun a long way away from the biting cold of Norwegian winter made it easier to persuade them,” he said.

Besides being a musician-duo, Maria Arredondo and Torstein Sødal are also life partners.

March 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

News Brief

Norwegian artists at Art Stage Singapore 2014

I

t is the second time galleri exhibits at Art Stage Singapore, and this time the main focus is on the Norwegian artist Dolk, along with a few other artists associated with the gallery from Bergen, the Norwegian Embassy in Singapore told.

Dolk (b. 1979) is a Norwegian artist, reputedly among the ten most popular stencil artists worldwide. He was first introduced via Wooster Collective and Pictures on Walls (POW). The artist remains anonymous and little is known about his true identity. His works have been exhibited globally in cities such as Tokyo, New York, London, Berlin, Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger

and now finally in Singapore.

Dolk’s works are represented by galleri s. e´ which was established in 1995 and is the largest gallery for international contemporary art in Bergen.

The gallery is amongst the most renowned privately owned galleries in Norway. With more than 17 years of experience galleri s.e’s owners Sjur and Elin Nedreaas have established an important role in the Norwegian art scene. They travel widely to stay in touch with the latest in the art world and to establish connections and reciprocal relations with art professionals worldwide.

Danish shipping company to be managed from Singapore

T

Source: Børsen, January 15, 2014 6 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

he Danish shipping company Nordic Shipholding will in the future be managed from Singapore, writes the Danish business daily Børsen.

Hedgefond PAG, the company that acquired Nordic Shipholding in January 2014, has hired Transport Capital in Singapore to be in charge of the daily operation of Nordic Shipholding.

Philip Clausius, the Managing Director of Transport Capital, underlines that the shipping company will remain Danish in its core in spite of the new company location.

“All the important decisions will still be made from Copenhagen, and the Board meetings will take place in Denmark. The skills and experience from the Danish shipping industry is essential to the new owners” he says.

Nordic Shipholding is listed on Københavns Fondsbørs and the Board of Directors includes former A.P Møller Mæersk chairmen Knud Pontoppidan and Kristian Mørch.

Nordic Shipholding reported a loss of 6,5 million kroner last quarter of 2013.

News Brief

Swedish navy chief receives Singapore’s military honour

T

he Chief of Staff of the Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) Rear-Admiral (RADM) Jan Thörnqvist was conferred janthornqvistSingapore’s prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera), or the Meritorious Service Medal (Military), by President Tony Tan Keng Yam. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the award to RADM Thörnqvist at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) HQ on 18 February 2014.

RADM Thörnqvist received the award “in recognition of his significant contributions in strengthening the defence ties between the RSwN and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN),” said Ministry of Defence in its press release.

The Defence Ministry added that under RADM Thörnqvist’s leadership, “the relationship between the two navies has grown and matured” through efforts like facilitating the training and operationalisation of the RSN’s Archer-Class submarines, as well as the sharing of expertise and experience between the two submarine communities. The RSwN and the RSN also interact frequently through courses, exchanges and bilateral exercises.

Denmark, Singapore universities offer joint maritime programme

T

he Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Copenhagen Business School have joined forces to collaborate on the development of their respective maritime programmes to groom the next generation of industry talent.

The schools signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday at SMU, witnessed by Denmark’s Ambassador to Singapore.

Under the partnership, students from both schools will participate in an exchange programme in which they will spend a full term at the partner university.

SMU’s School of Economics and International Trading Institute@SMU launched the Maritime Economic Concentration Academic Year 2013, which began in August last year with 24 students.

CBS will be launching its Bachelor of Science (BSc) in International Shipping and Trade this June.

The objective of these programmes is to develop skilled maritime talent through co-development with the private sector, as well as experiential learning through industry engagements, overseas study missions and international exchanges.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore also announced its support through seed funding of up to S$4.3 million.

8 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

New Head of Office to Finnish Business Council Singapore

T

he new FBC Coordinator & Editor-in-Chief for FBC’s magazine Finn link from January 2014 onwards is Ms. Maija Meriläinen. Maija is a project management professional, who has previously worked in Recruitment and Market Research industries.

Maija is enthusiastic to meet and work with all of the FBC members and stakeholders.

News Brief

Norwegian Innovation Night

T

he Norwegian Embassy in Singapore invited investors, entrepreneurs, businesses and students attending the 8th Seed Forum in Singapore to an interesting get-together networking evening at the Ambassador’s Residence.

A news article on the website of the Norwegian embassy quotes the host of the evening, Ms. Thea Martine Ottmann, Chargé d’affaires a.i., for pointing to the way Singapore and Norway seem paired to succeed.

“The economic co-operation between Norway and Singapore goes beyond profitable business ventures alone; it is a strategic partnership that helps our nations to stay ahead, “Ms. Thea Martine Ottman said.

Ms Ottmann also mentioned that Singapore is home to the largest Norwegian business community in Asia.

The Seed Forum is a global network of foundations and representatives in more than 40 countries running investor matchmaking forums in more than 30 countries worldwide supporting investor readiness and investor matchmaking opportunities for private investors, seed funds, venture funds, private equity funds, corporate venture investors, family offices and financial intermediaries for entrepreneurs creating “born global companies”.

New coordinator at NBAS

M

s. Una Skram has recently been appointed the new coordinator at Norwegian Business Association Secretariat in Singapore. She is excited about her new job.

“First of all, I would like to continue with the good work that has already been done at NBAS. This job offers a great opportunity for me to be close to Norwegian community in this area,” she said. She also the mentioned Singaporean lifestyle and the nice climate as extra incentives.

The next big event is the annual Norwegian seafood dinner on March 14 for up to 1,000 NBAS members and their guests. There are around 15 big events a year for Una Skram and the secretariat to organize.

Una Skram graduated from the Business School at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and has been living in Singapore since 2010.

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March 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Mandarin Oriental’s Christian A. Hassing The art of offering old-style luxury hospitality to travellers on a 24/7 hi-speed connected schedule with little time to appreciate it.

By Joakim Persson

T

he hand fan, which symbolises the orient and olden times, dominates the logo for the Mandarin Oriental hotel brand. This hotel group personifies luxury hospitality and is expanding its bespoke oriental hotel service throughout the world.

Danish hotelier, Christian Hassing joined the distinguished hotel group sixteen years ago as General Manager (GM), overseeing the launch of Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur and subsequently Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, which both became highly acclaimed flagship properties awarded for their exceptional service and product quality.

After eight years in Japan, he recently returned to Singapore to manage their Singapore hotel and oversee operations also in Indonesia and Malaysia as Area Vice President.

“Having had the opportunity to work for other luxury hotel companies around the world, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group really stands out, focusing intensely on the guest experience by putting great efforts into its service quality,” Christian begins.

We meet at the magnificent Oriental Club Lounge in Singapore, which offers a very exclusive concept reflecting their exceptional levels of service.

“Very often hotel companies have a tendency to reflect that their key focus is on guest services, however profit generation and shareholder returns are very often prioritised. In comparison the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group focuses intensely on the delivery of superior services, which generally result in much higher staff count than our competitors.”

Mandarin Oriental’s Mission Statement points out the importance of completely delighting and satisfying guests. And remaining committed to making a difference every day; continually getting better to keep the hotel the best.

No cookie-cutter hotels “Every Mandarin Oriental property is operated as an individual hotel, linked through our distinct Oriental heritage and ability to incorporate local design and cultural components. By combining local flavours with our distinct service delivery we are able to offer unique guest experiences at every destination we operate. This in turn differentiates us from global chains standardised cookie-cutter hotels that look and feel the same the world over.”

“I think one of our strong advantages with the positioning of the brand abroad has been that our guests can feel the destination, while enjoying the Oriental service values which we instil into our employees. And as we regularly are awarded as one of the best hotel companies in the world, we must be doing something right,” smiles Christian.

10 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

“Initially the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group was predominantly recognised as an Asian luxury brand. But approximately 15 years ago the Group was able to grow its brand globally through expansion in the U.S and Europe.”

“Because of the implementation of our refined Oriental service culture and higher levels of quality within our new hotels, we were looked upon as a new luxury brand in the U.S and Europe, which actually benefited us in terms of the positioning of our brand.”

“Generally everyone wants to excel, so if someone elevates the quality standard direct competitors follow suit, which in turn helps a city or a destination,” Christian points out.

In the heart of the harbour Their top-ranking Singapore hotel was really ahead of the curve when it opened 26 years ago – built on reclaimed land.

“When the hotel and the Marina Square Complex were developed, many considered it to be outside of town, which resulted in limited traffic to this area at that time,” highlights the Dane.

“However, approximately five years ago, with the launch of the Marina Bay Sands Casino Resort and Convention Centre, the focus shifted to this area, and our location is now central to the attractive city harbour area and business district!”

Heading east The Dane is certainly no stranger to Singapore, where his Asian adventure began as Director of Food & Beverage with the Shangri-La hotel 30 years ago, including a two year stint back in town during the mid `90s.

Before Christian’s curiosity to work for luxury hotels in Asia, he completed a six year hotel education, consisting of academic studies and restaurant and kitchen apprenticeships at Hotel Eyde in Denmark.

“After completing my education, I was very fortunate to work for reputable establishments like the Grand Hotel in Odense, the luxurious Hotel D’Angleterre and Hotel Scandinavia in Copenhagen.”

Christian started his international hotel career after receiving an offer to join the Fairmont Hotels in the U.S, where he swiftly advanced through senior management positions within the group’s luxury hotels.

As a result of a scholarship grant by the Danish Hotel Association, Christian was able to advance his studies at the prestigious Cornell University.

During his time there, fellow students from Asia shared that the world’s best hotels were predominantly located in the Far East, which prompted the Dane to head East to expand his luxury hotel expertise even further.

After four years at Shangri-La Singapore, he

was promoted to Resident Manager for ShangriLa, Kuala Lumpur, where he a few years later became General Manager for the first time. During Christian’s five and a half years at the hotel, it was extensively awarded as one of the best luxury hotels in the region.

After ten successful years with the Shangri-La hotel group, he was enticed to other GM opportunities in Europe; Hotel to Scandinavia in Oslo and the Conrad Hotel & Casino in Istanbul, before a stint with Sheraton Towers in Singapore.

In 1997 it was back to Malaysia, where Christian was employed to plan the launch of Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, which during his seven years at the helm positioned the property as Malaysia’s leading luxury hotel.

After a period of 12 years in Kuala Lumpur, Christian became a well-known hotelier within the region. With a grin he mentions that due to the many years in Malaysia, his American wife had started to tell people she was from Malaysia rather the U.S.

Management in a fast-paced world In his new role as Area Vice President he has taken the role of mentor and advisor to the local management teams, aimed at ensuring that determined business goals are maximised and company standards are duly applied.

“When performance shortfalls occur, targets will be reviewed and strategic directions will be discussed to determine operational efficiencies that will generate the desirable goals.”

At a General Manager’s level, Christian finds it important to understand all levels of hotel operation.

“I started in the hospitality industry as a bellboy and was able to move around all operational and administrative functions of a hotel, which in turn provided in depth insight and knowledge, offering great advantages to me when participating in problem-solving discussions at senior management levels.”

“The day to day operation in today’s fastpaced world is increasingly done online, rather than during interactive meeting with your management teams. With everyone sending messages, short queries and answers, online communication has certainly elevated the speed of work. But consequently the need for brainstorming sessions with managers gets spaced out, which in turn cause further distance between senior leaders and their rank and file colleagues, which can cause adverse effects in terms of efficiency elsewhere.”

“The fast paced life style has created an environment where work and personal activities are being addressed 24/7 just to keep up. In an effort to handle issues in a speedy manner, a lot of empowerment and trust is therefore needed,” says Christian.

“Now it’s about hiring independent executives, make them understand the mission of the hotel, the quality and financial goals and then let them manage the process. With the escalating focus on generating shareholder returns, senior management responsibilities are increasingly centred on asset management tasks in today’s world, rather than being the perfect host, prioritised during past generations.”

This ‘new world’ also affects the business travellers.

“Due to new technologies and the interlinked need to process work in a 24/7 environment, our guests are also conducting their business in a swifter and more driven manner. In comparison, our clients had more time to interact when we met with them in the past.”

Room service trend, dining “Today’s corporate guests tend to arrive early mornings or late evenings. Generally rushing off for meetings throughout the day, returning late evening to the hotel, at which stage many chose to order their meals in the guest room enabling them to follow up on e-mails and work related activities while dining. Today’s corporate guest also focuses on staying fit and healthy, often starting the day with an early workout in the hotel gym. Their meals generally tend to be quicker and lighter with limited wine and alcoholic beverages compared to past generations.”

“Our in-room service tends to be very busy with early breakfast and late dinner orders, which shows the shifting trend in business travel; where executives now have to update their corporate offices almost right after their meetings.”

“With approximately 55 per cent corporate clients and 45 per cent leisure travellers, our guest mix is very beneficial, as our leisure guests utilise our restaurants and facilities more frequent than today’s corporate guests.”

“Because of the strong family oriented food culture in Asia, we offer a plethora of dining options at the hotel, with legendary brunches on weekends that draw in the crowds, as local activities are focused on going out to eat with the family.”

In an effort to also attract the local Nordic community, its Danish General Manager has also introduced Scandinavian food promotions at the hotel.

“We will continue to review opportunities to carry out special food promotions in the future, enabling us to introduce food from other regions to individuals who want to try new food types, while also giving people from that particular country who are living in Singapore to get re-acquainted with their cuisine. In addition, such food promotions allow our kitchen employees to learn new things, which create success all around.”

March 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

Scandinavian Women’s Association:

Making a Difference i

By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

I

t is a well-established fact that women in Scandinavia lead the way in all spheres of life; be it politics, business, at home or in society. The story is no different when Scandinavian women move to Singapore.

The Scandinavian Women’s Association (SWA) is a group of passionate women who now call Singapore their adopted home.

The key objective of the SWA is to reach out to the less fortunate and to make a difference in the local community. While it is mostly a social organization for Scandinavian women who have moved to Singapore, the SWA’s steadfast commitment to community outreach is truly admirable.

tive as President of the SWA is to attract more members and partners that value the charity focus of the organization.

Vibeke is the current VicePresident and Charity Officer of the SWA. She followed her husband to Singapore from Denmark in September 2011 and immediately thereafter joined the SWA. Vibeke is a Masters in Economics and IT but she was looking to do something different and meaningful with her time in Singapore. She found the right forum in the SWA. Presently, Vibeke has her hands full taking care of her 11-month-old son. She will be stepping down from her role at the SWA by end-February.

History of the SWA

The Work

• Family Support In partnership with the Breadline Group (a volunteer community service), the SWA identifies and supports local families in need, especially those with young children.

The SWA provides financial assistance for up-to 5 families at a time. The officers from the Breadline Group assess the family’s need and set mutually agreeable goals to be achieved in the duration of the financial assistance. The SWA charity officers visit the families once or twice a month to build a rapport with each family and to ensure the family is getting all the support it needs.

Children are the key area of focus for the SWA’s charity work. The SWA provides financial assistance to vari-

• Scholarships The SWA offers 2 scholarships with

The roots of the SWA can be traced back to the mid-70s.

It was started in 1975, by Ms. Marit Thome (a Norwegian expatriate in Singapore) and functioned as an active part of the Scandinavian Society of Singapore (SSS). It provided a warm meeting place for Scandinavian women settling into life in Singapore. When the SSS closed in 1995, the SWA formally registered itself and continued with its work.

Since 1995, the SWA with the support of their generous partners, both Scandinavian and local, has been able to touch the lives of several local families and offer scholarships to needy Singaporean students.

The SWA today Led by President, Lisa Thrane and Vice-President, Vibeke Brock Koldbaek, the SWA today has over 130 active members of several nationalities (not restricted to the Scandinavian nations).

Lisa became President of the SWA in February 2013 but has been associated with it since November 2000, when she moved from Denmark to Singapore because of her husband’s work. In addition to her role at SWA, Lisa wears many hats – wife, mother to 2 young girls (8 & 10 years of age) and successful entrepreneur. She runs her own business as a personal trainer / wellness coach and taps into her extensive network of clients to facilitate the work of the SWA. Her main objec12 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

ous organizations that work with different age groups of children, starting from newborn to teenage kids.

the key criteria of selection being that the recipient must be an underprivileged student with a keen desire to study.

One of the scholarships offered is in honour of the SWA founder Ms. Marit Thome and is funded by the Thome Group. It is offered to a student of the Masters in Maritime Studies program at the Nanyang Technological University.

The other scholarship is offered at the Republic Polytechnic and gives a deserving student the opportunity to continue with his/her education.

In April 2013, a young Singaporean girl (who was supported by the SWA for her early education) wrote to the SWA once again, asking for assistance to enable her to continue with her studies. This young student was pursuing a double degree in Biomedical Science and Traditional Chi-

in Singapore nese Medicine at Beijing University. In her appeal, the girl explained that despite excelling in academics, her lack of funds would force her to drop to a single degree and she would have to find a job to fund her education.

The SWA, moved by the girl’s heartfelt request, approached The Thome Group, who very kindly agreed to support her education for 2 years. The girl is presently continuing her education at Beijing University and is completing her semesters with top grades. This is a beautiful example of how the SWA is touching the lives of young, worthy Singaporeans and enabling them to achieve their dreams.

dressed via various programs. The SWA gives monthly donations to the Tent and also sources various items (like a computer screen, clothes, etc) required by the shelter.

SWA members spend a fair amount of time interacting and motivating the girls residing at the Tent.

• The Tent Teenage girls from broken, abusive or dysfunctional families are given temporary shelter at the Tent and their personal development is ad-

• Charity partner of DABS The Danish Business Association of Singapore (DABS) raised nearly SG$ 18,000/- via its Annual Charity Ball held in October 2013 and was

• Sanctuary House The SWA provides financial support to Sanctuary House, a one of its kind organization in Singapore, that provides emergency foster care to babies and infants (0 to 3 years) while their biological parents receive transformative support services so that they can be reunited with their child.

Imagine ...

on the lookout for a suitable charity partner. They identified SWA to help them administer this fund under the ‘DABS Families’ program. Several local families will receive financial assistance through this program.

• Typhoon Haiyan Relief In early November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of the Philippines killing over 6,000 people and leaving nearly 30,000 people with serious injuries. The Danish community in Singapore came together to raise funds in support of the Danish Red Cross’ relief work in the Philippines.

The SWA along with the DABS, the Singapore Vikings football team, the Danish Embassy of Singapore, the Danish Supplementary School, the Dansk i Singapore and the Danish Seaman’s Church Singapore collectively raised over SG$ 21,000/that were then donated to the

IB e a scor m lo ip D her ig ints h o p r u fo orld than w e averag

Danish Red Cross.

The way forward Lisa Thrane, President of the SWA is very grateful to all their corporate partners (both Scandinavian and Singaporean) as well as organizations like DABS, without whose support it would be difficult to make an impact in the local community. Interested companies can support the SWA charity work for as little as SG$ 200/to a maximum of SG$ 1000/ At the same time, Lisa is very aware that every member counts. She is mindful of the contribution of each individual SWA member whose membership fee of SG$ 80/- can support 1 disadvantaged family for 1 month.

In 2014, Lisa looks forward to welcoming new members who believe in making a difference and who share her & SWA’s enthusiasm in contributing to the local community.

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Keeping Norway T This year’s Norway-Asia Business Summit, held in Bangkok on the April 24, highlights opportunities and challenges for Norwegian businesses in this fast-growing region. Inspiring speakers deliver expert advice and insights on how to gain competitive edge, with an optional summit in Rangoon from April 27, focussing exclusively on Myanmar.

By Morten Krogsholm

14 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

he annual Norway Asia Business Summit kicks off in Bangkok on the 24th of April.

We have spoken to the summit’s Head Organiser and former President of the Thai Norwegian Chamber of Commerce Axel Blom about what to expect at this year’s event and how it will differ from previous summits.

Big turnout Though Bangkok right now is the center of political unrest the organisers of the Norway-Asia Business Summit expect a big turnout for the event.

“The venue we have chosen for the summit is well-known by most Norwegians and we also keep would-be participants updated about the situation on our website.

We want to stress that the current unrest does not affect us or the summit unless the situation escalates,” said Axel Blom and explained

how the planning of the event has had its focus on keeping the program relevant for the target group.

“The typical participants at the Norway-Asia Business Summit held in Bangkok will be both Norwegian companies present all over Asia and new companies interested in doing business in Asia. In addition, we have a large contingent of people from various support organisations in Norway and representatives from the Norwegian Government.

Delegates participating in the Myanmar extension, will typically be companies interesting to enter this exciting new market,” said Axel Blom who expects 200 participants for the summit in Bangkok, which will be held in beautiful surroundings at the Shangri-La Hotel located near the Chao Phraya riverside.

In addition he expects 50 participants for the Myanmar extension.

The reason for such high expectations is a continued upwards success of the event which is now tak-

competitive ing place for the fifth time. Thailand competed against other Norwegian Business Associations in the region in securing the event for Thailand in 2014.

large degree been on present time, but at this year’s summit we really want to give some perspective on the future and its possibilities. It all comes down to one thing; How can

ister for it. The entry fee is a bit over USD 200 which includes 18 holes of golf, a golf goody bag, lunch and drinks at the Thana City Golf and Sports Club.

For further information on the Norway-Asia Business Summit visit www.norway-asia.com

Quality speakers The planning of this year’s summit began back in June and due to the early preparations Blom feels this have made grounds for an even better summit.

“The long advance planning has meant that it was easier to catch high calibre speakers.” he said.

Among others; Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and former head of World Economic Forum, Børge Brende will be there in addition to head of the Confederation of Norwegian Industry (NHO), Kristin Skogen Lund.

Various subjects such as the world energy crisis and the world food crisis will be addressed. Professor Jan Ketil Arnulf from the BI Norwegian Business School will talk on education and cross cultural management, and both China and India have been given specific sessions looking far into the future.” said Blom.

One of the summits significant attractions is the former Secretary General of ASEAN and former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Thailand Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. The Harvard graduate will be talking on what we have in store with the introduction of the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community.

Like former Norway-Asia Business Summits, this year will also tell the stories of Norwegian success in the region.

“I do not want to give away which stories will be told, but President and CEO of Telenor Group Jon Fredrik Bakaas, President and CEO of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA Bjørn Kjos and several insightful Yara employees will inspire the participants at the summit as to how it is possible to succeed in the region,” said Blom but underlined that it is the future perspective that is the main focus of the summit.

Focus on the future The summit seeks to serve a purpose and this is to broaden its participants horizon on the possibilities Asia in general and ASEAN in particular has to offer.

“Previously the focus has to a

At this year’s summit we really want to give some perspective on the future and its possibilities.

It all comes down to one thing; How can Norwegian industry stay competitive?

Norwegian industry stay competitive?,” said Blom.

This years summit is divided into seven sections. Among these are macroeconomic perspectives on Asia, a look at Norway’s maritime industry in Asia, a session on Norwegian businesses competitiveness in Asia and how Team Norway can add value.

“We have put a lot of effort into designing an interactive website which can support the event before, during and after the summit” said Axel Blom. Presentations and photos from the event will be made available to registered participants through the website.

“The summit is all about giving renewed insight into Norway can become even stronger in the Asian market place market,” said Blom.

Not all business Though it is called a business summit it is not all about business. For those who would like to bring their spouses, the organisers will arrange a spouse program comprising of Thai cooking classes, cultural sights and of course shopping to keep them entertained while staying in Bangkok.

On Sunday, the last day of the summit in Bangkok, there will be a golf tournament for those who reg-

Norgesskolen July 13 - August 1, 2014 A school about being Norwegian - in Norway Norgesskolen is a three week summer school located outside Oslo. This is a unique opportunity for youngsters between the age of 9 to 18 to learn Norwegian language, history and culture.

For twelve years, the students come to Norway to learn Norwegian language, history and culture. All of them have in common the connection to Norway, often because their parents or grandparents have Norwegian roots.

The vision for Norgesskolen is to give the children an opportunity to become secure about their Norwegian identity, learn as much Norwegian as possible and the culture as well as creating friendships and networks that last for a lifetime. The teaching is based on the official Norwegian curriculum of the so called Knowledge Reform (Kunnskapsreformen) of 2006. As from 2014 the students at Norgesskolen are offered to prepare for Bergenstesten, a test of Norwegian – advanced level–which is required in order to study in Norway.

Norgesskolen provides children with a wonderful Norwegian summer experience.

Students develop close bonds with children of similar backgrounds, but with important differences – a basis for lifelong friendships. Last - but certainly not least: participating in Norgesskolen is a small contribution towards globalization. Norgesskolen provides the opportunity to experience diversity and improve multi-cultural understanding. We see many examples of this in our participants during and after the three-week program.

For more information: www.norgesskolen.no March 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

Registration deadline: 1st of April 2014

Nordic business community eyes The Philippines W

By Aya Lowe

ith the exception of Norway and its long maritime history, the Scandinavian business community has never been a prominent or active part of the business scene in the Philippines. However, as the Philippines continues to enjoy a steady growth in economy, surpassing even China in its last GDP growth and achieving three investment upgrades, Nordic countries have been increasingly eyeing up the Philippines as a destination to set up business.

Increase in interest

Scandnavian business community gathers for a networking event

Scandnavian business community gathers for a networking event

16 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

Bo Lundqvist, President of the Nordic Business Council Philippines (NBCP) and CEO of Swedish company, Retail Associates said in recent years he has noticed a slow and steady growth of Nordic businesses setting up shop in the Philippines.

“Numbers are still relatively small, but it is evident the recovered and growing Philippine economy, paired with a positive political situation, has increased interest for the Philippines even in the Nordic countries. Nordic companies are beginning to see the many advantages the Philippines has in terms of language, education and cost of living compared to other Asian countries,” he said.

“While manufacturing, distribution and Shipping would be the probably largest sectors investing in the Philippines, BPO outsourcing and various forms of on/off-shoring businesses are being established paired with a limited number of businesses doing business in the local market,” Lundqvist added.

According to Per Stangegaard, managing director of Danish company, Phil & Scand. Design and Filtra Inc, as the Philippines will become a major tourist destination, it will need partners to continue its development in environmental and infrastructure projects. “These are traditionally areas where the Nordic countries are strong,” he added.

One of the main advantages of the Philippines is the proficiency of English. “One of the things that is quite available here are people with university degrees with good English language skills,” said Ivar Thomasli, head of the Norway Business council and managing director of Thome Ship Management.

“Workforce is also quite stable. In many other countries in the region people have a tendency to look for a better job or salary. We have a much higher retention here than in other place and the cost of establishing compared to other countries is reasonable,” he added.

Cebu Orientation- Norway is the only Scandinavian country with strong business ties to the country One of the factors that has accelerated this interest is the upcoming formation of the ASEAN countries as a single bloc. With this on the horizon, the EU is promoting Asia as the next destination to do business with the Philippines playing a prominent position.

“They have an ongoing project where they get together business chambers in Asian countries and put them together in a pan European business partnership. When we were informed that there was a project happening and were asked if the Nordic countries wanted to participated we felt we needed some sort of organization,” said Lundqvist.

Norway is the only Scandinavian country in the Philippines with a trade office and embassy.

The other Nordic countries have in previous years shut down their consular services and centralized them in Bangkok.

With interest increasing in the country, the need for a support system has increased. The Nordic Business Council Philippines (NBCP) was formed in January 2013 in response to this. The NBCP now has 46 participating companies.

According to Joona Selin, executive director of the NBCP, the services provided spans different levels. Level one is organizing regular events and activities for members. “Whenever we do events it serves as a channel for our members to get exposure and make themselves known,” said Selin.

The other aim of the business group is to bring more companies from the Nordic countries into the region. “We have lots of people who used to live in the Philippines and now live back in their different Scandinavian countries so they become our contact point to promote the Philippines as an investment destination to our people,” he added.

While the business council continues to provide a support system in the absence of official trade offices, there are plans to re-introduce these trade offices. Danish Ambassador-designate Nicolai Ruge recently said that Denmark is considering reopening its embassy in the Philippines in order to encourage and boost trade with a more permanent presence. Denmark closed its Philippines embassy in 2002 in order to cut costs. Ruge, who is the current Danish ambassador to Malaysia and ambassador-designate to the Philippines said that they are aware the Philippines economy is expanding and, even if they don’t have the resources to put a fully-fledged embassy in place, they will at least consider establishing a trade office.

Elsewhere, efforts have been made to boost

trade and investment between the two countries.

In early October, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General, Lilia de Lima visited Oslo and Copenhagen to promote business opportunities in the Philippines while Department of Trade and Investment (DTI) undersecretary Ponciano Manalo Jr visited Helsinki and Stockholm with a similar task.

The Scandinavian business community in the Philippines Norway has always enjoyed a strong business presence in the country with its strong maritime and shipping ties.

“Norway as a shipping nation has been involved with Philippines since the 1970s when we started taking Filipinos on board. They are now the biggest providers of seafarers in the world making up 25% of the total seafarer population.

Many shipping companies from Norway established their office in the Philippines to have more control,” said Thomasli.

Thomasli is also now President of the Philippine Norway Business Council, which has almost 50 Norwegian members. According to him, along with the maritime industry, IT and back of service industries such as BPOs and service centers are also growing. “There will be a growth in shipping, back office businesses. It’s only a matter of time until people realize that there are resources here and it’s just a matter of training people to suit your needs,” said Thomasli.

One prominent Swedish company that has been based in the Philippines is Swedish Match Philippines. On September 19, the company, which produces lighters under the Cricket Lighters brand, celebrated its 40th anniversary in the country. Located at the Laguna Technopark south of Manila, Swedish Match’s manufacturing facilities has over three hundred employees. Swedish match produce 300 million lighters a year 60% of the worldwide production is done in the Philippines and 95% is for worldwide export.

July also saw Patrik Brummer, founder and chairman of the Swedish hedge fund Brummer & Partners inject a new $120-million Navegar Fund which aims to invest $10 million to $20 million each in eight to 10 mid-sized Philippine companies over the next five years.

According to Selin, the number of Danish subsidiaries has doubled in the last few years.

Sonion a manufacturer of miniature components

and solutions for hearing instruments and advanced acoustics in July inaugurated its $22 million manufacturing facility in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas.

At the inauguration, Sonion Philippines general director Niels Ole Jeppesen said that the company chose the Philippines as its new site because of the high educational level of the Filipino workforce, reasonable infrastructure, and competitive incentives for foreign investors, and good cooperation with PEZA. From Finland, internationally known brand, Nokia has put a lot of investment in its research and development arm in the Philippines. “Nokia is an interesting case because you have the distribution of the handsets here but you also have an R&D facilities in Quezon City which is quite large. They have 450 brand new buildings and they work with the local top universities here to skim the top candidates and bring them into the business,” said Lundqvist.

Main handicaps However while the Philippines becomes increasingly prominent on the Scandinavian business radar and trade between the two regions continues on an upswing there are a number of issues that need to be ironed out before the Philippines can be considered a completely safe investment.

“The slow development of infrastructure, and the inefficiency of public service are the main disadvantages. The cost of operation is higher than it needs to be if the infrastructure was better developed. It is going too slowly, but at least it is moving in the right direction,” said Stangegaard.

“The tax system has to be simplified and corrupt practices need to be eliminated. Foreign ownership should be allowed to a higher degree and the education system needs to be improved further,” he added.

According to Lundqvist, the country needs more positive exposure. “The Philippines is still widely known for more negative aspects than positive. The Philippines need engage in a much bigger way with business organizations in the Nordic countries to build up a better picture of the country in terms of security, political stability, business environment and as a place to live,” he said.

Despite the disadvantages, Lundqvist is positive that investments will continue to increase.

“Outsourcing has just begun, and the Philippines is well positioned to receive a large chunk of that business also from the Nordic countries,” he said.

March 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

Medium

Lemon Muffins with poppy seeds Evil

Ingredients: 18 pieces •18 muffin tins •3 eggs •2,5 cup sugar •1 table spoon vanilla •1 cup milk •100 grams butter •4,5 cup flour •2 tbl spoon baking powder •Tiny bit of salt •Juice and grated lemon rind from two lemons •1 cup blue poppy seeds

Lemon topping: •100 g crème cheese natural •100 g sour cream •2 cups caster sugar •2 tbl spn lemon juice •Grated lemon rind from one lemon

Directions for the muffins: • • • •

• •

Are you done?

W

hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt.

Name:

___________________________________________________

Age: ________________________

Mobile:

___________________

Address:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Email:

__________________________________________________

Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 April 2014 18 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2014

Preheat the oven up to 200 degrees Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla Melt the butter and mix with the milk. Mix together the two masses.

Add the flour and baking powder through a bolter.

After that you add lemon juice, rind and poppy seeds and mix it again.

Fill the dough in muffin tins and bake in 15 minutes.

Let the muffins cool down before you top them with the lemon crème, which is made by whisking together all the ingredients.

WHAT IF...

EXPLORE WHAT IF

Grade 12 student Lukas finds a quiet place to study

…STUDENTS WERE IMMERSED IN THEIR LEARNING? Would a truly holistic education help them to develop their special talents? At UWCSEA, we believe it does. Our students find and follow their passions, while remaining engaged with all aspects of our learning programme.

Take Lukas, whose talent and hard work led him to represent Singapore at the international FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup. While bringing home a gold medal at the South East Asian Age Group Swimming Championships, Lukas still found the time to coach Special Olympics athletes through the UWCSEA Service programme, complete the gold level expedition in the National Youth Achievement Awards and play trumpet in the

school’s jazz band. All with the support and encouragement of his teachers, and all while staying on top of his academic work.

Lukas will graduate in 2014 and is hoping for a swimming scholarship to university, after completing National Service.

He believes the holistic UWCSEA education has prepared him not just for university, but for life.

What if your child joins UWCSEA? Visit www.uwcsea.edu.sg to find out more.

UWCSEA Dover is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 197000825H Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 UWCSEA East is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 200801795N Registration Period 10 March 2011–9 March 2017

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