4th Asian Women in LeadershipSummit Singapore

May 10th, 2019The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

Post Event Report

Welcome Message from CEOAt the heart of AWLS is the founder and CEO, Arvind Singh who has been championing the cause of gender parity over the last many years. He talked about accelerating change and the need to give it a ‘nudge’ to foster speedy movement towards the issue of gender parity. Arvind shared some of the recent research findings by NUS that shows women participation at board level links to improved corporate governance and that translates to better financial performance. This has received traction from the Singapore Diversity Council, which has adopted a target of having 30% independent female directors on board by year 2030.

Pursuant to our goal on gender parity, AWLS 2019 – Singapore chapter, focussed on the theme of advocating male champions to develop and promote next generation of women leaders. Successful women leaders shared their individual growth stories, leaders discussed some measures taken by companies to build, nurture, retain their women leadership pipeline and organisational policies that facilitate aspiring women to return to work. Examining the need and mindset of emerging millennial leaders were the other focal point of discussion in this year’s summit.

Prof. Dureen Shahnaz The Founder of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) delivered the opening keynote speech. Her personal story is one of courage and vision and to build a more inclusive world, especially that values women. Durreen uses her platforms to create an effective social and sustainable financial market and her message to the audience was to build an environment that allows individuals to be courageous as courage coupled with vision leads to innovation.

As the moderator, Dr. Vinika Rao, Executive Director- INSEAD EMI, started out by asking the all male panel to share their personal motivation and measures taken at an organisational level to create an inclusive and diverse work environment. Ashish D. Pal, Managing Director, MSD Singapore & Malaysia, highlighted that diversity is required to respond to changing market environment and it’s a critical pillar of success. Hari Krishnan, CEO, Property Guru, emphasised coaching leaders on equity and having a seat at the table. For him, including output matrix and maintaining parity over maternity and paternity leave would be important. Steven Billiet, Managing Director, JP Morgan Asset Management, spoke of programs such as ‘Women on the Move’ and ‘Men as Allies’ to drive change. For Sanjeev Chatrath, Managing Director - Global Banking & Financial markets, IBM, cognitive diversity of thought is a business imperative and he recommends setting performance matrix, training and creating awareness to build a gender parity world. For Michael Jenkins, CEO, HCLI, good intention is not good enough but we need to dial up the women’s voices in all things.

High performing women leaders shared their journey and some of the conscious and unconscious biases they experienced during their career span. Valderine Bastos Licht, President APAC, Ingredion, opined that moments of challenge can turn into success when individuals demonstrate competency in their jobs and over deliver to make the best of their given opportunity. Sonia Gupta, Managing Director, Accenture emphasised the importance of being self aware and to value time which in her words is “the only currency that matters.” For Stanimira Koleva, SVP & General Manager APAC, HERE Technologies, success is the ability to give, learn and acquire knowledge; to be able to choose what to invest in and be passionate about it. Nayantara Bali,ANV Consulting, mentioned that there may be moments where, “we are victims of our own thinking.” The message shared by these successful women leaders was to be aware of one’s choices, make decisions that one is passionate about and be willing to invest in their jobs by doing it well.

Is there Institutional and government reverse discrimination, where men feel being discriminated upon? Dr CJ Meadows, Director i2i, SP Jain School of Global Management, initiated this seemingly controversial discussion with a team of successful women leaders who were asked if they experienced this kind of negative backlash. Although there is little evidence to suggest that, Julie Raneda, Partner, Schellenberg Witmer, mentions that it is not a woman issue but a business issue. If men feel discriminated against, then it indicates that the case has not been communicated clearly, which would involve reframing the conversation, according to Sophie Gurein, Head of D&I, Asia Pacific China & Japan for Dell. Dr. Seina Lee, Lead APAC- Commercial Strategic Marketing, Janssen Pharmaceutica was of the opinion that diversity is beyond ethnicity, gender, race or demographics and hiring depends on whether an individual is good fit for the job. She urges hiring managers to “bring people who look different, talk different, think different, as it promotes diversity. It may not be easy but with practice it will become second nature.” For Rachel Hor, Client Partner, Cognizant, the matter is more about cultural diversity and for everyone to understand ‘inclusion’.

The subsequent session saw speakers from diverse industries, function, ethnicity and gender to identify ways of building a robust pipeline of talent that seeks diverse representation. In Rachna’s rich experience as Vice President HR, Oracle it is imperative to be inclusive first and diversity follows thereafter. Marjet Andriesse, Managing Director-APAC, Telstra has experienced a dearth of female talent in technology related firms. At the time of hiring, the best candidate for the job is picked up, however, it is imperative to maintain a talent pipeline that is equally balanced. Derrick Goh, Managing Director, DBS highlighted that increase in support system and technological growth has helped women get back to work. Companies are adopting technology to support work environment which according to Marjet has allowed for Global flexible work culture. Haryani, IRB law spoke of flexibility and measuring performance output which are key indicators to delivering business results.

The next session was a success story of a father and daughter who share a strong bond. Pradeep Pant, ex-President Mondalez, who carved a niche for himself as a professional and now his daughter, Prerna Pant who seems to be following his footsteps as a co-founder of Circus Social. Pradeep has had a huge impact on Prerna’s development and self esteem. With her father’s acumen and penchant for innovation, Prerna has embarked on a new chapter as the co-founder of her Company. For Prerna, having her father as an ally has been a blessing and Pradeep intends to continue being an advocate for his daughter and a champion for women and girls initiatives.

In a world of social media, what are some of the challenges faced by the millennial today? According to Evy Theunis, Head of Digital Wealth, DBS, success is out of reach for millennial as young people have achieved so much that there is immense pressure to perform. Prerna Pant, Co-Founder & COO, Circus Social, believes that one of the biggest challenge as an entrepreneur is to show value and appreciation to her young team. For Janine Teo, Solve Education, success is personal and it must be defined on one’s own terms. According to Nitin Goil, Regional Director APAC, Center for Creative Leadership, research on millennial suggests that they want work to be well defined and meaningful. The panel recommended that aspiring millennial leaders must find as many mentors as possible and learn from them.

Ajit Iyer, Managing Director HR - Applied Materials, initiated discussion by talking about programs that can help women get back to work. Sarah McKinsey, APAC Diversity & Inclusion Leader, Johnson & Johnson, mentioned that women lose their relationship capital over a period of time and therefore they must leverage their internal networks to find suitable opportunities. In addition, she recommends training people on how to interview and assess future potential of returnees. According to Elizabeth Faber, it is critical to have data and ROI to back up the business case for those who wish to return. Her advice to hiring managers is to look at job postings carefully, develop strong alumni networks and talk the language of the business leaders. Seema, Co-founder, Pinkstripes, mentions how returnees look for flexibility, creating value addition to their job and acceptance in the corporate environment as key criteria for their return. To help women, companies can have mentors assigned who help them navigate effectively at work. Sara Surer – Geiser, VP P&O Nutrition Asia, DSM, emphasises the need to have role models and the need for them to be made visible in the Company.

The closing keynote was given by Low Peck Kem, Chief HR Officer & Senior Director (Workforce Development) Singapore Public Service Division. She talked about the initiatives taken by Singapore Government for the benefit of working women and advised them to seek benefit from programs such as ‘Blue Sky Friday’, flexible work arrangements, telecommuting and sharing of maternity leave between partners. She encouraged people to have progressive practices to help women get back to work and exercise self care.

Elizabeth Faber, Chief Talent Officer, Deloitte talks about the inaccurate and outdated perception on family leave and how reflection is the first step towards bringing change. Beyond mentors, women need sponsors! It is important to acknowledge and recognise the skills and quality that new mom’s bring like empathy, flexibility, prioritization and above all high emotional quotient. Organizations must recognise and benefit from these skills and must learn to examine the unconscious biases to foster inclusive cultures.

Participating Companies - Industry Wise

Speakers Representation - Industry Wise

BSFI

Technology

FMCG

Telecommunication

Real Estate

Media

Education

Pharmaceuticals

Legal Firm

Consulting

Government

Chemical

Manufacturing

Pharmaceutical Companies

BSFI

Manufacturing

Media

Technology

Government

Chemicals

Education

Consulting

Others

Legal

CXO

Senior level

Middle level

Others

CXO

Functional Head

Directors

Entrepreneurs

Delegate Profile Speakers Job Profile

Our Distinguished Speakers

Ajit IyerMD HR Worldwide

Operations,Applied Materials

Haryani OthmanHR & Marketing

Director, IRB Law LLP

Janine TeoCEO,

Solve Education

Karen GilchristReporter, Make It,

CNBC

Low Peck KemCHRO & Senior Director

(Workforce Development),SPSD Prime Minister’s Office

Julie RanedaPartner, International

Arbitration Group,Schellenberg Wittmer

Jenny KwanCommercial Manager, Hong

Kong & Taiwan, Glanbia

Performance Nutrition

Michael JenkinsCEO, Human CapitalLeadership Institute

Marjet AndriesseManaging Director

APAC, Tesltra

Nayantara BaliCo-owner/Director - ANV

Consulting Pte, Non-Executive

Director, Starhub

Pradeep PantEx President APAC &

EEMEA,Mondelez International

Prerna PantCo-Founder &

Chief Operating Officer,Circus Social

Prerna Suri

Nitin GoilRegional Director APAC,

Center for CreativeLeadership

Nicole Scoble-WilliamsLeader - Global Futureof Work COE, Deloitte

Rachel HorClient Partner,

Insurance,Hong Kong, Cognizant

Rachna SampayoVice President, Human

Resources, Oracle

Sarah McKenseyAsia Pacific D&I Leader,

Johnson & Johnson

Seema MishraCo-Founder,Pinkstripes

Sara Surer-GeiserVP P&O Nutrition Asia,

DSM

Sanjeev ChatrathManaging Director,Global Banking and

Financial Markets, IBM

Seina LeeIBD DAS Commercial Strategic

Marketing Lead Asia Pacific,

Janssen Pharmaceutical

Smita GuptaSenior Director,

Regional MarketingAPAC, Finastra

Stanimira KolevaSVP & General

Manager APAC,HERE Technologies

Steven BillietMD & Head of Singapore,

South & Southeast Asia & Korea,

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Sophie GuerinHead of D&I, Asia

Pacific China & Japan,Dell

Sonia GuptaManaging Director

Growth & Innovation,Accenture

Dr. Vinika RaoExecutive Director,INSEAD EmergingMarkets Institute

Valdirene Bastos LichtSenior Vice President

& President APAC,Ingredion

Dr. C.J. MeadowsDirector, The Innovation &

Insights Centre, SP Jain School

of Global Management

Andrew LimVice President &Head of Markets

ASEAN, Cognizant

Derrick GohManaging Director &Head of Group Audit,

DBS Bank

Prof. Durreen ShahnazFounder, Impact

InvestmentExchange (IIX)

Elizabeth FaberChief Talent Officer,Asia Pacific, Deloitte

Evy TheunisHead of Digital Wealth,

DBS

Hari V. KrishnanCEO,

PropertyGuru Group

Arti RamHead of

Brand MarketingAPAC, Bloomberg

Annie LimGlobal Lead,

Diversity & Inclusion,Sanofi

Arun SundarFounding Chairman,The Social Capital

Institute

Ashish PalManaging Director,

Singapore& Malaysia, MSD

Bhavana ChauhanClient Manager,

Mercer (Singapore)Pte. Ltd.

Knowledge Partner Research PartnerReturnship

Innovation Partner

Supporting Partners

Our Sponsors

Our Partners

Thank YouAttendees, Sponsors

& Partners for makingAWLS Singapore A Big Success!

#acceleratingchangetogether