Businesses must play their part as community’s 'stewards', not just focus on returns:
SYDNEY: While pursuing profits and financial returns, businesses must not neglect to train their workers to adapt in this age of disruption, and fulfill their responsibility towards securing a fair, equitable and sustainable future for all, said Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching on Friday (Mar 16).
“Businesses will find it hard to thrive, if society fails,” said Ms Ho, adding that they have a stake in the well-being of the wider community in which they operate in.
She said this is why they must play their part as the community’s “stewards” and work alongside governments and civic society.
Ms Ho was speaking at the Women in Business breakfast session, which she co-chaired with Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Lucy Turnbull during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
Ms Ho is accompanying her husband Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is in Australia for the 3rd Singapore-Australia Leaders’ Summit and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
The breakfast meeting kicked off a series of conferences under the ASEAN-Australia Business Summit.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMs Ho’s call to reskill and upskill workers for the future echoed Mrs Turnbull, who highlighted in her speech that women and girls have to be equipped with the right skills so that they will be ready for jobs of the future.
She noted that workers are expected to spend 77 per cent more time using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills by 2030, regardless of the nature of their jobs.
“Girls must be encouraged to make - as Ho Ching made - the choices that will arm them with the technology skills and confidence to engage in this fast-changing, digitising and scientific world,” said Mrs Turnbull, who is also the wife of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Not only will boosting women’s participation in the workforce lift their own financial security, it will also contribute towards regional and global economic growth.
“I wonder if it’s completely coincidental that as women private wealth and voice increases in the economy, so does the choice and diversity of available investment in socially sustainable, and social impact enterprises,” said Mrs Turnbull.
There’s also an increasing focus on the importance of sustainable and ethical supply chains, although she said this might not coincide with women’s increasing power.
“In terms of larger firms, we’ve seen from several studies that companies with women in senior positions do a lot better,” noted Mrs Turnbull.
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SYDNEY: While pursuing profits and financial returns, businesses must not neglect to train their workers to adapt in this age of disruption, and fulfill their responsibility towards securing a fair, equitable and sustainable future for all, said Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching on Friday (Mar 16).
“Businesses will find it hard to thrive, if society fails,” said Ms Ho, adding that they have a stake in the well-being of the wider community in which they operate in.
She said this is why they must play their part as the community’s “stewards” and work alongside governments and civic society.
Ms Ho was speaking at the Women in Business breakfast session, which she co-chaired with Chief Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission Lucy Turnbull during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
Ms Ho is accompanying her husband Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is in Australia for the 3rd Singapore-Australia Leaders’ Summit and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.
The breakfast meeting kicked off a series of conferences under the ASEAN-Australia Business Summit.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMs Ho’s call to reskill and upskill workers for the future echoed Mrs Turnbull, who highlighted in her speech that women and girls have to be equipped with the right skills so that they will be ready for jobs of the future.
She noted that workers are expected to spend 77 per cent more time using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills by 2030, regardless of the nature of their jobs.
“Girls must be encouraged to make - as Ho Ching made - the choices that will arm them with the technology skills and confidence to engage in this fast-changing, digitising and scientific world,” said Mrs Turnbull, who is also the wife of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Not only will boosting women’s participation in the workforce lift their own financial security, it will also contribute towards regional and global economic growth.
“I wonder if it’s completely coincidental that as women private wealth and voice increases in the economy, so does the choice and diversity of available investment in socially sustainable, and social impact enterprises,” said Mrs Turnbull.
There’s also an increasing focus on the importance of sustainable and ethical supply chains, although she said this might not coincide with women’s increasing power.
“In terms of larger firms, we’ve seen from several studies that companies with women in senior positions do a lot better,” noted Mrs Turnbull.
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