SCA honours leaders in corporate governance
Tan Nai Lun
THIS year, the 17th Singapore Corporate Awards (SCA) honoured 32 lissted companies for their exemplary performance in corporate governance and sustaining shareholder returns.
The black-tie event welcomed around 460 guests at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore on Aug 30.
In a welcome address, Wong Wei Kong, editor of The Business Times and co-chair of SCA, said: “The pandemic has shown us that good corporate governance is not just about shareholder returns, but also accountability, responsibility, sustainability and diversity.”
Kelvin Tan, council member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and co-chair of SCA, also said a strong governance framework lays the foundation for companies to navigate the turbulent environment and foster trust with stakeholders.
Wong Su-Yen, co-chair of SCA and chairperson of the Singapore Institute of Directors said: “As the world becomes increasingly fast-paced and multi-faceted, so should the role and composition of a company’s board of directors, in order to encourage more informed and diverse perspectives for the best decision making.”
Winners of the Best CEO award were Wee Ee Cheong from UOB, Sim Wing Yew from Vicom and Lou Yiliang from InnoTek.
For Best Managed Board, winners were DBS, SATS and OCBC in the large-cap category; SBS Transit, Del Monte Pacific, Hong Leong Asia and Rex International in the mid-cap category; and Qian Hu Corporation, Sing Investments & Finance and The Trendlines Group in the small-cap category.
Speaking at the event, guest-of-honour and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said boards of today have more things to worry about, amid the increasing focus on “less tangible but crucial aspects”, such as environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related considerations.
He said: “(ESG demands) reflect the complex world we live in today, and the collective concerns of our stakeholders.”
SCA was co-organised by The Business Times, ISCA and the Singapore Institute of Directors.
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