How BT has built a legacy of partnerships recognising success in Singapore’s business scene

DHL has a longstanding partnership with BT to present the annual Singapore Business Awards; over the last 41 years, we have had the privilege of honouring exceptional businesses and business leaders in Singapore.

Since 1985, DHL and BT have presented the awards every year without interruption, a testament to the strength and longevity of our partnership.

One moment that stands out is the 35th edition of the awards in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than allow unprecedented challenges to derail a tradition, both organisations were determined to press on.

Together, we reimagined the event in a hybrid format, welcoming then deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat as the guest of honour, with a small audience in person and hundreds more joining virtually.

It was a powerful reflection of the values that DHL and BT have long shared: resilience in the face of adversity, adaptability during times of change, and a commitment to recognising business excellence no matter the circumstances.

What stands out most is the longevity of E50 and the shared purpose that has sustained the partnership over the years. Established in 1995, E50 has become one of Singapore’s most respected benchmarks of business excellence, celebrating the achievements of outstanding privately owned enterprises.

The partnership is particularly meaningful because both KPMG and BT share a common belief in the critical role that local enterprises play in Singapore’s economic success.

One constant throughout the years is the entrepreneurial spirit these businesses have. During the qualitative assessment process, judges hear directly from founders and management teams. Behind every submission are stories of resilience, reinvention and ambition.

We have seen companies successfully navigate economic challenges, pivot their business models in response to disruption, embrace digital transformation and expand beyond Singapore’s shores.

In many ways, E50 is not simply a recognition programme; it also serves as a record of how Singapore enterprises continue to adapt, innovate and create positive change.

The message is simple: Ambition and resilience will always matter, but the ability to adapt and turn plans into action is what defines future success.

E50 also sends a strong signal to entrepreneurs that world-class companies can be built from Singapore. After all, when our enterprises thrive, Singapore thrives with them.

Our partnership with BT through E50 is anchored in a shared belief that strong local enterprises are critical to Singapore’s economic success.

For OCBC, our role has always extended beyond sponsorship; we are a longstanding and trusted banking partner to SMEs, serving as a bridge and connector as businesses grow from early expansion to regionalisation and international growth.

What makes the partnership meaningful is seeing many ambitious local companies evolve and flourish into industry leaders and regional champions over the years. Together with BT, we have created a credible platform that recognises business excellence while spotlighting enterprises that contribute to Singapore’s growth, innovation and economic resilience.

Having sponsored E50 since 2005, we have come to see the awards as much more than an annual recognition programme.

What stands out is how it has evolved into a barometer of Singapore’s enterprise sector. The companies recognised each year reflect the changing priorities of the economy, whether through innovation, digital transformation, sustainability or international expansion.

One example is Pollisum Group, the second-place winner at E50 in 2025. Founded more than four decades ago as a crane repair business, it has evolved into an integrated group providing heavy-lifting, transportation, maritime logistics and steel fabrication services.

Under its second-generation leadership, Pollisum has expanded its fleet from about 100 to over 450 cranes, supporting landmark infrastructure projects such as the Thomson-East Coast Line and Changi Airport Terminal 5.

Our engagement with BT is an important part of how we contribute to conversations on issues that matter to businesses, leaders and the wider community.

To Isca, BT is not simply a channel for communicating, but a strategic platform for exchanging perspectives, surfacing important issues and contributing constructively to the public conversation.

One of the most revealing things about the judging process is how rarely the biggest numbers settle the discussion.

A company can have an exceptional year financially and still prompt a long debate among the judges. Conversely, a chief financial officer (CFO) who has navigated a difficult period with sound judgment, discipline and courage can leave a very strong impression.

The same is true for annual reports. The most polished report is not necessarily the best report.

Judges look beyond design and presentation. They ask whether the company has been genuinely transparent, whether difficult issues have been addressed clearly, and whether the report helps stakeholders understand how management thinks about the business.

That is perhaps the most interesting part of the awards. Behind the numbers is a much harder question: Did the leaders exercise good judgment, and did they earn the trust of their stakeholders?

Every annual report tells a company’s story, and every CFO helps write it. As chartered accountants, we know that numbers are important. But it is the judgment and integrity behind those numbers that give them meaning.

For SID, the partnership has always been about more than recognising winners. It is part of our broader mission to raise the quality of boards, directors and corporate governance in Singapore.

One of the most rewarding aspects of SCA’s history is seeing how past winners and the companies they lead have grown and matured over time. That is significant, because governance is ultimately a long-term endeavour.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought this into particularly sharp focus.

At the height of this global crisis, the organisers introduced the SCA 2021 Special Edition – the Corporate Excellence & Resilience Award. Twenty-six SGX-listed companies were recognised for upholding good governance while demonstrating leadership, innovation and resilience during an extraordinary period of disruption.

Even amid safe-distancing restrictions, we held a small but meaningful awards ceremony, with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah as guest of honour, to recognise the winners.

It was a powerful reminder that governance matters most when circumstances are difficult.

The partnership is also meaningful because each organisation brings something distinctive.

SID brings the perspective of directors and boards; Isca brings deep expertise in financial stewardship and the accounting profession; and BT brings the reach and influence to take these conversations beyond boardrooms and into the wider business community.

OCBC and BT share a common vision of supporting ambitious entrepreneurs and emerging enterprises that are shaping the future of Asia’s economy.

The Emerging Enterprise Awards provides a platform to recognise businesses with the courage to innovate, scale and pursue growth beyond their home markets.

We see OCBC’s role as a bridge to greater opportunities and a builder for growth. BT plays an instrumental role with us in giving these enterprises the platform and credibility to showcase themselves to the world.

What makes the partnership particularly meaningful is seeing promising enterprises transform entrepreneurial ambition into sustainable business success.

One example is Singapore-based Kskin Management, one of three winners of the 2024 Emerging Enterprise Awards.

Kskin offers pay-per-visit 15-minute facial treatments using Korean skincare technology and proprietary solutions.

It has overseas branches in Malaysia and the Philippines, and is continuing to expand internationally. It has opened its first outlet in the US, with a second outlet slated for launch in October, and also recently entered Australia.

The awards go beyond providing recognition and visibility; they are also a forum for enterprises to network and forge partnerships with one another, co-creating new ideas and solutions.

Skylab, a data infrastructure solutions provider, brings together entrepreneurial experience spanning clean energy and communications infrastructure, with roots in Emerging Enterprise honourees Sunseap (a 2014 winner) and Infracomms (a 2013 finalist).

Skylab’s own recognition as a winner in 2021 marked another milestone in this journey, highlighting the role of OCBC as a connector in bringing together like-minded entrepreneurs and enabling businesses to flourish.

The Sustainability Impact Awards was born from UOB and BT’s shared vision for a better future, combined with a common belief in the power of collective action.

The awards recognise and celebrate changemakers: businesses and individuals who have demonstrated both ambition and action in creating positive environmental and social outcomes for the wider community. In doing so, they also bring to life the spirit of national initiatives such as the Singapore Green Plan and the City of Good movement.

Our hope is that every story told through the award winners will encourage more to step forward and work together for a more sustainable, inclusive and vibrant Singapore.

The rise of AI in the last few years has brought meteoric change to the world of design and innovation. The impact is beyond imagination and widespread. All fields of design are without exception being challenged.

The combination of design and AI are likely to bring benefits to future economy. The partnership of BT and SUTD to create Daita is timely to help cultivate appreciation and recognition of this new design paradigm.

As a practising designer and architect for more than 30 years, I have seen many awards and competitions. In Daita, I am beginning to witness a new generation of young designers who combine their powerful design capability with the use of advanced technology and AI.

I look forward to the sea change in the realm of innovation, and to Singapore becoming a hub of innovators.

Design involves the combination of diverse disciplines such as aesthetics, materiality, craftsmanship and technology.

The addition of AI is a powerful catalyst that brings speed, data and analytics to a complex process. Critically, it helps to combine and coordinate diverse disciplines and make sense of them.

Economic transformation, like the design process, requires combinations of diverse disciplines to create value and innovations. 

We hope to see design and AI become the new normal for all transformation and innovation processes. Embracing the two will provide our innovators with a significant business and strategic advantage.