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About The Event
Held at the SATS Global Innovation Hub and Experiential Centre at the Arts House Annex, this event was organised as part of the Action Learning Project (ALP) of the prestigious SGLN Fellowship. This component of the programme is designed to foster practical learning and leadership development. The ALP team, comprising Charlene Pereira, Eunis Hew, Hong Wei Teo, Baohe Lin, Hwee Hian Poh, and Rafidah Rahumathullah successfully organised an evening of insightful discussions and networking. Distinguished speakers Debbie Nova, Mohamad Hafidz, and Bentley Williams shared their battle-tested strategies for navigating uncertainty and leading change.
As Singaporean leaders, mastering the art of navigating uncertainties is essential for achieving global success. From the importance of authentic leadership and over-communication to the power of mentorship and embracing progress over perfection, we gained valuable insights for navigating the challenges ahead, and here are a few:
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Authenticity and Communication: Leaders can inspire and motivate their teams by being true to themselves and their values. Effective communication is also essential for ensuring everyone is aligned and informed, especially in today's interconnected world.
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Embracing Change: Rather than fearing change, leaders should view it as an opportunity for growth and innovation. By adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, leaders can adapt to new challenges and seize opportunities. Additionally, investing in mentorship can help develop the next generation of leaders and ensure a sustainable future.
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Progress over Perfection: It's essential to celebrate small wins and learn from setbacks. By focusing on progress, leaders can create a positive and motivating environment for their teams.
As part of the SGLN Fellowship, our Fellows are encouraged to lead and learn through experience. The ALP provides them with the opportunity to apply their newfound knowledge and skills to a real-world project. This event was a testament to their ability to embrace complexity, ambiguity, and the challenges of leading change.
We are also deeply grateful to SGLN Strategic Partner SATS Ltd. for the generous support in making this event a resounding success, including providing a classy venue and exquisitely prepared food.
Key Moments
About the Singapore Leaders Network
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and managed by the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI), the Singapore Leaders Network (SGLN) aims to prepare Singaporeans for global leadership roles. We aspire to help advance the social capital of Singaporean corporate leaders who can support one another on their professional and personal leadership journeys - whilst cultivating a vibrant and robust community. This is achieved through activities that enable members to learn, lead, and link including through large scale in-person events, smaller business networking sessions on various topics of interest, a structured mentoring programme, an Ambassador programme, as well as an online LinkedIn community.
Speakers
Mohamad “Mo” Hafidz
Chief Fintech Officer, AirAsia
Mohamad Hafidz, fondly known as Mo, is AirAsia's Chief Fintech Officer. He drives the company's innovation and fintech vision for the group's commercial, enterprise payments, and financial services. Mo joined AirAsia in June 2019 and was responsible for the overall redesign of the group's payments orchestration infrastructure. With over 30 years in the payments industry, he began his career with Citi, holding various executive appointments in payments operations and card businesses. He notably spearheaded Citibank's Regional eCommerce business in 2000. During his tenure, the division grew into a strategic US$250M/year business. A strong advocate for payment technology and security, he joined VISA in 2008 as their Asia Pacific Head of E-commerce and was responsible for the Asia Pacific Region. During this time, he advised regulators in China, India, Japan, and around ASEAN on authentication technologies such as 2-factor Authentication (2FA) as a more secure way to drive e-commerce growth. Together with AKKI in Indonesia, he launched their first in-cloud countrywide issuer authentication platform in 2010. Based in Tokyo in 2015, he was responsible for redesigning and implementing MasterCard's new domestic processing network ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was also part of the payment acceptance team that helped the Reserve Bank of India develop a low-cost acceptance solution during India's demonetization in 2016. While at Mastercard, he jointly patented an IoT payment solution and was also responsible for the adoption of MasterCard's Tap2Phone and their Global Network Installments solutions, which are used by banks globally today. He pursued his studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Business in Economics and Finance. He also holds a Master of Finance from the same.
Debbie Nova
Group Chief Information Officer, Coca-Cola Bottling Investments Group, The Coca-Cola Company
Debbie Nova is one of the most influential women in the large Coca-Cola System. Debbie was appointed to the role of Group Chief Information Officer in August 2021, as a member of the executive, leading the Information Technology teams across Coca-Cola Bottling Investments Group (BIG) markets covering Philippines, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indochina (Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia), Southwest Asia (Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh), and Middle East (UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar).
She is responsible for the IT strategy across the Coca-Cola BIG Group, along with driving digital transformation and leveraging innovation and new technologies to enable further business growth.
Debbie has more than 25 years’ experience in the Coca-Cola system, joining Coca-Cola Amatil in October 1996 during the deployment of sales and distribution systems in Indonesia. In November 2009, she joined the Indonesia Executive Team as Information Technology Director, the first female, homegrown talent sitting in the Executive Team.
In addition to her Information Technology role, in October 2015 Debbie was appointed to lead the HR function for Indonesia and was a Lead PMO for major company transformation initiatives in Indonesia.
In 2018, Debbie was promoted as Executive Member and Group Chief Information Officer of Coca-Cola Amatil covering Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia markets.
In 2021, Debbie moved to Coca-Cola Bottling Investments Group (BIG) as Group Chief Information Officer.
Debbie instituted a women's empowerment movement called the CCAI Female Warrior Committee. As a Steering Committee at the iCIO Community (a community of Indonesia IT leaders), she architected the launch of iCIO Women Leadership Forum program in 2017 to support Women Empowerment in the IT field.
Besides being mentor for SG Leadership Network, Debbie is an active member of The Coca-Cola System IT Board, Gartner Research Board, Coca-Cola BIG DE&I Champion, and the Steering Committee for the iCIO Community in Indonesia.
Bentley Williams
Founder and Principal Consultant, Wow! Academy
Bentley Williams is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Wow! Academy. He is the author of 3 books, "Wow!', "How To Wow!' and The Missing "C" and is highly sought after for his insights and influence in organisation culture and customer experiences.
Bentley has more than 30 years of experience in the business and is an accredited influencer in customer experiences, motivation, leadership management and organisational culture. He has appeared on several TV talk shows, interviews and radio shows including serving as a Resident Judge on Seasons 1 and 2 of 'Can You Serve', Singapore's fire customer service reality television series.
Bentley is a transformational speaker and facilitator for conferences, workshops and retreats around the world. His humourous and personable style greatly draws his audiences to him and they always leave his sessions feeling renewed, inspired and empowered. He relates well to leaders and staff of all levels and creates a safe and open environment for sharing.
Bentley has a high degree of empathy to totally understand the staff, the industry and the business. Using the Wow! Culture Framework™, he customises solutions that connect teams within the organisation. He is certified in DISC profiling, Communication Style Profiling™ Assessor and CEM+™ Facilitator.
Bentley is a recipient and honouree of the Spirit of Enterprise Award & a die-hard Liverpool fan! On weekends, he is focused on his Liverpool games and spending time with his family.