Dear Subscriber,
The month of March marks the celebration of International Women's Day, a time when we celebrate achievements and advocate for gender equality. However, amidst the positivity, sobering statistics remind us of the work yet to be done.
Equipleap's 2024 Gender Equality Report & Ranking reveals stark figures: Only 7% of CEOs and 17% of CFOs are women across the 4,000 companies in 27 markets included in the study. Even Sweden, once a frontrunner, now only ranks #8 across the 19 gender equality indicators applied. Despite women's majority in tertiary education in Sweden, their representation in board rooms and among start-up founders remains disproportionately low. As a matter of fact - the percentage of female CEOs among listed companies in Sweden is decreasing. This prompts reflection and raises concerns: What is happening here? We perceive progress, yet the data suggests regression. How can we dismantle the barriers that exist to make true gender parity a reality?
On 7 March, member representatives at SwedCham Singapore's Annual General Meeting elected its first female President: Sofie Bager, Managing Director, GAC Singapore.
Please find below the latest news from our business community.
Your dedicated SwedCham team,
Lisa & Anna |
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Welcome Siemens Energy as new SwedCham Partner Member!
Founded in 2020, as a spin-off of Siemens AG, Siemens Energy carries forward a rich heritage of innovation and expertise in the energy sector. Siemens Energy Sweden is located in the historic town of Finspång, Sweden, where turbines have been manufactured for over 100 years. The global operations in Siemens Energy Sweden stand at the forefront of gas turbine manufacturing with a workforce of 4,000 dedicated professionals and operations across the entire value chain from cutting edge R&D and design to the deployment of advanced manufacturing techniques, such as 3D Printing.
Key contact: Thorbjörn Fors, Senior Vice President & Managing Director APAC. |
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On 7 March, SwedCham held its Annual General Meeting at Goodwood Park Hotel. Apart from electing a new Board of Directors, we had the honour of listening to and discussing with Nicholas Fang, our guest of honour and key note speaker for the evening.
A brand new team of Office Bearers, poised to steer our Board towards continued success in governance, was elected during the AGM: |
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SwedCham proudly presents its Board of Directors for 2024-25: |
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| Discover Ericsson's 5G Garage |
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As the development of Singapore's 5G network gains momentum, join us on 21 March for an exclusive visit to the 5G Garage and AIoT Centre, a collaborative initiative by Ericsson, Singtel, and Singapore Polytechnic, shaping Singapore's digital transformation journey. During our visit, you will explore cutting-edge 5G-powered use cases and witness live demonstrations by industry leaders like Axis Communications to better understand how companies are using 5G to drive innovation across industries.
Find out more and register for this event here. |
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| Electrolux hosts HR roundtable |
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Tomorrow Thursday 14 March, Joanna Bilewicz, Vice President People & Culture APAC & MEA at Electrolux Group, will host a roundtable for SwedCham's HR leaders. The session will focus on how businesses can flourish through community and culture building, covering key aspects such as: - Authentic Leadership: Exploring the impact of genuine leadership on organisational success
- Authentic and Modern Workplace: Understanding the significance of authenticity in creating a modern and thriving workplace
- People-First Culture Building: Insights into building a culture that prioritizes the well-being and growth of its people
- HR Mindset: Unpacking the essential elements of an HR mindset that fosters a positive and dynamic work environment.
Are you a SwedCham HR leader who would like to join this session? Please contact Anna Landgren at anna.landgren@swedcham.sg at your earliest convenience. |
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| CEO-dialogue on mental health |
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Did you know that Singapore's local economy loses an estimated S$15.7 billion annually to lost productivity due to stress and anxiety? Despite this, businesses are slow to prioritise wellbeing in the workplace. In a recent parliamentary address, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recognised mental health and wellbeing as a key priority on the national agenda.
Together with WorkWell Leaders, a prominent non-profit in Singapore dedicated to championing workplace wellbeing, SwedCham is organising a cross-chamber session for our member CEOs on 30 April to explore the topic of mental health and why it makes business sense to make it a strategic priority, beyond an HR responsibility. With this CEO-dialogue, we aim to create a platform for CEOs to engage in meaningful discussions among peers and explore how they can lead the change within their organisations to foster positive transformations surrounding mental health.
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| Save the Date: Midwinter Ball 2024 |
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For this year's Midwinter Ball, we have invited some special guests... Book your diaries for Saturday 9 November 2024 at Sofitel Sentosa. Not to be missed.
#ABBA50years #Eurovision1974 |
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| A Swedish national team in town! |
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This week, Sweden's national table tennis team is in town to participate in Singapore Smash 2024 - a Grand Slam of table tennis.
All the world's top players are here to compete in this prestigious event, organised by World Table Tennis (WTT). The competition is consolidated into eight action-packed main draw days between 10 and 17 March 2024, featuring 64 of the world's top male and female players.
So if you like to watch world class table tennis live, now is your moment.
Get your tickets for Singapore Smash here. |
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Thursday 14 March: SwedCham Young Professionals is hosting an AW at Kult Yard.
Thursday 14 March: HR roundtable hosted by Joanna Bilewicz, Vice President People & Culture APAC & MEA, Electrolux Group.
Tuesday 16 April: Digitalisation event with DBS.
Saturday 9 November: SwedCham's Annual Midwinter Ball at Sofitel Sentosa. |
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Thursday 7 March: SwedCham AGM 2024. Keynote speaker: Nicholas Fang, Senior Advisor, The Asia Group.
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