SEC Seminar
Date: 17 August 2023
Venue: Pan Pacific Orchard, Claymore Ballroom
As the call for climate action grows, fostering sustainable practices like Eco-Certifications among businesses, both small and large, has become critical. However, this is a step many have struggled to take. This panel, themed The Value of Unlocking Eco Certifications, aims to understand the hesitation some companies have in starting their sustainability journey, decode their pain points and motivations, and forge pathways for SMEs to embrace Eco-Certifications.
Panel Line-Up
Ms Claire Reid Blankenberg
Co-Founder, Reel Gardening
Claire is an innovative thinker and an entrepreneur at heart. She has the ability to look at processes and products and see a simpler, better method of getting the job done.
Claire encountered the process of vegetable gardening at the age of 16 and subsequently she invented and patented a new process for planting seeds known today as Reel Gardening. Claire then encountered the logistical poverty disabling the future workforce of South Africa and created Siyaphambili Pre-Paid Taxi App in direct response to this social crisis. Claire is a regular speaker on social entrepreneurship at both the Wits Business School and the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Mr Benedict Koh
Vice President of Operations, PestBusters
Benedict was brought onboard as the Vice President of Operations by Entech Global Solutions after the successful acquisition of Pestbusters last year. He is responsible for the growth engines, as well as sustainably transforming the regional businesses through meaningful innovations. During his time at his organisation, he successfully led his office towards becoming more sustainable, by introducing EVs, pivoting towards procuring green labeled equipment and products, LED and solar-powered traps, as well as other environmentally responsible measures to cut waste and save power and water.
Ms Gayle Wong
Head, Sustainability and Communications
Gayle is an award-winning senior leader with a proven track record in integrated marketing and communications, corporate relations, sustainability, and stakeholder development.
She is currently Head, Sustainability & Communications at EVCo, a leading electric-mobility services provider that focuses on accelerating decarbonisation with digitalisation and data. Headquartered in Singapore, EVCo helps businesses decarbonise their fleets quickly, accelerating their sustainability ambitions and creating long-term value through data. At EVCo, she is responsible for leading and developing the organisation’s sustainability practices, business solutions, and communications and marketing strategies.
Formerly Vice President, Head of Group Communications at Certis, a leading tech security services provider headquartered in Singapore, Gayle led strategic group-wide communications and corporate social responsibility initiatives. She also drove crisis communications and issues management efforts for the Group across Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and Qatar. Prior to joining Certis, Gayle held senior communications and marketing roles across the government and private sectors, spearheading key initiatives to grow readership, transform Singapore’s workforce and expand its digital economy.
Ms May Yap
Chairwoman, CEO and Managing Director, LHT Holdings
May found her start a the former Lian Hup Timber Trading Co as an admin clerk when it only had 10 employees. Despite this, she worked her work up to a senior sales manager, and advanced further to become its Executive Director.
In her time at LHT Holdings, she led many efforts for the company to become more and more sustainable, providing sustainable, eco-labeled products to its clients, making her a prime candidate to provide information to aspiring companies who wish to start their sustainability journey.
SEAA 2023 Programme
