Young Business Leaders Network

Activities

Our all-year-round activities include:

YBLN Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat (27 September 2023)

Since the Young Business Leaders Network (YBLN) was established 5 years ago, it has gathered a diverse and dynamic mix of young leaders and introduced platforms to mentor them and expose them to new opportunities and networks in Singapore and abroad. We were honoured to have DPM Heng Swee Keat join us for a dialogue with YBLN members on 27 September 2023.

Here we have the three key takeaways from the closed door YBLN dialogue with DPM Heng:

Exploring Entrepreneurship: A holistic perspective on Innovation, Exploration and Value Creation across sector
Strategic Foresight: Shaping the future with government insights and scenario planning for resilient organisations
Defining the Singaporean Brand: Achieving success through collaborative forward-thinking and vigilant management

For more details on the dialogue, you can visit BiZspoke, SBF's bi-weekly newsletter at:

https://sbf.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/ind/bWFpbGluZ2luc3RhbmNlaWQ9Mjg2MDgwNSZzdWJzY3JpYmVyaWQ9NTM2ODE0NzY1

YBLN x Endowus - Brand Purpose: Inspiring Innovation, Creativity & Change (13 July 2023)

With a trend of rising consumer awareness and increased scrutiny on companies’ goals and values, reaching out to people has never been more important in our current market. In fact, research has shown that people now place high importance on making connections to businesses, and search for an alignment when making purchasing decisions.

These factors clearly make a strong brand purpose essential to any business looking to rejuvenate itself and inspire creativity, driving change! From Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Multi-National Corporations (MNCs), businesses of all sizes can tap on a strong brand purpose to drive transformation and loyalty, to ultimately do well, by doing good.

Interested in finding out what brand purpose looks like in action?

Keen to kickstart your own journey?

Join the Young Business Leaders Network to hear from Jason Huan, Chief Marketing Officer of Endowus, Mylene Ong, Head of Digital Sales & Marketing of Citibank Singapore, Tony Soh, CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre and Julia Wei, CEO of Edelman Singapore. Learn how companies can build their brands to be purpose-driven and drive meaningful change from the ground-up!

Master Class: Artificial Intelligence: Fact vs Fiction (22 June 2023)

With powerful digital tools such as ChatGPT revolutionising the role
of technology in our everyday lives, knowing how to navigate the
complex landscape of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has become more important than ever. In fact, it is projected that by 2030, A.I. will be an essential component of day-to-day company operations (Aitude, 2023).

Interested in equipping yourself with relevant skills to tackle the incoming A.I wave?

Curious to find out how A.I can be adopted in a business setting?

Join the Young Business Leaders Network at A.I. Fact vs Fiction, and hear more from Mr Ritchie Ng, Head of Data & A.I. at Eastspring Investments. Gain knowledge on the functions of A.I., its benefits and limitations, and explore different use cases for businesses through an engaging MASTER CLASS and PANEL DISCUSSION which will be joined by Mr Adrian Cabrera de Luis, Founder & CEO of Maestro Labs and Mr Chang Sau Sheong, Deputy Chief Executive of GovTech Singapore.

Strategic Growth Strategies through M&A (11 April 2023)

All SMEs should, at some point, consider leveraging Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) activity to grow their business.

But when do you merge and when do you acquire?

When do you instead choose to build the business organically?

How do you find the right company to merge or acquire?

What are the pitfalls and landmines in M&A deals?

And how does this all change in the current high inflation and high interest rate environment?

Join the Young Business Leaders Network as we delve deep into the topic of Strategic Growth Strategies through M&A with H.E. George Goh, Executive Chairman, Ossia International Limited and Founder and Deputy Chairman, Harvey Norman Ossia and Mr Mark Lee, CEO of Sing Lun Holdings, as they share honest insights on their experiences in strategically leveraging M&A to achieve business goals, as well as practical industry advice for companies to consider and to better position themselves in markets.

Alternative Funding for SMEs (17 January 2023)

If you’re looking to raise funding for your business, then you’re not alone. But do you know the lay of the land when it comes to obtaining capital and funding for your Start-up or SME?

Should you raise debt or equity?
Who are the capital providers you should be speaking to?
What are their offerings and are you the kind of SMEs or Start-ups they will provide capital to?

A deep exploration of Alternative Funding Sources for Start-Ups and SMEs was provided by Alex Chua, the Founder of Goldbell Financial Services.

Coaching for Leadership & Organisational Development (22 November 2022)

Ever wondered…

How a Coach can help you become a better person and leader?
How a Coach can improve your organisation’s performance?
How Coaching can benefit your team and propel organisational growth?

Coaching has quickly become a norm for business leaders who desire personal and professional growth. But how do you get started, and how do you get the best out of it?

These questions and more were answered by our expert panel on Coaching:

Mr Timothy Nga, a learning facilitator and developmental business performance coach believes that business leaders constantly navigate a rapidly changing web of challenges that require decisiveness.

Ms Yu Dan Shi, Director of Behavioural Science APAC at CoachHub, Author & Executive Coach. Combining more than twenty years in corporate leadership and expertise in psychology, Yu Dan specialises in helping professionals become more effective leaders by renewing the direction, energy, and taking these leaders to a whole new level of joy, success and fulfilment.

Mr Alvin Poh of SuperScaling.com is an entrepreneur passionate about helping fellow entrepreneurs scale their business using the 5E Scale Engine, a methodology to systematically grow and scale businesses efficiently.

Weatherproofing Your Business: Overcoming Inflation & Recession (11 October 2022)

Many business owners have undergone a variety of challenges during 2020 and 2021, as the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the economy. Even as the world attempts to return to some normality, we are now plagued by inflation levels we have not seen in decades, and signs of a recession on the horizon. What are some actionable ideas and insights that can help businesses in different industries? What strategies have worked to help businesses navigate inflationary and recessionary pressures? Listen to Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Trade and Industry, Anna Lim, Founder and Executive Director of The Soup Spoon Pte Ltd and Souperfoods Pte Ltd, and Ron Sim, Executive Chairman of V3 Group as they shed light on the economy, business challenges and trends, and business strategies to consider.

YBLN x NVPC: Driving the Corporate Purpose Agenda (24 August 2022)

The Young Business Leaders Network has returned once again with a PURPOSE! As societal expectations evolve, so have the dynamics between business and society. In collaboration with the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (“NVPC”), we explored why it is important to re-examine the positive impact businesses would like to create & why our community should integrate purpose with core business strategies and take the lead on being purpose driven organisations.

Human Capital: People, Leadership & Talent (12 May 2022)

The Young Business Leaders Network presents “A Deep Dive into People, Leadership & Talent”. Listening to the musings of fellow young leaders, share ground-breaking ideas and engaging in an in-depth conversation about the most pressing human capital management issues of our times. Enhancing human capital - a tenet for the business of tomorrow. With change comes great possibility.

Ingenuity@Work – People, Process & Performance (30 Nov 2021)

Hosted by the Young Business Leaders Network, learn of relatable extraordinary business stories from 4 inspirational individuals on how they “Make it Happen, Make it Matter!” while we thrive through the transition of the pandemic into an endemic. Be the change you want to see around you – expect and believe the unexpected, and achieve beyond your capacity!

Conversations for Change - Profit with Purpose: The Pathway to Lasting Business Resilience (24 Aug 2021)

In collaboration with Sustainable Employment, YBLN invited Caroline Seow, Benjamin Chua, Jacqui Hocking, and Robin Pho to share their journeys of building resilient businesses with a purpose, how they redefined business success, and how enterprises strive not to be "best-in-the-world" but "best-for-the-world”.

AYEC Cambodia Delegation (11 Oct 2019)

Eleven young entrepreneurs from Cambodia, led by the President of Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia, met their Singapore counterparts including Chong Ee Rong, Chairperson of YBLN Exco, Mark Lee, Vice Chair of YBLN Exco, TS Teo, MD of PIL Logistics, and SS Teo, SBF Chairman, at a networking dinner. The Royal Ambassador of Cambodia to Singapore was the Guest-of-Honour.

Initiatives

We believe purpose must translate into action. These are a few examples of how young Singaporean leaders are reshaping the future of business:

YBLN Mentorship Programme

Building the next generation of leaders
Inspired by the success of earlier generations, SBF created the Young Business Leaders Network (YBLN) to harness the potential of Singapore's brightest entrepreneurs, ‘next gen’ business owners, and corporate leaders. Our vibrant community represents the hope and future for Singapore stewardship. Structured over a 12-month period, the YBLN Mentorship Programme offers YBLN members the opportunity to engage, learn, and be inspired by some of Singapore’s most successful industry stalwarts.

SBF-YBLN HOPE Fund Partnership with CIMB and Goldbell

The SBF-YBLN HOPE Fund announced a partnership with CIMB Bank Singapore and Goldbell Financial Services to bring further financial support to SMEs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more information. Please access the various media reports below:

The Business Times article
Money FM 89.3 interview (with Michelle Martin)
BiZQ article
CNA 938 news bulletin coverage

Join Us

Our shared future depends on the thoughts, values, and actions of our current generation of young business leaders. To join us, please reach out to the Young Business Leaders Network team via our Enquiry Form.