Conference repositioning Sabah in global economy
KOTA KINABALU:
The Second International CEOs Conference 2008 which ended yesterday was seen as a good way to start repositioning Sabah in a global economy and unlocking the potentially greater value that it has. According to former Regional Chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Ian Buchanan, the conference has raised the State’s profile quite considerably among the global investors. “Sabah has assets which are in great demand,” he said, adding that with globalisation and broadband- enabled technology, it is not impossible to interact with outside investors. Meanwhile, Founder, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), Datuk Dr Michael Yeoh, said that this year’s conference had certainly been a vast improvement from the first one in 2005. “It has been a very successful conference in terms of the number of attendees, the quality of speakers and the topics that have been discussed,” Yeoh said. He added that the State Government hoped that as a result of the conference, there would be new investments here in Sabah as well as renewed investments. The closing
ceremony was held yesterday at the Magellan Sutera Harbour here with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi officiating the closing event. During the third and final day of the conference, the first session started with a presentation titled “Brand and Corporate Innovation and Competitiveness” with Chairman of EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Malaysia as the Panel Chairman. The speakers emphasized on the importance of branding of a company where strong brands will deliver recognition, coherence, consistency, reputation, sustainable goodwill and shareholder value. They also delivered presentations on a strategic brand approach, structure, perspective and principles and ways to overcome problems that are related to corporate innovations. During the second session, the CEO of Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad, Malaysia, Datuk Richard Curtis as a Panel Chairman, presented the “Entrepreneurial Promise of Renewable Energy to Meet Energy Demand”. The speakers presented the potential of alternative energy source such as biodiesel where they also talked about the production, applications, benefits and the future of the biodiesel such as its capability to generate and distribute electricity into rural communities that are isolated from the grid and also to provide employment for people in the poorest rural areas and utilizing wasteland that are not productive. While in the third session, the Vice President of Innovation Management Industry Government Group for High Technology (MiGHT), Malays Asmadi Md Said led the speakers a Panel Chairman to present “Smart Partnership - Forging Successful Strategic Alliances”. The speakers talked about possible financing for public-private partnership where Sri Lanka Dendro Biomass Power Project require stakeholders’ participation. The presentation also comprise of the potential of Jatropha, a plan for biodiesel integrated economic for plantation and mill/refinery where they spoke about the benefit of Jatropha plantation such as the production of biodiesel, wasteland reclamation and reforestation and also creating local jobs and purchasing power. Founder and CEO of Oxbridge Climate Capital, United Kingdom, Dr Kenny Tang chaired discussion on “Climate Change and Ecological Sustainability Honouring Mother Nature” where four panelists presented their papers on the topic. The discussion covered topics on greenhouse effect, the effect of global warming and the potential of climate change impacts and also measures to ensure sustainable development and also the future of climate change. The potential of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was also discussed wh
ere it creates profit from environmental improvement by creating a new commodity, Certified Emission Reductions (CER), after national and international approval. During the special session, Doctor of Technology and National President, Australian Institute of Project Management, Professor Dr David H. Dombkins presented “Facility and Asset Management - Minimise and Control Costs, Increase Capacity and Sustainability”. He presented the asset management maturity and planning to deal with emergence properties and also the enterprise program management. During the fifth and final session, the speakers led by the Managing Director of Master Consult Services Pte Ltd, Singapore, Christopher Khoo, presented “Talent Management and High Performing Organisations: Driving Talent Mindset for Excellence”. The speakers presented the situation analysis, managing human capital and how to develop leaders. They also stressed on the skills that general/business managers should have, identifying leadership talent within the conglomerate and also the importance of teamwork. Also present at the closing ceremony was Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman who is also the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Conference.
