Doing good for others builds long-term success, says Temasek chairman as SL25 winners named
Build a bigger pie with partners rather than squeeze every last cent: Teo Chee Hean
Temasek Holdings chairman Teo Chee Hean emphasized on October 28 that organizations focusing on creating value for partners, customers, employees, communities, and the broader economy contribute to their own long-term success. At the Steward Leadership Summit, he argued that investors should consider the larger pie that can be created with partners, fostering trust, goodwill, and future opportunities.
Temasek's guiding principle is to "do right and do good by the communities we operate in," enabling the organization to thrive despite market volatility. As a long-term investor, Temasek stays invested through market cycles rather than reacting to every market fluctuation. Geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, energy fluctuations, and evolving business dynamics are intersecting and reshaping the global landscape.
To address these changes, smaller countries and businesses must actively participate rather than merely awaiting improvements. At the summit, the Steward Leadership 25 (SL25) award recognized 25 innovative projects from 13 industries, with 19 geographical impact areas. Five of the winners were from Singapore, with financial services being the most represented sector, followed by education, commercial and professional services, and energy.
SL25, curated by Steward Leadership Institute, Insead Hoffmann Institute, WTW, and The Straits Times, recognizes initiatives in five impact domains: climate and nature, waste and circularity, empowering communities, health, and digital well-being and access. Climate and nature won eight awards, followed by waste and circularity with seven projects.
Singapore's Durapower Technology received a climate and nature award for its DP Pulse digital platform, which monitors battery conditions, alerting operators to potential failures and reducing waste. In the waste and circularity category, Taiwan's Ecoco won for its program rewarding residents for recycling, providing instant points for returned PET bottles, cans, or batteries that can be exchanged for vouchers from participating businesses.
SLI CEO Rajeev Peshawaria commented that over five years, he has observed that many business leaders reject the idea that purpose and profit are mutually exclusive, choosing instead to proactively pursue both.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
