SEA Games 2015 Blog

Philip’s Story
Philip Yuen, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Singapore
[Seen on the left with Nila, the 28th SEA Games mascot]

This entry launches ‘Finding the extraordinary’ and I am honoured to be the first to share my thoughts and feelings about this journey that we have embarked on together as a Southeast Asia firm.

It might seem a natural extension for Deloitte to support the upcoming 28th SEA Games given our successful participation in the Youth Olympic Games held in Singapore in 2010. However, to me at least, there is extra significance in this journey that differentiates it from the last.

Our vision for our SEA Games journey is for Deloitte to ‘Deliver the Dream’, but there are a lot of dreams we will strive to deliver over the coming year: the dreams of athletes who want to compete in a world-class competition; the dreams of volunteers who want to be part of this unique event; the dreams of less fortunate people in society who can benefit from the impact of the Games; and the dreams of the Singapore nation to host a successful event in our 50th anniversary year.

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show our unity as Deloitte people in making dreams come true and to affirm Deloitte’s commitment to Singapore - to the nation’s athletes; to the communities; and to our own people in the firm. This commitment to ‘Deliver the Dream’ opens doors for us as a firm, allowing us to in turn give opportunities for others to walk with us on this journey.

Participating in the 28th SEA Games on home ground with Singapore celebrating its 50 years of independence is significant. This is a chance for Deloitte to be part of history. It means that we are contributing to the nation and I feel great pride that the firm is taking on this responsibility. I am also proud to support sports in Singapore and, in doing so, to also support our Team Singapore athletes. I believe that this Games is a chance for our nation, and everyone in Deloitte, to witness up-close the values of teamwork, the pursuit of excellence and the chasing of great dreams.

In the course of the year leading up to the Games, we will, through sports, reach out to our communities. We will be engaging our partners, such as NorthLight School and Tung Ling Community Services, in different activities along the way. I hope that as a firm, we can provide opportunities for Singaporeans and people living in Singapore, be they young and old, able-bodied and disabled, regardless of age, race or religion, to walk alongside us in this journey.

Another crucial group is our clients. Deloitte does not exist without the support of our clients, and we must include them, not as bystanders, but really involve them in our SEA Games journey. The firm will be organising activities throughout the year that we can invite our clients to, giving them the opportunity to not only soak up the exciting atmosphere, but also to view first-hand our expertise in key areas such as innovation through our delivery of services for the SEA Games committee. Our clients are at the heart of why we do what we do, and when we come out successful in our support for the Games, it is not only Deloitte’s success; it is our clients’ success as well, in making the right choice of us as their partners in their own business journey.

And, most importantly, this path is not a narrow one just for me, the Deloitte management and the SEA Games project management team. It is a wide, well-lit path for each and every one of us at Deloitte to walk together on. When the firm supported the Youth Olympic Games, it was uplifting to see our Deloitte volunteers give their time and effort so willingly to bring honour to the firm and to the nation. This time, once again, Deloitte volunteers will be out in full force to support the SEA Games. I have no doubt that our people will give their best in their tasks and do Deloitte proud.

For the rest of us, I would like to encourage everyone to support in other ways. We can encourage and cheer on our Deloitte volunteers, and also our Deloitte athletes - colleagues who are also national athletes that will be competing in the Games; you will hear some of their stories in this blog in the months to come. We can also get ourselves involved in the firm-wide activities and be sure to watch the Games, either live at the venues or on television.

The message of the SEA Games 2015 is ‘Celebrate the Extraordinary’ – and I believe there is an opportunity for all of us to find our own ‘extraordinary’ through this journey. It is a moment to be proud that we are part of this significant event in Singapore’s history. The SEA Games will be a source of motivation and excitement for everyone in the firm, myself included, and it will be something that will resonate not only in our professional lives, but also something we can share with our friends and families and carry with us for years to come.

Thanks for helping us Deliver the Dream.

Philip