SheXO Forum 2022

On 11 March, Deloitte’s SEA SheXO Program organised its second annual SheXO Forum on ‘Leading with Trust’, hosted at Sofitel Singapore City Centre. The Forum took place as a hybrid event and was attended by C-suite business leaders from different industries. Together with the virtual audience who joined us from different parts of Southeast Asia, over 80 external guests participated in the Forum.

The distinguished speakers and panelists at the Forum included Deloitte partners and business leaders, who shared how trust helps organisations to navigate through volatility and uncertainty, and the imperativeness of inclusion in society.

Philip Yuen (Deloitte SEA CEO and Deloitte Singapore Chairman) opened the session with a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘To handle yourself, use your head: to handle others, use your heart’, and a sharing on how leadership has been redefined post-pandemic with greater emphasis on trust. He also highlighted the importance for leaders to build a reservoir of trust in order to weather through uncertainty.

In a fireside chat with Elizabeth Faber (Deloitte Asia Pacific Chief Talent Officer), Gan Siow Huang (Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower), shared her views on the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) trends in Singapore, and reflected on her career journey.. Recognising that some progress has been made towards gender equity in workplaces, the chat delved into the impact of COVID-19 on DEI efforts, initiatives to continue moving the needle towards equity and inclusion for working women and how business leaders can support this.

This was followed by a sharing session by Lauren Bradbury (Deloitte SEA Modern Work Lead and Consulting Partner), where she presented on the 10 rules of modern work for individuals to stay competitive and relevant in this changing work climate.

The panel discussion featured Goh Swee Chen (Nanyang Technological University Chairman and National Arts Council Chairman), Matthew Driver (Mastercard Asia Pacific Executive Vice President and Head of Services), and Wu Jiat-Hui (Heidrick & Struggles Singapore Partner-in-Charge), who shared their views on how leaders can advance the diversity and inclusion agenda, as well as their personal experiences on the power of trust in organisations. The conversation was moderated by Seah Gek Choo (Deloitte SEA’s SheXO Program Leader), who reinforced the importance of making an impact as a leader to foster trust and drive the DEI agenda.

Cindy Hook (Deloitte Asia Pacific CEO) concluded the Forum with a reminder of the importance for leaders to build sustainable trust and to inspire and drive change within their organisations and networks.

The SheXO Program supports the personal and professional development of established, emerging or aspiring women leaders. By championing diversity and inclusion, we hope to create a supportive environment for them to be inspired, grow, connect and drive meaningful change in communities to advance women in leadership.

To be part of the SheXO Program or find out more, please reach out to us at seashexoprogram@deloitte.com.