Steward Leadership Summit 2024

The Summit is a half-day, high-profile annual event attended by business, government and civil society leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region. With the theme of “Creating a Collective Better Future,” this forum will gather around 300 distinguished leaders and experts from around the world to exchange ideas and insights on how to achieve a future where stakeholders, society, future generations and the environment flourish.

Through dynamic debates, rapid-fire sessions and compelling keynotes, the Steward Leadership Summit brings together visionary leaders and subject matter experts to share insights and experiences on addressing existential challenges such as climate change and socioeconomic disparities. They will demonstrate that profitability and purpose can harmoniously coexist, offering innovative solutions that benefit society and the environment.

The focus for this year’s summit is on state stewardship and ethical issues in business and technology.

Please see our summit programme here.

Speakers

Ms Jessica Cheam

Founder & Managing Director, Eco-Business

Jessica Cheam is the Founder and Managing Director of Eco-Business, Asia Pacific’s leading media and business intelligence organisation dedicated to sustainable development. She is a globally recognised sustainability pioneer with two decades of experience in media, sustainable development and ESG issues.

She serves as an independent, non-executive director for two Singapore-listed companies: she is a member of Wilmar’s Board Sustainability Committee, and chairs ComfortDelGro’s Board Sustainability Committee, and is a member of its Audit & Risk Committee. Cheam holds the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing and is a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) ESG Committee. She is also accredited with INSEAD’s Certificate of Corporate Governance and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors in Malaysia and the UK.

Jessica advises many government boards and multi-national organisations on ESG strategy and governance and has a particular interest in issues at the intersection of sustainability, technology, diversity and inclusion. She serves as Governing Board Member to the Singapore International Foundation, strategic advisor to Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, advisory board member to NextWave Partners, and is a member of the International Women’s Forum Singapore. Jessica is also the founding director of EB Impact, a non-profit that creates programmes for Asia’s underserved communities.

With a passion for driving sustainability innovation and building start-up ecosystems, Jessica co-leads The Liveability Challenge, a global search for sustainability solutions in the urban tropics. Cheam is the published author of ‘Forging a Greener Tomorrow: Singapore’s journey from slum to eco-city‘ and also presents, directs and produces award-winning impact-focused documentaries including Challenge Tomorrow (2018), a documentary collaboration with Channel News Asia on climate change, Tipping Point (2018), From Asia to Antarctica (2018), Arctic Awakening (2019), Our Planet: Too Big To Fail (2020) and Wasted (2023).

Jessica Cheam was previously a political correspondent at The Straits Times and a Singapore Press Holdings scholar. She has been recognised in many regional and international journalism and sustainability business awards, including Women of the Future Southeast Asia Awards, Gen.T List 2021, The Peak Power List, and LinkedIn’s Power Profiles, and is frequently invited to speak at and host discussions across the globe including the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos on her areas of expertise.

Ms Pamela Chng

Co-Founder & CEO, Bettr

Pamela has over 20 years of start-up and business experience and is the co-founder and CEO of Bettr, a for-profit social business and vertically integrated specialty coffee company in Singapore that aims to change lives through coffee.

Through its education brand Bettr Academy and retail brand Bettr Coffee, it empowers lives through holistic vocational programmes for marginalised women and youth, nurtures direct and sustainable trade across their supply chain, and encourages socially and environmentally conscious consumption.

Prior to founding Bettr, Pamela co-founded, ran and grew a successful web consultancy, Digital Boomerang. She was also part of the pioneer team in the web division of Singapore Press Holdings as Head of International Online Advertising Sales and Business Development.

Pamela is the President of the Board of Directors of the global Specialty Coffee Association, the first Singaporean to hold a position in the President’s Council. She is a World Barista Championship Certified Sensory Judge, World Coffee in Good Spirits Sensory Judge, Licensed Q Arabica Grader and Authorised SCA Trainer.

She is also a Six Seconds Certified EQ Assessor and started a non-profit Bettr Lives to attempt to address one of our greatest collective challenges in the 21st century – the mental and emotional health of people.

A sociologist by training, Pamela is very passionate about solving problems and is constantly excited about the possibilities that social businesses present for the betterment of business and society. She has spoken at multiple social business and entrepreneur forums and seminars both locally and overseas, including at the Financial Times Moral Money Summit, UBS Global Philanthropy Forum, DBS Social Enterprise Summit, B-Corp Asia Annual Forum in Taiwan, Social Asian Women Social Entrepreneurs Network Conference in Bangkok and the Makers of More Global Summit in London by Ashoka and Arthur Guinness Projects.

Mr Rajeev Peshawaria

CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre

Rejecting platitudes and theoretical models, Rajeev combines 22 years of global Fortune 100 experience with research-based insights to provide unique and practical approaches to personal leadership, ethics, governance, sustainable business growth, and stewardship. A sought-after speaker and consultant, he is the CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, Singapore, and President of Leadership Energy Consulting, Seattle, WA, USA.

Author of the Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller Open Source Leadership (McGraw Hill), Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders (Simon & Schuster), Sustainable Sustainability (Penguin Random House), co-author of Be the Change (McGraw Hill) and a regular contributor for Forbes, he constantly challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, management, stewardship, sustainability, and corporate governance. He has pioneered unique practical concepts such as Leadership Energy and Emotional Integrity for personal growth, the Brains-Bones-Nerves model for enterprise leadership, and the Steward Leadership model for driving sustainable business growth in the 21st century.

Rajeev is a high-energy, inspirational speaker who provides coaching, consulting and advisory services to corporate and public sector clients globally. He also serves as guest faculty at leading US, Europe and Asia business schools. He has been widely featured in international media such as CNN, Bloomberg TV & Radio, National Public Radio, Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Fast Company, Leader to Leader, American Management Association magazine, Leadership Excellence magazine, The Times of India, The Straits Times, Business Times, and many more.

Before joining SAC and starting LEC, he was the CEO of the Iclif Leadership & Governance Centre. He was formerly the Chief Learning Officer of Coca-Cola and Morgan Stanley and has also held senior positions at American Express, HSBC, and Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Rajeev helped found Pine Street − the firm’s acclaimed leadership academy − and headed Pine Street for Europe and Asia. In his early career, he was a banker and currency trader.

In 2014 and 2017, he was named one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders for Trustworthy Business by ‘Trust Across America.’

A few of Rajeev’s videos and articles can be found on the links below:

Dr Vinika D. Rao

Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute, Gender Initiative & Africa Initiative; Asia Director, INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business & Society

Dr Vinika D. Rao is Executive Director, INSEAD Africa Initiative & Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, Asia. She is also Adjunct Professor, Singapore Management University. She sits on several Boards and Advisory Boards, including TiE Singapore, European Women on Boards, LiveWithAI, Nine by 9, and Hearth Ventures. She advises & trains global organizations on Diversity & Inclusion and Sustainability initiatives. She is also Ambassador, Power Women of India; International Advisory Committee, Mody University for Women & SP Jain Return to Work Programme; Ambassador, She2030 (Europe) and Advisory Council, Board MatchUp (Asia).

Vinika’s research is in diversity & inclusion in leadership, allyship and inter-generational influences on the future of work. She is frequently invited to speak on related topics and is quoted/ published in leading business publications. She started her career with an MNC bank and went on to become Managing Director of an Asian conglomerate, before making a serendipitous transition to education. Prior to joining INSEAD she was Associate Professor of Strategy at S.P. Jain School of Global Management. She has taught MBA, EMBA and UG students and conducted specialised programmes for corporate clients. She is an alumna of INSEAD (International Directors Programme), Singapore Management University (DBA, award-winning doctorate in leadership diversity), IIM Bangalore (MBA), and has completed various business management programs at INSEAD and CEIBS.

Vinika believes that business has the potential to be a force for good, led by managers who value social impact and are committed to the UN Sustainability Development Goals. She is passionate about supporting women managers to make fulfilling work-life decisions, aiming to do this through active sponsorship rather than mentorship alone. She strives to engage all genders in the effort to foster DEI in their organizations and communities.

Watch the highlights from last year’s

Steward Leadership Summit

Catch a glimpse of last year's Steward Leadership Summit, featuring the Steward Leadership 25, along with inspiring keynote speeches and dynamic panel discussions.

Speakers

Watch the highlights from last year’s

Steward Leadership Summit

Past Events

Steward Leadership Summit 2023

Steward Leadership Summit 2022

Creating a Collective Better Future