Continuing on from the success of its first holding in 2021, the second Vietnam - Singapore Board Forum (VSBF 2022), with the theme “Successful Growth Strategy Implementation and the Incorporation of Sustainability into the Heart of Business Strategy”, will take place on May 20 in Hanoi.

It has been more than two years since the pandemic first hit and governments and enterprises of all countries, including Vietnam and Singapore, have transitioned to a state of safe adaptation, gradually recovering, building momentum, and accelerating and growing in a sustainable “new normal”. At this stage, the implementation of successful growth strategies is becoming an increasingly important priority for boards and executives across Southeast Asia. In parallel with the “new normal”, “sustainable development” has been strongly promoted in recent times, especially since COP26 last November.

Building on the success of the first such forum, held in October 2021, the VietStar Training and Consulting JSC (VIETSTAR) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) will jointly organize this second Vietnam - Singapore Board Forum. This year’s gathering will focus on the theme “Successful Growth Strategy Implementation and the Incorporation of Sustainability into the Heart of Business Strategy”.

The key contents of VSBF 2022 include an Investigation of the Asian Strategic Business Environment, Successful Growth Strategy Implementation, Incorporation of Sustainability into the Heart of Business Strategy, and the Integration of Sustainability Principles into Strategy.

VSBF 2022 will attract numerous senior leaders from Vietnam and Singapore. In particular, from Vietnam, it will welcome leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, Chairman of Vietnam National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, Mr. Hoang Quoc Vuong, Chairman of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), and senior officials from other leading enterprises in Vietnam.

From Singapore, Mr. Lim Boon Heng, former Singaporean Cabinet Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore and now Chairman of Temasek Holdings and the VSBF Advisory Board will be in attendance, as will Mr. Eddie Tritton, Executive Director of SMU and VSBF Co-Director, Mr. Wong Kim Yin, Group President and CEO of Sembcorp Industries, Mr. Fock Wai Hoong, Managing Director of Temasek Holdings, and Dr. Simon J.D. Schillebeeckx from the Strategic Faculty of SMU and Founder and CSO of Handprint Tech.

Ms. Pham Thu Hang, VietStar CEO and VSBF Director, said the time has come for enterprises to associate sustainability not with trade-offs but with competitive advantages and enduring business performance. “Organizations and leaders that incorporate sustainability into the heart of their business strategy will benefit from more resilient supply chains, efficient business practices, enhanced stakeholder interaction, improved governance, and, ultimately, better longer-term financial performance and value creation,” she added. “We will focus our resources on successfully organizing this second Vietnam - Singapore Board Forum.”

The first Vietnam - Singapore Board Forum attracted more than 50 senior leaders from leading Singaporean and Vietnamese corporations to discuss how to maintain growth in times of crisis and challenging context. The Forum created an opportunity for Vietnamese and Singaporean leaders to share their experience in strategic planning and execution as well as corporate governance practices to maintain growth and sustainable development and strengthen the cooperation between the two countries.