Awards
RHT RMD Green Asia Initiatives Leadership (GAIL) Sustainability Awards
Caption: Victor Tay, CEO of Global Catalyst Advisory Receiving Awards from ER Edwin Khew, Chairman, Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS)
26th June 2019, The Sentosa Golf Club
Deeply humbled and honored to receive the RHT RMF Green Asia Initiative Leadership (GAIL) Sustainability Awards in 2 categories:
1. GameChanger and
2. Innovation.
Global Catalyst Advisory was conceived with the philosophy - "Towards a Better World". We shortlist project that balances the triple bottom line of People, Planet, Profit.
Thanks to RHT and Senior Minister of State Amy Khor.
Awards Citation
Profile: Game Changer
Global Catalyst Advisory started with its founders upholding a strong belief and philosophies of balancing business objectives of profit while having strong stewardship to the society and accountability to the planet and people - a triple bottom line.
With a unique background from the Consultancy, Business Chamber, Economic Agencies and Global University which have a deep insights on macro-economics and pragmatic business issues, the firm balances its incisive business acumen with the sustainability focus, while championing the needs of vulnerable groups.
Having footprints across Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tianjin, it provides a Game changing paradigm to how business should operate with a social mission in the 21st century.
Caption: Celebratory photo with (from right) Trade Counselor - Embassy of Spain, Executive Director - Franchise Licensing Association of Singapore, CEO - ASEAN CSR, Director - IQVM, CEO - Global Catalyst, Executive Director - Clubheal, Director - PETC, President - Singapore Digital Chamber Of Commerce, Founder - EdAlliance and MyGym, Founder and Managing Director - 1 Group, Founder and Chairman - Jason Group Limited (at left)
Impromptu Acceptance Speech
SMS Dr Amy Khor
Founder of RHT, Rajan Menon
Managing Director of RHT, Tan Chong Huat
1. Our Background
I had my background in sustainability consulting across profit, planet and people in my early years:
- Profit - big 4 strategic consulting with KPMG, Coopers and Lybrand, PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Planet - industry development for environmental sector in SPRING and Ministry of Trade and Industry
- People - chairing a 1500 student strength at association for persons with Special needs
2. Our Philosophy
When we first conceived Global Catalyst, we had the Tagline - Towards a Better Tomorrow My investment banking partners queried, "how can profit, planet, people be mixed and balanced?"
That the panel of judges have given us this awards, it is a strong endorsement to our belief.
2.Global Issues for Transformation
At Global Catalyst Advisory, we ponder over pertinent societal issues:
Can we resolve food security issues?
Can we stop rural migration to urban cities and preserve farmers interests?
Can community be built on low-cost or waste-land?
Can charity be financially independent?
Can special needs have a dignified job?
Many tell us, it cannot be done!
a. Charity
What did we do? We conceive
I. Vertical green
II. Bakery
Iii. Cafe
By employing our special needs individuals, we give them skills, pay them wage, show to their prospective employers they are employable. And we provide technologies so our special needs have an edge against the foreign workers. Concurrently, we foster social integration amongst special needs at our cafe as we serve across value chain of vertical green, bakery and cafe from farm-to-plate.
Ultimately we demonstrate that charity can be sustainable and special needs can have a dignified job with financial independence.
b. Agriculture
Other global questions we ponder are
How do you build community in waste-land, can farmers ? Critique tells us, Don't even try.
What we did, we establish
- vertical farm
- racks
- farm
- poultry fertilizer
- water aquatic farm
a circular economy to low-cost but high-yield agriculture. We build accommodation for farmers, sustain their families, distribute their products to restaurants, and use blockchain to preserve their profits.
As the farmers thrive, the family standard of living is uplifted. The community grow on low cost rural land. And with the racks, they could have microfinancing, agriculture grows, the community propers further.
4. Our Motivation
Why do we pursue these goals?
It is under constraint that mankind maximize our potential and derive innovative solutions.
Why do we attempt to resolve these issues:
- so that our children and their future generations have a secured future
- so that the future generation looks back at our generation, recognizing we are the one who make a difference in reversing climate change.
Thank you. Allow me to dedicate these awards to all of you - you make a difference in our future
RHT RMD Green Asia Initiatives Leadership (GAIL) Sustainability Awards
26th June 2019, The Sentosa Golf Club
Categories:
-Sustainability Innovator Award
-Sustainability Gamechanger Award
for going above and beyond in your eforts to champion sustainable development
Brands For Good award
APAC Insider - Most Influential Sustainable Business CEO in ASEAN
Comments by Victor Tay for winning the coveted "Most Influential Sustainable Business CEO in ASEAN" awards nominated by a UK-based awards organization.
Deeply humbled by the awards for influencing and promoting Sustainability in #SouthEastAsia which is home to 680m population.
At Global Catalyst Advisory (www.globalcatalystadvisory.com), our mission is enshrined in our tagline, "Sustainability Catalysed"
1. Environmental Technologies -
Was walking down memory aisle with my first interaction with sustainability movement when I was establishing the Environment and Engineering Services industry cluster at Enterprise Singapore in 2005 to groom local enterprises across alternativeenergy, wastemanagement, waterpurification (UV, reverse osmosis, membrane, water desalination). Then Kyoto Protocol was newly ractified as the most significant environmental treaty.
To catalyse more local environmental technologies adoption, I have established, financed and chaired the @Environmental Center of Innovation at Ngee Ann Polytechnic as shared research facilities for local enterprises. Then KyotoProtocol was just ractified and #carbontrading was at its nascent stage.
2. Establishing Sustainability Ecosystem -
At the national chamber, Singapore Business Federation, my colleague and I had established the Singapore Sustainability Alliance (SSA) which comprises of triplehelixmodel of Government, Universities and Industry Associations to effect a tighter Innovation value chain from university research, industry adoption with government grants and support.
Concurrently, we congregate the sustainability community into a 400+ enterprises strong Sustainable Development Business Group (SDBG). To ensure a virtuous cycle of Innovation, we inaugurated the Singapore Sustainability Awards to recognize excellence amongst business community.
3. CSR and Vulnerability -
However Sustainability is not about Innovation or Economic development alone, a holistic #triplebottomline will require focus on People, Planet and Profit. I have then promoted #CSR, Sustainable Reporting through United Nations Global Compact with a focus on the vulnerable groups as beneficiaries.
Advancing the cause to support vulnerable groups, I chaired the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) which operates 5 schools with 400 staff catering to 1500 special needs from 7-62 years old. We established a social enterprises of vertical farm, farm-to-plate concept cafe and bakery to give financial independence to special needs, while entasking them as abled workforces to F&B and Retail enterprises like Uniqlo, KFC, Macdonald's, Swensens, Hans etc.
Sustainability Development is multifaceted with 17 #SDGs prompted by UN. Post #ParisAgreement and Cop26, the global Sustainability movement had progressed.
Thanks to all our partners, colleagues and clients who had made this sustainability journey possible. While we are deeply humbled by the awards, our collaborative journey has only just commenced.
Finext Awards
Victor Tay, CEO of Global Catalyst Advisory, commented, "I am most humbled to receive the "Excellence for Financial Leadership Awards" in Dubai
from US-based FiNext Awards and Conference (financial specialist).
"Despite not commencing with a financial career, I am privileged that FiNext recognises my contributions across my life career across Government/NGO/UN/Charity utilising finance as an enabler to effect greater societal contribution and empower the vulnerable groups. Especially in developing:
1. financial programmes to help small medium enterprises (smes),
2. publicprivatepartnership blending Government grants with corporate finances for impact investments
3. creative business model, social enterprises and financial framework to empower the vulnerable group and charity industry,
4. investment Banking practice focusing on merger and acquisitions, as well as, capital raising for companies at various stages​
Thanks to past my organizations and colleagues, am privileged to be given the opportunities to support and uplift different individuals who had crossed my career path for past decades."
