The NUSBSA Accountancy Wing organised its 8th Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) Talk on Thursday, 20 August 2020. The CPE Talk was held virtually for the first time amidst Covid-19 gathering restrictions.

The ethics talk on Corporate Culture was delivered by Mr Uantchern Loh (’87). Mr Loh, CEO (Asia Pacific) of Black Sun Plc, was the founding Chief Executive of the Singapore Accountancy Commission, where he spearheaded the development of the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification.

The event commenced with welcome remarks to an audience of 60 people by Edward Ta (’87), NUSBSA Director and Chairman of NUSBSA Accountancy Wing. This was followed by a corporate video from Food Empire, our esteemed sponsor for the talk. Derrick Kew (’17), the emcee for the evening, subsequently explained the webinar participation rules to the audience.

Starting with the quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, Mr Loh methodically dissected and gave an engaging elaboration on Corporate Culture with contemporary examples and case studies. He shared the key elements of culture, and how culture follows from purpose and values, before pragmatically delving into the critical components for a successful implementation. 

Though webinars may sometimes seem boring, this talk was absolutely not. The presentation, besides being aided by interactive visual materials, was accompanied by several polls and open questions for audience responses in the chat box throughout the two-hour webinar. There were also several challenging questions from the audience via the chat box. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Mr Loh untangled each issue with relatable illustrations, such as the prevalent “no U-turn” culture in Asian corporates.

The participants found the talk helpful for their professional development, and particularly enjoyed the topics of “Purpose – What is Your Why?”, for laying down the foundation; “Values and Ethics - What You Believe In and Dilemmas”, for reconciling professional and personal values; and “Commit: Tone at the Top and Regulations”, for setting the critical conditions of successful implementation with tone at the middle. Mr Loh’s takeaway message, “Build Resilience: Being Able to Bounce Back”, also resonated among the audience as it is particularly relevant during the COVID-19 health crisis.

The webinar was well-received by participants, and most wished to retain the virtual format for the next event. The audience actively participated in discussions using Zoom meeting tools and felt comfortable throughout the talk. This positive result reflects the skilful administration of webinar technology and thorough preparation by the speaker and the organising team.

NUSBSA gives special thanks to Food Empire for their generous sponsorship. The event was organised by a committee of Accountancy Wing members, headed by Kenneth Leong (’14) and comprising Chan Siong Woon (’17), Derrick Kew, Nguyen To Giang (’13), Pang Jun Xiang (NUSBSA Assistant Treasurer) (’17), and Rosy Ooi (NUSBSA Auditor) (’88), with advice from Edward Ta (NUSBSA Director) and Yong Chin Lian (former NUSBSA Director) (’87), and supported by NUSBSA Secretariat Administration Executive Ivy Tan.

Submitted by Ms Ivy Tan.