This is a past event. Registration is closed. View other British Chamber of Commerce Singapore events.
Minister Josephine Teo
Minister, Ministry of Manpower & Second Minister, Ministry of Home AffairsMrs Josephine Teo was appointed Minister for Manpower on 1 May 2018. She is concurrently Second Minister for Home Affairs. She also assists Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on Population matters, and previously served in the Finance, Transport and Foreign Affairs ministries.
As Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Teo co-chaired the Pioneer Generation Taskforce and coordinated the Government’s successful implementation of the Pioneer Generation Package. As Senior Minister of State for Transport, she chaired the Changi 2036 Steering Committee to enhance Singapore’s position as a leading global air hub. The Committee’s proposals led to the landmark decision to develop the third runway and T5 at Changi East. As chairperson of the the Public Transport Tripartite Committee, Mrs Teo ensured the effective transition to the Bus Contracting Model and the establishment of the Singapore Bus Academy.
A Member of Parliament since 2006, Mrs Teo was formerly Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education and Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). She represented the labour movement on the government-appointed Economic Strategies Committee and co-chaired the sub-committee on Fostering Inclusive Growth. Mrs Teo was concurrently Chief Executive Officer of the not-for-profit organisation Business China, a platform launched by then Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and then China Premier Wen Jiabao to strengthen Singapore’s bicultural foundations, and remains as an adviser.
An alumna of Dunman High School and Raffles Junior College, Mrs Teo graduated from the National University of Singapore, winning several honours including the Rachel Meyer Book Prize for being the Best Woman Student in 1990. She obtained a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics on scholarship from the Economic Development Board. She is married and has three children.
Peta Latimer
CEO of Mercer (Singapore) Pte LtdAs CEO, Peta is responsible for profitable growth and day to day management of Mercer Singapore through operational excellence, business mix management, portfolio extension, talent investment robust risk management Along with her dedicated Country Leadership Team, the team at Mercer Singapore are committed to delivering upon our brand promise creating healthy, wealthy, talented workforces.
Prior to joining Mercer, Peta was a Partner at KPMG Singapore responsible for building the People Advisory and originally relocated to Singapore to set up IBM’s Smarter Workforce ASEAN with emphasis on channel distribution and design of IBM Talent Insights Powered by Watson.
Sheela Parakkal
Chief Human Resources Officer at Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) LtdSheela Parakkal is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Prudential Singapore (“Prudential”) where she leads People Strategy. Her key focus is driving the culture transformation of the organisation alongside the senior leadership team to grow a values-based culture centred on Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Empowerment, and Trust.
A strong supporter of workplace diversity and inclusion, Sheela has spearheaded several industry-first initiatives such as removing the retirement age at Prudential, and raising the CPF contribution rate for employees above 55 to be on par with younger colleagues. These ground-breaking changes mean that Prudential employees can work at the company for as long as they can perform, and are rewarded based on performance.
Sheela also believes in supporting employees in balancing their work and personal priorities through flexible work arrangements and best-in-class benefits such as six-month maternity leave.
In recognition of her progressive workforce vision, Sheela was named Best HR Leader at the HR Fest Awards 2019. Under her leadership, Prudential received several awards including the British Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Awards: Employer of the Year, HR Excellence in Learning and Development (Gold), and HR Excellence in Talent Acquisition (Silver), in 2020. In the same year, Prudential also received the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) Inspire Award for its efforts in embracing skills development and helping its employees stay relevant.
Sheela’s 24-year career spans across a spectrum of industries, specialisations, and geographies. It includes 17 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore where she moved from being an auditor to a HR professional. Married with three daughters, she loves spending time with her family and volunteering to give back to the society.
Professor Wei-Jun Jean Yeung
Provost-Chair Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of the Centre for Family and Population Research at National University of SingaporeWei-Jun Jean Yeung is Provost’s Chair Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of the Centre for Family and Population Research, and Research Leader of the Changing Family in Asia cluster in the Asia Research Institute in the National University of Singapore (NUS). She is a leading demographer and family sociologist, with work published in top international journals on aging, marriage, fertility, child development, and global family changes and policies. She is a council member of the Asian Population Association and Family Research Committee of American Sociological Association. Her work is widely publicized in high-impact international journals and media. Her recent publications include work on Productive Aging, Long-term Care, Labour Market Uncertainties, human capital, and family transitions in Asia.