Advancing your global career
Savita Iyer, CFO Southeast Asia, The Walt Disney Company
We all know that advancing a career in a global company calls for global experience, but in a world where generous relocation packages are uncommon, repatriation rarely guaranteed and partners often committed to their own careers, finding and taking up a global assignment outside one’s home country can be a challenge. So what does the 21st century global-trotting career look like; what impact does it have on the career of a CFO; and what advantages are generated for multinationals with a cohort of internationally-mobile leaders? Disney Southeast Asia CFO Savita Iyer - an experienced international executive who has worked in the US, Sweden, China and now Singapore - will discuss the benefits a non-local brings to the subsidiary, such as an outsiders’ perspective on the business; knowledge of how business is done overseas; and strong links back to global headquarters. She will also explore the benefits to the individual: aside from substantial personal growth, working overseas can also power a career in a global multinational. Savita has been based in Singapore since 2020, and previously spent more than eight years in senior Finance roles with Disney in Shanghai, prior to which she was based in Los Angeles.
Building influence through storytelling
Balli Jaswal, award-winning storyteller, author of books including Now You See Us and The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
The very best stories have a very simple structure, but perform a critical task – engaging the audience in a way that data simply doesn’t. As a business leader, you want to inform your audience and challenge them to take action. As an author, Balli Jaswal seeks to tackle some of the challenging societal issues facing Singapore in a way that entertains, grips, even confronts. What can we learn from each other? In conversation, we’ll draw some lessons from Balli’s approach to storytelling that can be applied to your next presentation, the next team meeting and even the next email you’ll write to your corporate head office. In a lighthearted way, we’ll look at the process the author goes through in developing a storyline and delivering the final work, and look at how it can be applied to the many stories you’ll tell through your career. Balli is one of Singapore’s most successful authors. She was Best Australian Young Novelist in 2014 for Inheritance, Straits Times Book of the Month in 2016 for Sugarbread, which was also finalist for the 2015 Epigram Books Fiction Prize. Subsequent works including Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, and Now You See Us have met with critical acclaim.
Investing in the Philippines? Here’s what you need to know
HE Medardo G Macaraig, Ambassador of the Philippines
A population of 115 million people, a GDP of USD404 billion, and a strategic position bar none - the Philippines represents an underleveraged opportunity to global companies looking to expand their Southeast Asian operations. At the same time, unpredictable domestic politics and choppy international waters - particularly in the South China Sea - means the country sits high in terms of risk as well. With the mid-term elections only a few months away, what can we expect from the government of President Bongbong Marcos? And what do ongoing clashes between Chinese and Philippines coastguards mean for regional stability? We’ll be joined for an engaging discussion on the short- and mkd-term future of the Philippines - and what all that means for foreign investors - by Philippines Ambassador Medardo Macaraig. The Ambassador is an experienced career diplomat with prior posting in Malaysia, Saipan and Canada, and is looking forward to a spirited discussion.
Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.