First CEO Fireside Chat to kick start year-long Future Leader Series
Following the successful first run of the Future Leaders Summit held in June this year, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will launch the Future Leaders Series today, a year-long initiative to support the learning interests of working adults. Mr Terry O'Connor, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Courts Asia, and David Wilkins, Co-author of 'Leadership, Pure & Simple' & Partner of Decision Process International (DPI) will kick start a series of CEO Fireside Chats to bring aspiring working adults closer to leading names in the business arena so that they can glean upfront the secrets of their success.
In the first CEO Fireside Chat session, Group CEO of Courts Asia, Mr Terry O'Connor, will share how he rose from a trainee buyer in an electronics store to Group CEO of Courts Asia, and how he transformed Courts from a furniture retailer to a leading electronics and furniture retailer in Southeast Asia.
Participants can also pick up real-life leadership practices from David Wilkins, Co-author of 'Leadership, Pure & Simple' & Partner of Decision Process International (DPI) that will help them lead their company or team to profitability and growth in a diverse global economy.
The recent Future Leaders Summit saw about 1,000 professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) attending the two-day event, to learn from over 25 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and leaders from various industries.
Based on feedback from participants at the Summit, PMEs have cited some key factors for a conducive learning and development environment at the workplace. They hope for more support from management, a corporate culture that encourages lifelong learning, as well as incentives if they take recommended courses. In view of this feedback, the Labour Movement will continue to be supportive of the drive towards fostering a learning and development culture within the workplace.
Vivek Kumar, Director, NTUC Membership said, 'Besides 'Protection', 'Placement' and 'Privileges', the Labour Movement is committed to boost the 'Progression' pillar in our value commitment to working adults, including PMEs. Tapping on their feedback, we will tailor relevant initiatives such as the Future Leaders Series to offer them year-long support for their learning needs. Unions will also continue to play a key role in enabling a corporate culture at unionised companies where lifelong learning is promoted. In fact, our speaker at the CEO Fireside Chat, Terry O'Connor, is a good example of a management working with NTUC's e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers Union (SMMWU) to foster a learning culture for employees at his company.'
Courts has a corporate culture that is supportive of learning and development among its staff. Besides having an open concept office to facilitate communication and encourage feedback between employees and management, Courts has a structured talent development programme in place to groom employees with potential. The company also provides sponsorships and subsidies for employees to go for various upgrading courses, including Master's programmes, where employees can apply for leave during examinations.
Terry O'Connor, Group CEO of Courts Asia, said, 'Leadership is about harnessing the talent and potential in others, and this can only be done with an open and collaborative culture of continuous learning. I am looking forward to sharing my journey in the inaugural NTUC CEO Fireside Chat, and hope that, in some small way, it inspires aspiring executives and leaders to push boundaries, make the best of corporate roadblocks, and ultimately thrive in their careers.'
Over the next one year, NTUC plans to hold another three CEO Fireside Chat sessions, once every quarter. Some of the invited CEOs for the upcoming sessions include Mr Tan Suee Chieh, Group CEO for NTUC Enterprise, and Mr Lim Der Shing, CEO of Jobs Central.
In addition to such initiatives, union members can enjoy up to 14 per cent savings for over 20 courses provided by partnering learning institutions such as NTUC LearningHub, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI), among others. Union Members can also enjoy up to $250 every year in Union Training Assistance Program (UTAP) at hundreds of other courses.
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