Alumni from the BSP Asia discuss the programme's impact
28 June 2023 - For 29 years, The Prince of Wales’s Business & Sustainability Programme(BSP) has helped over 4,500 senior executives translate complex sustainability trends into strategic business decisions, supporting individual leadership, business strategy and systemic change.
Here, we hear from two alumni of the inaugural The Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Programme Asia: Emma Humann, Executive Director at AustCham Singapore and Ron Chow, Senior Strategy Officer at Baguio Green Group in Hong Kong as they discuss why they decided to attend the BSP and what impact this has had on their sustainability journey.
What was your main motivation to participate in executive education focused on sustainability?
Emma Humann (EH): When I moved from Australia to Singapore in 2021, I observed a difference in the roles and approach to sustainability. I was interested to explore this further, while being challenged to use my position to influence the broader sustainability agenda.
Ron Chow (RC): I am a C-suite executive in the largest circular economy group in Hong Kong with more than 10,000 employees. Although I am a Subject Matter Expert in circular economy, I want to enrich my sustainability knowledge outside my professional domains. I am particularly interested in areas like social inequality, application of clean energies, climate actions, initiatives to resolve hunger and clean water problems.
What were you hoping to achieve by attending the BSP and what was your experience of the programme?
EH: Many people I greatly respect in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors have completed the programme and had spoken highly of how it has influenced their thinking and approach, which contributed strongly to my desire to participate. It was such a luxury to be able to spend four days learning and living with a cohort of leaders all dedicated to using their positions to be part of a systemic change when it comes to how we address the many challenges associated with a more sustainable future.
RC: Attending the BSP is one of the best decisions I have made and one that I am proud of. My goal was to learn from the CISL’s renowned professors and industry practitioners, which I did. I found them to be dedicated to sharing their experience and to openly answering our questions to fast-track our learning.
What impact has the BSP had on you and your organisation?
EH: I left the programme more educated about the systemic changes needed for a sustainable future, energised by the many levers already engaged and operating across the system to make this a reality, and excited to see the impact that will be made from the inaugural Singapore cohort.
The greatest gift of the programme, however, was the quality of connections made in the cohort. Through this group I have been able to start and progress conversations and ideas that would have taken longer or may not have happened at all had we not had this shared experience and known shared vision for change. This is a gift that will continue to grow and create change.
RC: The programme fortified my resolve to take concerted action to fight against various sustainability issues NOW rather than later. Our company is a partner of Hong Kong Government and helps deliver various sustainability and circular economy projects in Hong Kong. Since after the program, I have been introducing various clean energies, including solar and wind energies, in various recycling and waste management facilities. The early results are promising.
The BSP programme gives senior executives the knowledge, confidence and commitment to lead change at an organisational and individual level. With access to the latest research and thinking from the University of Cambridge and leading experts from our network, delegates will leave the programme inspired to take leadership and create an enabling environment for sustainable business – identifying new opportunities for investment, innovation and collaboration. We are delighted to bring this globally renowned programme back to the Asia region in 2023.
The faculty for the BSP programmes consists of business leaders, academics and other influential thinkers who are expert facilitators with a proven track record of supporting senior individuals develop their thinking and approach as sustainable business leaders.