Sustainability development continues to be a top concern for visionary business leaders. With the preservation of the planet's resources and the reduction of greenhouse gases seamlessly interwoven into their operations, executives are ensuring sustainability innovation, green technology, and a circular economy as the driving force behind their companies. Here are some of the shereos who are saving the environment for future generations.
Luanne Sieh, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, CIMB
Luanne leads CIMB, one of the top banking firms in ASEAN, Group’s Sustainability department. She possesses two decades of experience and is now pursuing her latest mission of positioning CIMB as one of the leading forces in sustainable finance and responsible banking in Asia. She plans to push with this mission using her expertise in strategy, corporate transformation, and consultancy.
Luanne is also an active speaker at international gatherings and forums, including the Asian Financial Markets Forum, Climate Week New York, UN Environment Program, and Institute of International Finance, sharing insights on sustainability transformation. She also serves as the Chair of the Working Group of the CEO Action Network, an association that holds more than 70 top Malaysian companies which collaborate among one another to promote corporate sustainability.
Inhee Chung, VP, Corporate Sustainability Center, Samsung Electronics
With a multidisciplinary academic background in science, engineering, environmental economics, and policy, Inhee hails as a seasoned environmental, climate, and sustainability leader. She has diverse professional experience of working for global sustainability advisory firm ERM, international organizations like UNEP and GGGI, global chemical company LG Chem, and now Samsung Electronics' Corporate Sustainability Center. Thanks to that, she offers a plethora of insights and perspectives on climate action and sustainability issues.
With experience and exposure to both the public and commercial sectors, Inhee strongly believes in partnerships and teamwork, especially when taking the sustainability goal up a notch.
Furthermore, she holds a strong belief that businesses should actively include decarbonization and circularity in their fundamental business strategies, day-to-day operations, and corporate cultures.
This could help devise solutions against the ongoing global climate and resource problems.
Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited
For more than 20 years, Esther has been voicing her support for sustainable development and green building. She has played a major part in helping cement CDL's position as a leader in sustainability. The company is said to be the only CDP A-List firm for climate strategy and water security in Southeast Asia. It remains as the first among real estate companies in the 2020 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. A few notable examples of her efforts are her key ESG initiatives from the 2008 publication of Singapore's first sustainability report following GRI standards, the 2017 issuance of the country's first green bond by a Singaporean company, and the 2019 introduction of Singapore's first SDG Innovation Loan.
As a result of her continued efforts for innovation, CDL was able to publish the TNFD report this year earlier than any other company in Singapore. For being a trailblazer in adopting SDGs, Esther won the 2018 SDG Pioneer for Green Infrastructure and A Low Carbon Economy award from the UN Global Compact. Her name was even recognized by Reuters in 2023 as a Time100 Business Leader - Catalyst and one of 25 Women Trailblazers. Today, Esther chairs the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA), Singapore Institute of Directors, Global Compact Network Singapore, and the World Green Building Council Corporate Advisory Board. She remains committed to creating a vast ecosystem that will propel change. As the creator of the Women4Green and Youth4Climate programs, Esther encourages youth and women to be agents of change in the direction of a sustainable future for all.
FOO Peng Er, Vice President, Group Sustainability, CapitaLand
She comes with a rich professional background in corporate marketing, media and event management, environment, health and safety, sustainability management, disclosure and assurance, and policy creation. She is an active speaker at numerous sustainability-related events, voicing her views on panels and raising food for thought on a variety of subjects. The most notable talks include the business case for sustainability, greening already-existing buildings, climate scenario analysis, gender diversity and parity, and social returns on investments.
She is the driving force behind the launch of the CapitaLand Investment Global Sustainability Report, which makes the company's environmental, social, and governance performance and plans transparent. She ensured that the firm was measured on global frameworks and standards, including TCFD, UNGC, SDG, and GRI.
She has also served as a member of the GRESB Asian Benchmark Committee, an elected board member of the Singapore Green Building Council (2010–2021), and a member of the Construction & Landscape Committee of the Workplace Safety and Health Council. She continues to run towards a sustainable future by being part of the Singapore Sustainable Finance Association (SSFA) Transition Finance Workstream, the REITAS Sustainability Taskforce, and the SBTi Expert Advisory Group on Buildings.
Joelle Chen, Head of Sustainability Asia Pacific, LaSalle Investment Management
She is known as a champion for sustainability in the built environment and real estate with a track record of successful strategic alliances, winning projects, and all-around task completion. She is also known for her passion for creating procedures that facilitate decision-useful disclosures for investors, decarbonization of construction, and sustainability initiatives for new developments. Here, she makes it clear that there should be an emphasis on actual reductions rather than reporting for the sake of reporting.
In boardroom interactions, she is known for her fierce voice and the effort she makes to simplify the complexity of today's sustainable cities and buildings.
Diana Guzman, Chief Sustainability Officer, Prudential plc
She has an open mind, is a fervent advocate of diversity as strength, and is passionate about creative funding solutions that allow for inclusive and sustainable growth for coming generations. She heads Prudential's sustainability strategy for its markets in Asia and Africa, which includes our initiatives in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, as well as the firm’s charitable arm, the Prudence Foundation. She makes sure to help the organization to fulfill its goal of generating long-term value for all parties involved in three areas such as responsible investments, simple and accessible health and financial protection, and an inclusive and sustainable business culture that permeates all aspects of the company's operations and value chain.