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What internal audit means to Singapore businesses

Cash in hand that does not agree with cash balances in books of accounts, bogus bank accounts, ghost workers – these are just a few of the things that have been identified and rectified by internal auditors in the past.

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What internal audit means to Singapore businesses

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What you don't know about cyber insurance in Singapore

Almost everyone I know in Singapore has bought something online. While you’re busy ordering that new book, paying a bill, or booking a great holiday deal, there should be a hint of uneasiness.

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What firms can learn now from Singapore PM's 10th National Day Rally Speech

In his 10th National Day Rally Speech, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for top schools to admit more than just the brightest students. He spoke about admitting students with character, drive, resilience, and leadership.

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What Singapore HR execs should know about passive talents

As economies in Southeast Asia expand, demand for leadership roles also continues to grow. Multinational companies in business hubs like Singapore need to leverage every effective method possible to identify and court experienced top talent. Looking both within and externally will enable them to build a solid leadership bench.

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What you need to know about corporate governance in Singapore

When the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued a revised Code of Corporate Governance (“the Code”) in May 2012, a few changes stood out. Chief among them involved the composition of listed companies’ Board of Directors, with the role of independent directors given prominence: an independent director cannot be one who is a “10 percent shareholder” i.e. someone who owns 10 percent or more of a company’s voting shares, nor can he be an immediate family member of such a person.

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What's next for the Singaporean brands?

Elsie Chan (not her real name) is a 34 year-old true-blue Singaporean. Being a marketing director in a pharmaceutical company, her high-life juggles between airport terminals.

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Why Singaporean organisations struggle to innovate

It can be argued that Singapore has been one of the most innovative nations in the world. To reach first world status well before its 50th anniversary as a nation, to be described as a model for governance processes, and to be a world leader on so many fronts without having a plethora of natural resources is an amazing feat by any standards.

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Where Singapore lies in the changing Corporate Real Estate landscape

Singapore hosted the CoreNet Global APAC Summit 2014 and, as the event drew to close, I began to reflect on the changing landscape for corporate real estate (CRE) professionals in Asia and what the evolving criteria and considerations are for CRE decision-makers as we move further into 2014 and look to 2015.

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Why Singapore firms need to break barriers to employee engagement

Business leaders and Human Resources (HR) managers in Singapore are becoming increasingly aware of the positive impact employee engagement has on staff retention, performance, and profitability.

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What we learned from the Singapore Tourism Board ad "fail"

Recently, Netizens had the chance to express their (admittedly many times amusing) creative reactions to two commercials.

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Here's how Singapore manufacturers counter rising costs

Today, manufacturers in Singapore are expected to do more with less. Businesses are buckling under the pressure of rising labour and property costs amidst a manpower and space crunch.

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What Singaporeans need to know about Cultural Intelligence

In our parents' generation, boosting our intelligence quotient (IQ) by way of higher and higher paper qualifications was a key determinant of workplace success.

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Singapore's executive aspirations – how to spot your future leaders

In a recent web poll by Hays, over half of respondents in Singapore said they aspire to be a high-level executive, suggesting that the majority of professionals have ambition to be part of the C-suite.

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How Abenomics may affect Singapore's investors

As Japan continues to try to claw its way out of 20 years of deflation and stagnation, Singaporean investors would be wise to be vigilant to the reverberations the world’s third-largest economy has on the Singapore dollar and other asset classes.

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Are your employees leaving because of you?

A recent survey, Salary & Employment Insights 2014, discovered that 40% of workers have changed jobs in the last two years, and more than 70% are currently seeking new ones. The survey also revealed that lousy managers and a desire to earn more were key reasons for jumping ship.

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What FATCA means to Singapore's financial institutions

FATCA is a term that must be familiar to anyone who deals with US institutions or US persons. By way of background, a 2008 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee report on Tax Havens estimated that the United States loses about $100 billion in tax revenue each year as a result of offshore abuses.

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