The Chamber was delighted to invite Ms Goh Swee Chen, Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore and Vice President, City Solutions – New Energies back as our distinguished speaker after a very inspiring talk on leadership that she presented at last year. On 14 November, Swee Chen’s keynote address was on the topic of The Power of ‘Co’.

Swee Chen strongly believes that innovation to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems can be accelerated when parties, large or small, collaborate. Citing real-life examples from her company Shell’s on-going projects, she demonstrated how collaboration can shape the future of cities, uplift the lives of communities and drive commercial opportunities for companies. Swee Chen acknowledged that such partnerships do not come about without their own challenges and it takes a lot of time and effort to see the fruits of successful collaborations. Here are her 3 key messages for companies who wish to harness the power of ‘Co’ for innovation:

• Develop a long-term co-vision with all stakeholders involved right from the start of the discussions
• Co-operate with unlike-minded parties to reap the benefits of diversity and broaden solution space
• Partner with SMEs or start-ups who have the expertise to co-create solutions

Many thanks to Swee Chen for taking time to share her knowledge and personal reflections at this breakfast dialogue!