The Chamber began World Mental Health Day in a meaningful way with our A CEO Dialogue: Be Well to Lead Well as a Business Strategy – where Chief Executives and its equivalent leaders gathered to explore the vital link between well-being and performance.

The session opened with an engaging presentation by Anthea Ong who set the tone with a guided breathing exercise to centre everyone’s presence in the room. Drawing from her personal experiences, she underscored that organizational well-being is the strongest driver of performance and that investing in well-being creates impact.

During the panel discussion, our speakers shared valuable perspectives and reflections:

💡 Integrate mental well-being into business design – not as a separate initiative, but as part of the organisation’s DNA.

💡 Redefine “work-life balance” as “work-rest balance” – recognising that work is an integral part of life.
💡 Just as we maintain physical health routines, we should cultivate consistent habits for mental well-being.

💡 Empathy remains irreplaceable – a human quality that even AI cannot replicate.
💡 Mental wellbeing is a shared journey – and none of us have it perfectly figured out, but progress comes through openness and learning together.

A heartfelt thank you to our co-organizer, WorkWell Leaders, and our exclusive event sponsor, Singapore American School, for their partnership and support in making this event possible. Our appreciation also goes to our speakers, Prof Carole-Anne Upton and Ng Tian Chong, for their insights and to all attendees for being part of this important dialogue. Together, we continue to build workplaces where both people and performance can thrive.