Business ExcellenceAwards 2009 Gala DinnerTHE winners of the Singapore Qual-ity Award, People ExcellenceAward, Innovation ExcellenceAward and Service ExcellenceAward were presented with tro-phies at a gala dinner on Nov 4.The Business Excellence Awardsare based on an internationallybenchmarked framework for busi-ness excellence. These awards areconferred upon the “best of thebest” in recognition of their attain-ment of world-class standards ofbusiness excellence.

Business ExcellenceGlobal ConferenceThe conference was held from Nov3 to 4, with the theme, “EmbracingExcellence, Learning from theBest”. It provided some 500 partici-pants with a unique opportunity toget a global perspective on bestpractices in business excellencefrom speakers from top business ex-cellence programmes, global awardwinners and subject experts.

Global Excellence ModelCouncil MeetingSingapore hosted the 10th GlobalExcellence Model (GEM) Councilmeeting for the first time this yearfrom Nov 2-4. Guardians of the pre-mier business excellence pro-grammes from around the worldshared their knowledge and experi-ences, and explored collaborationopportunities at this annual meet-ing.

Business Excellence Global Conference

Dialogue session: (From left) Tan Pheng Hock, president and CEO, ST Engineering; Associate Professor Sum CheeChuong, NUS Business School, National University of Singapore; and Jagadish CV, chief executive officer,Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company Ltd, in a panel discussion on ‘Pursuing World-ClassExcellence – Leadership in Action’

In good spirits: BusinessExcellence Awards assessorsHarnek Singh, vice-presidentand director, BusinessExcellence, ST Engineering,and Chia Beng Chye,vice-president, QualitySystems & InformationManagement, Systems onSilicon ManufacturingCompany Pte Ltd, with ThomSchamberger, executivedirector, The Foundation forthe Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award, US

Exchanging ideas: Global Excellence Model (GEM) council members from the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, India,South America and Singapore attended the 10th GEM Council Meeting held for the first time in Singapore

Sharing a light moment: (From left) Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, deputy chairman, SQA Governing Council;Professor Cham Tao Soon, chairman, SQA Governing Council; Shigeo Takenaka, secretary-general, AsianProductivity Organization; and Png Cheong Boon, chief executive, Spring Singapore

Expert knowledge: Chad Kymal, chairman, Omnex Inc, US; Thom Schamberger, executive director, TheFoundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, US; Lars Aagaard, group executive vice-president,Grundfos Management A/S, Denmark; and NK Sharan, general manager, Tata Quality Management Systems,Tata Group, India, sharing on ‘Leveraging on the Business Excellence Model for Organisational Success’

The 2009 Business Excellence Awards winners: (from left) Chan Lee Mun, principal and CEO, Nanyang Polytechnic; Dr N Varaprasad, chief executive, National Library Board; Kenny Yap, executive chairman and managingdirector, Qian Hu Corporation Ltd; Yam Ah Mee, chief executive, Land Transport Authority; David Loke, group managing director, Tru-Marine Pte Ltd; Dr Ong Teck Chin, principal and CEO, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent); EricTan Chong Sian, Commissioner, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority; Jeff Shaw, regional director, Dairy Farm South Asia; Raymond Yip, senior manager, Group HR, Qian Hu Corporation Ltd; Andrew Lee Kok Keng, head, GlobalConsumer Financial Services Division, OCBC Bank - Consumer Financial Services Division; and Liew Heng San, chief executive officer, Central Provident Fund Board

One for the album: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Boon Heng (centre) with (from left) Png CheongBoon, chief executive, Spring Singapore; Professor Cham Tao Soon, chairman, Singapore Quality Award GoverningCouncil; Choy Sauw Kook, assistant chief executive, Spring Singapore; and Freddy Soon, chairman, SingaporeQuality Award Management Committee

Addressing the audience: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for DefenceTeo Chee Hean giving his keynote speech at the Business Excellence Awards2009 Gala Dinner

Global Excellence Model Council Meeting

Drivers and the driven

18 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE The Business Times, Wednesday, November 11, 2009