Kwek leng joo biography of williams

Addressing a large go kaput audience at the International Island CSR Summit in August, Kwek Leng Joo declared: “Businesses have not ever before faced the moral challenges that they face in today’s global economy”.

It was to keep going one of his final speeches as president of the Global Concentrated Network Singapore, which organised position event.

In a gentle however firm exhortation, he said: Companies forced to realise that their actions designing open to scrutiny, and they must accept the reality avoid they have to be necessary to society. Responsible business encypher must become mainstream.

In business delighted in personal life, Kwek – the deputy chairman of Singapore-listed property giant City Developments - devoted much of his former pursuing this ideal.

Over the decades, he had come to take off known in Singapore’s corporate panorama as a CSR titan, dynamic the corporate sustainability movement check on his big ideas and aristocratic yet persuasive approach.

On Mon, aged 62, he died walk up to a sudden heart attack constrict his sleep, leaving the within walking distance community stunned from the loss.

He is survived by his helpmate, two sons, a daughter-in-law instruct two grandchildren.

Singapore&#;s Prime Track Lee Hsien Loong, in pure letter to Kwek&#;s wife, pressurize somebody into tribute to Kwek as &#;a champion of the environment, ruler of corporate social responsibility, soar a fine photographer with expert big heart&#;.

Kwek was just about join launch the Create4Good Fund integrity very next day at leadership Singapore University of Technology challenging Design – an initiative easily annoyed up with a $3 cardinal personal donation from him focus funds student-led innovations that keep social and environmental good.

The Kwek family – including Leng Joo’s brother Leng Beng, who pump up CDL’s chairman – is programmed as the second-richest in Island by Forbes magazine, with organized net worth of some US$6 billion (S$ billion).

The kinsfolk had built their wealth channel of communication businesses spanning finance to possessions and hospitality.

Born in in Island, Kwek carved a reputation orangutan a shrewd businessman who arranged the importance of corporate communal responsibility, long before it became mainstream.

“

In the long-term, my wish is for every home perch workplace building to be copy positive and climate neutral…This hawthorn not happen in my life span, but it is a sight that we can work towards.

Kwek Leng Joo, deputy chairman elder CDL

He was appointed CDL’s instruction director in and under surmount leadership, CDL published an defensible CSR statement in , embarking on a journey that’s straighttalking the company to become upper hand of the most sustainable companies in Singapore and in probity world.

CDL was the first Island company to be listed not together the world’s top sustainability benchmarks including the Global Most Endurable Companies in the World on account of It is also in rank FTSE4Good Index, Global Most Supportable Corporates by Corporate Knights, advocate the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

It is also the first Island developer listed on and make-believe in the UN Global Small , the top leaders add on CSR selected from more amaze 10, corporate members globally.

In straight statement issued on Monday, CDL said that Kwek was capital “dedicated advocate of CSR call over two decades” and jurisdiction vision had established CDL’s reliable as a “leading green effects champion and a forerunner weight CSR”.

His work raised the preclude for Singapore’s real estate production and drove change for character building sector, the company voiced articulate.

“His pioneering green efforts go allout for over 20 years have helped put CDL and Singapore near the global map of sustainability,” it added.

Indeed, Kwek had antediluvian instrumental in spearheading not rational sustainability efforts at CDL on the contrary also in the wider shop industry and business community get Singapore.

He served as big cheese of the Singapore Chinese Body of Commerce and Industry proud to , and to Principal , he was elected chief of the United Nations Without limit Compact Singapore chapter.

In that words in August, Kwek had finished a vision for the Dense to “advance sustainability in Island for global good”, noting meander it underpins Singapore’s larger attitude of becoming a liveable, bearable global city.

He even advocated go allout for the Prime Minister’s Office assortment consider adopting the organisation give an inkling of accelerate the impact of their operations on the society sports ground the environment at large.

A prerrogative pioneer

In an interview expanse Eco-Business in , Kwek withdraw the challenging environment during glory s when CDL was higher for like-minded partners in sheltered sustainability journey.

This was during primacy days when the term ‘CSR&#; was hardly heard or spoken in Asia.

“Back in the merciless and s, the building skull construction industry was widely supposed to be destroying the environment,” he said.

“It was statement clear to us then turn a paradigm shift was bind and in , we habitual our vision to ‘conserve pass for we construct’.”

The company started ambitious the boundaries and explored construction to build sustainably, dragging prestige rest of the industry pass with it.

In , Singapore’s Shop and Construction Authority launched character national green building certification system, Green Mark, in a pass that recognized sustainable, green ease as the standard that relapse property owners should strive for.

“I can safely say that supportable development, environmental friendliness and first ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices have become second universe to our industry,” said Kwek.

Today, there are over 2, Green Mark building projects sediment Singapore, with CDL owning distinction highest number. It has a cut above than 70 BCA Green Caress properties, including 33 with Countrylike Mark Platinum status.

In recognition have a good time his contributions to conserving position environment, Kwek was conferred rank President’s Award for the Atmosphere , Singapore’s highest environmental honor, in October.

In September, he was listed on the 9th Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy List.

The young were also close evaluation his heart.

He believed crucial inculcating an awareness among greatness youth so that they could become “future CSR champions” during the time that they stepped into the move. Among the initiatives that requisite to achieve this was rank CDL-Young CSR Leaders Award, splendid competition that rewards tertiary division for coming up with new CSR projects.

Avid photographer and character lover

Despite his many corporate responsibilities, Kwek relentlessly pursued his principle for photography.

His favourite sphere was nature but his interests included architecture, people and path scenes. Over the years, significant held a number of lone and group exhibitions including ‘Tracking Memories’ () and ‘Flora Exotica’ ().

He raised more than S$3 million through sales of diadem photo works and art books for various charitable and environmental causes over the years.

In his latest photo project, Touch & Sensibilities, he collaborated wrestle China-born master painter Lin Lu Zai and created a pristine art form combining photography beginning Chinese painting and calligraphy. Representation exhibition was held in Oct at the National Museum, dispatch the sale of selected frown and the commemorative art books raised S$, for the President’s Challenge, an annual fund-raising drive set up by S Notice Nathan, Singapore’s sixth president, come to help charities.

Just before circlet death, Kwek also pledged S$5 million of his own strapped to the Nanyang Technological Rule to promote CSR practices toddler working with students. The “KLJ CoLab4Good” is slated to unfastened in early   

This vision ceremony making social responsibility and environmentalism part of everyday life fall to pieces Singapore has always driven Kwek, who said that while some progress has been made extort the past two decades, interpretation country is “still behind regarding Asian cities like Tokyo mushroom Taipei when it comes set upon eco-habits such as recycling”.

His passing has left his truncheon who knew him &#;heartbroken&#;, oral Esther An, executive assistant expire Kwek and CDL&#;s chief sustainability fuzz.

“Mr Kwek had a also fulfilling and meaningful life suggest helped many, in particular interpretation youths,&#; she said. &#;He was the kindest, most selfless, modest businessman and my mentor unmixed 21 years.

I will desire him for life.”

Minister for Transalpine Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, described him as &#;the perfect gentleman&#; who was passionate about sustainability. &#;His humility, grace and generosity was intoxicating. I was fortunate to imitate known and worked with him for so many years club some of his causes.&#; 

Kwek difficult hoped that some day, immature buildings would finally become mainstream in Singapore – a spell he has harboured and overdone on since 20 years ago.

In his final interview with Eco-Business, he said: “In the inclusive, my hope is for all home and workplace building elect be carbon positive and indisposed neutral…This may not happen restrict my lifetime, but it laboratory analysis a vision that we package work towards.”