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Danish Values
JUNE 2015 ISSUE 30MCI (P) 157/02/2013
www.dabs-singapore.com
Danish Business Association of Singapore
Election in Denmark
Meetthe ugly duckling
President leaves
200.000 on the payroll - just in Asia
Dan Biz is a quarterly magazine published by:
Danish Business Association of Singapore (DABS)c/o Royal Danish Embassy101 Thomson Road#13-01/02 United SquareSingapore 307591
(Next issue will be published in September 2015) Contacts: Editor Jan [email protected]: +65 8118 1864
Secretariat: Royal Danish EmbassyHp: +65 9144 6272E-mail: [email protected]: www.dabs-singapore.com
CON TENTS
Designed by:Thinking Cloud T: 9277 0189
Pretty often discussions about Danish values are rolling through our Danish expat community.
For what are Danish values? It can often be difficult to agree.
But some of them are reflected in this issue of Dan Biz.
The bank director jogging - and doing it with whoever.
A Minister listening carefully to suggestions from people he doesnt know.
The Queens birthday celebrated at the private residence of the ambassador - and all invited.
A democratic system that makes an election an open process that might or might not lead to a change of government - without anybody hitting panic-mode. Danes have tried that for generations so thats a familiar situation.
And there is a company like ISS. Danish roots since 1901. Today one of the worlds largest employers with half a million (and counting) people on the payrolls. They are in the service business. To be successful there (and everywhere else) education is a key word, according to Danish standards. The same is a basic understanding of what you actually are doing and what your role is in the organization. And yes, thinking out of the box - upstairs as well as downstairs.
Everybody working and living in Asia know that this is not necessarily values found all over the place. Those are specifics for a mentality rooted in the Danish way of life. So when we are having our discussions about the relevance of DABS, the Seamans Church and other Danish networks it is important to understand, that there are in fact Danish values. Values which are not connected to the political values that are aired these days as the nation is counting down to the 68th general election since the Danish constitution was drafted and passed 166 years ago. But values that also have to be nursed to survive in a globalized volatile world.
Jan LundEditor
Frontpage: The Danish Parliament as seen from the gallery.Photo: Henrik Srnsen
Danish values
Presidents letter 4
Ambassadors corner 6
The Ugly Duckling on stage 8
The queens Birthday party 10
ISS: 200.000 staff run out of Singapore 12
Minister met members from DABS 15
DABS met Clausen in the jungle 16
Election time in Denmark 18
04
About DABSThe Associations main objectives are to actively contribute to the business developments between Singapore and Denmark and to contribute to their members interests and development of their organisations.
DANBIZ FROM THE PRESIDENT
Goodbyefrom thePresident
DABS is all about networking and providing relevant business knowledge to our members. DABS is connecting the Danes in Singapore. Strong ties among the Danes with the same cultural background is an important prerequisite for success in Singapore both privately and professionally.
DABS is competing with many other organizations and not least the social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn. That competition makes it harder for DABS to be relevant. This however gives DABS an opportunity to rejuvenate our offerings and membership benefits.
The committee had decided to upgrade our events. One focus area is to have more high profile speakers to attend our events combined with improved venues to support the networking part.
This year our members have had the opportunity to meet the Danish minister Henrik Sass Larsen at Goodwood Park Hotel and Nordeas President and CEO Christian Clausen in connection with the jungle run at MacRitchie.
On 30 June the DABS members have the opportunity to attend the event at Singapore Management University with Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. PM Lee will be sharing his views and thoughts on Singapores past, present and future. This is part of the SG50 celebration and DABS is honored to be part of this impressive celebration and not least to meet the number one Singaporean.
Furthermore the committee has decided to develop membership benefits relevant for our members and not least to take initiatives that will give our sponsors more value for money.
To ensure a prompt and efficient implementation of those initiatives the committee has decided to employ a Marketing and Event Manager who also will be responsible for making our social events such as our DABS Ball even better and more successful.
Finally, I will use this opportunity to say goodbye as President for DABS as I have to leave Singapore and work from Copenhagen as of 1 July. I have been part of the committee work for the last 2 years and I have really enjoyed the journey together with many great people from the DABS community. My successor as President will be elected at the next committee meeting. Thanks for all your great support and take well care of DABS in the years ahead.
Yours faithfullyLars Kyvsgaard
06
DANBIZ AMBASSADORS CORNER
The Prime Minister has called for national elections in Denmark to be held on 18 June 2015, and the various political parties work around the clock to make the most of their campaigns and increase their respective chances of being part of the next Government.
Elections are always exciting, and this time even more so, as the game is not over until the fat lady sings.
During premier minister Helle Thorning-Schmidts four years in power, as many as five ministers from her government have visited Singapore, e.g. former Minister for Business & Growth Ole Sohn, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Villy Svndal, Minister for Food, Agriculture & Fisheries Dan Jrgensen, Minister for the Environment Kirsten Brosbl, and most recently Minister for Business & Growth Henrik Sass Larsen. All have been important visits, which have had an impact on the bilateral agenda.
As the fifth and last minister under the current cabinet, Minister Sass Larsen was in Singapore in April to speak at the official opening of the international maritime conference, SEA Asia, invited by his Singaporean counterpart, Minister Lui Tuck Yew. As maritime matters is the largest area of bilateral collaboration, the visit was important for our key maritime partnership with Singapore which benefits both ways in terms of trade, investment, innovation and knowledge-sharing. Minister Sass Larsens visit also touched on other areas, which means that much insight and learning from Singapore is with the Ministry for Business & Growth. Subjects include the lucrative
Electioncountdown
growth conditions for Danish companies and entrepreneurs in Singapore, the regional role of Singapore as well as the citystates strategies for tourism, banking regulations, and public housing.
Bilateral celebrations of 50 years of friendship were officially celebrated at the yearly occasion of H.M. Queen Margrethes 75th birthday at the Danish Ambassadors residence. Both ministers were present at the event, and a record-high of 250 guests were all ears when in his warm and very personal speech, Minister Lui emphasized Singapores gratitude to Denmark for being among the first 13 countries that recognized Singapore in 1965 as the beginning of a warm friendship between our nations. The minister expressed his recognition of the strong presence of Danish shipping companies, and he also gave examples of how every Singaporean gets to know first LEGO bricks and then Mr Carlsberg!
Allow me to extend a warm thank you to all the companies who supported the event, and to all Danes who participated.
By the time you read this newsletter, the date for voting by letter for the national elections has most likely passed. However, do check up on the rules for staying on the voter list. If you represent a Danish company in Singapore, you will most likely be able to continue voting at every election in Denmark, but you need to renew your application at the municipality every second year. Please read more on our website singapore.um.dk.
Berit BasseAmbassador of Denmark
08
DANBIZ ARTS
Its Hans Christian Andersen and its one of the most well-known and popular fairytales from the famous Danish storyteller. The Ugly Duckling will this summer be presented at Singapore Repertoire Theatre.
Originally presented in English in 2005 to sold-out audiences, The Little Company is presenting its second Mandarin production of the year, The Ugly Duckling - one of The Little Companys most popular and memorable shows.
Told through the magic of song and puppetry, this enchanting play will captivate and warm the hearts of young children and adults alike!
The Ugly Duckling is a retelling of the Hans Christian Andersens classic about a little duckling who looks different. Teased and ridiculed on the farmyard, Ugly decides to run away and embarks on an odyssey through the countryside. He meets a host of colourful characters and eventually
discovers that he is not a duckling at all.
The Ugly Duckling is an inspirational adaptation of the fairy tale about being the odd one out. The story unfolds as a giant storybook opens and you hear the magic
words Once upon a time.
The show runs from July 10th to July 25th DB
http://www.srt
