Leaders in Business Lunch with Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, EDB

British Chamber of Commerce Singapore

The British Chamber of Commerce Singapore is an independent membership organisation committed to helping strengthen the ties between the UK and Singapore. We have done so since 1954.

Whether you are just starting your research into ASEAN by scoping the market opportunities in Singapore, have established your business and seeking growth, building connections to the UK Government, or looking for brand exposure and employee development opportunities, the Chamber is here to support your needs at every stage of your journey.

With a full calendar of activities throughout the year including events, publications and opportunities to collaborate with our members, the Chamber team is available to help as a point of resource, introductions, networking, learning and profile-raising.

Our goal is to deliver Member Value through the services we offer that all work towards supporting our members in achieving your business objectives and aligning with our Mission of Building Networks, Connecting Businesses, and Creating Opportunities.

All benefit from our leading position as a strong and credible voice for our members and British businesses in Singapore and beyond.

About the Event

Join us for a timely discussion with the driving force behind Singapore's industry investment ambitions, Managing Director of the EDB, Jacqueline Poh. Topics for discussion will include:

The current overview:
The impact of COVID
Singapore as an investment hub
The trends of businesses set up from Asia and movement of international business
Looking to the future:
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs)
The South East Asia Manufacturing Alliance
The Future of Trade and the Future of Work
The relationship between Singapore and the UK, with the SG-UK Partnership for the Future and future plans
Opportunities for businesses identified through the Industry Transformational Roadmaps (ITMs)

Visit our Future of Trade Information Hub for resources and explainers on the various trade agreements.

futureoftrade.britcham.org.sg

Speakers

Jacqueline Poh

Managing Director of Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)

Damian Adams

President at British Chamber of Commerce Singapore

Ms Poh was appointed Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) on 4 October 2021. She was previously Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group, which leads and organises the Public Service to develop and implement the strategic priorities of the Government. She also oversaw the National Population and Talent Division and the Centre for Strategic Futures.

Ms Poh was the founding Chief Executive of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech), and was previously the Managing Director of the Infocommunications Development Authority (IDA). She has also held key positions in the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence.

Ms Poh is an alumnus of Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD (MBA) and Stanford. She has three teenagers and more patience than before she had them. She currently sits on the Boards of SingHealth and St Luke’s Eldercare, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation and the World Economic Forum Global Futures Council.

Damian advises venture capital, private equity and infrastructure investors, family offices and international organisations on corporate transactions across a range of sectors. He is highly experienced in structuring, negotiating and executing complex cross-border investments.

Trained in the city of London and qualified in England and Wales (1999), Damian has been based in Singapore since early 2000, during which time he has gained deep experience of transactions across Asia, from greenfield, early stage and growth capital investments through to joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions.

Damian is a hands-on lawyer, closely involved in running transactions from initial structuring through to completion. He has advised Asia-based clients on transactions and projects in the UK, USA and Africa, and has project managed non-transactional commercial ventures for clients, such as regional office and business set-up across Asia.

He has developed and managed practices and teams in both law firms of which he has been a partner. As a partner he has spent time on short-term client secondment, identifying and managing their legal risk on transactions and investments.

Having focused on investment, M&A and other corporate transactions for the majority of his career, Damian also gained early career experience of secured financing transactions, particularly big-ticket assets and commodities, as well as commodities sale and purchase, storage and warehousing.

He has served the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore for more than 15 years, variously as a Business Group Chair, Secretary and elected Board Member (8 years), and as a Vice-President with oversight of all facets of member engagement and a particular focus on governance, returning to the Board in 2020. Damian was elected President of the British Chamber of Commerce in April 2022.

Damian has lived and worked in London, Copenhagen, Paris and Singapore. English is his native tongue and he also speaks fluent French.