The most successful companies in the world have recognised that diversity and inclusion can foster a stronger spirit of innovation, higher levels of entrepreneurialism, ability to attract and retain the best talent in the world, and a more engaged workforce resulting in better financial performance.

The business imperative is clear and so is the economic imperative for countries. We are pleased to welcome Ambassador Chantale Wong, openly lesbian US Director of Asian Development Bank, whose historic appointment is an inspiration to the global LGBTQ+ community, as our keynote speaker. Amb Wong will share her personal story and aspirations as a role model in advancing gender-inclusive development and about how leaders can bolster inclusion across Asia.

This event will also feature a panel discussion on how LGBTQ+ inclusion is good for business, the economy and for Asia. Our panelists will discuss the importance of giving LGBTQ+ people full and equal participation in the private and public sectors and make the case for why fairness benefits us all.

  • Chantale Yok-Min Wong is the United States Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank. Before her appointment, she was the Senior Vice President at Amida Technology Solutions. She was appointed by President Obama to serve as Vice President for Administration and Finance, and Chief Financial Officer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Prior to MCC, she was the budget director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She has also held leadership positions at the Office of Management and Budget, Departments of Treasury and Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She joined ADB in 1999 as an Environment Specialist and was subsequently appointed by President Bill Clinton as U.S. Alternate Director. She holds a Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She has another Master in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on water and wastewater management. She earned her undergraduate degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Hawaii.

  • Moderated by Corinna Lim, Executive Director of gender equality advocacy group AWARE, this panel discussion is on how LGBTQ+ inclusion is good for business, economy and Asia. Our panelists are Hanim Hamzah (Asia-Pacific Regional Leader of Legal Services at KPMG), Takanori Ono (Transactions and Portfolio Manager / Fund Manager at abrdn), Elliot Vaughn (Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group) and Ben Meng (Executive Vice President and Chairman Asia Pacific of Franklin-Templeton).

Mark your calendars for 12 May 2023 (Friday) from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. Attendance is limited to invited guests only due to event space capacity. Confirmed attendees will receive a confirmation email with further event details.

Guests will also have a chance to network with representatives from companies that set ESG (environmental, social and governance) high on their agenda and that care about creating diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

Registration for this event is now closed as we have reached maximum capacity for the event space due to the wonderful response.

This event is made possible with the kind sponsorship of Hilton.

 

About Q Chamber:

Q Chamber is Singapore’s first LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce, and strives to connect businesses and individuals to promote our shared economic interests and values of diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe this initiative can help to build LGBTQ+ representation, allyship and leadership towards a better Singapore society and business community. For more information on Q Chamber, do visit our website or sign up to join our membership.