Blog

Five intense days

Welcomed to the Old Barracks Allen, Amy, Kevin, me Illuminated trees Darth Vader, Jonathan Kua and team at EDB I erupt from a flower-pot, or similar Street sculpture Aerial view Aerial view 2, with Amy Me, up there, taken by Amy Singapore at night, by Amy Botanical Gardens 1 Botanical Gardens 2 Botanical Gardens 3 Botanical Gardens 4 Botanical Gardens 5 Fish 1 Fish 2, taken by Amy

Amy (Birchall) and I have spent five days intensively cross-crossing Singapore, speaking at events for the likes of the Civil Service College, the Lien Centre, the CSR Compact and INSEAD. Covered part of the story in a blog for The Guardian here. Among others we met were the Economic Development Board, the Family Business Network and Unilever. A great deal of interest in the city-state in having us back and in our developing Volans Asia 2.0.

On the more social side, we kicked off with a great dinner with Kevin Teo and Allen Tan, former colleagues at Volans Asia. Although we were kept pretty stretched during the week, Amy and I also managed to get up to the top of the extraordinary Marina Bay complex on evening, and – on my final morning – to the Botanical Gardens, where we unexpectedly, but delightfully, bumped into Sumi Dhanaran, who we had been working with earlier in the week on the Civil College Service event.

Civil Service College event, taken by Amy Lien Centre event, taken by Amy On screen promotion, INSEAD, taken by Amy After SingTel and CSR Compact event, Amy giving me ears With Sumi in Botanical Gardens, taken by Amy

IIRC meeting In China Club

GRI Chairman Mervyn King at dinner on first night Wall in China Club Teapots Coffee cup Illuminated floor Relic: hand-cranked phone Nameplate Back to the bus Illuminated trees outside our hotel Dawn out at airport, en route Singapore

After frantic last-minute attempts to get a Chinese visa in London, where all sorts of barriers seem to be flung up, the Accounting for Sustainability team swung in and sorted things out. But hadn’t known until pretty late in the day whether I would get in to Beijing after my Hong Kong visit. Once I did arrive, though, I almost literally got the red carpet treatment. Was in Beijing for second meeting of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC), of which I’m a member. Fascinating meeting, on which more anon, in part through a blog that The Guardian will publish this coming week on its Sustainable Business website. Amazed to see how much traffic was already out on the roads of Beijing when I left for the airport in the early hours.

Stunning views of the most stunning harbour

View as I wake up in HK Reflected in metal roof over escalator Reflection in more metalwork Part of the view from Azita’s window View 2 View 3 View 4 Interior Outside

Arrived in Hong Kong yesterday to work with Azita Owlia of Bayer today. Project is under wraps at the moment, but the spectacular views from her office over the harbour can’t really be considered a state secret. Between working sessions, we spanned the spectrum of cuisine, from a local place more or less in the shadow of the tower Bayer are in through to a farewell dinner in a wonderful hotel restaurant overlooking the bustle of the port. Energising.

A study in courage – now I must rustle up mine

Our eldest daughter Gaia works for Danny Boyle and Christian Coulson, whose latest film is 127 Hours – and it is starting to get the necessary nominations. An extraordinary story of courage in extremis. As someone who has always been a little squeamish, I can’t say I can’t wait to see it, but am very much looking forward to having seen it. More anon.

Upside down in Hyde Park

Mirroring 1 Mirroring 2

Quite a productive day, though three out of four of us at Volans today are ‘flu-struck, and the folk at Prospect downstairs are coughing as though there has been a gas attack down there. Glorious cycle ride in to work this morning, bright blue sky, not too much traffic, and the fall’s leaves blowing in great sheets through Hyde Park as I stopped to take in Anish Kapoor’s C-Curve in different lighting. Wonderfuel.