Six National Honours Conferred for Significant Contributions to Singapore

1. President Tony Tan Keng Yam today conferred the Honorary Citizen Award, Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) and the Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) on the following six outstanding individuals for their invaluable contributions to Singapore:
Honorary Citizen Award
- Mr Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical
Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore)
- Mr Steven Green, Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami; Special Advisor to the Singapore Government; Former United States Ambassador to Singapore
- Dr Franz Humer, Chairman of Roche; Chairman of INSEAD Board; Chairman of Diageo
- Mr Robert A. McDonald, retired Chairman, President and CEO of The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)
Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore)
- Mr Jean-Luc Butel, Corporate Vice President and President International of Baxter International Inc.
- Dr Michael Pryles, former Chairman of the Board and Founder President of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre
2. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam extended his congratulations to all recipients.
3. Thanking Mr Steven Green for his outstanding contributions to Singapore and to the advancement of Singapore-United States relations, Minister Shanmugam said: “During his tenure as US Ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador Green represented his country with energy, warmth, and grace; and left behind a legacy of solid and enduring achievements. He was instrumental in broadening and deepening Singapore’s already strong bilateral relationship with the US through key initiatives that enhanced our political, economic, immigration, security and people-to-people links. Ambassador Green continues to actively promote US-Singapore relations as Special Advisor to the Singapore Government and Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami. We are grateful for his continued contributions, and honoured by his friendship.”

14 Feb 2014

4. Minister Shanmugam also recognized Dr Pryles for his dedication to build Singapore’s capability as an arbitration hub. He said: “Dr Pryles’ leadership of the Singapore International Arbitration centre has helped Singapore become the leading Asian centre, as well as one of the world’s leading centres for international commercial arbitration. We are fortunate to have his unwavering commitment and unstinting support. The Ministry of Law would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to Dr Pryles and the other award recipients for their contributions to Singapore.”
5. Mr Leo Yip, Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) congratulated all recipients. Mr Hiromasa Yonekura, Dr Franz Humer, Mr Robert A. McDonald, and Mr Jean-Luc Butel in particular have had long-standing partnerships with EDB and Singapore. They have made important contributions to the growth of Singapore’s energy and chemicals, consumer businesses and biomedical sciences industries.
6. “Their strong support has been crucial in enabling us to capture exciting new growth opportunities, which in turn created good jobs for Singaporeans. We are indeed honoured and grateful for the strong friendships extended by these outstanding business executives. I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations and thanks to them, and look forward to building on these partnerships in the years to come,” said Mr Yip.
7. The Honorary Citizen Award is a national award conferred by the Singapore government to acknowledge distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to Singapore. Initiated in 2003, it is the highest form of national recognition for non-Singaporeans. Similarly, the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) and Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) recognize international business and other leaders who have made important contributions to Singapore.

ABOUT THE EDB
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre. EDB dreams, designs and delivers solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore. Our mission is to create for Singapore, sustainable economic growth with vibrant business and good job opportunities. EDB’s Home strategy articulates how we are positioning Singapore for the future. It is about extending Singapore's value proposition to businesses not just to help them improve their bottom line, but also to help them grow their top line through establishing and deepening strategic activities in Singapore to drive their business, innovation and talent objectives in Asia and globally.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Economic Development Board
Ms Nathalie Tan
Marketing & Communications
Tel: (65) 6832-6339
Email: Nathalie_tan@edb.gov.sg

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ms Chua Ai Ni

Public Affairs Directorate

Tel: (65) 6379 8376

Email: Chua_Ai_Ni@mfa.gov.sg

Ministry of Law

Ms Karen Lin

Corporate Communications

Tel: (65) 6332 8828

Email: Karen_Lin@mlaw.gov.sg

ANNEX A

COMMENTS FROM AWARD RECIPIENTS

HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD 2013

Mr Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical

“It is an extreme pleasure to be conferred with the Honorary Citizen Award. I feel deeply humbled and greatly honored to receive this special privilege and to be added to the list of the distinguished previous recipients. Ever since we incorporated Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore in 1977 and launched  Asia’s then largest petrochemical complex in 1984, our operations in Singapore have been driving the Sumitomo Chemical Group’s globalization efforts and its endeavors to bring innovative, higher value-added products and technologies to market. Along the way, our local activities have been growing to include manufacturing, marketing, sales, research and development and headquarters functions. And looking forward, Singapore will play an even more significant role as our strategic base in the region, as shown by the recent establishment of Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pacific, our regional headquarters to accelerate new business development in Southeast Asia, India and Oceania. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Singapore government and Economic Development Board (EDB) and all those in this great country who have provided significant help, support and cooperation, and hope to see the friendship and partnership between Singapore and Sumitomo Chemical further grow and strengthen in years to come.”

PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

Mr Steven Green, Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami; Special Advisor to the Singapore Government; Former US Ambassador to Singapore

“I am most humbled to receive Singapore’s Public Service Star. 

As a longtime friend of Singapore and as a former Ambassador of the United States to Singapore, I can think of no greater honour.  My wife Dorothea and our family join me in expressing our profound gratitude for this recognition. 

Singapore and our many friends here occupy a very special place in our hearts.  We have so many fond memories of our years living here, and feel at home every time we visit.  We never cease to marvel at Singapore’s success in building economic prosperity over the last half century through a truly unique combination of strategic vision and free market dynamism. 

Dorothea and I feel blessed to have made so many enduring friendships and so welcomed by Singapore.”

Dr Franz Humer, Chairman of Roche; Chairman of INSEAD Board; Chairman of Diageo

"I am incredibly honored to receive this award, as I very much admire the Economic Development Board’s continued efforts to keep Singapore an open and vibrant economy. 

Roche has been present in Singapore since 1973 and our operations today include both a regional hub and key parts of our manufacturing supply chain. This has allowed me to witness Singapore’s economic success model firsthand. Such growth is grounded in persistent long-term thinking, very much like the innovation-focused strategy that has allowed Roche to become one of the world’s largest healthcare companies. Economies which remain committed to a business- and innovation-friendly environment will be the most successful in the decades to come.”

Mr Robert A. McDonald, retired Chairman, President and CEO of The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

“I am honored to receive the Public Service Star and be recognized as a Distinguished Friend of Singapore.  This award is meaningful to me because it recognizes the opportunity all of us have to help improve the lives of those around us.  I am proud that the partnership Procter & Gamble and I have built with the Economic Development Board of Singapore has helped, in a small way, strengthen Singapore’s leading role as a home for business, talent and innovation in Asia and around the world.  P&G and I are proud to be part of the Singapore success story and we look forward to continuing to build our partnership for generations to come.”

PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

Mr Jean-Luc Butel, Corporate Vice President and President of International

Baxter International

“I am deeply honored to receive the Friends of Singapore Public Service Medal and want to thank the EDB for its support.

Singapore holds special memories for my family and me. Having worked and lived in Singapore, we have formed great relationships, and Baxter’s experience in Singapore echoes my own.

The partnership between Baxter and EDB represents more than three decades of close collaboration. Today, Singapore is the gateway to a growing Asia business and for Baxter; this is home to two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities supplying global healthcare needs, and headquarters for our Southeast Asia operations.

Both Baxter and Singapore share a passion for innovation as we work to establish new models of care that address healthcare challenges and needs not only in Singapore but in Asia. I have had the honor to serve on the EDB board and look forward to supporting Singapore and the development of the biotechnology industry.”

Dr Michael Pryles, Former Chairman of the Board & Founder President of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre

“The award of the medal is a great honour which was totally unexpected.  It has been a great pleasure working in Singapore to help develop a world class arbitration centre for the resolution of international commercial disputes. Many people have assisted including the Board and Court members of SIAC who comprise some of the leading experts in the field of international commercial arbitration and our secretariat.  Behind us stood the consistent support and encouragement of the Minister of Law, Mr K. Shanmugam and his permanent secretaries and staff. The honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who served for a time as Deputy Chairman of SIAC, was a constant inspiration and source of never ending ideas and suggestions. The expertise, competence and integrity of the Supreme Court were also vital to our success and provided an indispensable foundation for our development. 

Singapore has now become perhaps the leading place in Asia to resolve international commercial disputes. Arbitration is undoubtedly the most important procedure for doing so but other forms of dispute resolution are being developed.  I believe that effective dispute resolution is an essential component for the establishment of Singapore as a leading financial and commercial centre. To my mind Singapore already bears the essential hallmarks of a London or New York in South East Asia.”

ANNEX B

CITATION FOR THE HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD

2013

Mr Hiromasa Yonekura

Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical

Mr Yonekura has contributed significantly to the growth of the chemicals industry in Singapore. The partnership between Sumitomo Chemical and Singapore reached new heights under his leadership. Today, Sumitomo Chemical is the largest Japanese investor on Jurong Island, with more than $3 billion in cumulative investments.

Mr Yonekura played an instrumental role in starting Singapore’s chemicals industry through the formation of Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS), the first petrochemical complex in Southeast Asia. Assigned as the PCS project manager, Mr Yonekura was heavily involved in the coordination of the Japanese consortium that was studying the investment and personally led the negotiations.

The establishment of PCS sparked off a wave of investments in the early development of the industry from companies that set up facilities linked to PCS. It also laid the foundation for the development of Jurong Island, the centrepiece of Singapore’s chemicals industry, as investments from companies all over the world ensued.

After the inception of PCS, Mr Yonekura continued to be a strong champion and supporter of Singapore. Sumitomo Chemical’s manufacturing operations in Singapore expanded over the years, with PCS steadily increasing its olefins production capacity, and Sumitomo Chemical setting up a new integrated acrylates complex on Jurong Island in 1998, which to-date is the largest acrylates manufacturing site for Sumitomo Chemical in the world. For his contributions to Singapore, Mr Yonekura was awarded the Public Service Star Award (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) in 2006. He was also a member of EDB’s International Advisory Council (IAC) from 2007 to 2011.

When Mr Yonekura became Chairman and Board Member of Sumitomo Chemical in 2009, he positioned Singapore as the manufacturing location for Sumitomo Chemical’s higher value-added products, and as a key overseas hub in Sumitomo Chemical’s global network. Most recently, he led the company to establish its high value-added Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber plant on Jurong Island, a regional headquarters in Singapore to drive business development in Southeast Asia, India and Oceania, and an acrylates R&D centre to serve the Asian market.

Mr Yonekura is a firm believer of the need to groom international talent. Under his leadership, Sumitomo Chemical also helped to shape the Chemical Engineering curriculum for the National University of Singapore. In addition, Singapore was made home to Sumitomo Chemical’s corporate training institute for regional managers.

Mr Yonekura’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond Sumitomo Chemical.  In his current capacity as Chairman of KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation), he continues to play a key role in fostering close economic ties between both countries.

In recognition of Mr Yonekura’s outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Honorary Citizen Award on Mr Hiromasa Yonekura.

CITATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

2013

Mr Steven J Green

Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami;

Special Advisor to the Singapore Government;

Former Ambassador of the United States of America to Singapore

Steven J Green served as the United States’ Ambassador to Singapore from 1997 to 2001.  Since 2002, he has been Special Advisor to the Singapore Government, and since 2003, the Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami.

During his time as the United States’ Ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador Green played an instrumental role in broadening and deepening Singapore-United States relations.  He spearheaded a number of strategic programmes aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in the areas of economic development, intellectual property, immigration, and national security.  Ambassador Green was instrumental in seeding the idea of a United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA).  He laid the groundwork for former President Bill Clinton's eventual agreement with then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Brunei, to commence negotiations on the USSFTA.  Ambassador Green also actively lobbied American companies for support on the USSFTA. 

The significant role he played resulted in the culmination of the USSFTA, which has benefitted both countries in terms of trade in goods, services and investments.  As a result of the privileged access to each other’s markets, Singapore is the United States’ largest trading partner and investment destination in ASEAN. 

Ambassador Green also promoted United States-Singapore economic relations by drawing American business interest to ASEAN.  During his tenure, Ambassador Green sought to profile Singapore as a regional political and economic hub by organising meetings in Singapore attended by regional United States’ Heads of Missions, in conjunction with high-level visits by various United States Cabinet Secretaries to Singapore.  Ambassador Green also played a key role in pushing for Singapore to be included in the United States Visa Waiver Pilot Programme.  As a result of Ambassador Green’s efforts, Singapore citizens travelling to the United States have enjoyed the privilege of hassle-free travel since 9 August 1999.

A steadfast believer in philanthropy and the importance of giving back to the community, Ambassador Green led the United States Embassy’s efforts to launch Friendship Works in April 1999, which was a programme targeting US business philanthropy and related volunteer action with the aim of increasing American corporate citizenship in Singapore. 

As Special Advisor to the Singapore Government and Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami, HCG Green continues to actively promote and contribute substantively to Singapore-United States relations.   

In recognition of the outstanding contributions he has made to Singapore and in furthering United States-Singapore bilateral relations, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Steven J Green.

Dr Franz Humer

Chairman of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Diageo PLC, INSEAD

Dr Humer has made a significant impact across 3 strategic industry pillars in Singapore.

In his capacity as Chairman of Roche, Dr Humer has been a key champion of Singapore’s biomedical sciences initiative. He led Roche to set up an integrated home across its manufacturing, R&D and commercial activities in Singapore. To-date, Roche has invested more than $800 million and created over 700 skilled jobs in Singapore.

In 2006, Dr. Humer played an instrumental role in supporting Roche’s decision to build its first and only Asian biologics manufacturing plant in Singapore. That early investment decision seeded more manufacturing activities in Singapore. Singapore is now a key node in Roche’s global manufacturing network, supplying life saving drugs such as Avastin, Herceptin and Lucentis. The investment from Roche also provided Singapore with the track record to convince other pharmaceutical companies to establish biologics manufacturing plants in Singapore. Today, Singapore is one of the leading global locations for biologics manufacturing with 8 world class biologics plants representing over $2.4 billion of investments and employing more than one third of the total pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce.  

Under Dr Humer’s leadership, Roche established the Roche-Singapore Translational Medicine Hub in 2010. Through this first of its kind public-private partnership model, Roche brought together multidisciplinary capabilities across Singapore’s public translational research ecosystem to generate insights on disease biology for drug development in Asia. To-date, Roche has embarked on more than 15 collaborations with our academics and clinicians. Dr. Humer also oversaw Chugai’s growth in Singapore. In 2012, Chugai announced its plans to invest more than $200 million over the next 5 years in its first antibody engineering centre outside Japan. To enable it to better capture emerging market opportunities, Roche has also located its Asia Pacific commercial headquarters for both Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics businesses in Singapore.

Dr Humer’s contributions to Singapore’s economy extend beyond biomedical sciences. As Chairman of Diageo, Dr Humer advised EDB to catalyse the growth of Singapore’s brand development ecosystem by integrating and drawing synergies between consumer insights, research and development, advertising, communications and creative activities. Under his leadership, Diageo’s operations in Singapore expanded from a regional headquarters to an Asia Pacific hub for brand development, innovation, and talent development, with over 350 employees, and global responsibility for Diageo’s luxury brand portfolio.

As the Chairman of the Board of Directors at INSEAD, Dr Humer was instrumental in charting the direction for INSEAD’s Asia Campus expansion in Singapore. Today, INSEAD’s Asia Campus has more than 50 faculty members based in Singapore. It offers a suite of MBA, Executive MBA, PhD and executive education programmes that benefit more than 3,000 students and executives annually. Under Dr Humer’s leadership and support, INSEAD has started the third phase of its expansion, which will involve the establishment of a Global Centre for Leadership Development and a dedicated executive education wing. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Dr Franz Humer.

Mr Robert A. McDonald

Retired Chairman, President and CEO

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

Mr Robert McDonald has contributed significantly to the growth of Singapore’s Consumer industry. Under his leadership, P&G’s presence in Singapore has grown steadily and significantly over the last decade. Today, with close to 2,000 employees, P&G has made Singapore its Home in Asia, for business, innovation and talent.

As Vice-Chairman of P&G’s Global Operations and Chief Operating Officer from 2004 to 2009, Mr McDonald played a pivotal role in the company’s decision to establish its Asia Pacific business headquarters in Singapore. Today, this headquarters is responsible for a range of strategic functions including brand management, product supply, consumer & market knowledge, design management, human resources, as well as corporate services such as finance, information technology and legal services.

As Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2013, Mr McDonald continued to be a passionate proponent for Singapore, and was instrumental in advancing Singapore’s innovation capabilities. In 2011, P&G established its Singapore Innovation Centre, one of the company’s two mega research and development centres in Asia, and the largest private sector tenant in Biopolis. With a research community of nearly 500, the Singapore Innovation Centre will lead in the development of beauty, personal healthcare, grooming and homecare products that will touch the lives of more than four billion consumers around the world.

The Singapore Innovation Centre is also anchored on a Master Research Collaboration Agreement with the Agency of Science, Technology and Research, which enables P&G to work with Singapore’s innovation ecosystem across research institutes, medical institutions and academia. As a result of Mr McDonald’s foresight in Asia’s potential and confidence in Singapore, P&G located the global headquarters of its Baby Care and Prestige categories in Singapore. Today, the team in Singapore drives the strategy, innovation and growth of “billion-dollar” brands, such as SK-II and Pampers.

Mr McDonald has also strongly supported Singapore’s ambition to become a Home for Talent. In 2010, P&G established the Asia Leadership Development Centre that trains more than 500 managers from the region annually. Today, the iconic corporate university plays an extremely important role within P&G’s global talent development network, by supporting the company’s talent control tower which is also based in Singapore.

Mr McDonald’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond P&G. As the longest serving member of EDB’s International Advisory Council, Mr McDonald has, since 2007, provided valuable insights and perspectives that have helped shape Singapore’s development into a Global-Asia hub, which connects global companies to Asia and Asian enterprises to the world. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Mr Robert McDonald.  

CITATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

2013

Mr Jean-Luc Butel

Corporate Vice President, President International

Baxter International

Mr Jean-Luc Butel has made important contributions to the growth of Singapore’s Medical Technology industry.

 As Corporate Vice President of Baxter International, Mr Butel plays a key role in charting Baxter’s next phase of growth in Singapore. Baxter, one of the largest employers in Singapore’s MedTech sector, manufactures products ranging from medical supplies to biologics in Singapore for global markets. Under Mr Butel’s leadership, Baxter has continued to build on Singapore's position as one of its key manufacturing sites.  It has also adopted advanced manufacturing technologies to boost productivity and strengthen competitiveness.

In addition, Baxter leverages Singapore as the regional hub to support its businesses in fast-growing markets such as Southeast Asia, India and Korea. Mr Butel is also leading Baxter’s efforts to forge partnerships with the healthcare providers in Singapore to develop innovative healthcare solutions for the region.

In his former position as Executive Vice President and Group President International of Medtronic Inc from 2008 to 2012, Mr Butel played an instrumental role in the company’s decision to set up their first Asian pacemaker manufacturing plant in Singapore. It was Singapore’s first manufacturing facility for active implantable medical devices, seeding a new growth segment in the biomedical sciences sector. The significant investment led to the development of sophisticated manufacturing and supplier capabilities for highly regulated medical devices in Singapore. Under Mr Butel’s strong leadership, Medtronic also established its regional headquarters in Singapore to drive growth across emerging markets in the region.

Mr Butel’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond Baxter and Medtronic. He is a Board member of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), where he provides valuable advice to refine and strengthen EDB’s strategies for industry development.  

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Mr Jean-Luc Butel.

Dr Michael Pryles

Former Chairman of the Board & Founder President of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre

Dr Michael Pryles has contributed extensively to the development of Singapore’s arbitration landscape through his leadership of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) - Singapore’s flagship institution for international commercial arbitration.

Dr Pryles was Chairman of the SIAC Board from March 2009 to March 2013.

Under Dr Pryles’ able leadership, SIAC is now recognized as a world class arbitration institution. SIAC’s caseload and quantum of claims have grown steadily from 160 new cases and total claims amounting to S$1.54 billion in 2009, to a record 235 new cases and total claims amounting to S$3.61 billion in 2012. SIAC also successfully hosted the prestigious International Council for Commercial Arbitration’s 21st Congress in Singapore in June 2012, with a record attendance of more than 1,000 participants and speakers from the global arbitration scene.

According to the World Bank’s ‘Investing Across Borders’ study conducted in 2010, Singapore was ranked as having the best framework in Asia for arbitration of commercial disputes. A White & Case International Arbitration Survey also rated Singapore as the third most preferred seat of arbitration in the world, behind London and Geneva, and on par with Tokyo and Paris. These accolades for Singapore are a direct result of SIAC’s success and Dr Pryles’ contributions.

In April 2013, Dr Pryles was appointed as the Founder President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and played a key role in its establishment. The SIAC Court comprises 16 leading arbitration practitioners from around the world and its main responsibilities include rendering decisions on challenges to arbitrators and jurisdictional challenges. As a result, we continue to benefit from Dr Pryles’ invaluable guidance to the strengthening of SIAC’s rules and procedures, case administration and arbitral appointment functions.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Dr Michael Pryles.

ANNEX C

ABOUT THE HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD

·         The title of Honorary Citizen is the highest national award conferred by the Singapore Government since 2003 to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of non-Singaporeans who have rendered extensive and valuable services to Singapore and its people, or who have made a significant impact in the areas of business, science and technology, information communications, education, health, arts and culture, sports, tourism and community services or security.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE); PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

·         Inaugurated by the Singapore Economic Development Board in 1998, the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) and Pubic Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) are among Singapore’s most prestigious awards, awarded in recognition of the contributions of international business leaders to the economic growth of Singapore, and to international friends who have rendered valuable public services to Singapore or for outstanding achievement in their respective field or profession.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ms Chua Ai Ni

Public Affairs Directorate

Tel: (65) 6379 8376

Email: Chua_Ai_Ni@mfa.gov.sg

Ministry of Law

Ms Karen Lin

Corporate Communications

Tel: (65) 6332 8828

Email: Karen_Lin@mlaw.gov.sg

ANNEX A

COMMENTS FROM AWARD RECIPIENTS

HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD 2013

Mr Hiromasa Yonekura, Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical

“It is an extreme pleasure to be conferred with the Honorary Citizen Award. I feel deeply humbled and greatly honored to receive this special privilege and to be added to the list of the distinguished previous recipients. Ever since we incorporated Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore in 1977 and launched  Asia’s then largest petrochemical complex in 1984, our operations in Singapore have been driving the Sumitomo Chemical Group’s globalization efforts and its endeavors to bring innovative, higher value-added products and technologies to market. Along the way, our local activities have been growing to include manufacturing, marketing, sales, research and development and headquarters functions. And looking forward, Singapore will play an even more significant role as our strategic base in the region, as shown by the recent establishment of Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pacific, our regional headquarters to accelerate new business development in Southeast Asia, India and Oceania. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Singapore government and Economic Development Board (EDB) and all those in this great country who have provided significant help, support and cooperation, and hope to see the friendship and partnership between Singapore and Sumitomo Chemical further grow and strengthen in years to come.”

PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

Mr Steven Green, Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami; Special Advisor to the Singapore Government; Former US Ambassador to Singapore

“I am most humbled to receive Singapore’s Public Service Star. 

As a longtime friend of Singapore and as a former Ambassador of the United States to Singapore, I can think of no greater honour.  My wife Dorothea and our family join me in expressing our profound gratitude for this recognition. 

Singapore and our many friends here occupy a very special place in our hearts.  We have so many fond memories of our years living here, and feel at home every time we visit.  We never cease to marvel at Singapore’s success in building economic prosperity over the last half century through a truly unique combination of strategic vision and free market dynamism. 

Dorothea and I feel blessed to have made so many enduring friendships and so welcomed by Singapore.”

Dr Franz Humer, Chairman of Roche; Chairman of INSEAD Board; Chairman of Diageo

"I am incredibly honored to receive this award, as I very much admire the Economic Development Board’s continued efforts to keep Singapore an open and vibrant economy. 

Roche has been present in Singapore since 1973 and our operations today include both a regional hub and key parts of our manufacturing supply chain. This has allowed me to witness Singapore’s economic success model firsthand. Such growth is grounded in persistent long-term thinking, very much like the innovation-focused strategy that has allowed Roche to become one of the world’s largest healthcare companies. Economies which remain committed to a business- and innovation-friendly environment will be the most successful in the decades to come.”

Mr Robert A. McDonald, retired Chairman, President and CEO of The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

“I am honored to receive the Public Service Star and be recognized as a Distinguished Friend of Singapore.  This award is meaningful to me because it recognizes the opportunity all of us have to help improve the lives of those around us.  I am proud that the partnership Procter & Gamble and I have built with the Economic Development Board of Singapore has helped, in a small way, strengthen Singapore’s leading role as a home for business, talent and innovation in Asia and around the world.  P&G and I are proud to be part of the Singapore success story and we look forward to continuing to build our partnership for generations to come.”

PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

Mr Jean-Luc Butel, Corporate Vice President and President of International

Baxter International

“I am deeply honored to receive the Friends of Singapore Public Service Medal and want to thank the EDB for its support.

Singapore holds special memories for my family and me. Having worked and lived in Singapore, we have formed great relationships, and Baxter’s experience in Singapore echoes my own.

The partnership between Baxter and EDB represents more than three decades of close collaboration. Today, Singapore is the gateway to a growing Asia business and for Baxter; this is home to two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities supplying global healthcare needs, and headquarters for our Southeast Asia operations.

Both Baxter and Singapore share a passion for innovation as we work to establish new models of care that address healthcare challenges and needs not only in Singapore but in Asia. I have had the honor to serve on the EDB board and look forward to supporting Singapore and the development of the biotechnology industry.”

Dr Michael Pryles, Former Chairman of the Board & Founder President of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre

“The award of the medal is a great honour which was totally unexpected.  It has been a great pleasure working in Singapore to help develop a world class arbitration centre for the resolution of international commercial disputes. Many people have assisted including the Board and Court members of SIAC who comprise some of the leading experts in the field of international commercial arbitration and our secretariat.  Behind us stood the consistent support and encouragement of the Minister of Law, Mr K. Shanmugam and his permanent secretaries and staff. The honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who served for a time as Deputy Chairman of SIAC, was a constant inspiration and source of never ending ideas and suggestions. The expertise, competence and integrity of the Supreme Court were also vital to our success and provided an indispensable foundation for our development. 

Singapore has now become perhaps the leading place in Asia to resolve international commercial disputes. Arbitration is undoubtedly the most important procedure for doing so but other forms of dispute resolution are being developed.  I believe that effective dispute resolution is an essential component for the establishment of Singapore as a leading financial and commercial centre. To my mind Singapore already bears the essential hallmarks of a London or New York in South East Asia.”

ANNEX B

CITATION FOR THE HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD

2013

Mr Hiromasa Yonekura

Chairman of Sumitomo Chemical

Mr Yonekura has contributed significantly to the growth of the chemicals industry in Singapore. The partnership between Sumitomo Chemical and Singapore reached new heights under his leadership. Today, Sumitomo Chemical is the largest Japanese investor on Jurong Island, with more than $3 billion in cumulative investments.

Mr Yonekura played an instrumental role in starting Singapore’s chemicals industry through the formation of Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS), the first petrochemical complex in Southeast Asia. Assigned as the PCS project manager, Mr Yonekura was heavily involved in the coordination of the Japanese consortium that was studying the investment and personally led the negotiations.

The establishment of PCS sparked off a wave of investments in the early development of the industry from companies that set up facilities linked to PCS. It also laid the foundation for the development of Jurong Island, the centrepiece of Singapore’s chemicals industry, as investments from companies all over the world ensued.

After the inception of PCS, Mr Yonekura continued to be a strong champion and supporter of Singapore. Sumitomo Chemical’s manufacturing operations in Singapore expanded over the years, with PCS steadily increasing its olefins production capacity, and Sumitomo Chemical setting up a new integrated acrylates complex on Jurong Island in 1998, which to-date is the largest acrylates manufacturing site for Sumitomo Chemical in the world. For his contributions to Singapore, Mr Yonekura was awarded the Public Service Star Award (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) in 2006. He was also a member of EDB’s International Advisory Council (IAC) from 2007 to 2011.

When Mr Yonekura became Chairman and Board Member of Sumitomo Chemical in 2009, he positioned Singapore as the manufacturing location for Sumitomo Chemical’s higher value-added products, and as a key overseas hub in Sumitomo Chemical’s global network. Most recently, he led the company to establish its high value-added Solution Styrene Butadiene Rubber plant on Jurong Island, a regional headquarters in Singapore to drive business development in Southeast Asia, India and Oceania, and an acrylates R&D centre to serve the Asian market.

Mr Yonekura is a firm believer of the need to groom international talent. Under his leadership, Sumitomo Chemical also helped to shape the Chemical Engineering curriculum for the National University of Singapore. In addition, Singapore was made home to Sumitomo Chemical’s corporate training institute for regional managers.

Mr Yonekura’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond Sumitomo Chemical.  In his current capacity as Chairman of KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation), he continues to play a key role in fostering close economic ties between both countries.

In recognition of Mr Yonekura’s outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Honorary Citizen Award on Mr Hiromasa Yonekura.

CITATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

2013

Mr Steven J Green

Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami;

Special Advisor to the Singapore Government;

Former Ambassador of the United States of America to Singapore

Steven J Green served as the United States’ Ambassador to Singapore from 1997 to 2001.  Since 2002, he has been Special Advisor to the Singapore Government, and since 2003, the Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami.

During his time as the United States’ Ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador Green played an instrumental role in broadening and deepening Singapore-United States relations.  He spearheaded a number of strategic programmes aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in the areas of economic development, intellectual property, immigration, and national security.  Ambassador Green was instrumental in seeding the idea of a United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA).  He laid the groundwork for former President Bill Clinton's eventual agreement with then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Brunei, to commence negotiations on the USSFTA.  Ambassador Green also actively lobbied American companies for support on the USSFTA. 

The significant role he played resulted in the culmination of the USSFTA, which has benefitted both countries in terms of trade in goods, services and investments.  As a result of the privileged access to each other’s markets, Singapore is the United States’ largest trading partner and investment destination in ASEAN. 

Ambassador Green also promoted United States-Singapore economic relations by drawing American business interest to ASEAN.  During his tenure, Ambassador Green sought to profile Singapore as a regional political and economic hub by organising meetings in Singapore attended by regional United States’ Heads of Missions, in conjunction with high-level visits by various United States Cabinet Secretaries to Singapore.  Ambassador Green also played a key role in pushing for Singapore to be included in the United States Visa Waiver Pilot Programme.  As a result of Ambassador Green’s efforts, Singapore citizens travelling to the United States have enjoyed the privilege of hassle-free travel since 9 August 1999.

A steadfast believer in philanthropy and the importance of giving back to the community, Ambassador Green led the United States Embassy’s efforts to launch Friendship Works in April 1999, which was a programme targeting US business philanthropy and related volunteer action with the aim of increasing American corporate citizenship in Singapore. 

As Special Advisor to the Singapore Government and Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Singapore in Miami, HCG Green continues to actively promote and contribute substantively to Singapore-United States relations.   

In recognition of the outstanding contributions he has made to Singapore and in furthering United States-Singapore bilateral relations, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Steven J Green.

Dr Franz Humer

Chairman of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Diageo PLC, INSEAD

Dr Humer has made a significant impact across 3 strategic industry pillars in Singapore.

In his capacity as Chairman of Roche, Dr Humer has been a key champion of Singapore’s biomedical sciences initiative. He led Roche to set up an integrated home across its manufacturing, R&D and commercial activities in Singapore. To-date, Roche has invested more than $800 million and created over 700 skilled jobs in Singapore.

In 2006, Dr. Humer played an instrumental role in supporting Roche’s decision to build its first and only Asian biologics manufacturing plant in Singapore. That early investment decision seeded more manufacturing activities in Singapore. Singapore is now a key node in Roche’s global manufacturing network, supplying life saving drugs such as Avastin, Herceptin and Lucentis. The investment from Roche also provided Singapore with the track record to convince other pharmaceutical companies to establish biologics manufacturing plants in Singapore. Today, Singapore is one of the leading global locations for biologics manufacturing with 8 world class biologics plants representing over $2.4 billion of investments and employing more than one third of the total pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce.  

Under Dr Humer’s leadership, Roche established the Roche-Singapore Translational Medicine Hub in 2010. Through this first of its kind public-private partnership model, Roche brought together multidisciplinary capabilities across Singapore’s public translational research ecosystem to generate insights on disease biology for drug development in Asia. To-date, Roche has embarked on more than 15 collaborations with our academics and clinicians. Dr. Humer also oversaw Chugai’s growth in Singapore. In 2012, Chugai announced its plans to invest more than $200 million over the next 5 years in its first antibody engineering centre outside Japan. To enable it to better capture emerging market opportunities, Roche has also located its Asia Pacific commercial headquarters for both Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics businesses in Singapore.

Dr Humer’s contributions to Singapore’s economy extend beyond biomedical sciences. As Chairman of Diageo, Dr Humer advised EDB to catalyse the growth of Singapore’s brand development ecosystem by integrating and drawing synergies between consumer insights, research and development, advertising, communications and creative activities. Under his leadership, Diageo’s operations in Singapore expanded from a regional headquarters to an Asia Pacific hub for brand development, innovation, and talent development, with over 350 employees, and global responsibility for Diageo’s luxury brand portfolio.

As the Chairman of the Board of Directors at INSEAD, Dr Humer was instrumental in charting the direction for INSEAD’s Asia Campus expansion in Singapore. Today, INSEAD’s Asia Campus has more than 50 faculty members based in Singapore. It offers a suite of MBA, Executive MBA, PhD and executive education programmes that benefit more than 3,000 students and executives annually. Under Dr Humer’s leadership and support, INSEAD has started the third phase of its expansion, which will involve the establishment of a Global Centre for Leadership Development and a dedicated executive education wing. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Dr Franz Humer.

Mr Robert A. McDonald

Retired Chairman, President and CEO

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G)

Mr Robert McDonald has contributed significantly to the growth of Singapore’s Consumer industry. Under his leadership, P&G’s presence in Singapore has grown steadily and significantly over the last decade. Today, with close to 2,000 employees, P&G has made Singapore its Home in Asia, for business, innovation and talent.

As Vice-Chairman of P&G’s Global Operations and Chief Operating Officer from 2004 to 2009, Mr McDonald played a pivotal role in the company’s decision to establish its Asia Pacific business headquarters in Singapore. Today, this headquarters is responsible for a range of strategic functions including brand management, product supply, consumer & market knowledge, design management, human resources, as well as corporate services such as finance, information technology and legal services.

As Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2013, Mr McDonald continued to be a passionate proponent for Singapore, and was instrumental in advancing Singapore’s innovation capabilities. In 2011, P&G established its Singapore Innovation Centre, one of the company’s two mega research and development centres in Asia, and the largest private sector tenant in Biopolis. With a research community of nearly 500, the Singapore Innovation Centre will lead in the development of beauty, personal healthcare, grooming and homecare products that will touch the lives of more than four billion consumers around the world.

The Singapore Innovation Centre is also anchored on a Master Research Collaboration Agreement with the Agency of Science, Technology and Research, which enables P&G to work with Singapore’s innovation ecosystem across research institutes, medical institutions and academia. As a result of Mr McDonald’s foresight in Asia’s potential and confidence in Singapore, P&G located the global headquarters of its Baby Care and Prestige categories in Singapore. Today, the team in Singapore drives the strategy, innovation and growth of “billion-dollar” brands, such as SK-II and Pampers.

Mr McDonald has also strongly supported Singapore’s ambition to become a Home for Talent. In 2010, P&G established the Asia Leadership Development Centre that trains more than 500 managers from the region annually. Today, the iconic corporate university plays an extremely important role within P&G’s global talent development network, by supporting the company’s talent control tower which is also based in Singapore.

Mr McDonald’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond P&G. As the longest serving member of EDB’s International Advisory Council, Mr McDonald has, since 2007, provided valuable insights and perspectives that have helped shape Singapore’s development into a Global-Asia hub, which connects global companies to Asia and Asian enterprises to the world. 

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Mr Robert McDonald.  

CITATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

2013

Mr Jean-Luc Butel

Corporate Vice President, President International

Baxter International

Mr Jean-Luc Butel has made important contributions to the growth of Singapore’s Medical Technology industry.

 As Corporate Vice President of Baxter International, Mr Butel plays a key role in charting Baxter’s next phase of growth in Singapore. Baxter, one of the largest employers in Singapore’s MedTech sector, manufactures products ranging from medical supplies to biologics in Singapore for global markets. Under Mr Butel’s leadership, Baxter has continued to build on Singapore's position as one of its key manufacturing sites.  It has also adopted advanced manufacturing technologies to boost productivity and strengthen competitiveness.

In addition, Baxter leverages Singapore as the regional hub to support its businesses in fast-growing markets such as Southeast Asia, India and Korea. Mr Butel is also leading Baxter’s efforts to forge partnerships with the healthcare providers in Singapore to develop innovative healthcare solutions for the region.

In his former position as Executive Vice President and Group President International of Medtronic Inc from 2008 to 2012, Mr Butel played an instrumental role in the company’s decision to set up their first Asian pacemaker manufacturing plant in Singapore. It was Singapore’s first manufacturing facility for active implantable medical devices, seeding a new growth segment in the biomedical sciences sector. The significant investment led to the development of sophisticated manufacturing and supplier capabilities for highly regulated medical devices in Singapore. Under Mr Butel’s strong leadership, Medtronic also established its regional headquarters in Singapore to drive growth across emerging markets in the region.

Mr Butel’s contributions to Singapore extend beyond Baxter and Medtronic. He is a Board member of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), where he provides valuable advice to refine and strengthen EDB’s strategies for industry development.  

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Mr Jean-Luc Butel.

Dr Michael Pryles

Former Chairman of the Board & Founder President of the Court of Arbitration, Singapore International Arbitration Centre

Dr Michael Pryles has contributed extensively to the development of Singapore’s arbitration landscape through his leadership of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) - Singapore’s flagship institution for international commercial arbitration.

Dr Pryles was Chairman of the SIAC Board from March 2009 to March 2013.

Under Dr Pryles’ able leadership, SIAC is now recognized as a world class arbitration institution. SIAC’s caseload and quantum of claims have grown steadily from 160 new cases and total claims amounting to S$1.54 billion in 2009, to a record 235 new cases and total claims amounting to S$3.61 billion in 2012. SIAC also successfully hosted the prestigious International Council for Commercial Arbitration’s 21st Congress in Singapore in June 2012, with a record attendance of more than 1,000 participants and speakers from the global arbitration scene.

According to the World Bank’s ‘Investing Across Borders’ study conducted in 2010, Singapore was ranked as having the best framework in Asia for arbitration of commercial disputes. A White & Case International Arbitration Survey also rated Singapore as the third most preferred seat of arbitration in the world, behind London and Geneva, and on par with Tokyo and Paris. These accolades for Singapore are a direct result of SIAC’s success and Dr Pryles’ contributions.

In April 2013, Dr Pryles was appointed as the Founder President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration and played a key role in its establishment. The SIAC Court comprises 16 leading arbitration practitioners from around the world and its main responsibilities include rendering decisions on challenges to arbitrators and jurisdictional challenges. As a result, we continue to benefit from Dr Pryles’ invaluable guidance to the strengthening of SIAC’s rules and procedures, case administration and arbitral appointment functions.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Singapore, the President of the Republic of Singapore is pleased to confer the Public Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) 2013 on Dr Michael Pryles.

ANNEX C

ABOUT THE HONORARY CITIZEN AWARD

·         The title of Honorary Citizen is the highest national award conferred by the Singapore Government since 2003 to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of non-Singaporeans who have rendered extensive and valuable services to Singapore and its people, or who have made a significant impact in the areas of business, science and technology, information communications, education, health, arts and culture, sports, tourism and community services or security.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SERVICE STAR (DISTINGUISHED FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE); PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL (FRIENDS OF SINGAPORE)

·         Inaugurated by the Singapore Economic Development Board in 1998, the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) and Pubic Service Medal (Friends of Singapore) are among Singapore’s most prestigious awards, awarded in recognition of the contributions of international business leaders to the economic growth of Singapore, and to international friends who have rendered valuable public services to Singapore or for outstanding achievement in their respective field or profession.