Participants at the NAA Hong Kong and INSEAD North Asia Council Business As A Force For Good Award Ceremony 2021
“The challenges of today cannot be solved with yesterday’s thinking. Meeting our common challenges requires ingenuity of bold leaders who can champion business as a force for good. INSEAD is committed to developing these leaders and to aligning the goals of business and society.” — Dean Ilian Mihov
During Dean Mihov’s tenure, “Business as a Force for Good” has become a familiar expression to the INSEAD community and is central to the school’s identity. The INSEAD global alumni community is no exception. With 49 official chapters set up around the world, the entirely volunteer-led National Alumni Associations have consistently taken the lead in advancing the Force for Good mission through creative initiatives hosted within their local communities.
Here are a few highlights from 2020/2021:
NAA Netherlands Annual Strategy Forum
Themed “Dutch Force for Good”, The NAA Netherlands Strategy Forum held in October 2021 focused on finding concrete ways to create positive change within local communities. Thoughtful dialogue took place around three main themes: Impact Investing, Social Entrepreneurship in Food and Tech, and Corporate Leadership for Sustainability and Diversity. Speakers also highlighted examples from the INSEAD community on topics such as investing, mentoring and board membership, all of which inspired leaders of the Dutch community to actively pursue their own ideas.
NAA Singapore – Force for Good Awards
For the last three years, the National Alumni Association of Singapore has devoted considerable energy to its Awards Programme. This recognises alumni organisations in Singapore that have demonstrated ‘Business as a Force for Good’ through their activities, and who have in place a vision, mission statement and strategy clearly outlining their commitment to corporate social responsibility and meaningful societal impact. In 2022, awards will be presented in six distinct categories, all with the aim of encouraging Singapore’s business community to take greater strides towards positive societal change, while also strengthening the INSEAD brand in the region.
NAA Italy – INSEADer of the Year
The INSEADer of the Year initiative was launched by the NAA of Italy in 2017 and has become an annual tradition to recognise and reward Italian alumni who have demonstrated achievements that reinforce INSEAD’s values and mission of being a force for good. The most recent award recipient was Paolo Bertoluzzo MBA’94D who was commended in 2020 for his long-term vision that transformed the historic Central Institute of Italian Popular Banks into the Nexi Group and a leading European player in the digital payments space.
The Association’s INSEADer of the Year ceremony included a fundraising event to provide a scholarship for an Italian INSEAD MBA student from the subsequent intake.
The 2021 Awards are scheduled to take place on 21 November 2021.
NAA Hong Kong and INSEAD North Asia Council collaboration
The NAA of Hong Kong and the INSEAD North Asia Council collaborated to launch two initiatives that recognise individuals and organisations who have made a positive impact locally. From over 30 nominations, four awardees from four categories were recognised during the inaugural Awards Ceremony on 28 September 2021, which was officiated by Ben Keswick MBA‘02D, Executive Chairman of Jardine Matheson Holdings and President of the INSEAD North Asia Council, and Holman Chin, Executive Director, Campaign and Advancement Services at INSEAD.
The ceremony was also an opportunity to launch the North Asia Force for Good Scholarship that will support future INSEAD MBA students who are already demonstrating their commitment to being a positive force in the world.
All of the above initiatives would not have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers who go above and beyond to tirelessly promote the vision and mission of the school. Together, INSEAD and its alumni community are driving change and making significant ongoing impact by shaping thoughtful leaders who create value for their organisations and their communities — well into the future.
