Singapore, 1 July 2015 - UBS today announced the launch of UBS Philanthropy Forum Asia in Singapore. Held on July 2 & 3, the forum will be attended by a highly influential group of close to 200 participants and global speakers including eminent private philanthropists, social entrepreneurs and top business families. Guest-of-Honor, Mr J Y Pillay, Chairman of the Council of Presidential Advisers, is the keynote speaker at the Philanthropy Forum Asia gala dinner.
The desire to embrace philanthropy amongst the wealthy families has expanded beyond US and Europe to Asia. As Asia emerges as the next center of billionaire wealth creation, the UBS Philanthropy Forum Asia in Singapore seeks to examine how wealthy families have successfully created a family legacy through innovative philanthropy practices.
Chi Won Yoon, President Asia Pacific for UBS said, "UBS has been working with Asia's wealthiest families for over 50 years. This year, we are delighted to host our flagship Philanthropy Forum in Singapore, as the city-state celebrates 50 years of independence. With embracing innovation as our theme, the 2015 Forum will provide a unique platform for the region's top philanthropists to share best practices and groundbreaking ideas. This event forms part of our UBS and Society initiative, which helps clients use their wealth for positive societal impact."
According to the recent UBS and PwC 2015 report, the average age of Asian billionaires is 57, an age when many begin to consider how to preserve and transfer their wealth. This wealth demographic can trigger a wave of philanthropic giving.
"As Asian billionaire families grow in size and complexity, succession planning and the engagement of the second generation are important in establishing a lasting family legacy. Increasingly, philanthropy has been a social cohesive force to successfully transmit the family values across the generations. At UBS, our dedicated philanthropy advisory team has advised numerous clients in their philanthropic aspirations over the generations." Josef Stadler, Head Global Ultra High Net Worth, UBS Wealth Management said.
Mario Marconi, Head of Philanthropy & Values-based Investing, UBS said: "The focus of giving for today’s philanthropists varies widely, as do their motivations for giving. However what is becoming more and more apparent is that they are looking for measurable results for their philanthropic efforts.
To this end, UBS has a dedicated global team of philanthropy advisory experts who have been collaborating with our clients on all aspects of philanthropy, strategic charitable giving as well as investing with a social impact."
Later this year, UBS will also be launching a Singapore presence of our UBS Optimus Foundation. The Optimus Foundation is UBS's professional grant-making foundation which focuses on children education, healthcare and protection. The foundation is funded by donations from UBS's clients and contributions from UBS.
The UBS Family Legacy & Philanthropy Forum this year will provide a unique opportunity for top philanthropists to share best practices, exchange ideas and explore opportunities of collaboration in this important area. It will feature a series of engaging presentations and panel discussions on topics such as social innovation, family legacy and next generation philanthropy.
Key speakers include:
Peter Lawson-Johnston II, Managing Partner, Guggenheim Partners, USA
Justin Rockefeller, Co-Founder, The ImPact, USA
James Chen, Founder and Trustee, Vision for a Nation; Founder, Adlens, Hong Kong
Junita Ciputra, Managing Director, Ciputra Group, Indonesia
John Wood, Founder, Room to Read, Hong Kong
Jack Lu Ke Wen, Vice President, HTC, Taiwan
Belinda Tanoto, Trustee, Tanoto Foundation, Singapore
David Sin, Chief Executive Officer, SIN Capital Group, Singapore
Lu Dezhi, Chairman of Huamin Charity Foundation, China
Laurence Lien, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Asia Philanthropy Circle, Singapore
Noni Purnomo, President Director, PT. Pusaka Citra Djokosoetono, Blue Bird Group Holding, Indonesia
Robert Friedland, Chairman, Ivanhoe Capital Corporation, Singapore
Quek Sue Yian, Head, Corporate Social Responsibility Department, Hong Leong Management Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia
As one of the leading service providers to UHNW clients worldwide, UBS is very active in philanthropy advisory through its dedicated Philanthropy & Values-Based Investing team.Over 30 in-house experts cater globally to all aspects of philanthropy, strategic charitable giving as well as investing with social impact in a "one-stop" professional approach, offering UBS clients a broad range of services spanning from philanthropy advisory, selection and execution of philanthropic projects in the name of and for UBS clients through the UBS Optimus Foundation, and investment solutions focusing on combining social change with financial aspects. UBS was awarded the "Best private bank globally for Philanthropy Services and Social Impact Investing by Euromoney from 2011 to 2015.
Media Inquiries
Julie Yeo | julie.yeo@ubs.com | Tel:+65 6495 5332/+65 9673 4433 |
Adeline Lee | adeline.lee@ubs.com | Tel:+65 6495 8632/+65 9753 2480 |
