UBS celebrates handover of 9 Penang Road with light up of Singapore’s tallest upcycled tree

The handover ceremony was commemorated with the light up of Singapore’s tallest sustainable tree made up of plastic bottles, certified by the Singapore Book of Records. The 12.8 metre tall structure is covered with 6,000 flowers made from 3,000 discarded plastic bottles, which were individually upcycled and handcrafted by volunteers from UBS, LASALLE, Community Foundation of Singapore and community partners.

Present at the ceremony were Celine Tang and Chong Kee Hiong, directors of Park Mall Pte Ltd (PMPL), who handed the keys of 9 Penang Road to Edmund Koh, President UBS Asia Pacific and August Hatecke, Country Head UBS Singapore.

In UBS’s long-term commitment to sustainability, the tree kicks off UBS’s Sustainable Arts Programme for Youths, a joint project with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) which engages community partners to support and mentor youths by therapeutic learning through art. Materials used to build this tree will be further repurposed into new works of art, some of which you will find in UBS’s new office.

August Hatecke, Country Head UBS Singapore, shared that “ UBS has been in Singapore for close to 50 years and is proud to have been a part of the growth of Singapore as a top financial center. This handover is a significant milestone as we consolidate over 3000 colleagues across our wealth management, investment bank and asset management business at 9 Penang Road to enhance collaboration and offer new capacity for future growth in Asia. Today, Singapore is one of our top two major international booking centers for UBS's wealth management business in the region and headquarters for UBS's investment banking business in South Asia. The facility will also be home to the UBS University, which provides training and development programs for employees across the region and the UBS APAC Innovation lab.

UBS has always been a leader in sustainability, and this latest UBS Sustainable Art Programme for youths in Singapore is an extension of our ongoing commitment to the communities that we conduct business in. Over the years, we have seen increasing interest amongst our Asian clients on sustainable investments. I am pleased to announce that we successfully raised over USD$700 million from APAC clients since we launched the world’s first 100% sustainable cross-asset portfolio.”

UBS plans to move into 9 Penang Road in the second half of 2020.

From today, interior furnishings and fit out works with customized designs will begin. As part of UBS’s commitment to the environment, the new building is energy-efficient and built with high-quality environmentally-friendly materials equipped with innovative technology to drive a greener and more efficient future workspace. In recognition of its sustainable credentials, the building has been awarded Singapore’s BCA Green Mark Platinum certification. UBS has also signed a long term deal with homegrown power-player Sembcorp for 100% of UBS’s operations in Singapore to run on renewable energy. The facility will also be home to UBS APAC Innovation Lab and the UBS University, which provides training and development programs for employees across the region.

UBS looks forward to collaborating closely with our community partners and the neighboring learning institutions, with a strong focus in developing and supporting the growth of youths in Singapore.

UBS in Singapore

Singapore is one of our top two major international booking centers for UBS's wealth management business in the region, headquarters for UBS's investment banking business in South Asia, and a key trading hub in Asia for FRC (FX, Rates and Credit).

UBS and community

As a firm, our employee and community affairs programs focus on educational and entrepreneurship projects globally. Community Affairs at UBS encompasses activities such as matched-giving schemes, direct cash donations to selected organizations, employee volunteering, in-kind donations, disaster relief efforts, and partnerships with community groups. Across the region, UBS employees continue to volunteer in a diverse variety of both skill-based and grassroots programs. We seek to make a positive and sustained impact in local communities; enable employees to be involved in the community and apply skills in a different environment to that in which they operate on a day-today basis; and bring the UBS brand alive for internal and external audiences.

About UBS

UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS' strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in 52 countries, with about 34% of its employees working in the Americas, 34% in Switzerland, 18% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 14% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs approximately 61,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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