(Incoming Chairman Message)
Dear Members,
May I first thank those Members for making time to attend our AGM last week. I’m conscious of the duties and tasks ahead as the incoming chair of the Singapore branch. At the same time there is also much enthusiasm as I look ahead to the coming year.
I must first thank Seow Chee for her service as Chairman over the last three years. It’s been a pleasure to support Seow Chee in the committee. With her continuing in the role as vice chair, many of the initiatives and good works will remain. I should also like to acknowledge other predecessor chairpersons, namely Bill Lexmond and Angelo Venardos whom I had the privilege of working under previously in the earlier years.
Looking ahead to my own year of Office as Chairman, I hope to engage with fellow members and see how they could contribute and participate in various initiatives. There are sub-committees like the editorial sub-committee and opportunities to assist in organizing committees for our conferences e.g. the prestigious Asia-Pacific STEP conference which will be held in 2015. This particular conference attracts a world-wide audience and we want to continue to build on its success to put Singapore on the map. I hope to steer the STEP Singapore Branch and our members as the industry experts in trusts, fiduciary and estate planning services.
To be recognized as such, we need to inculcate relationships with other professionals from the legal, tax, accounting, banking, investment and financial industries. Accordingly, I hope to roll out high quality STEP seminars and workshops that are of interest and relevance to members and to such professionals.
Our industry continues to face increasing standards of compliance and other regulatory changes. Hence, we need to raise awareness of best practices in many new unchartered areas and we will work to make STEP Singapore branch remain a point of contact for dialogue and a communication channel to regulators and other agencies.
Finally, I would like to thank, in advance the several committee members who have “stepped” forward to serve with me on this committee. From all of us, we look forward to all members’ support in our forthcoming activities and events.
Lee Chiwi
Chairperson, STEP (Singapore Branch), 2014-2015