Sustainability Advisory

Redesigning society means confronting hard truths and forging actionable solutions

Overview

With global population approaching 10 billion and resource constraints intensifying, there is a growing need to rethink our notions of progress, inclusive growth and business models beyond current narratives about sustainability. Sustainability can no longer be confined to CSR initiatives, ESG reporting or be PR/Comms-led: a new era of awareness and urgency has dawned which requires speedy action. Leadership on sustainability demands having a robust position backed by scientific facts and making it a compliance issue across the organisation.

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Our Methodology

GIFT offers customised and structured engagement designed to get Board and Management teams to come to terms with this new reality. The GIFT methodology does not pre-judge outcomes or pre-empt ideas by assuming to have all the answers. GIFT facilitators challenge biases that hinder participants from asking the hard questions and achieving meaningful outcomes. Emphasis is on creating a conducive and safe environment for a candid and direct conversation. Our approach lends itself to developing a common understanding of desired outcomes, building consensus on strategic goals, resolving divergent interests and facilitating the production of a clear and actionable position or plan.

Who Is It For?

These high level, strictly confidential and agenda-setting processes, are for those ready to confront and construct a bold and new narrative for their companies. This may include

Board and shareholder briefings with decision-making facilitation
Senior management briefings & outcome-driven facilitation (key decisions, commitments)
Workshops for key business units and teams aimed at arriving at new business areas and models, to solidify positions, operationalise sustainability principles and agree commitments to action.

Why Now - A New Era Of Awareness And Urgency Has Dawned

Consumers and policymakers are demanding faster and scalable solutions to unsustainable business models

ESG reporting or embracing SDGs as a slogan will be insufficient in moving the dial on real progress to overcoming societal challenges

Formulating a clear and meaningful position requires confronting hard truths, embracing new realities and open and honest debate by management and shareholders

Being accountable for externalities should be viewed as a fiduciary responsibility, shifting mindsets from the free ride of externalising the true costs of products and services to society or the bio-sphere

SPEAK TO US

VINOBHA ANTHONY DOSS
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE-ASEAN

Vinobha Anthony Doss is a Programme Associate at GIFT ASEAN. Prior to joining GIFT he was in the practice of civil litigation and dispute resolution. He has been involved in various public policy shaping cases lodged in the Malaysian courts. His creative approach coupled with the depth in legal knowledge has resulted in effective legal reasoning and client management. Vino graduated from the University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 2017. He speaks fluent English, Malay, basic Cantonese and basic French.

VIJI NAIR
OPERATIONS MANAGER-ASEAN

Viji is the Operations Manager at GIFT Asean. She oversees the operational management of the KL office.

Prior to joining GIFT, Viji worked in various organisations and has spent the last 15 years on NGO work mainly focusing on performance arts and cancer respectively. Viji holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the Dublin Business School. She speaks English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Malayalam.

BRENDA CHEAH
PROGRAMME MANAGER-ASEAN

Brenda oversees the programme design and implementation, as well as content development at GIFT. Prior to GIFT, Brenda was a Senior Economist at the Central Bank of Malaysia for almost 8 years, leading macroeconomic assessments and growth projections for monetary policy deliberation. Passionate about public policy, she also sought to diversify her research interests and expertise over the years – ranging from trade competitiveness and investment incentives to social protection. When COVID-19 hit, Brenda had a hand in crafting various stimulus measures to support the vulnerable groups in Malaysia.

She holds a degree in BSc. in Economics with honours from the University of Warwick, UK. She has also attended various professional courses by the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Korea at Washington D.C., Singapore and South Korea. She is fluent in Malay, speaks several Chinese dialects and knows basic Korean.

VENUS DULANI
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Venus is Programme Associate at GIFT. Prior to joining GIFT, she worked at the United Nations, USL Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has experience in climate change and sustainability planning, stakeholder engagement and community outreach. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies, with an additional concentration in Inequality Studies. She is fluent in English and Hindi, proficient in Spanish, and conversant in Cantonese.

KARIM RUSHDY
FACILITATOR

Karim joined GIFT in 2010 as Business Development Manager. Over the next decade he served as Head of Programmes in Hong Kong, and as Managing Director of GIFT ASEAN in Malaysia where he led the transformation of a small rep office into a fully-fledged regional business.

During this period Karim designed and facilitated dozens of public and custom development programmes for thousands of professionals from Fortune 500s, regional MNCs, Government Agencies and NGOs. Karim’s articles on insights gathered through his work in the classroom and in the field have appeared in a range of publications.

In 2021 Karim left his executive role at GIFT to pursue graduate studies in mindfulness – a practise he is deeply passionate about. He continues to contribute to programme design and facilitation, and is an advisor to GIFT’s new EdTech company GIFT.ed

Karim has lived in Asia for over 20 years. Prior to GIFT, he was a partner in a successful Shanghai-based food and beverage company which today operates almost 50 restaurants across a dozen major Chinese cities. Karim has an MBA from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in China, and is pursuing a Masters in Teaching Mindfulness Based Courses at Bangor University in the UK.

ERIC STRYSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR – GLOBAL SERVICES

In addition to leading GIFT’s dynamic team and business, since 2008, Eric has facilitated more than 50 experiential leadership programmes in fifteen countries. He is well versed in introducing new ideas on governance, business and sustainability and coaching participants to think critically about their role as leaders. Before joining GIFT, Eric spent several years managing multi-stakeholder partnerships between global brands and civil society groups in the United States and China. He writes and speaks regularly on topics related to leadership development and the changing role of business in society. Eric is an alumnus of Standford University and holds a Masters from Hong Kong University.

CHANDRAN NAIR
FOUNDER & CEO

For more than three decades, Chandran has advised governments and MNCs on strategic management, leadership issues and sustainability, and is often invited to facilitate for top corporate education providers including Duke CE, INSEAD and NUS. He was previously Chairman of ERM in Asia Pacific, helping establish it as the world’s leading environmental consultancy. Chandran is on the Executive Committee of the Club of Rome and is a member of WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Governance for Sustainability and Experts Forum, where his thought leadership is sought for its fresh insights and intellectual honesty. He is the author of the best-seller – Consumptionomics: Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet, and The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy and Society.