Conversations with Social Impact Leaders: SuiJin Kon

With the continued focus to integrate ESG into Corporate Strategy & Operations, Page Executive is keen on playing our part to help draw stronger awareness within our business community by launching our latest Conversation with Social Impact Leaders online.

In every episode, we are going to invite one leader from the social impact sector (non-profit, public, social enterprise, education) to share more about his/her passion in this arena as well their advice and tips on the marketplace.

This time, Page Executive's Gabriel Nam speaks to SuiJin Kon from the Blockchain Association Singapore. Here are some of the key highlights from the conversation: 

SuiJin’s motivation to move from her highly successful corporate career to government and non-profit sector…

In my career, my internal compass has always led me to seek meaningful work and projects that enable me to contribute positively to the communities that I work in and that my work will serve, ultimately it will always be about where I can make the bigger impact.

Whilst the career progression and compensation do play a part in my choice of work, I always look for something more than that, an opportunity to leave a place or a community better than when I found it.

The spirit of adventure lives strongly in me, and I am always open explore new and different areas of work – ideally opportunities that allow me to differentiate myself in the market. That is how I  got started on my journey of discovery and has led to my career evolution to date. 

SuiJin’s general view on room for development in social impact sector in order to be able to make bigger impact…

I am of the firm belief that the line between private enterprise and social impact sectors is an imaginary one. The one cannot survive without the other and we are all part of a larger eco-system that exists to make life better for everyone.

If we are to grow the eco-system, we should regard both sides of the fence as being integral partners to each other and work in that direction, and in so doing, we can and will be able to recognize synergies and forge partnerships all around. That spirit of collaboration, I believe, is what will ultimately deliver results for everyone.

SuiJin’s advice on how to combat greenwashing, which seems to be a growing challenge for many organisations…

Greenwashing  is an unfortunate reality of the work that we live in today, but without being totally negative,  it is at least a sign that companies in different industries are beginning to talk about it, and eventually do something about it.

My belief is that we all need to start somewhere, and then gradually level up, so there will always be room for improvement.

We (Blockchain Association Singapore) are exactly trying to use advanced technology like blockchain to help track and measure the progress and impact that the companies are making in these all-encompassing issues and in so doing, we will not merely stay at ‘talking level’.

Hopefully when we can really make meaningful progress, companies will really be looking at the ESG issues seriously and tackle the issues together with all their stakeholders.

SuiJin’s elaboration on how blockchain can help drive sustainability… 

When I first joined the organisation, I was keen on advocating the use of blockchain in 'non-conventional' forms across as many industries as possible, this made ESG and Impact the obvious choice as they are issues that cut across a large swathe of industries.

Usually people associate blockchain with cryptocurrency, NFT or Esports or gaming etc because of the immediate business opportunities. However, what most people do not realise is that blockchain is such a powerful tool that there is a vast applicability across all industries that they are as yet unaware of.

A simple example could be – when an individual makes a donation to a non-profit organisation,  that individual or organisation makes that donation with the best of intentions and frequently for a specific cause. Currently, there is no simple way to show where the money goes and if it is eventually spent on the cause that the donation was made for.

That is where is where blockchain can play a role to ensure the transparency, traceability and verifiability of those donated monies, so that people will eventually gain more confidence to support the causes that believe in in much bigger ways than they do currently.

SuiJin’s advice for individuals who are keen on moving into the social impact sector…

Having a mission to achieve something meaningful in your career would probably be the guiding north star in creating a pathway towards making such a move. It is also essential to have transferrable skill sets and a willingness to keep learning and evolving.

When I look back on my career, I started off in corporate finance and corporate development, and that helped me move into public health heading up that very same function. From there, I honed my skill sets in program management, public policy, and government affairs, both locally and internationally, which then eventually led to me now leading an entire organisation.

It is really about understanding what your values are, what you will stand for, and making the most of the opportunities that are offered to you.