SCWO Inauguration of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame and International Women’s Day 2014
Address by Ms Tracey Woon, Vice Chairman, ASEAN Corporate and Investment Banking, Citi

Our Guests of Honour, President Tony Tan and SCWO Patron Mrs Mary Tan, Madam Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament, Minister Grace Fu, Minister of Prime Minister’s Office, 2nd Minister for Environment & Water Resources and 2nd Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At‐Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower & Mayor of South West District, Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Family, Ms Laura Hwang, President of SCWO, Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, Parliamentarians, Honorees and members of their families and friends, Distinguished guests,

Introduction
Thank you very much for joining us this evening for the launch of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame.

Citi is proud and honoured to be the Presenting Sponsor of this significant national initiative to recognise the women who have made remarkable contributions and achievements in the history of Singapore.

By  sharing  their  stories,  we  hope  that  the  next  generation  of  young  women  and  men  in Singapore can be inspired to pursue their passions and aspirations.

SCWO has painstakingly compiled the stories of these pioneering women. Tonight, we are pleased to officially launch the publication and all of you will receive the first copies of the book. SCWO Inauguration of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame and International Women’s Day 2014

Citi’s rationale for commitment to diversity
Our partnership with SCWO is part of our commitment in promoting diversity by recruiting, developing and advancing women.

Given  our  presence  in  more  than  100  countries,  diversity  is  a  business  imperative  as we believe that a diverse workforce which fully reflects our communities and clients will ensure that  we  continue  to  deliver  quality  and  innovative  solutions  to  meet  and  anticipate  their needs.

We celebrate IWD every year as it is an opportunity to recognise the contributions of women to Citi and highlight our initiatives in helping women advance their careers in Citi.

Citi Singapore’s IWD initiatives in 2014

Globally, our businesses, women’s councils and women’s networks have hosted over 230 IWD events in 170 cities this year.

In Singapore, the Women Council that I chair and the IWD committee lined up a series of exciting initiatives that reached more than 1,000 participants including employees, students and invited guests last week.

Some  of  the  initiatives  include  a large‐scale  outdoor  Yoga  class,  a  panel  discussion  for university students, a social bazaar that supported female‐centric social enterprises, a client dinner  event  showcasing  ASEAN  female  fashion  designers,  and  a  keynote  and  a  panel discussion  with  Financial  Women  Association  of  Singapore  to  share  our  journey  and experience on promoting women leadership within our organization.

About Citi’s Women Leadership Development Programmes
In addition to our annual IWD initiatives, we have global programmes throughout the year that  are  customized  to  develop  talented  women  whether  they  are  at  Director‐Managing Director level or the SVP‐Director level.

For example, we have the Women Leading Citi programme which is an 18‐month engagement to help advance high‐potential Directors and MDs through advocacy and sponsorship.

At the SVP‐Director level, we have the Women’s Leadership Development Programme held in collaboration  with  UCLA  that  is  designed  to  build  new  skills  required  of  women  in  senior leadership positions.

About Citi Singapore’s commitment to gender diversity
For Citi in Singapore, women make up more than half of our workforce, and 4 out of 10 of our country management team are women. Most of them are also here tonight at the Citi table.

To encourage a greater representation of women in the senior ranks, one of the key focus areas is to create a senior management scorecard for diverse slates, to ensure that there is equitable consideration of female and diverse talent for senior level opportunities.

We  also  have  many  flexi‐time  and  remote‐mobile  work  arrangements  available  to  help women, as well as men, manage their dual responsibilities at home and at work.

Through  our  annual  employee  survey,  many  Citibankers  responded  that  they  have  good support and informal agreements with their supervisors to leverage on those options, and we have a high Diversity Index of 80%.

We embrace diversity and promote meritocracy so that we can ensure that we have the best talent to serve our clients and deliver solutions that anticipate their needs.

Conclusion
In  closing,  I  wish  to  acknowledge  the  110  women  who  will  be  inducted  in  the  Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame tonight. Thank you for being such inspirations and for demonstrating that it is possible to live a life of extraordinary achievements and contributions to Singapore when one is fueled by passion, perseverance, authenticity and a spirit of excellence.

I would also like to thank SCWO for giving Citi Singapore the opportunity to be a part of this meaningful initiative.

President  Tony  Tan  and  Mrs  Mary  Tan,  thank  you  for  gracing  the  event  tonight  and  your endorsement of this national campaign to recognise and share the stories of these “silent heroines” who contributed to the success that Singapore is today.

And to our friends and esteemed guests who are here this evening, thank you for joining us to celebrate the leadership and courage of the 108 inductees of the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame.