(Singapore, 12.11.2025) — Yesterday, the International Business Federation (IBF) hosted its Global Business Leaders Summit and Awards Gala at Orchid Country Club, bringing together over 300 guests, including entrepreneurs, business leaders, association heads, and women achievers from across Singapore and the region.
The gala dinner’s Guest of Honour, former Member of Parliament Ms Penny Low, delivered a keynote speech urging business and policy leaders to cultivate mindful leadership amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and global uncertainty. IBF’s Founding President Dr. Frederick Yap, meanwhile, shared the federation’s vision of aligning innovation with social responsibility — ensuring that technology empowers, not overwhelms, humanity.
Technology Is Outpacing Humanity — Awareness Must Catch Up
In her keynote address, Dr. Low described today’s world as one of “breathtaking progress and profound unease.”
“We have never been so connected, yet never so fragmented,” she said. “We have infinite access to information, yet we struggle for wisdom. We are busy, but not always present.”
Citing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Growth Report (2024), Dr. Low noted that global growth is projected to slow to its lowest pace in three decades by 2030, while inequality remains stark — with a global Gini coefficient of 0.62.
At the same time, she warned that the AI revolution is accelerating faster than society’s ability to adapt. According to forecasts by Goldman Sachs and McKinsey, AI could add between US$7 trillion and US$25 trillion to global GDP by 2030, yet 39% of current job skills may become obsolete within the next five years, with 85 million jobs lost even as 97 million new ones emerge.
“The question is not what AI can do, but whether we still remember how to think for ourselves,” she said with wit. “Once we could recall every phone number; now, we can’t even remember our own. This cognitive laziness born of convenience could lead us to a world that is efficient but unfeeling, connected yet devoid of empathy.”
She warned that when humans stop exercising discernment and reflection, “we risk building a hyper-connected world without compassion.”
Introducing her concept of Mindful Leadership, Low invited the audience to pause and “experience the power of slowing down.” She urged decision-makers to take a moment before acting — to ask whether each step is right, necessary, and kind.
Quoting neuroscience findings, she highlighted that mindfulness can reduce stress by 40%, enhance decision-making, and strengthen emotional regulation — a practice now adopted by global firms such as Google and SAP to foster clarity and creativity.
“A true leader does not flee from the storm,” she concluded, “but finds clarity within it.”
Innovation with Responsibility: Making AI Work for Business and Society
Complementing Low’s reflective perspective, Dr. Frederick Yap, Founding President of IBF, addressed the audience from the vantage point of enterprise and innovation.
He revisited Singapore’s six-decade journey — from a “small red dot” to a vibrant global hub — attributing its success to adaptability and resilience. He also announced several new IBF initiatives aimed at advancing entrepreneurship, inclusivity, and social impact.
Among them is the World Madam Global Awards, to be held in July 2026 at Raffles Hotel Singapore, celebrating women leaders who have excelled in career, family, and community service. As part of IBF’s commitment to social responsibility, the event will also launch the IBF PowerClub Charity Program, which aims to mobilize 1,000 women entrepreneurs, each contributing US$1,000 toward healthcare and social innovation beneficiaries including Chung Hwa Medical Institution, the Social Innovation Hub, and St. John Singapore.
“Strength and compassion must go hand in hand — that is the essence of modern women’s leadership,” said Dr. Yap.
He also unveiled IBF’s latest technology venture — the Robot Chef AI Franchise Project, a pioneering concept that merges AI technology with culinary art. In collaboration with industry partner, the initiative aims to recruit 100 renowned chefs globally and achieve US$55 million in revenue within five years.
“This is a model of how AI can empower traditional industries and reshape innovation across Asia,” Dr. Yap said.
Looking ahead next five to ten year, he outlined IBF’s long-term direction:
“IBF will continue to support local enterprises, foster regional collaboration, and build an inclusive and forward-looking business ecosystem — one that combines innovation with social value.”
“The success of the future,” he added, “will not belong to those who move the fastest, but to those who think the deepest.”
