My Chamber Journey: Anil Scott, St. James's Place Wealth Management

This article was originally published in Orient Magazine, April 2020.

Anil Scott, an Associate Partner at St. James's Place Wealth Management, has been a member of the Chamber for 12 years so far. In this interview, Anil shares his highlights and advice for getting the most from your membership.

How did you find out about the Chamber?

I came to Singapore for my second stint in 2008, and the company that brought me over then was actively involved. When someone is new to Singapore, you are looking for a landing point to build your network and get to know people, particularly within the British community. The Chamber was a very good platform to do that.

Initially, I attended events and got to know people in the Chamber through these. I can recall events around 2008-2009 that I still remember to this day as they were very engaging, particularly as this was during the global financial crisis and the Chamber covered this through extensive economic forecasts, sector impacts and more. The Chamber was a source of reassurance and information throughout that period as most businesses were genuinely worried about the outlook for the future.

How has your involvement in the Chamber changed through the years?

Today, I am involved in the Diversity and Inclusion committee. For several years, I was involved in the Financial Services committee (as it was then) and helped to drive regular networking events for the Chamber. We approached all the senior managers from the companies within the other business groups and encouraged them to join us each month for an informal gathering which helped bring together people from different industries. Networking continues to be the primary interest behind many members’ involvement in the Chamber.

I can measure my length of involvement in the Chamber, and also my time in Singapore by the number of British High Commissioners we have seen as they each hold a four-year appointment. I well remember the early days of Paul Madden in Singapore, now the British High Commission to Japan, and in my time thus far we have been supported by Antony Phillipson (now HMTC for North America), Scott Wightman (now Director for External Affairs in the Scottish Government) and currently of course Kara Owen.
 

How have you seen the Chamber and its members change over time?

When I joined in 2008, the Chamber had a different atmosphere and demographic. Today, it is probably more diverse and socially relevant than ever before. You meet a more varied mix of members and business leaders through networking at the Chamber than perhaps you did in the past. This simply reflects the changing demographic of Singapore’s expatriate business community, which is less single-country and much more diverse than before.
 

What have been your highlights so far?

Over twelve years I can remember so many highlights and stand-out events. Chris Patten came several times to Singapore and that was always well attended and deeply informative. I can recall the BritCham Ball back in 2009 where I was horrendously late but had a fantastic night. The 2010 UK General Election when the Chamber ran a great live commentary event as the results came in over the television at The Tanglin Club. This was a superb combination of a social event and professional networking.  Of course, I well remember the 2009 Economic Briefing networking drinks where I met the young lady who is now my wife! There have been many interesting Singapore property updates, and one of the best events I’ve ever been to was the Leaders in Business Lunch with Adrian Hayes in October 2019. That is where the Chamber is fantastic, as you won’t find in many other organisations in Singapore with the ability to bring people of that calibre who can talk about their incredible experiences in life that are directly relevant to you in your career.
 

Where do you see the Chamber’s role today and in the future?

I think there are several elements – people tend to attend events and become involved in Chambers of Commerce when they feel they can either learn, contribute or both. If the Chamber’s committees and events keep their relevance and allow people to learn, contribute and develop themselves professionally then the Chamber will always be strong and will continue to prosper. To the Chamber’s credit, in the time that I have been involved it has always done that and has never dropped the ball on evolving with the changing nature of industry.

People are interested in networking and building their business. This is integral to the Chamber’s value and it is a brilliant forum for this. More recently I have observed the Chamber developing in an interesting and important way to become an advocate for things beyond the immediate day to day commercial concerns of the Singapore international business community. For example, trade missions, diversity, sustainability and interacting with Government.
 

What would be your message to new members of the Chamber?

I would encourage them to get involved early and not to hold back. When I joined, I took the opportunities that were presented to me. Make yourself visible within the Chamber, it’s a great community to get to know people in business. It may not be your only source of business connections, but you can either stand back and dip your toe in, or you can jump in. It is very likely that if you choose the latter, the outcome will be positive.
 

If you would like to share your Chamber journey, contact lucy@britcham.org.sg.