The graduates were the first batch of graduates to obtain the Executive Certificate in Leadership, designed to equip middle to senior leaders to lead effectively. Over the two-year programme, participants could select from a range of programs on managing self, managing others (including applying the Freedom within the Framework model), managing performance, and developing skills of the future.

Dr. Sean Ferguson, Associate Dean of Asia School of Business, said, "On behalf of ASB-Iclif, we would like to express our gratitude to Sarawak Energy for the opportunity to develop and upskill these high potential employees."

Sarawak Energy's Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Dr. Mak Met, said while commenting on the occasion, "Our people are our greatest asset. We support their continued development through learning and training that add on new skill sets and through mentoring programmes, among others."

"In Asia School of Business, we have a partner that can help us meet our goal to nurture leadership competence and to develop high performing leaders for Sarawak Energy through their world-class leadership programs," he continued.

In the initial phase of Sarawak Energy's engagement with ASB-Iclif, courses were held in locations across Southeast Asia to embed regional participation and perspectives into the learnings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, classes moved online seamlessly, allowing Sarawak Energy to pivot and adjust to the shifts brought about by the global crisis.

The ASB faculty members who teach ASB-Iclif courses are also MIT Sloan International Faculty Fellows, where MIT Sloan faculty serve as mentors and collaborate on research and teaching. A significant proportion of ASB's professors are trained at Top 10 Time Higher Education (THE) or Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) schools, providing an unrivalled level of academic quality in the region.

Sarawak Energy is one of the largest employers of professional Sarawak talent with a multidisciplinary workforce of 5,400. The energy development corporation is undergoing a corporate transformation journey to meet its regional ambition. To develop the required skills and competencies in its workforce, Sarawak Energy invests significantly to develop a high-performance team with the right culture and technical, professional and leadership competencies, through a structured approach of workplace learning, self-learning and formal learning on a 70:20:10 ratio.

The six graduates who received the Executive Certificate from ASB-Iclif were Chua Jiun Yih, Senior Manager for Information Security and Risk Management; Effendy Syaiful Abdullah, Senior Manager for Occupational Safety; Julie Ha Dai Dee, Manager for Project Analysis; Johny Kundoh, Senior Manager for Internal Audit; Mohamad Danial Bin Beti, Manager for Bumiputra Capacity Development; and Simon Fowel Tami, Senior Manager for Generation Asset Management.

Said Ms. Ha (Julie), "This programme has taught me how to increase my work efficiency and allow maximisation of resources, and I have learnt how to apply these principles at the workplace."

During the event, Dr. Lawrence Abeln, Associate Dean at ASB-Iclif, delivered a mini-masterclass titled: "Global and Strategic Mindset: Key to Leadership for Tomorrow".

He said, "A strategic leader has a global view and understands the interconnectedness of the world and can navigate these cultural barriers. They have a strategic mindset to solve problems at the economic, social and political levels. The strategic leader is guided by values, is driven by purpose and directs with a vision."

In addition to the Leadership Track, ASB-Iclif also offers three other Executive Certificate Tracks for: Finance & the Global Economy, Corporate Governance, and General Management.

About Asia School of Business

Asia School of Business (ASB) was established in 2015 by Bank Negara Malaysia in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management to be a premier global business school, a knowledge and learning hub infused with regional expertise, insights and perspectives of Asia and the emerging economies.

ASB's executive education programs and degree programs have been globally-acclaimed for leading the way in management education. Through its award-winning Action Learning based curriculum, in partnership with the corporate community and students from across the world, ASB is committed to developing transformative and principled leaders who will contribute towards advancing the emerging world.