“I’m going to challenge our participants — I want not just the resources onstage to be the ones defying convention, but I want each of us to do that as well in terms of how we’re going to learn, what we’re going to take away,” Tong says. “I hope to make a difference and an impact that’s going to be a great experience for all of us.”
The EDGE is two days of nonstop learning and connecting with 2,700 business leaders from 93 countries through thought-provoking plenaries, 33 concurrent sessions, networking breaks and evening socials that show off the best of Singapore.
“YPO EDGE is the world’s largest gathering of chief executives, and each year, the event encourages participants to push their boundaries, challenge their way of thinking and go beyond their imagination through dynamic lifelong learning and idea exchange,” says Tong. “Through the EDGE, our peers engage in our mission of becoming ‘Better Leaders Through Lifelong Learning and Leadership’ to positively impact their business and community.”
Purposeful Speakers. Groundbreaking Ideas.
With the theme “Defy Convention,” the 2018 YPO EDGE encourages leaders to explore new ideas, redefine the rules and get to the truth.
The impressive roster of speakers will tell stories and share strategies, offer insights and partake in discussion about how to Defy Convention in all aspects of life and leadership to make changes for the better. Among this year’s speakers are:
- Wendy Appelbaum, a philanthropist and trustee of Africa’s largest private charitable foundation who feels a responsibility to society and focuses on education, healthcare and women’s rights;
- Majid Fotuhi, M.D., Ph.D., a leading neurologist from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University, who will help you vitally improve brain function and continue leading through midlife and beyond;
- Victor Fung, a YPO member, who is founder of the Fung Global Institute, a think tank generating innovative ideas and business-related research on global issues from an Asian perspective;
- Orit Gadiesh, global Chairman of Bain & Company and consultant who teaches strategies for operating in the unfamiliar and keeping your company thriving;
- Ashutosh Garg, a YPO member, founded his first startup, Guardian Lifecare, after 25 years in the corporate sector. He now mentors several startups and has been recognized as a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum;
- Yoshito Hori, a YPO member, established GLOBIS, Japan’s first business management school, in 1992, and has since developed it into an investment fund and incubator for his graduate students’ most promising ideas;
- Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, will be joining us at the EDGE to talk about the forward-thinking programs his country has put in place to ensure a prosperous future for all Singaporeans;
- Karim Khoja, CEO of Rosha and a leader who has provided telecommunications to more than 6.5 million Afghans and is building new communities through a network of compassion;
- EY’s Global Growth Markets Leader and Asia-Pacific Accounts Leader, who leads the organization’s global client service strategies aimed at helping entrepreneurs, family businesses, startups and mid-market companies to accelerate their growth;
- Billie Jean King, a U.S. tennis icon and founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, who will share the real story behind “The Battle of the Sexes” and a life spent fighting for gender parity and inclusion;
- Maura O’Neill, Ph.D., an award-winning professor and expert on innovation who advises startups, foundations and government agencies around the globe;
- Frank Ostaseski, a Buddhist teacher and visionary hospice founder who argues that awareness of death can help you lead a more mindful, meaningful and positive life;
- Ho Kwon Ping, a powerful hotelier who heads up the luxury Banyan Tree chain, helped establish the Singapore Management University and sits on several government advisory boards;
- Annie Sarnblad, an anthropologist and facial-recognition expert who helps everyone from peace mediators to business executives learn how to read the faces across from them during real-time negotiations;
- Chatri Sityodtong, a rags-to-riches sports media tycoon who will help you apply the martial arts “warrior spirit” to achieve true greatness;
- Amin Toufani, Chair for Finance and Economics at Singularity University, a brilliant innovator who argues that the ability to unlearn may be the new core competency.
Prior to YPO EDGE, leaders within YPO will gather for the Global Leadership Conference also being held in Singapore. The annual GLC focuses on peer-to-peer collaboration and leadership education for its “leaders of leaders,” incoming YPO chapter, regional and network officers.
