Our theme this year, The Transitionists, focused on the transformation of various industries over the years and how this has affected and could affect the world today and in the future. Recognising the importance of change, we aimed to promote to students the concept of innovation and the rise of entirely new skills and industries.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We started off with an insight into the global financial markets and FinTech with the Banking & Finance panel. The speakers shared their background stories before proceeding to speak on their respective roles in the organisation they represent ranging from Debt Capital Markets and Equity Capital Markets to Corporate Finance and Asset Management. Gayatri and Dominic had very interesting views on the rise of FinTech and despite stemming from different backgrounds, both reiterated the need for banks to improve and adapt to the changes.
 
The speakers also shared their thoughts on the European sovereign debt crisis, the Chinese bubble, which in their opinion is on the verge of bursting, and the data that point towards another Financial Crisis. The session was concluded with the speakers agreeing that all attempts to predict the future of the economy is in vain.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Professional Services panel followed suit. The panellists touched on a variety of issues primarily focusing on the ever-changing business climate of today's world. From a regional perspective, members of the panel agreed that Asia and South America were markets to look at for the future. However, it was agreed that graduates faced better prospects of growing in their field if they started their career in Europe. When debating the issue of the American market under the potential leadership of Donald Trump, the panel was unanimous in their view that it would greatly hurt businesses in America. All in all, the professional services department is believed to have grown tremendously over the years and should show continued growth. The only uncertainty is where this growth will occur.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


A Technology and Start ups panel followed this with a stimulating session on the essentials of starting a business and the challenges the panellists faced with their respective start ups. The panel featured a line-up of impeccable speakers, each with their own trail blazing tales of success to tell. Firstly, we had Nick Green from Deliveroo, who shared insights about Deliveroo's exceptional business model and marketing strategies, which enables them be at the forefront of the food operator industry. We also had Sanjit Atwal, the founder of Squawka, who stressed on the importance of having a vision, passion and planning in order to make it in the cutthroat industry. Another amazing speaker we had the opportunity of hosting was Nick Waller, the founder of Global {M}. Nick shared with the delegates the unique recruitment process conceived by Global {M} that emphasizes on empathy and understanding. Last but not least, Bill Holden from Atkins engaged the delegates with the story of his most recent venture: to inculcate digital information leadership and management amongst the youths. Overall, the panel was both informative and stimulating and the delegates definitely were able to benefit from this experience.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


We ended the day with the Consultancy panel discussing the differences between established and boutique consulting firms. The discussion centred on how consulting companies promoted innovation within their ranks as well as the companies they worked with. They also discussed how full service companies competed with consulting companies that served niche markets given that they offered the same services at a fraction of the cost. The session concluded with the speakers giving their insights as to how their companies operate and develop new clients in markets where they may have to compete with established local firms.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Our forum this year was graced by the presence of some notable personalities. Some of the distinguished guests present included Prof. Dr. Zainal Abidin Sanusi, Director of Education Malaysia and Ms. Zaihasra from Education Malaysia.

Overall, the event was a success based on positive reviews from both delegates and speakers. Over 100 students attended the event in total throughout the day, and many stayed behind to network with the business representatives. GenCorporate is happy to have helped provide a platform for enthusiastic students and experienced corporates to exchange their views and opinions on various matters!