Thomas Ng, Founder and CEO of Genashtim, has been appointed to the Advisory Board of AIC Group Holdings, a newly launched SGD 120 million B Corp holding company established by global investment firm Arowana. Headquartered in Singapore, AIC Group Holdings aims to support the long-term sustainability of certified and aspiring B Corporations. It will achieve this by offering succession and ownership transition models designed to preserve the mission, values, and B Corp ethos of these enterprises. The holding company plans to invest in purpose-led businesses across the ASEAN region, with future expansions into MENA and Latin America. Arowana’s Founder and Chairman, Kevin Chin, expressed his confidence in Thomas’s expertise in purpose-led business and acknowledged Genashtim’s globally focused, sustainability-driven ethos. He stated, “I am honored those two luminaries of the B Corp movement, Andrew Kassoy and Thomas Ng, have agreed to join the Arowana holding company advisory board. Not only are they exceptional stewards, but also world-class entrepreneurs who have led the scale-up of high-growth global enterprises.” Thomas Ng brings decades of experience in inclusive business and global social enterprise to the board. His leadership at Genashtim, which spans operations across ASEAN, Africa, and Latin America, makes him a valuable addition to Arowana’s mission of expanding impact-led investment in developing markets. Reflecting on his appointment, Thomas shared, “Having known Kevin Chin for some time and witnessing firsthand his steadfast commitment to the B Corp values and mission, it is a privilege to join the Arowana B Corp holding company advisory board. Across Genashtim’s operations, many purpose-driven businesses would find this model an attractive solution for succession and ownership transition.“ This appointment not only reflects Thomas Ng’s global standing as a B Corp advocate and social entrepreneur but also affirms Genashtim’s continued influence in the space of ethical, sustainable business. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4jnw8Kr

Renowned ESG expert, Professor Christopher Marquis graced our Malaysian staff gathering at PARC, Subang Jaya last November. An exclusive interview was arranged for Chris by The Edge Malaysia, which also highlighted Genashtim’s B Corp certification and our role as a B Market Builder for Southeast Asia (except Singapore).  At the interview, Thomas recounted Genashtim’s establishment in 2008 as a modest for-profit social enterprise that only became profitable during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s continuous affirmative actions toward disability inclusion earned it the B Corp certification in 2015. Today, over half of its 150+ employees are people with disabilities (PWDs), and 30% belong to disadvantaged groups. Amid growing interest in B Corp certification in 2021, B Lab provided an opportunity for Genashtim to assist in the verification process of companies seeking B Corp certification. Ee Beng, who is partially blind was selected to lead this crucial effort. Under his remarkable leadership, Genashtim’s 100 or so employees in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) Services team are doing a good job. Ongoing discussions between Thomas and a Malaysian government agency underscore the vision of integrating the B Impact Assessment (BIA) into small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Malaysia – bidding businesses to initiate the free B Corp certification process for positive economic, social, and environmental impact. Genashtim is strongly committed to helping SMEs in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region to achieve B Corp certification so that businesses can truly be a force for good.