SINGAPORE, 17 October 2026 — The Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS) hosted its exclusive "Beyond AI Hype" Leadership Dinner on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at the Singapore Cricket Club, bringing together CEOs, regional managing directors and senior executives from multinational corporations and established regional enterprises to explore how artificial intelligence can drive business transformation and sustainable competitive advantage.

The distinguished guest list included Mr. Fumito Kobayashi, CEO of SECOM Singapore; Mr. Renchun Zeng, CEO of IFS Capital Singapore; and Mr. Michele Lai Chin, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, of Qvest.

Other prominent executives on the guest list included Mr. Mark Wong, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Strategy at ST Engineering, and Mr. Frank Tsai, Vice President at Hitachi Energy, alongside business leaders from Leica Microsystems, Telenor, Signify, ComfortDelGro, BT, Hafnia and William Grant & Sons.

Beyond AI Hype: From Technology to Business Value

Facilitated by Dr. Mark Lee, Research Director of APIFS, the evening explored three pressing leadership challenges: talent transformation, AI productivity and management accountability.

Interactive executive polling revealed that 52% prioritized reskilling existing employees, while 45.8% identified the lack of end-to-end ownership as the greatest obstacle to strategic focus and workflow redesign.

The discussions underscored a critical message: the real opportunity lies not merely in adopting AI, but in transforming how organizations create and capture business value.

Connecting Leaders, Creating Opportunities

Through candid, small-group discussions, executives exchanged strategic perspectives, shared practical management experiences and forged meaningful business connections across industries.

The gathering embodied APIFS's Connect & Develop philosophy—bringing accomplished leaders together to stimulate fresh thinking, encourage cross-industry learning and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

About Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

The Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS) is a regional academic and research organisation dedicated to advancing strategic management, leadership development, and organisational innovation. Through research initiatives, public lectures, executive forums, advisory projects, and corporate learning programmes, APIFS contributes thought leadership to the business and academic communities across Asia.

APIFS also operates the Executive Study Group, its industry-facing think tank and executive collaboration platform, which focuses on translating academic insights into practical strategies for senior leaders, multinational corporations, listed enterprises, family businesses, and high-growth companies.

Media Contact:

Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy

Email: cs@apifs.net

Tel: (852) 3970 1828

Website: www.apifs.org

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