The future of power is more than just technology

Being one of the world’s leading technology companies, Rolls-Royce plays a critical role in innovating and shaping the power solutions for tomorrow. The company makes significant contributions to economic growth and development, invests in people and addresses environmental concerns. The Asia Pacific region is growing faster than any other region. What happens here significantly impacts the global outlook. We need the region to keep growing so we can continue to grow as a business. And we need to stay on top of where the opportunities and challenges are in those trajectories so we can position ourselves strategically as a company pushing the boundaries in innovation.

There are two facets to my role: public policy and government relations. As part of the Innovation Hub, my role is to provide support for our business strategies to align with public policies in consideration of various macroeconomic trends and geopolitical developments. It is crucial that Rolls-Royce stays engaged with multiple stakeholders on matters relating to the latest developments in technology and innovation, trade and industry, sustainability and security. I help Rolls-Royce proactively identify issues in the wider business landscape before they become imminent risks. This is one of the key functions of public policy. 

To my internal stakeholders, I explain and interpret various domestic and international policy agendas, monitor potential political risks and analyse trends that could impact our vision and strategy. Key issues that are currently on my radar include: developments in international trade and investment that can impact our supply chain activities, energy transition and sustainability, the potential impact of transformative technologies and governance of data.

I work with stakeholders who hold a range of different perspectives on our business priorities and approach. It is important to be mindful of their objectives and to tailor our narratives in a way that is receptive to them. If I have a conversation with government stakeholders, I would highlight how Rolls-Royce contributes to the bigger aims of societies and governments. The reverse is true, when I relate government goals or macroeconomic trends with our business objectives to my internal stakeholders.

Joining Rolls-Royce has granted me the opportunity to connect our business decisions with government priorities and positively influence our position in the external business environment. For example, one of the most critical issues right now is building a sustainable world, first by decarbonising to reverse the trend in global warming. It is clear we cannot continue business as usual. We need a fundamental mindset shift as well as behavioural changes. Solutions to global problems such as climate change require multi stakeholder partnerships. This means companies need to work with governments, research communities and the wider public. Rolls-Royce must remain part of the solution, not part of the problem. 

I am on a personal mission to first raise internal awareness about the environment and climate change. When sustainability is embedded in corporate values and business strategies, it not only contributes to global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also brings efficiency gains and positive reputation for the company. For example, we have already been applying circular economy principles, voluntarily setting ambitious targets to decarbonise by optimising our manufacturing processes and operations at our facilities. Predictive maintenance helped by sensors and data analytics significantly contributes to this purpose. I aim to help facilitate dialogues between the company, governments and other relevant organisations to advance the sustainability agenda. It is not a journey that one business can take alone. Only by working together and building a sustainable technology ecosystem can we make a real impact.

The pace of innovation and deployment of new technologies depend on multiple factors, the feasibility determined by safety and other regulations as well as market conditions and the trade environment. We need to be able to apply long-term vision to navigate through periods of short-term uncertainties while continuing to invest strategically in technologies of the future.

International trade scene has been volatile and unpredictable of late. Uncertainties can negatively affect our productivity, availability of talent, market access, cost-efficiency and much more. That is why we cannot take a merely reactive approach. We extract key insights that need to be highlighted to internal decision makers so that they are empowered to make business decisions that could make or break the company. 

Being able to visualise our future decades ahead is essential for this role. What Rolls-Royce does in innovation has far-reaching implications that impact how we work, play and live in the next 10 to 50 years. For new technologies to become viable, we need to start engaging with policy makers early on. No one entity has all the answers to the regulations and policies needed in the future. We must be able to anticipate and prepare for short to long-term scenarios to ensure that Rolls-Royce stays ahead of the game.