The 1 Leading Race with Lewis Hamilton -

Speech by Kwa Chong Seng, Lead Country Manager, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

22 SEPTEMBER 2010, SINGAPORE

Mr S. Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education,

Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team driver 

Distinguished guests

Children from the South West District, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. I’m very happy to welcome you today for “The 1 Leading Race”.  We will see Lewis Hamilton who, in true sporting spirit, has agreed to join in and take part in a dragonboat race between four ExxonMobil employee teams.

Dragonboating is close to the hearts of many of our employees here.  Every year, more than half of our entire Singapore workforce form teams and compete against one another at a carnival.  Those who are taking part in today’s event are our top paddlers, and they represent ExxonMobil in various races throughout the year.

While today’s dragonboat race is a far cry from Lewis’ usual type of race, it embodies the same qualities behind the successes of Formula One and ExxonMobil – both require teamwork, a shared goal, and a drive to be the best.

ExxonMobil has had more than a century of presence in Singapore.  But our manufacturing presence began only in 1966 – one year after Singapore’s Independence - with the refinery.  At that time, some circles wondered if an 18 thousand barrels per day (bpd) refinery was too large for the market here in Asia.  Today, with a capacity of 605 thousand barrels per day, we operate the largest refinery in the ExxonMobil circuit. We also have on Jurong Island the Singapore Chemical Plant and we are building a second petrochemical complex which, when completed, will make the manufacturing site in Singapore, ExxonMobil’s largest in the world. Support from the government, through the years, has been pivotal to the company’s growth here. You can say that ExxonMobil has grown with Singapore.  

ExxonMobil’s primary responsibility is to find, develop and safely deliver reliable supplies of energy to people around the world. And we are committed to helping meet the world’s energy needs while addressing the challenge of sustainability so that future generations are not compromised by actions that we take today.  

Part of our corporate citizenship strategy is to create long-term economic and social benefits from our presence. And so, in every country in the world where we operate, we also seek to make a positive impact on the community. In Singapore, for example, we have been in partnership with the South West District for the last seven years, providing assistance to students from lower-income families for their school-going expenses.

Today’s event provides an opportunity for some kindergarten children from the South West District to share in the excitement around the Singapore Grand Prix and to get up close with a Formula One driver. Children of today are the fuel of tomorrow’s economies. We hope that their time with us and with Lewis will inspire them to dream big and go on to achieve their dreams; to be the best of the best.

In conclusion, I’d like to thank Minister Iswaran for spending their afternoon with us; Lewis for setting the beat of the race; the teachers who have kindly accompanied their charges and not forgetting, the ExxonMobil teams who will be pitting their paddling might against one another. May the best team win.

Enjoy the afternoon.