SD Guthrie International Helps Feed Those In Need

Staying true to our Culture of Care initiatives, SD Guthrie International has made a combined effort alongside the philanthropic acts of Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) in giving back to our community who are in need of a helping hand.

 

On 2nd July 2022, the volunteering participants of SD Guthrie International successfully distributed over 900 meals to those in need and experiencing homelessness, in providing a ray of hope for them.

 

This has contributed to a total of 109 volunteering hours towards SDO vision of completing the goal of the 200 Years of Volunteerism by Sime Darby Plantation (SDP).

 

Aiming to ensure ongoing sustainable CSR support globally, SDO encourages Business Units and individual employees to lend a helping hand to the communities around us.

Running for A Better Future

As a step in strengthening the SD Guthrie International’ Culture of Care, our team in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands, participated in the 43rd Annual Ververk Run, one of the largest sporting events in Zwijndrecht!

 

Held on 18 May 2022, the team participated in the 5KM category in their support to raise funds for Verkerk, Rotary Zwijndrecht and the Dutch State Forestry to turn an unused farmland into a forest called the ‘Rotary Verkerk Forest’ as an effort to create a greener and sustainable environment.

 

Team members from SD Guthrie International consisted of (first photo, from left to right) Pek Wan Cheong, Daniel Paz Fontenelle, Mohamad Afif Norzal and Albert Abee (Rotary Member) who finished their loop in 30 minutes.

 

SD Guthrie International would like to thank our team in Zwijndrecht for taking the proactive initiative in raising awareness of our support on the efforts towards a sustainable future and practicing our Culture of Care enablers inside as well as outside of the workplace!

 

Onwards and Upwards!

 

Divided by borders, united in happiness.

The month of Ramadan has always been equated with the goodwill offerings that we can provide for others who are less fortunate. With the spirit of this holy month and staying true to our Culture of Care initiatives, our colleagues from SD Guthrie International Trading Private Ltd. (SDOTPL), located in Singapore, have made a concerted effort to give back to our community by donating a total of RM12,000 (SGD 3920.00) to Pusat Jagaan Baitul Maghrifah Suria at Labis Segamat, Johor, Malaysia.

 

The donations were raised by the employees of SDOTPL together with their families and friends in providing nutritious meals for the children as well as the volunteers during the Ramadan month. Aside from that, these funds will also be used to restore and improve the newly-secured building for the orphanage alongside any ongoing needs in accommodating more children in need.

 

Initially, a physical visit was planned to hand over the donations and to organize interactive activities with the kids, however, due to the Singapore-Malaysia border restriction, the funds were electronically transferred to the orphanage.

 

With the recent announcement of “200 Years of Volunteerism” (200YoV) from the Group Managing Director of Sime Darby Plantation, employees of Sime Darby Plantation and SD Guthrie International are encouraged to take part in making the world a better place by joining Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

SDO Zwijndrecht Contributes to Affected Communities

At SD Guthrie International, we have recently been working on a number of ‘Culture of Care’ initiatives that surround not only our people, but also the communities around us.

 

Our latest initiative was in the Netherlands, where we were fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to donate to the Zwijndrecht Food Bank (Voedselbank Zwijndrecht)

 

A cheque of 4,200 Euros was presented by Ellen Cortvriendt and Esmeralda de Vlaam, and handed over to Wim Sandee and Leo van Esch, volunteers from the food bank. With the donation, the money will be put to good use as the food bank requires a new refrigeration system to accommodate their cause.

 

SD Guthrie International is ecstatic that our Culture of Care initiatives have been rolled out to our counterparts around the globe, and we believe that there will be more to come from our other business units!

SDO Bintulu Bags 290 KG of Waste At The Beach

In our commitment to a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable community, SD Guthrie International Bintulu have kickstarted their first CSR for the year of 2022! Within a span of 3 hours, the team has successfully cleaned up the beach right behind LHDN Bintulu and managed to collect 290KG of litter.

 

The collected waste was managed according to the 3R waste hierarchy principle – ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ and is a part of the collective effort in preserving the health of our beaches and coastal environment.

 

Supported by Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn. Bhd., the administrator of the Tanjung Kidurong landfill, this CSR has proven to be a great example of SDO’s Culture of Care with the great efforts from our volunteer employees.

SD Guthrie International Used Cooking Oils Programme

On 7th April 2021, SD Guthrie International successfully launched their Used Cooking Oil (UCO) Buy Back Programme with the collaboration of SD Guthrie International Biodiesel.

 

Officiated by the Managing Director of SD Guthrie International, Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, Deputy Managing Director, Renaka Ramachandran, Head of Corporate Services, Shahrizan Aini and Head of Non-Food Business, Mohd Khiri Abdul Wahab; witnessed by representatives of different business units and the appointed UCO collectors.

 

UCO Buy Back Programme aims to educate the proper UCO disposal and recycling methods whilst rewarding our employees for every kilogram of UCO sent. Taking a step beyond, the plastic bottles received will also be recycled to further reduce our environmental footprint.

International Women’s Day: Interview with SDO’s Top Female Leaders

On 8 March of every year, the entire world is joining hands in celebrating International Women’s Day. To recognize and appreciate the achievements that women accomplish every day, we virtually sat down with SDO’s top female leaders and bring to centre what the day means to them.

Shahrizan Aini, Head of Corporate Services, SD Guthrie International

  1. What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

    To me, it’s a day to not only celebrate but also reflect on the positive journey of women globally throughout all these years. It’s a recognition that when given the opportunity, women have a lot to contribute to this world and are committed to achieve their full potential.

  2. Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you over your career?

    I found inspiration in many people throughout my career. I looked at one person and told myself I want to be like this guy/lady, then I see another individual and liked the other aspect of what the person portrayed. So, I guess I built my own role model from bits and pieces of these many amazing people I have met along the way.

    Anyway, one lady that really inspired me was Dr Jemilah, who was the gynecologist for my three children. Her confidence, cheerfulness, positivity and almost hyperactive personality every time you met her was contagious and how she constantly felt she needed to do more even when she has achieved so much.

    After she initiated the humanitarian group, Mercy Malaysia, she has never looked back. I remembered visiting her in the hospital after she came back from a mission to Iraq where she got shot, and she showed me the bullet and said that the incident would not stop her from moving forward in achieving her agenda. She has achieved so much since, no wonder that she is now Tan Sri Dr Jemilah.

  3. What is an interesting fact about you that people might not know?

    That I loved writing and appreciate art tremendously. Growing up, I believe I was more of a right brain. I used to daydream a lot and secretly wrote short fictions, both in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

  4. What motivates you to be where you are now?

    I was a bit of a feminist growing up and felt the need to work hard to prove the point that we women could achieve the same, if not better, than men. Growing up, those were the exact words my dad planted in my head.

  5. Share with us a quote that you live by.

    “Work hard in silence, let success be the noise.”

  6. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?

    This is easy. I led a very protected childhood and there were many things I did not experience when I was growing up. If I could give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be to be more adventurous and try new things, explore my potential and don’t be afraid to venture out of my comfort zone as the sky is the limit.

  7. If you had a choice between two superpowers; mind reading or time travelling, which would you choose and why?

    To be honest, I do not wish to have any of those powers. There is a reason why God created what is in everyone’s mind a secret and I do not want to tempt that. I also do not wish to time travel because not knowing your future makes your life interesting and full of hope. Why visit the past or try to amend that? It is what made you who you are today.

  8. What is your favourite movie from the ’90s?

    I don’t know if this one was in the late 90s or early 2000, but one movie which is my favourite is Erin Brokovich. Julia Roberts did a very good job in portraying the struggle and sheer determination of a single mother, Erin, and the movie also taught us not to look down on a person or judge a person just by their appearance.

  9. What are you excited about the future?

    Oh, there are a lot to be excited about the future. I saw how we shaped downstream into SD Guthrie International, and I would like to contribute towards ensuring our target for our SDO’s growth is achieved. Also look forward to the time after when I retire where I can spend more time on my hobbies.

  10. What song best describes your personality?

    Song? Definitely will have to be ‘You Gotta Be’ by Des’ree.

Kawsalyavathi Kuppan, Manager, Product Development, Innovation Centre Asia - PID, SD Guthrie International

  1. What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

    For me – it is a day when women from all walks of life in every socio-economic fields, including home makers (amongst corporate, government and social workers) are celebrated for every shed of tears and every drop of blood sacrificed in balancing the socio-economic successes of their families, communities, districts, states, countries and the world at large. It’s a day of remembering that gone are the days when women play second fiddle to men.

  2. Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you over your career?

    I have few role models in my life. Firstly, my mother who shaped me in becoming a business-minded person. Coming from a family running multiple family businesses, I have naturally picked up the bargaining skills from my mother – who is a hardworking person whom never gave up in rescuing our own family economy time and again, through multiples obstacles and challenging times. My siblings and I start our days at 6am with household chores then off to harvest some reaps from our family farm and finally in manning our grocery shops – no excuses on school days or holidays. I learned multitasking from my mother. Despite dropping off from school in lower primary, my Mother slogged hard to earn and save as well and to spend only for necessities and not on nice to haves. That was the building blocks in developing my dad’s business to greater heights and recognition. A natural leader my Mother was.

    My second role model is, Mrs. Siew who is my ex-employer in Sri Nona Food Industries. It’s a Chinese owned company and I’m the only Indian in that organization. She is a humble and loving lady whom treats me equally. She taught me the successful formula on people management – which I’ve applied across other organizations and something which I still practice to-date. I’ve learnt that only by respect can one achieve the desired results. Appreciation and gratitude to each and every person contributing to our success smoothen our journey onwards. When you see a successful leader – look at the dedication and quality of the team.

  3. What is an interesting fact about you that people might not know?

    I love teaching especially to the juniors. During my free time – I spend lots of time with school children in developing their innovative thinking skills for science innovations. I would’ve guided almost 300 school children to-date to support and guide their science projects be it for school, state, national and even international levels. Being with Sime Darby – I’m naturally game towards sustainability. Words can’t describe when I see the kids I coach succeed with their innovations at every levels. Most importantly – I know the kids whom I’ve guided are engrained with sustainability and recycling for a greener earth. When I go to schools to coach – I take my kids along as I would like them to learn from me in teaching the same across generations.

  4. What motivates you to be where you are now?

    I worked for three local food industries that were generally SMEs until I stepped into Sime Darby – which is a respected conglomerate and a leading GLC across all the industries in its portfolio. The challenges I endured in Sime Darby varied from my past experiences; however what I learnt from my previous stints has helped me immensely. Many of my dreams were realized after I joined Sime Darby. Good remuneration and benefits superseded the industrial standards that I’ve known of. My lifestyle improved in an environment I loved to be in doing what I love to do. As such, I’m naturally aspirated and motivated to be more innovative day by day in strengthening Sime Darby’s offering in gaining bigger market share in the organisation. I’ve also had the privilege to have worked under the leadership of great leaders that guided and aspired me to be who I am. I would like to express my gratitude to Mrs. Nienke Pek, a Dutch national based with Sime Darby, whom hired me into Sime Darby. She had eventually left to Netherlands. All the bosses thereafter have been truly professional towards me. I’m privileged to have picked up many leadership skills from them that I get to put to use in my line of work.

  5. Share with us a quote that you live by.

    “More smiles – less worries; more compassion – less misjudgements; more blessings – less stress; much love – no hate”. This is my personal mantra and quote that I live by. I try to smile as much and be happy with what I do. I believe in the law of attraction. Positive thinking and thoughts brings forth positive results. In contrary, negative words and thoughts would hinder our journey towards success.

  6. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?

    My advice to the younger generation: – Never ever under estimate your natural talent. Create the will-power in achieving what you aspire. Be positive and confident in whatever you do. Practise yourselves to perfection. No pain, no gain and do not waste time in small talks. Always think big. There are so many opportunities and tools to help and guide in achieving the desired results. Nothing comes easy – hard work perseveres. Don’t give up easily. Have a mentor and don’t be shy to ask and learn. It’s always better to be a fool for a minute by clarifying what you have to. Be selfless when it comes to service – especially your knowledge. You will gain more by sharing and will never lose a bit. That’s the law of nature.

  7. If you had a choice between two superpowers; mind reading or time travelling, which would you choose and why?

    I would choose mind reading. Why? Understanding human thoughts is almost impossible. By having this superpower, I would be able to sense the blocks towards right action. Besides that this also will allow me to correct myself, knowingly or unknowingly.

  8. What is your favourite movie from the ’90s?

    My favourite movies in 1990’s was ‘Armageddon’.

  9. What are you excited about the future?

    I know that I still have more things and improvement to be done for my company. Leading the Frying Centre of Excellence (FCOE) excites me in making Sime Darby the best Frying Oil supplier globally. I know that I may face a lot challenges in this frying oil innovation but I believe with best team that I have, we can achieve that, twice shorter the expected time and thrice better than expected.

  10. What song best describes your personality?

    “This girl is on fire” by Alicia Keys

Kawsalyavathi Kuppan, Manager, Product Development, Innovation Centre Asia - PID, SD Guthrie International

  1. What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

    For me International Women’s Day means a day we celebrate achievements made by women all over the world in various sectors women participate in, especially professionally.

  2. Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you over your career?

    A role model that has inspired and continues to inspire me is my mother, who is a retired school principal, a wife, a mother and an active member of her community. She has always led by example and instilled in us even at a young age to actively pursue our dreams no matter our circumstances.

  3. What is an interesting fact about you that people might not know?

    I am an avid social marathon runner who has completed a number of marathons in my country, South Africa, including the world renowned 90km Comrades Marathon as well as four other World Major Marathons (London, New York, Chicago and Berlin).

  4. What motivates you to be where you are now?

    I am motivated by creativity and finding new ways to improve or do things differently. I know that one of the few things that are constant is change and our progression as humans has always been propelled by our ability to evolve. I am always motivated to push myself and to become a better version of myself.

  5. Share with us a quote that you live by.

    It is by one of my favourite authors and spiritual leader, Eckhart Tolle, on embracing the present: “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment”

  6. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?

    I would tell my younger self to be brave, to “walk into every room with confidence and speak your mind with conviction, you definitely have something worth listening to”. It is something I sometimes still battle with, even at my big age.

  7. If you had a choice between two superpowers; mind reading or time travelling, which would you choose and why?

    I would definitely choose time travelling, for a moment to connect one more time with the loved ones that I have lost and to the future for a special moment to share with my daughter that I may not live long enough to witness.

  8. What is your favourite movie from the ’90s?

    I love movies and it would be so hard to choose just one favourite movie from the 90s, the one that comes to mind would have to be the science fiction action film – The Matrix (Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne) – released in 1999; and which depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality.

    The turmoil brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has me sometimes wondering if perhaps we are living within the Matrix.

  9. What are you excited about the future?

    I am excited about the new possibilities brought about by rapid technological advancements which continue to enhance our human experience.

  10. What song best describes your personality?

    Beyonce – Mood 4 EVA

Natrieo featured on TV Alhijrah

Nutrition Manager of SD Guthrie International, Zalina Hamid, was interviewed on “Assalamualaikum” @ TV Alhijrah, regarding Natriéo and its benefits.

SD Guthrie International employees spent a family night at Zoo Negara

The Zoo Night Camp is a family friendly event by Zoo Negara which aims to promote the importance of preserving the animals and its ecosystems to the younger generation. As a partner to Zoo Negara’s animal adoption program, SDO has recently taken the initiative to introduce this wonderful experience to its employees

Media Engagement Visit with TV Alhijrah @ POEC

TV Alhijrah delegates led by Encik Namanzee Harris, Chief Executive Officer of TV Alhijrah, was invited over to Sime Darby’s Palm Oil Experience Centre to discuss on SDP’s sustainability movements and strategic collaborations in increasing the public’s awareness on sustainability efforts executed by SDP.

Reference: LinkedIn