Training future leaders, champions and CEOs

Already a leading Asian telecommunications group, Axiata Group Bhd takes a long-term view of sustainability as it works towards becoming a new generation telco by 2020.

Everything, from its Ax-Factor “boot-camp” curriculum to develop future world-class CEOs to providing telecommunications of real value to 275 million customers in nine countries throughout the region, is measured against four sustainability pillars: commitment beyond short-term profits, commitment to nurturing people, commitment to process excellence and governance, and commitment to planet and society.

“Axiata’s sustainability programme is built into our role as a long-term investor in our footprint in Southeast Asia and South Asia. Our programme is designed to develop sustainable business activities as part of our broader vision of Advancing Asia by providing affordable connectivity, developing innovative technology and nurturing talent,” president and group CEO Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim says in the company’s 93-page sustainability and national contribution report 2015, which details how the group’s various initiatives are further measured in terms of improvement, innovation, investment and socioeconomic impact.

Last year, Axiata identified three core corporate responsibility (CR) areas that would be shared by all its operating companies (OpCos): young talent development, green initiatives and disaster management and response.

Some 851 Malaysian students have benefited from the Axiata Young Talent Programme (AYTP), the company’s flagship CR programme that helps talented youths achieve their potential as future corporate leaders, while 245 students last year graduated from the XL Future Leaders Programme in which over 1,738 students participated in Indonesia. AYTP introduced the Axiata Young CEO Development Programme last year, targeting exceptional Malaysian youth aged from 20 to 25 to be trained into future world-class CEOs.

Axiata’s tower and infrastructure arm, edotco, spearheads the group’s efforts in reducing carbon emissions by 40% of 2013 levels by 2018. Last year, greenhouse gas emissions were cut by an average of 19% per site versus 2014 levels. Axiata is also working towards developing a holistic disaster management and response plan involving all its OpCos to play a greater role in national disaster relief efforts.

In support of innovation, its award-winning eZ Cash M-Money product — pioneered in Sri Lanka — was extended to Bangladesh and Cambodia last year, thus increasing its mobile banking customers to 10.7 million. Its RM100 million Axiata Digital Innovation Fund last year made its first investments totalling RM12.5 million in six Malaysian-owned technology companies as part of its commitment to support the growth of local technology companies.

In Indonesia, the M-Fish app — developed by XL and US-based Tone and implemented in several pilot projects — provides fishermen with an idea of where they can find fish and the market value of their catch. It also warns them of possible storms and how the tides will be.

Elsewhere, efforts to bridge the digital divide include Robi Bangladesh’s free WiFi access for 7,000 users in educational institutes. Last year, Celcom continued to be the main provider of internet connectivity in rural Malaysia through the Kampung Tanpa Wayar and Pusat Internet 1Malaysia programmes that are funded by the Universal Service Provision scheme under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Last year, 226,994 users connected to its 1,159 Kampung Tanpa Wayar hot spots that give free internet to anyone with a smart device.

To reduce the gender gap in mobile internet access and unlock commercial and socioeconomic opportunities in low and middle-income countries, Axiata is part of the GSM Association’s Connected Women Initiative in which Dialog Sri Lanka and Robi Bangladesh have made great strides.

Axiata is also strengthening its diversity agenda on the group level with women occupying 24% of senior leadership positions and the appointment of its first female CEO — Dian Siswarini as president director of XL Axiata in Indonesia — last year. It has committed to appoint more female board members across all OpCos. Having created a narration, the group is working on harmonising its sustainability practice across the group towards establishing itself as a regional leader in sustainable practice and disclosure by 2020.