By CRV
EBC Correspondent
The Asia CEO Awards, an alliance of local and international business organizations promoting the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region, recognized business achievers including the Expatriate of the Year in a glittery awards night at the Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom, October 18.
ADEC Innovations CEO James Donovan received the JLL Expatriate Executive of the Year Award with his significant contributions to global corporate sustainability initiatives. These includes the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program (an initiative by the world’s largest global apparel and footwear brands to ensure sustainable and environment-friendly supply chains), as well as Mr. Donovan’s tireless efforts to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
ADEC Innovations is an impact investing company founded in 1996 that designs, develops and delivers a diverse data management and technology portfolio of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) solutions.
Finalists
Mr. Donovan emerged as the top choice among seven other finalists from top global companies operating in the Philippines, which included Mark Lwin of AIG Philippines Insurance; Pushkar Misra of Hinduja Global Solutions; Eric Kaufman of IBEX Global; Darcy Lalonde of syncHRony Global; Siva Subramaniam of Transcom Worldwide Philippines, Inc.; Coleridge Shelley of VA Tech Wabag Philippines, Inc.; and Jared Morrison of VXI Global Holdings B.V. Philippines.
As a thought leader who promotes sustainable growth through ESG solutions, Mr. Donovan has been an active supporter of the United Nations and was recognized with the 2014 Visionary Award by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. He was assigned to be the team lead for the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook 6 Data Fabric Task Force, which aims to design and develop the Big Data processes and framework that can be expanded to cover all of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Concurrently, he chairs the Global CEO Alliance, a community of business leaders committed to creating global change and impact. He also founded the ADEC Innovations Foundation, his organization’s non-profit social impact arm, to support this goal.
“We need to start looking into developing more intellectual property, more solutions home-grown from the Philippines to take to the global market. And I am confident that we can achieve this because I’ve always believed in Filipino talent. I’ve been a believer for the last 20 years.”
Leadership in Sustainability
Moreover, Mr. Donovan presented the ADEC Innovations Green Company of the Year award to Imperial Homes, the real estate development company behind the first solar-powered housing project in the Philippines. An advocate of environment-friendly developments, Imperial Homes launched its 1,000 mass housing units in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Imperial Homes bested other Green Company of the Year finalists like Alalay sa Kaunlaran Inc. (ASKI), an advocate of micro and small-to-medium enterprises, and Sony Global Business Services, a provider of commercial real estate services.
For three years now, ADEC Innova tions has continued to honor corporate and non-corporate organizations for exemplifying strong leadership and commitment in sustainability and environmental protection. It named San Carlos Solar Energy (SaCaSol) and E-motors Incorporated as Green Companies of the Year in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Asia CEO Awards is one of the largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, and is considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active in Southeast Asia.
