Companies need to stress-test their plans to ensure business continuity in a disrupted world where access to Artificial Intelligence could be scarce or expensive. By Steven Okun, Megan Willis, Noemie Viterale Businesses are placing massive bets on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the assumption the investment will surely pay off. Their leaders’ decision making conflates AI with clean air – always available, in whatever quantity and quality their business needs. Businesses and

A Middle East war. A Beijing visit. A midterm election. Three things that have no business happening at the same time - and yet, here we are! Steven Okun  was at the  East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore  yesterday working through all of it - Iran's ripple effects, where China fits into an increasingly crowded US foreign policy agenda, and the electoral pressures shaping every move Washington makes right now. The big question hanging over the room: is Trump'

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we were pleased to host a timely and thought-provoking webinar exploring a critical question for today’s workforce: will artificial intelligence help propel women forward—or risk setting them back? Titled “The New Gender Divide: How AI Could Propel Women Forward – or Set Them Back,”  the session brought together insightful perspectives from across APAC Advisors, featuring Senior Advisor for Responsible Investment Megan Willis, along

AI will mostly benefit those already well positioned to leverage it – men. Businesses and governments cannot afford to overlook gender as they invest in talent policies for the AI age. As Singapore celebrates early productivity gains from artificial intelligence, there’s a conversation about trade-offs that should also be taking place: who benefits, who falls behind, and what new divides may form. Without that discussion, women will bear the brunt of the costs of AI’s adoptio

The benefits of AI may arrive in the future — but the costs are being paid now. While AI holds the promise of significant societal upside, its environmental footprint and workforce impacts are immediate. That imbalance is likely to drive further disruption unless it is addressed deliberately and early. A key part of this conversation is the green AI paradox  — and it was great to see APAC Advisors Senior Advisor Megan Willis  bring her deep expertise on the social impacts of

AI promises productivity gains, but without corporate and investor commitment, Singapore risks deeper inequality, higher emissions, and growing social strain as jobs are lost. By Steven Okun, Megan Willis, Noemie Viterale Feb. 20, 2026 Artificial Intelligence (AI) empowers businesses to do more with less people. Many businesses are racing ahead to take full advantage. DBS Bank’s announcement that AI will eliminate 4,000 jobs across 19 markets provides both a proof point and

Trang (Tris) Ha Thao Nguyen  invited Steve for an interview for the global affairs program Global Insight to forecast global clean energy momentum for the next 5 years and how this may be affected by changing climate policies from the US and China. The first question: What do you see as the main reasons behind US President Donald Trump’s climate stance?  Simple. He does not believe in the climate crisis. And, a focus away from traditional energy sources would harm the US econ

The resistance to Artificial Intelligence will come from the social disruption it will bring – and data centres will be where that backlash lands first. Investors in AI must ensure that its benefits are shared across society, harm is reduced, and value created local Artificial intelligence (AI) fuels one of Asia’s fastest infrastructure expansions in decades – data centres, which are essential to achieve the promise of AI, such as advances in education, health care, longevity

Investors who fail to assess and mitigate the potential harms of adopting Artificial Intelligence cannot credibly call themselves “responsible”. By Steven Okun, Megan Willis, Noemie Viterale Nov. 12, 2025 A hyperscaler data centre. For investors in AI, the test will be how to ensure adoption of AI while mitigating the harm from job losses, the increase in income inequality, and the damage to the environment. Image: Tommy Young/Flickr Artificial Intelligence (AI) did not exis

The “S” in ESG has never been more complex, or more important. On November 17th in Hong Kong, APAC Advisors CEO  Steven Okun  moderated a panel at the  Mergermarket   Asian Venture Capital Journal (AVCJ)  Private Equity Forum - unpacking how the AI trilemma, rising enforcement risk, and shifting global trade norms are redefining what responsible investment actually looks like in practice. From the job-loss and inequality impacts of AI to the intensifying scrutiny on supply ch

Oct 22nd-23rd: Steven Okun chaired the Responsible Investment Forum: Asia for a second consecutive year. In doing so, he helped steer the forum’s agenda, bringing together institutional investors and private-markets senior decision-makers around themes such as value creation through sustainability and regulatory evolution in Asia.

Steven Okun is CEO of APAC Advisors, a geostrategic consultancy headquartered in Singapore who served in the Clinton administration....

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In this new era of corporate sustainability, no issue unites stakeholders as urgently as climate change does.

Every company can or does cause harm. ESG gives a framework to eliminate harm where you can and reduce it where you cannot.

DBS is a sustainable bank. But Greta Thunberg they are not. Their claim of being more like an eco-warrior & less like a bank is ridiculous.

Fear is biggest driver of Indonesian companies slashing carbon emissions; do nothing and risk being kicked out of global supply chains.