Responsible Investment

As featured in Eco-Business, June 24, 2026 AI governance is no longer a technology department problem. It's a boardroom imperative — and most companies aren't treating it that way. That's the view Steve Okun, Founder and CEO of APAC Advisors, shared in a recent Eco-Business feature on AI's mounting societal risks in Singapore. His core argument: the risks AI brings cut across every geography, sector, and stakeholder group, and nearly every business now plays a role in shaping

“People think AI is going to be like air, available for as long as they want and affordable enough for them to consume as much as they need," Steven Okun told Tim Burroughs as part of his deep dive on how private equity firms approach AI adoption. Many PE firms and their portfolio companies go all in on AI but with no budget, no risk plan, and no idea what happens if it gets expensive. What if AI costs 5x more in three years? Do you still hire that many fewer analysts? Becau

Private equity firms can no longer treat government as a regulatory afterthought Steven Okun and Derek Grossman Steven Okun is CEO of APAC Advisors, a geostrategic consultancy based in Singapore. Derek Grossman is a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. Private equity and venture capital firms operating in Asia had one fewer significant constraint than counterparts in the U.S. -- they didn't need to worry about de

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....

While the language of ESG is changing, its fundamental value for business is not. Some companies never used the term ESG publicly - even...

With Donald Trump in the White House, some Asian companies may believe they do not have to worry about forced labour in their operations...

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Steven Okun joined the Pacific Polarity podcast to break down the U.S.-Southeast Asia trade landscape, explaining how tariffs are...

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.

The sessions at Temasek’s Eco-Sperity highlighted the inextricable link between the environment, social and governmental aspects of ESG.

Using ESG to avoid investing in potentially stranded assets & improving your carbon profile were among topics at AVCJ.

Dow's misstep of treating a key ESG program as a CSR project should be a lesson to all companies on how greenwashing can damage reputation.

ESG mindset helps management know what's happening in ops & supply chains & address issues before being hit with fines & enforcement.

For ESG, private equity firms need to "walk the walk" when it comes to their own operations.

While an ESG committee is important, there must be a designated individual who checks that the mechanism is functioning properly.

Sustainable societies require a sustainable environment. Only then can communities and markets flourish in a manner that benefits everyone.

Steven Okun shows Venture Capital funds how best to develop and implement an ESG policy.

A company should manage itself for the benefit of all stakeholders, not just shareholders for maximum profitability & competitive advantage.

No issue unites stakeholders as urgently as climate change.