Quarterly E-Newsletter October 2019

A Message from the Managing Partner

Mr Helmi Talib, Managing Partner of Helmi Talib & Co.

In the last quarter, the gears have been churning away building out our Corporate Services team to support our step out across the South China Sea into Manila.

As I observe our team’s commitment to the project, it’s become apparent that we’re operating in a world of Millennials who are instinctively looking for purpose.

The challenge of the current generation is creating a world where everyone has a sense of purpose – whether it’s by taking on big meaningful projects together, by redefining equality so everyone has the freedom to pursue purpose or by building community.

Oftentimes, a change to be made in the world seems so clear, we’re sure that someone else is doing it. But why wait for someone else when we can be part of the change. And as more people join us, I will continue to assume they are motivated by the same.

With that in mind, we’re closing off the year having strengthened our relationships with Habitat for Humanity and the Food Bank Singapore; and are focussing our efforts over the next quarter on a 3Rs project to upgrade our site’s green credentials to begin 2020 on a refreshed spectrum of positive energies.
 

Volunteering at The Food Bank Singapore

Staff of the Helmi Talib Group packing food supplies.
 

17 members of the team came together on the 17th of August 2019 to participate in a Food Drive at the Food Bank Singapore – the Food Bank Singapore strives to bridge the gap in the market by collecting surplus food and providing it to organisations and people in need of food.
 
The team worked their biceps distributing food supplies provided by the Food Bank Singapore to members of the bank. Cans and cans of refreshing Nescafe and sinfully delicious Maggie Noodles went flying out the door, accompanied by the bright smiles of our volunteers.

Sharing with us first hand experience from that day, Linda, a Senior Accounts Associate on our team, found it to be “a  humbling yet rewarding experience…seeing their faces light up with joy upon receiving the food bundles was priceless”.
 
The Helmi Talib Group is a proud supporter of the Food Bank and hosts two Food Bank Boxes within our offices to continually collect and donate dry food items from our team on an ongoing basis. As an organisation working towards bridging potential donors and members of the bank, the Food Bank relies on supporters hosting bank boxes as part of a Bank Box scheme and takes in ad hoc donations of food items that have a minimum shelf life of 4 weeks.
 
For more information on the Bank Box Scheme and other volunteering initiatives by the Food Bank Singapore, please visit their website HERE.

 

ISCA Games 2019 & Co. 

Bowlers of the Helmi Talib Group at the ISCA Games 2019.

The bowlers at the Helmi Talib Group have been raring to go at the ISCA games 2019 which, at long last, took place on the 24th of August 2019.

The hours spent training on slippery bowling alley lanes in the evenings have enticed some of our bowlers into potential careers as ice skaters and left the rest to enjoy the glory hard work brings –
Congratulations to the Helmi Talib Group’s bowling team for snagging a TOP TEN spot at this year’s ISCA games!

We’re all very proud of you! 😊
 

Happy Birthday Singapore

Celebrating our August babies. 

August’s birthday celebration was a mighty festive one as we celebrated the August babies on the team and dove into some classic Singaporean dishes in honour of our nation’s 54th birthday.

Commonly referred to as “the little red dot”, Singapore started out as a naval port for the British who favoured the island’s strategic location.

Coincidentally, our August babies were donned in naval-themed blue and white.

Disclaimer: No outfit coordination plans were made during the production of this photograph. True story.
 

Aladdin the Musical

The Helmi Talib Group team out for an enchanted evening at The Aladdin Musical.   

Held at the prestigious Marina Bay Sands Theatres, excitement filled the air as 23 of our staff settled into their seats and eagerly awaited the curtains to be drawn!

Enchanted by the magical experience and storytelling right before our eyes, the Aladdin Musical was a great evening spent reliving fond childhood memories gaping wide-eyed at the razzle and dazzle of Aladdin’s charade as Prince Ali before all the girls swooned at the romance of the magic carpet ride.
 

Back to Square One: Inequality and The Deepening Financial Disparity.
 
The April 2019 edition of the Bulletin proposed that the route to addressing the issues surrounding inequality and financial disparity are ethical and socially responsible investment. This controversial affair has been an ongoing debate between countries and major economies for years; and acknowledging these global issues is only the first step towards resolving a larger problem at hand. In the end, the change begins with us.

OMFIF’s The Bulletin Spring 2019’s article: Back to square one.
Source: https://www.omfif.org/bulletins/april-2019/

 

Announcements

WELCOME: The Helmi Talib Group welcomed Lim Yiew Wei to our audit team this July.

Known in his circle of friends as the explorer, Yiew Wei sports an inquisitive nature and is always up for opportunities to explore his limits.

On the weekends, Yiew Wei immerses himself in educational reads and spends time preparing for his Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) examinations. Studying and learning is part of self-enrichment and something he takes much pride in – Yiew Wei holds the true to life philosophy that “Knowledge Is Power” close to his heart.
 
If he were to strike the million-dollar lottery, Yiew Wei has filial plans of taking his family on a holiday to visit his father’s hometown in China, and further indulging his reading hobby in buying a new bookshelf to house his large collection of books.

WELCOME: The Helmi Talib Group welcomed Mageswarri Elankovan to our audit team this July.
 
Mages, a nickname she goes by, is known as an introvert among her friends. But when at home, she unleashes the chatterbox within (!!) – earning herself the title of “household chatterbox”.
 
Ending the work week on a sweet note, this foodie lives to eat and looks forward to her weekly dose of chicken rice finished off with an ice cold can of coke.
 
Ever the seeker of balance, Mages burns off the chicken rice cals at a weekly session of street soccer with polytechnic friends. When not running around a street soccer court, Mages is glued to her two Netflix favourites, Lucifer and Rick and Morty.

WELCOME: The Helmi Talib Group welcomed Sharon Kho to our audit team this July.

Known as the shy one in a given social setting, Sharon describes herself to be the polar opposite of a social butterfly.

On the weekends, her causeway commute home to Sarawak, Malaysia passes in a jiffy when her all-time favourite artiste, South Korean Singer, Kim Jong Kook’s hits are on replay.

If lucky enough to win a million dollars one day, this secret environmentalist has plans to buy an uninhabited and secluded island where she can live out her true dreams of being sustainable and self-sufficient.

WELCOME: The Helmi Talib Group welcomed Nandini Sahasranaman to our audit team this August.
 
Spending her weekends visiting highly-raved about food haunts, Nandini balances the calorie scales by following her indulgences up with a run on the treadmill.
 
Given the chance to share a meal with any person, front man Adam Levine of Maroon 5 would be at the top of her list. An avid listener of Maroon 5’s music, her most listened to Spotify tracks “Sugar” and “She will be loved” serve as her morning perk-me-ups during her daily commute to work.
 
One day, she hopes to make her long-held dream of exploring Hawaii come true – now made sweeter with her husband to share it with.

FAREWELL: We bid a tearful goodbye to Audit Manager, Roda Alcantara who has been a dynamic part of the team. 

During her three years with us, we discovered her hidden talent and unofficially appointed her our in-house photographer.

We wish her all the best and thank her for the joy her free spirit and contagious laughter has brought all of us at the Helmi Talib Group.