Trust is top of mind behind TUV Rheinland’s participation

TUV Rheinland believes it will bring the “missing piece of the puzzle” to the very popular The Straits Times & The Business Times Corporate Golf League teeing off next March.

And it is delighted to join the event – a longstanding fixture in Singapore’s business community that brings together banks, brands, clubs and professional firms on the course.

Vincent Tan, senior vice-president of the company’s Rail & Future Mobility Solutions for the Asia-Pacific and Greater China, said: “We like to think we bring the missing piece of the puzzle: a 154-year-old certification body whose business is built on trust.”

He added: “Golf is one of the few sports where players routinely referee themselves. It relies on integrity, even when nobody is watching. That resonates with TUV Rheinland: Since our founding in Germany in 1872, we have independently assessed the products, technologies and systems that people cannot easily check for themselves.

“As our CEO Michael Fubi puts it, trust is our strongest growth driver.”

Having operated in Singapore since 1989, the company also understands the value of personal relationships.

Said Tan: “The league is a natural opportunity to get to know our customers, partners and the wider business community beyond the meeting room.”

Since it is TUV Rheinland’s first year of participation in the event, it will take part in the social section.

“Our team brings together our own people with our customers and partners, so the priority is camaraderie and building relationships while we learn the league,” said Tan. “Once we’ve found our feet, we may well step up to the competitive section in future seasons. Either way, we’ll play to win.”

By participating alongside other corporations, he hopes to build stronger, longer-term relationships with customers and partners, and closer bonds within his own team.

He takes a far-sighted view of participation, saying: “Visibility matters too, and not just in Singapore. Many of the companies in the league run their regional business from here, so the league is a gateway to decision-makers across the Asia-Pacific, where TUV Rheinland works in markets from Japan and China to Indonesia and Australia.”

Said Tan: “In uncertain times, people value partners they can rely on. Showing up consistently, on and off the course, is part of that. And, of course, some good rounds of golf.”

Tan, who will lead the team, plans to rotate his line-up among colleagues, customers and partners so that more people can take part.

“Alongside golfing ability, we value enthusiasm, good sportsmanship and a strong team ethic. We will share more about individual players once the line-up is confirmed.”

The company is planning to fit the players with team polo shirts in TUV Rheinland colours.

Said Tan: “With colleagues, customers and partners playing side by side, the same colours give everyone a shared sense of belonging, and we hope the team will be recognised as much for the way it plays as for what it wears.”

TUV Rheinland has nearly 30,000 employees across 500 locations in over 50 countries. For more than 150 years, the TUV Rheinland name has stood for safety and quality, and its mark is trusted on everything from household products and cars to power plants and trains.

Representing the company in the league is its Rail & Future Mobility Solutions team for the Asia-Pacific and Greater China.

The work centres on helping people and goods move safely, reliably and sustainably, whether that is a metro train or the electric buggy taking you to the 10th tee.

In Singapore, TUV Rheinland has worked on projects across the MRT network and serve as independent safety assessor for the Singapore Rail Test Centre.

Tan said: “Simply put, as transport gets smarter and more automated, we help make sure people can trust it.”

stsports@sph.com.sg

• The writer is a former sports editor of The Straits Times and has been writing about golf and sports for more than 56 years.