Baker McKenzie Global Chair Milton Cheng was named "Outstanding Overseas Executive of the Year" at the annual Singapore Business Awards last night. He was acknowledged for his outstanding leadership and positive contributions to the global Firm, Singapore and the international community at large.
This is the first time that this award has been given to the leader of a law firm.
The "Outstanding Overseas Executive of the Year" award recognizes an overseas-based Singaporean business leader who is able to adapt to changing business environments and standards through innovative and outward-looking approach to business, and who demonstrates exemplary managerial qualities. In addition, the award winner is required to have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the financial viability of the company, as well as a positive contribution to Singapore and the international community.
In accepting the award, Milton said: "I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award from my own home nation. Thank you to SPH Media Limited and the judging panel for this recognition. In many ways, I see this award as symbolic, certainly for me and for our Firm. Singapore is a small country but with a big reach. If we continue to invest in and leverage our human capital, we will remain relevant and important in this new global economy. I am really glad I am able to play my small part in that, and I look forward to more from all of us."
Milton Cheng is the first Asian Global Chair at Baker McKenzie and the first Singaporean to be elected to such position in the Firm's 70+ years of history. He previously served as Managing Partner of the Hong Kong office, in addition to being the Firm's first Chief Executive overseeing Baker McKenzie's offices and businesses in Mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar. During that time, Milton also led the formation by Baker McKenzie of its Joint Operation in China with FenXun Partners, a first-of-its-kind collaboration model that has since been followed by other leading international law firms.
Under his leadership, Baker McKenzie's annual revenue reached USD 3.1 billion for the fiscal year ended 30 June 2021, breaking the USD 3 billion mark for the first time. Milton noted that this achievement was in part driven by the Firm-wide adoption of the comprehensive Client & Market Strategy, with success in areas including the TMT and Healthcare sectors and also across the Firm's Transactional Practices.
The Singapore Business Awards (SBA) is jointly organised by The Business Times, Singapore's leading business daily published by SPH Media Limited, and DHL, the global market leader in the international express and logistics industry. The awards aim to acknowledge the vital contributions made by companies and business leaders to Singapore’s development, encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore, and give recognition to excellence in corporate management.