Ashland ROA Newsletter (2nd Edition)_Business Excellence Award & Interview

WelcomeMessage
Ashland People ROA NewsletterAshland People ROA Newsletter(Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia & Vietnam)(Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia & Vietnam)
An Exclusive Publication for Employees of Ashland
Dear Fellow Colleagues,
We are pleased to present to you 2nd Edition of ASHLAND
People, Rest of Asia, Newsletter. This edition will cover the
happenings and activities, between January and March 2015, in
rest of Asia.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the leaders and
colleagues for the positive feedback that we have received for
our 1st Edition Newsletter. Your support has given us the drive
to continue to work on this Newsletter.
We would continue to enhance our newsletter contents and of
course your valuable feedback would be very much useful to
us.
We hope this newsletter will provide us a platform to connect
our staff, who are based in different countries.
AshlandNewsIssue#002/15January-March2015
Page 1/20
our staff, who are based in different countries.
Best Regards,
May Low
On Behalf of HR for rest of Asia

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
1. Welcome Message
2. New Colleagues
3. Awards
4. Birthday
5. Ashland & Solenis Staff Dinner
6. Chinese New Year Celebration in Singapore
7. Celebrations in Korea & Japan
8. Battery Exhibition in Japan 2015
9. New Born Baby
10. Getting to Know Our Colleagues:
Contents
Page 2/20
10. Getting to Know Our Colleagues:
a. Mahesh Verma, Regional Supply Chain Manager,
SEA
b. Norio Imada, Financial Controller, Japan
11. News Update:
a. Malaysia – GST
b. Singapore – Budget 2015
c. Indonesia – BPJS
15. 2 Books Recommendation - By Lin Han
16. Food Foodies
17. Countries around us

Pleasewelcomethem..…
Ashland welcomes all our new colleagues who have joined us
between January and March 2015 and wish them the best in their
new roles.
Ms. Sim Siew Teng
ISP Singapore Pte Ltd
Department: Logistics
Position: Logistics Coordinator
Date of Joined: 1 Jan 2015
January 2015January 2015January 2015January 2015
February 2015February 2015February 2015February 2015
Mr. Koji Yamamoto
ISP Japan Ltd
Department: ASI Consumer
Position: Sales Manager – Nutrition,
Page 3/20
Mr. Wilson Gan
Valvoline, Malaysia
Department: Valvoline
Position: Country Manager, Malaysia
Date of Joined: 5 Feb 2015
Position: Sales Manager – Nutrition,
Pharmaceutical & Agro
Date of Joined: 1 Feb 2015
March 2015March 2015March 2015March 2015
Ms. Yumi Omori
ISP Japan Ltd
Department: ASI Consumer
Position: Sales Assistant, Care Specialties
Date of Joined: 1 March 2015

Congratulation!
Employee recognition is an important component of fostering a high
performance workplace. ASHLAND recognizes the employees for
their exceptional performance, outstanding contributions and
efforts.
ROAROA -- Regional Business Excellence AwardRegional Business Excellence AwardROAROA -- Regional Business Excellence AwardRegional Business Excellence Award
Mahesh Verma, Regional Supply Chain Manager,
SEA, Ashland Singapore
Le Thanh Hieu, Sales Manager , ASI -Consumer
Specialties, Vietnam, Cambodia & Myanmar
Hieu has delivered a perfect “10” performance in sales this year.
He successfully grew the overall business in Vietnam sales by 33
percent over the previous year in the segments like Nutrition and
Agro, Personal Care and Pharma .
ROAROA -- Regional Business Excellence AwardRegional Business Excellence AwardROAROA -- Regional Business Excellence AwardRegional Business Excellence Award
Page 4/20
SEA, Ashland Singapore
Mahesh has developed robust sales and operating procedures to
streamline operations support and manage end-to-end supply
chain operations for Rest of Asia (ROA) for Valvoline. Total
business has grown from about $22M in 2009 to more than $48M
in 2014, which he has supported efficiently. He has implemented
cost-saving initiatives, recording expenses at 14 percent below
budget.
ROAROA –– Regional Leadership Excellence AwardRegional Leadership Excellence AwardROAROA –– Regional Leadership Excellence AwardRegional Leadership Excellence Award
Sanjay Karkhanis, Sales Director, ASI - Industrial
Specialties, Asia South, Ashland Singapore
Sanjay has proved to be an outstanding leader demonstrating
great motivational, collaboration and excellent mentoring
skills. His efforts enabled the building of a very strong
commercial and technical team in Industrial Specialties.

BirthdayBabies
Page 5/20

Ashland&SolenisDinner~Singapore
Page 6/20
Ashland&SolenisDinner

ChineseNewYearCelebration~Singapore
SingaporeSingaporeSingaporeSingapore
Page 6/9
ChineseNewYearCelebration
Page 7/20

Celebrations~Korea&Japan
KoreaKoreaKoreaKorea
Page 8/20
Celebrations
JapanJapanJapanJapan

BatteryExhibitioninJapan2015
Battery Japan 2015 –
6th International
Rechargeable Battery
Expo is an international
exhibition of Batteries such
as LiB, NiMH and Capacitor
as well as products and
technologies for
manufacturing. It presents
products and services such
as: Inspection/ Testing/
Evaluation, Rechargeable
Battery, Manufacturing
Equipment, Related
Apparatus and
Material/Component. It
brings together Automobile
Manufacturers, Electronics
Manufacturers,
Manufacturers, Research
Institutes/Universities,
Portable Device
Page 9/20
BatteryExhibitioninJapan2015
Manufacturers and Users of
Rechargeable Batteries and
Other Rechargeable Battery
Related Companies.
Participants from Ashland:
1) Mr. Yusuke Okada
2) Mr. Kenji Hanada
3) Mr. Kazunori Takahashi
4) Ms. Saki Yamamoto
5) Dr. Robert Gibbison
6) Dr. Alan Goliaszewski
7) Dr. Shufu Peng
8) Mr. Harry Ahn
9) Mr. Min Yong Park

PreciousMoment~Korea
KoreaKoreaKoreaKorea
Choi Yun Jeong's daughter (EHS Korea)
Birthday: February 2nd, 2015
Page 10/20

GettingtoKnowourColleague
MaheshMahesh VermaVerma
Regional Supply ChainRegional Supply Chain
Head, SEAHead, SEA
Tell us something about yourself and
your family.
I was born in Delhi & grew up in Mumbai in
India. As a kid I had passion for all kinds of
sports but soccer was my favorite game.
After completing my schooling I went on to
pursue Honors Degree in Chemical
Engineering from one of the premier
institutions in India. I am married and my
wife Archna, two sons- Nikhil & Ritvik live
with me in Singapore. My wife Archna used
to work for a leading domestic airline in
India before she decided to move with me
when I took up my first overseas
assignment, fifteen years back. Nikhil, my
elder son, is currently in Junior High School
& my younger son Ritvik is studying in
Grade V.
Tell us your favorite
pastime.
Sports & fitness have
always been my favorite
and I try to indulge in
these as and when I can. I
also like to listen to music
& indulge in activities that
interest the family.
Can you share
with us how
would you build
to establish good
relationship with
your colleagues?
Each individual is
unique and no
single approach
defines a path to
establishing a good
relationship.
Irrespective of
approach, I believe,
Page 11/20
GettingtoKnowourColleagueAshlandNewsIssue#002/15January-March2015
approach, I believe,
Trust & Respect
are foundation of a
good and strong
relationship.
Can you share with us your experience of
working in ASHLAND? What have you like most
about working here?
In my nineteen years career, I was entrusted with
various challenging assignments & contrasting
roles and got a chance to work with many talented
& wonderful people from different geographies and
cultural background. I always got an opportunity to
learn something new and enhance my knowledge,
both as a professional & an individual. Ashland
provides an opportunity to enhance and apply your
skills & talent and that is what I like the most about
it.
How do you handle stress?
Conflict (whether it is of thoughts,
understanding, interests or actions) in
most cases, if not all, is the key reason for
stress. I try to address the root cause of
conflict to manage stress. When I do get
overwhelmed with stress, I make it a point
to spend time with family & close friends
that helps me see beyond my profession.
This helps me come back refreshed &
prepared to manage the stress better.
Your management style.
I advocate open communication and believe in
empowering people as per their best ability. It makes a lot
of sense to me to empower and develop people, who are
honest in realizing their weaknesses and take conscious
effort & actions to develop themselves. Empowerment
comes with responsibilities and one who realizes this, are
best suited for it. I believe that efficiency, improvisation,
collaborative approach and common end objective are
hallmarks of a TEAM.
Tell us about your memorable
moment in ASHLAND….
There have been many but one I
specifically would like to mention is
citing of supply chain team for ROA
& its commitment to delivering
results as benchmark for modeling
supply chain for other regions.

NorioNorio ImadaImada
Financial ControllerFinancial Controller
ISP Japan LimitedISP Japan Limited
TellTell usus somethingsomething aboutabout
yourselfyourself && youryour family?family?
I am married in year 2014. I’m
living with my wife -Asuka and a
dog in Tokyo. My home town is
in Shizuoka which is famous for
Green Tea, Eel and “Chinese
dumpling “. I was graduated
from Osaka University of
Foreign Studies. My first job
was a clerk at Sumitomo Bank.
My wife is an English Tutor after
graduated from Idaho State
University and now she is a full
time housewife.
TellTell usus somethingsomething aboutabout
yourselfyourself && youryour family?family?
I am married in year 2014. I’m
living with my wife -Asuka and a
dog in Tokyo. My home town is
in Shizuoka which is famous for
Green Tea, Eel and “Chinese
dumpling “. I was graduated
from Osaka University of
Foreign Studies. My first job
was a clerk at Sumitomo Bank.
My wife is an English Tutor after
graduated from Idaho State
University and now she is a full
time housewife.
TellTell usus youryour hobbieshobbies
I like good food and I like to
vist to “Onsen”, which is the
hot spring in Japan. I also like
to walk along the riverside to
experience the nature.
Can you share with us
how would you build to
establish good
relationship with your
colleagues?
Two important elements
that I used to build a
good relationship with
colleagues - Respect
and Trust which align
with our Global Business
Code of Conduct. It will
makes everyone happy
and enjoy their work.
Can you share with us yourCan you share with us your
Page 12/20
Can you share with us your
experience of working in
ASHLAND? What have you like
most about working here?
We respect each other no
matter you are the boss or
colleagues in the office. This is
a good culture in Ashland and
I enjoy to work in Ashland.
After work, I can spend my
time with family.
Can you share with us your
experience of working in
ASHLAND? What have you like
most about working here?
We respect each other no
matter you are the boss or
colleagues in the office. This is
a good culture in Ashland and
I enjoy to work in Ashland.
After work, I can spend my
time with family.
Tell us about your memorable moment in
ASHLAND….
My engagement & marriage with all the
blessed colleagues . I enjoyed the work life
balance culture Ashland . I’m very much
proud of to be one of the member of
ASHLAND.

AsiaNewsforSharing An Exclusive Publication for Employees of Ashland
Malaysia: Goods and Services Tax (“GST”)
effective 1 April 2015
What is the Goods and Services Tax (GST)?
Known across the world as either GST or VAT (value added tax), it is a broad-based
consumption tax (tax on your spending!) which affects all parties in a multi-stage taxation
system across the value chain from manufacturing to sales, it is based on a tax-on-value-add
concept which avoids duplication of taxes. This is in contrast to both the Sales and Service
Tax in Malaysia which is just added at one stage (Sales Tax at manufacturer level, and
Service Tax at consumer level).
The Goods and Services Tax in Malaysia (GST) was initially mooted by the federal
government in 2011 to replace the existing Sales and Service Taxes, but was met with much
resistance from the public at large, partially due to the implication of a price hike in
essential goods and services, but also partially due to the lack of clarity around the current
consumption tax systems in Malaysia.
How does GST work in Malaysia?
In the current tax regime, the 10% Sales Tax (on manufacturing and imports) and 6% Service
Tax (on the F&B and professional services industry) is collected by one party (usually the
Page 13/20
Tax (on the F&B and professional services industry) is collected by one party (usually the
seller) and passed on to the tax authorities.
Further to the announcement and confirmation by the Malaysian Government on the
implementation of GST effective 1 April 2015, the GST will replace the current service tax
regime where they are charging service tax at 6% on all taxable services.

Singapore: MOM Announcements in Budget
Statement 2015
This year’s Budget Statement was delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Finance, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in Parliament on Monday, 23 February 2015.
The 5 key announcements related to MOM are set out as below.
•Retirement Adequacy
•Support for businesses as they continue to restructure
•Enhanced Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Levy Concessions
•Changes to Foreign Workers Levies
•SkillsFuture – Lifelong Learning for our Next Phase of Development
Retirement Adequacy
1)Silver Support Scheme A new Silver Support Scheme will be implemented around the
first quarter of 2016 to provide an income supplement to elderly Singaporeans with
lesser means in their retirement years.
2)Changes to the CPF to help Singaporeans save more for retirement From Jan 2016,
there will be an increase in the CPF salary ceiling and an increase in CPF contribution
rates for older workers. An additional 1% Extra Interest on the first $30,000 of CPF
Page 14/20
rates for older workers. An additional 1% Extra Interest on the first $30,000 of CPF
balances from the age of 55 will also be introduced.
Support for businesses as they continue to restructure
1)Extension and Enhancement of the Temporary Employment Credit (TEC) The TEC
will be raised to 1% of wages in 2015, or an additional 0.5 percentage points on top of
the original TEC. The TEC will also be extended by 2 years, to help employers adjust to
cost increases associated with the increase in CPF salary ceiling and the employer CPF
contribution rates for older workers.
2)Enhancement of the Special Employment Credit (SEC) Employers who re-employ
older workers aged 65 and above will receive an additional offset of up to 3% of an
employee’s monthly wages through the SEC. The SEC enhancement would help
manage employers’ overall costs and encourage employers to voluntarily re-employ
older workers aged 65 and above.
Enhanced Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Levy Concessions
1)To help FDW employers with care giving needs, the Government has reduced the
FDW concessionary levy rate from $120 to $60 per month. More will benefit as the
qualifying criteria for concessionary FDW levies will be expanded to include employers
with Singaporean children or grandchildren aged below 16 years old living in the same
household, up from 12 today.

Singapore: MOM Announcements in Budget
Statement 2015
Changes to Foreign Workers Levies
The Government has deferred and rebalanced foreign worker levy rates across various
sectors. This is to allow more time for businesses to adjust and restructure, taking into
account factors such as the moderation in foreign workforce growth.
SkillsFuture – Lifelong Learning for our Next Phase of Development
SkillsFuture marks a major new phase of investment in our people, creating an
environment of lifelong learning and developing the skills and mastery needed to take
our economy to the next level. Through SkillsFuture, each Singaporean will be
empowered to chart their own learning journey throughout life.
Key SkillsFuture initiatives are:
1)SkillsFuture Credit
Every Singapore citizen aged 25 years and above will receive an initial credit of
$500 to take charge of their own learning over the course of their lives. The Credit can
be used for work-skills related courses, supported by government agencies. This will
include courses offered by our Institutes of Higher Learning and accredited education
Page 15/20
include courses offered by our Institutes of Higher Learning and accredited education
and training providers, as well as a range of courses that are funded by WDA. Further
top-ups to the SkillsFuture Credit will be made at regular intervals.
2)SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme
This is a work-study program for fresh polytechnic and ITE graduates to give them
a head-start in careers related to their discipline of study. They can be placed with an
employer and have opportunities to learn through structured on-the-job training and
institution-based training. Those who successfully complete this program will receive
industry-recognised certification and a sign-on incentive.
3)SkillsFuture Study Awards
The awards are to support individuals who wish to develop the specialist skills
required for future growth clusters. They can also support those who already have deep
specialist skills and wish to develop other competencies such as business and cross-
cultural skills. A monetary award of $5,000 will be given to 2,000 individuals per year, on
top of the normal course fee subsidies.
4)SkillsFuture Fellowships
The Fellowships are to recognize and develop Singaporeans with deep skills and
help them achieve mastery in their respective fields. $10,000 cash will be given to up to
100 individuals per year. It can be used towards training across a broad range of skills
upgrading programs.

Indonesia: New Social Security
National Healthcare System (JKN) managed
by BPJS Health
Based on Government Regulation in regards of Social Security which known as
Jamsostek, currently the service has been split into 2 types as such :
1.BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (Mandatory inclusive expatriate starting January 2015)
Previously known as Jamsostek with same component as such :
a)JKK – Jaminan Kecelakaan Kerja (Accident Insurance) with Rate 0.24%, 0.54%, 1.27%
and 1.74% (depend on the company’s business) – Taxable
b)JKM – Jaminan Kematian (Death Insurance) with Rate 0.30% - Taxable
c)JHT – Jaminan Hari Tua (Pension Fund)
i.Employer Portion Rate 3.7% - Non Taxable (Taxable whenever withdraw)
ii.Employee Portion Rate 2% - Non Taxable (Taxable whenever withdraw)
2. BPJS Kesehatan (Mandatory on January 2015)
Page 16/20
2. BPJS Kesehatan (Mandatory on January 2015)
Previously part of Jamsostek program which was optional as JPK – Jaminan
Pemeliharaan Kesehatan (Health Insurance) and based on the regulation this program will
be mandatory on January 2015 with breakdown of the contribution:
a)Employer Portion 4% - Taxable
b)Employee Portion 0.5% and would be change on July 2015 into 1%

2BooksRecommendedbyLinHan
Book: True North – Authentic
Leadership
Author: Bill George & Peter Sims
Reasons for recommendation:
True North shows how anyone who
follows their internal compass can
become an authentic leader. This
leadership tour de force is based on
research and first-person interviews with
125 of today’s top leaders—with some
surprising results. In this important book,
acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill
Page 17/20
acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill
George and coauthor Peter Sims share
the wisdom of these outstanding leaders
and describe how you can develop as an
authentic leader.
True North presents a concrete and
comprehensive program for leadership
success and shows how to create your
own Personal Leadership Development.
True North offers an opportunity for
anyone to transform their leadership path
and become the authentic leader they
were born to be.

Book: Secrets of Power Negotiating
for Sales People
Author: Roger Dawson
Reasons for recommendation:
I've read a few books by Dawson and I'm
consistently impressed by his articulate
explaining of complex human-relations
topics.
This is a good book for sales people!
Dawson peels back layers of how
negotiations work. He takes you step by
Page 18/20
negotiations work. He takes you step by
step through just about every type of
situation you can think of, and explains
exactly how to deal with the person.
Each chapter is short and to the point.
There's no filler in this book. Not only
will you learn what the customer is
trying to do to you, but you'll also learn
how to do it to the customer. This isn't
about manipulating people, but just
making it a fair negotiation so you never
get taken advantage of again.

FoodFoodies… An Exclusive Publication for Employees of Ashland
YiLi PaoPao Ice 以利泡泡冰 from the popular Taiwan Shilin market has
arrived in Singapore at Orchard Central. YiLi PaoPao Ice uses real fruits
to blend to create that rich flavor, and can be eaten without toppings.
”Let it go, let it go… Can’t hold it back anymore…” We ALL know this
AshlandNewsIssue#002/15Jan–Mar2015
Page 19/20
”Let it go, let it go… Can’t hold it back anymore…” We ALL know this
song. Snow Queen Elsa and Princess Anna will probably not be able to
hold back their excitement if they know about a “Frozen” themed café
at Clementi’s City Vibe.

Countriesaroundus An Exclusive Publication for Employees of Ashland
Positioned at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the coast of
southern China, Hong Kong’s geographical position as a gateway
between the East and West has made it an attractive centre for
international trade. As a reflection of this, the heart of Asia’s world
city has always been the bustling and beautiful Victoria Harbour.
Hong Kong Island lies to the south of the harbour, while the
Kowloon Peninsula forms its northern shores. To the north of
Kowloon lies the New Territories, which stretch all the way to
Mainland China. Hong Kong is also home to more than 200 Outlying
Islands, including Lantau Island, where Hong Kong International
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Islands, including Lantau Island, where Hong Kong International
Airport is located.
Hong Kong can mostly thank its colonial history and international harbour for the rich blend
of cultures that give it its unique character. While the majority of the city’s population are
Chinese speakers, simply walking the streets will expose you to a medley of Asian and
European languages.
Hong Kong has a sub-tropical climate with distinct seasons. The only predictable weather
events that could have a significant impact on your travel plans are typhoons. Typhoon season
begins in May and ends in November. When a typhoon is approaching, warnings are broadcast
on television and radio. There are various degrees of warning signals issued by the Hong Kong
Observatory, but when the no. 8 signal is in place, most businesses and shops close down and
flights may be cancelled. There is a separate warning system for heavy rain.
In a city of sizzling woks, tinkling wine glasses, cosy eateries,
pungent cooking aromas, celebrated culinary festivals and trend-
setting chefs, everywhere you turn there is the temptation to dig
in and indulge. Resistance is futile.
AshlandNewsIssue#002/15Jan–Mar2015

Ashland ROA Newsletter (2nd Edition)_Business Excellence Award & Interview

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