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Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Business

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence
Business

Business

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

2026-01-07 18:24 Last Updated At:18:45

SINGAPORE, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Influential Brands® proudly announces its upcoming 2026 Gala Event and Award Ceremony, set to take place on 6th April at the Fullerton Hotel. Marking its 14th year of honouring business leadership, the event will gather distinguished brands, employers, sustainability champions and top business leaders from across Asia.

A Legacy of Celebrating Asia's Champions of Excellence

With an awardee portfolio of over 500 of the most influential companies in Asia, Influential Brands® has established itself as a trusted platform for promoting and celebrating business excellence in Asia. Over the years, Influential Brands® has recognised prominent companies and industry shapers from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and beyond, fostering a strong community of forward-thinking leaders.

Award Categories Guided by Data and Meaningful Insights

Influential Brands®, headquartered in Singapore, employs a rigorous set of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to identify the region's top performers in branding, talent engagement, sustainability and business leadership.

Each award under the Influential Brands® umbrella is grounded in comprehensive, ongoing research involving inputs from over 25,000 consumers, 50,000 employees and sustainability assessments and leadership reviews aligned with global standards.

Commitment towards employee engagement and positive workplace culture: Top Employer Award

As the labour market grows increasingly competitive and talent expectations continue to evolve, companies must distinguish themselves through genuine commitment to people and culture. In this landscape, recognising exemplary employers becomes essential, which is why the Top Employer Award highlights organisations that excel in creating meaningful, engaging and future ready workplaces that attract and retain the right talent.

Ms. Tan Chee Wei, Chief Human Capital Officer of SATS Limited said: "I am honored that SATS has been recognized as a 2025 and 2026 Asia's Top Employer, which is a fitting validation of our unwavering commitment to our greatest asset; our people. We will continue to build fulfilling careers together, show appreciation for one another and make meaningful contributions as we power a connected world of trade, travel and taste."

The 2025 and 2026 Top Employer Awardees include industry leaders such as Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Accenture, CIMB Singapore, Koufu, NTUC LearningHub, WorkJoy, MoneyHero Group, SATS, Mandai Wildlife Group, HOYA Electronics, SP Group, Singtel Group, ShopBack, EtonHouse Group, UOL Group among other companies that have been endorsed by their employees as exemplary workplaces. A Top Employer company demonstrates exceptional standards in culture, engagement and employee support in Singapore and across the region.

Mr. Marcus Heng, Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Mandai Wildlife Group says, "What an honour to be recognised as a Top Employer. We are driven by a deep sense of purpose to protect wildlife, preserve nature, and create meaningful experiences that connect people with the natural world. This accolade is a testament to the passion, dedication, and care our employees bring every day. When our people find meaning in their work, they show up as their best selves and create exceptional experiences for others. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to fostering a workplace where every individual feels empowered to learn, contribute, and make a positive impact on our planet."

Recognising outstanding ESG stewards in Asia: Top Sustainability Award

In an era where stakeholders are more conscious of corporate behaviour than ever before, companies are judged not only on what they offer but on how they operate. Stakeholders want assurance that companies are acting responsibly, managing their environmental footprint and contributing positively to communities. The Top Sustainability Award honours companies that exemplify this standard, showcasing leadership through comprehensive ESG disclosures and responsible long term strategies.

The 2025 Top Sustainability Companies include Sustainability Champions such as FairPrice Group, Singtel Group, UOL Group among other prominent companies demonstrating exceptional progress and leadership in ESG transparency and responsible business practices.

Ms. Grace Chua, Chief Sustainability Officer of FairPrice Group said: "We are deeply honoured to receive Influential Brands' Top Sustainability 2025 Award. FairPrice Group's purpose is to make every day a little better for those we serve, and keeping things easy on the planet is a big part of this commitment. Together with our customers, partners, and people, we will continue to do our part in building a greener future for the communities we operate in, one day at a time."

Standing out in the Hearts of Consumers: Top Brand Award

Backed by a robust market survey across Asia with the participation of over 25,000 consumers, prominent brands are named the "Top Influential Brands". From parents, grocery shoppers, tourists to frequent travellers, the survey provides a comprehensive view of consumers' preference in key markets in Asia.

Mr. Lawrence Chan, Group CEO of NETS says, "We're honoured to be recognised as Singapore's Top Influential Brand in Digital Payments. A heartfelt thank you to our customers for your continued support and trust. This award reflects our commitment to helping businesses grow and motivates us to continue connecting communities and empowering lives through what we do."

The Top Brand Awardees include industry leaders such as NETS, FairPrice Group, NTUC LearningHub, Maybank Singapore, MoneyOwl, PRIME, Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Chew's, Yeo's, Eu Yan Sang TCM Clinic, Guardian, Colgate, Avance, How's Catering, Daikin, Popular, 21st Century Healthcare, CaterCo, Farmpride, Lau Pa Sat, Kopitiam, 3 Embers, MODU, DRIM, Biti's, AOz, Hegen, Anytime Fitness, Wells Singapore, hue, Nirvana Asia Group among other companies that have been endorsed by consumers as their prefer brands. The Top Brand Award honours brands that have built enduring resonance with consumers, strengthened by authenticity, relevance and a compelling value proposition across diverse markets.

Ms. Annie Lee, Head of Country Corporate Office Maybank said: "We are honoured to be recognised as the Top Influential Brand under the ASEAN Bank category. This recognition reflects the trust our customers and communities continue to place in us, and reaffirms our commitment of Humanising Financial Services."

Honouring Leaders who integrate purpose into performance: Top CEO Award

A highlight of the Gala Event is the presentation of the Asia's Top CEO Award, an honour reserved for senior leaders who exemplify outstanding business expansion, financial excellence, innovative leadership, and unwavering integrity. Mr. Harpreet Bindra, CEO of HSBC Life, stands among this year's distinguished honourees from the Insurance Services industry.

Interested companies to join the Gala Event on 6th April 2026

Influential Brands® welcome companies that aspire to be recognised for their excellence in leadership, branding, sustainability and human capital to submit their applications by the 27th February 2026. This is an opportunity to join a prestigious community of business leaders and gain recognition as the best in business at the Gala Night on 6th April 2026.

Mr Jorge Rodriguez, Managing Director of Influential Brands®, said, "It is our honour to recognise Business Excellence across Asia. We look forward to welcoming ASEAN business leaders to the Gala Event in April 2026 at the Fullerton Hotel. It will be an evening of celebration, meaningful connections, and shared opportunities for collaboration.".

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

Influential Brands® unveils the 2026 Gala Event honouring Asia's finest in business excellence

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rokid, a global pioneer in human-computer interaction and augmented reality, announced a strategic collaboration with Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation, and financial technology provider, to enable payment functionality on Rokid Glasses and Rokid Ai Glasses Style—the world's first open ecosystem AI smart glasses, recently unveiled globally at CES 2026, expanding real-world use cases for AI-powered wearable technology. 

The integration with Alipay+ GlassPay, an embedded payment solution designed by Ant International specifically for smart glasses, allows users to complete payments through Rokid AI&AR products using supported digital wallets connected via Alipay+, enabling hands-free, AI-powered AR transactions. 

By integrating Alipay+ GlassPay into Rokid Glasses and Rokid Ai Glasses Style, users can initiate and confirm payments directly through the glasses' interface, combining an AI-powered voice interface, intent interaction, camera-based code scanning, and biometric authentication. The collaboration simplifies everyday payment scenarios, including retail purchases, travel-related transactions, and cross-border consumption. The payment feature emphasizes intuitive interaction and real-world usability, enabling transactions without switching to handheld interfaces.

Alipay+ is a global wallet gateway that provides cross-border payment and digitalisation services, connecting over 1.8 billion user accounts on 40+ mobile payment providers to 150+ million merchants across 100+ core markets. Through Alipay+, consumers can make streamlined payments, access a broad range of deals, and use digital services via their preferred payment apps or e-wallets when traveling abroad.

Many businesses already leverage Alipay+ digital tools to improve operational efficiency and support omni-channel growth. The integration with Rokid Glasses extends these capabilities and creates new opportunities for merchants and consumers.

The payment functionality reinforces Rokid's vision of AI glasses as practical, everyday tools rather than conceptual devices. By combining AR displays, AI interaction, and digital payments, Rokid and Alipay+ reduce friction in daily activities and enable more natural, efficient human-computer interaction.

The collaboration marks a crucial milestone in the evolution of wearable computing, demonstrating how AI glasses can integrate directly with real-world digital and financial services. Rokid plans to continue expanding practical applications for Rokid AI&AR Glasses through partnerships across payments, services, and global commerce ecosystems.

About Rokid

Founded in 2014, Rokid is a product-oriented platform company with a focus on human-computer interaction and a global pioneer in augmented reality (AR) . As one of the industry's earliest innovators, Rokid designs both advanced hardware and intelligent software, supporting a robust, open AI ecosystem. The company is widely recognized as the first to deliver smart glasses with open, global AI access, enabling real-time translation and AI interaction across platforms and regions.

Rokid serves consumers, developers, and enterprise users worldwide and hosts China's largest XR developer community, with over 20,000 registered developers and 5,000 enterprise partners. Known for engineering and design excellence, Rokid has received the CES Innovation Award for three consecutive years and the German iF Design Award five times, reinforcing its leadership in next-generation AI and wearable technologies.

About Ant International

With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/ 

 

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Rokid and Ant International Announce Integration of Smart Glasses Payment Capability

Rokid and Ant International Announce Integration of Smart Glasses Payment Capability

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