Over 600 AETOS officers were deployed to provide essential security and safety services during United States Vice-President Kamala Harris’ visit to Singapore. Between 21 and 24 August, auxiliary police officers and security officers carried out vehicle and personnel checks at key sites during the visit, while outriders formed part of the Traffic Police convoys that facilitated traffic and escorted the visitors.

The visit saw a series of bilateral meetings between Singaporean officials and Ms Harris’ delegation, and a joint press conference that announced new areas of cooperation between the countries and shared support for cooperation in the Southeast Asian region.

Said Mr. Patrick Koh, Vice President of Sales & Marketing of AETOS Holdings, “We are proud to have contributed to this team effort – working together with close partners such as the Singapore Police Force to ensure that this significant national event proceeded safely and smoothly.

AETOS Holdings clinched two awards at the inaugural Employee Experience Awards, obtaining Gold in the Best Women Leadership Programme category and Bronze in the Best In-House Candidate Experience category respectively.

Hosted by Human Resources Online, Asia’s leading HR platform and read by over 300,000 users each month, the Employee Experience Awards recognizes organisations that have transformed to adopt an employee-centric approach, and have set industry standards in areas such as leadership, learning, and employee engagement. The Awards saw participation by a diverse range of companies across the region, from global MNCs to local enterprises, and were judged by a panel of senior HR professionals.

The Best Women Leadership Programme award celebrates organizations that adopt a collaborative and open approach to women empowerment and leadership, supporting and nurturing female professional talent while striving to become an equal opportunity employer. AETOS recognizes the importance of an inclusive and diverse working environment and has actively worked to increase female representation at the middle and senior management levels.

The Best In-House Candidate Experience award celebrates organizations that delivers a positive and professional experience at all touchpoints for candidates – throughout the application, hiring, and onboarding processes. Our competitive edge stems largely from investment in our people – be it through training, welfare, or development – and it is necessary that the candidate experience is included in this approach, being the starting point of every employee’s journey.

Said Ms. Irene Tan, Vice President of Human Resource, “We are very proud to have received these awards. Our greatest asset has always been our people, and these wins affirm our commitment to them - from empowering and nurturing deserving talent to ensuring our candidates are well taken care of. AETOS will continue to look for new ways to uplift our employees and enhance our overall employee experience.”

AETOS and DBS today announced the launch of Singapore’s first Electric Vehicle (EV) for Cash and Valuables Escort (CVE) services. The two companies have committed to convert the rest of the seven CVE vehicles to EVs by end-2023, and eventually all 42 of the operational vehicles used by the bank by 2026. This in line with the Singapore government’s announced plans to phase out Internal Combustion Engine vehicles and boost the adoption of EVs by 2040.

CVE vehicles are used to transport corporate cash from DBS/POSB’s branches to a cash processing centre. On average, a single CVE vehicle travels more than 170 km daily. Using an EV instead of an internal combustion engine vehicle reduces carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e) by up to 47 kg per day – or some 17,100 kg of CO2e a year.

“AETOS is committed to achieving carbon-neutral operations as part of our drive towards sustainability with parent company Surbana Jurong. We strongly believe in working towards safeguarding the environment for future generations. We are glad to collaborate with DBS who supports our long-term goal for sustainability,” said Mr Alfred Fox, Executive Director & CEO of AETOS Holdings.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr Shee Tse Koon, DBS Singapore Country Head said, “As part of our commitment to sustainable development, we have been encouraging partners within our ecosystem to adopt carbon reduction practices, in addition to lowering our own footprint. We are heartened to be working with a partner like AETOS, who has taken concrete and comprehensive steps towards reducing carbon emissions and who shares our vision for a better, more sustainable future.”

In its drive towards EV adoption, AETOS will be installing charging infrastructure at their various operational bases, starting with the first alternative current (AC) charging station at their West Coast premises. Each station is able to fully charge an electric CVE vehicle in under eight hours.

Supporting a holistic effort towards long-term sustainability, other initiatives implemented by AETOS include tracking and monitoring of its operations’ carbon footprint, rolling out electronic waste collection stations, and developing operational working apparel made from sustainable materials for its frontline officers by 2022.

In addition to working with its partners to reduce carbon emissions, DBS is committed to reducing its own environmental footprint as part of its sustainable development agenda. The bank has set targets for its operational carbon footprint to ensure net zero operational carbon by 2022. DBS is also re-designing its 24/7 self-service branches to be more energy efficient, reducing its office paper consumption and growing its solar energy capture spaces. In April, the bank also launched the DBS Green Solutions package which provides a comprehensive range of offerings and privileges so consumers can easily integrate green practices in their daily lives – from within their homes, to their transportation modes, to their payments and purchases.