The Better Business Awards, hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, successfully concluded at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on September 17, 2025. As the lights hadn’t fully dimmed, the sponsor wall at the side of the venue continued to glow quietly. Samuel Yang, Chairman of BCCTaipei and Chairman & CEO of TutorABC, stood by the stage, gazing at the familiar logos of the sponsoring companies for a long while.
“Standing there, looking at each logo. Beyond gratitude, what welled up more strongly was a sense of responsibility.” For him at that moment, it didn’t feel like the end of a ceremony, but more like the beginning of a new chapter of responsibility.
As the organizer and driving force, Samuel Yang not only leads BCCT but also has long been deeply involved in the finance and education industries, actively engaging in sustainability and corporate governance practices. He says he sees himself less as a host and more as a curator of value:
“These brand partners on the sponsor wall aren’t just contributing to an event. They are making a stance in this era. It’s not for their own exposure, nor for PR image, but because they deeply believe this cause is worth investing in, worth publicly supporting, and they are even willing to let this choice become a way others recognize them.”
Following the successful conclusion of the Better Business Awards, Samuel Yang gave an exclusive interview to the UK’s global leadership impact media《The Icons》, sharing his observations and insights on this year’s lineup of sponsors, and allowing the outside world to hear how a business leader reinterprets corporate responsibility and influence in this era.
Sustainability is Not a Strategic Slogan, But a Long-Term Commitment in the Industrial Field
“These companies chose to sponsor the Better Business Awards because they are genuinely practicing sustainability and hope to drive more to do the same.” Samuel Yang is referring to those among this year’s sponsors who are directly engaged in the challenges of industrial transformation and implementing sustainability on the ground, including Cadeler, PKR Offshore, Taylor Hopkinson, Bechtel, and PECL.
Cadeler from Denmark specializes in offshore wind installation and engineering services and is a key player in the global green energy transition. This year, they sponsored the “Sustainability Award,” which, in Samuel Yang’s view, is also a concrete practice at the corporate action level:
“Sustainability is part of this company’s DNA. They continuously use the world’s latest technologies and engineering methods to reduce carbon footprints, enhance energy efficiency, and integrate sustainable technologies from the design phase of new vessels. Their daily work involves facing wind farms, sea conditions, and challenges of technology and time – that’s the real industrial reality. The professionalism and steadfastness demonstrated by this company show us this isn’t just a business opportunity, but a process of shared responsibility.”
Another group that left a deep impression on him were PKR Offshore and Taylor Hopkinson, co-sponsors of the “Green Energy Award”: “One is a provider of transport and engineering support, the other a consultancy specializing in renewable energy talent placement. Their backgrounds are completely different, yet they chose to support the same direction. That moved me particularly.”
PKR Offshore, part of the Swire Cocoa Wave Group, has actively supported Taiwan’s offshore wind industry since establishing operations in Taiwan in 2018, providing wind farm transportation, maintenance vessels (CTV, SOV), engineering platforms, and various service vessel support. Deeply rooted in the local green energy supply chain, they are committed to nurturing local talent, building a low-carbon transport system, and facilitating the smooth implementation of international projects.
Taylor Hopkinson, a renewable energy recruitment consultancy from the UK, participated in this event for the fourth consecutive year. They have long been placing key talent in the wind, solar, and energy storage industries. While assisting Taiwan’s renewable energy development, they have also created numerous green energy-related job opportunities and opened pathways into the European market for local professionals aspiring to international careers.
Samuel Yang pointed out: “To realize the energy transition, besides engineering capability, we need manpower, organizational capability, and localization capacity. These two companies precisely represent these different key roles. This also illustrates that so-called Green Energy is not just an industry category, but a whole systemic ecosystem.”
As for Bechtel and PECL, they jointly sponsored the “Social Enterprise Award.” One is a global top-tier engineering and construction firm, the other is an engineering consultancy deeply rooted locally in Taiwan. Their backgrounds are vastly different, yet they chose a common value at this moment.
Bechtel, a heavyweight in global infrastructure, has been actively promoting corporate social responsibility and ESG practices in recent years. They clearly stated in their sponsorship rationale their hope that this award would recognize organizations that integrate social impact into their corporate vision, making sustainability a culture, not a slogan: “Bechtel’s scale and history carry weight in any country. Their choice to support social innovation is a redefinition of the corporate role. Engineering isn’t just about building bridges and roads; it must also respond to societal impact.”
PECL is described by him as a “local translator.” Having participated in many major public constructions and national-level security systems over the years, PECL is familiar with Taiwan’s regulatory context and construction standards, capable of translating international sustainability thinking into executable local solutions. From renewable energy and transportation solutions to localized project management, PECL’s involvement makes social innovation more attuned to on-the-ground needs, from language and systems to implementation.
For Samuel Yang, what is admirable about these companies is not any lofty slogans they proclaim, but all the moving efforts of those working on the front lines: “Those truly at the industry forefront know best that sustainability is not a noun in a report, nor a speech. It’s every decision made daily, every collaboration, every construction task.”
Regarding the support from sponsor companies like Cadeler, PKR Offshore, Taylor Hopkinson, Bechtel, and PECL for these awards, Samuel Yang concludes: “‘Better Business’ is not about rewarding who speaks the best, but about seeing who acts the longest, the deepest, and the most authentically.”
When Responsibility Becomes Part of the System, Value Can Take Root
“There are three other companies that didn’t deliberately put themselves in the spotlight, but their choices elevated this event to a new level,” Samuel Yang said.
HSBC sponsored the “Business Leader of the Year Award” this year. The focus of this award is not on individual achievement, but on how a leader guides their enterprise to achieve genuine balance between governance, strategy, responsibility, and culture. This isn’t about personal charisma or rhetoric, but a long-term practice combining vision and organizational strength.
Samuel Yang pointed out that HSBC, as one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations, serves over 40 million customers through its four global businesses: Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Private Banking. Choosing to sponsor this award is a reaffirmation of the value of leadership. He said that amidst complex challenges like climate change, inflation, and social division, what truly drives organizations forward are leaders who can unite people, chart a course, and map out a blueprint:
“HSBC’s choice to sponsor this award is no coincidence. It’s a stance on values, a commitment. They understand that business leadership is not just about management, but about interpreting the role of the era.” Samuel Yang added that good leadership isn’t just about pursuing operational results, but about providing clear direction for the organization and society.
Eiger Law sponsored the “Climate Champion Award,” marking their second year supporting this award, driven by a clear value choice. For Eiger, climate action is not an additional rhetoric, but a core proposition of institutional reform. As an international law firm long established in Taiwan, they assist companies in aligning with international ESG standards from legal and institutional perspectives and promote the integration of climate risks into operational decisions and contract structures.
Samuel Yang noted that Eiger’s involvement is not just symbolic support, but stems from a deep systemic understanding: “Eiger is willing to sponsor this award because they see that most unglamorous yet fundamental place: how an organization assumes responsibility for its people, and also for its environmental impact.” He also specifically mentioned that Eiger was one of the first law firms in the industry to adopt video conferencing and remote work systems, substantially reducing its carbon footprint starting from its own practices.
PCA Life Assurance supported the “Innovation for Wellbeing Award.” This is an award that appears gentle at first glance but directly addresses fundamental societal challenges: How do we build a society where every citizen can live healthily, securely, and with dignity?
Samuel Yang mentioned that PCA Life Assurance has long promoted health education, wellness insurance, and digital health technology. Through public welfare programs, they engage deeply with local communities, covering cross-generational care needs from youth companionship to elderly support. “PCA aims to build an accessible, approachable, and sustainable healthy future for more people through innovative solutions,” he said. “This isn’t just brand advocacy; it’s institutional participation. The corporate role is to find ways to care for people within commerce, making insurance a genuine tool for societal change.”
Samuel Yang believes PCA’s choice of this award sends an important signal: “In an era of overlapping climate change and aging societies, what truly propels society forward are companies willing to take on long-term responsibilities and use resources to illuminate systemic gaps.”
Regarding the sponsorship of the Better Business Awards by HSBC, Eiger Law, and PCA Life Assurance, Samuel Yang summarized: “These three companies used their influence to deeply anchor this grand event. Seeing them, you know these values have the potential to endure in this era.”
Culture Provides Context, Narrative Brings Understanding, Education Enables Transformation
Another category of support, from cultural, narrative, and educational forces, added a different warmth to the Better Business Awards. Samuel Yang mentioned four organizations or companies: British Council, British Office Taipei, The Icons, and TutorABC. They share a common trait: they may not be on the front lines of sustainability practice, but they demonstrate far-reaching influence, enabling society to better comprehend the weight and direction of these values.
“I often say a society’s capacity for action depends on its capacity for language,” Samuel Yang said. “To get people willing to transform, you must first make them understand what you’re saying. This isn’t just a translation issue; it’s about context, narrative, concerning cross-culture, education, and media.”
He first mentioned the support from British Council and British Office Taipei. Representing official UK positions, they elevated the event’s scope beyond internal industry dialogue to public engagement with international cultural depth. “The role of British Council is to bring value issues into educational and cultural contexts; the participation of British Office Taipei gives this dialogue transnational perspective and depth for public discussion.” In Samuel Yang’s eyes, they are not external sponsors but more like international conduits transforming sustainability into social consensus.
The Icons, a UK-based global leadership impact media, focuses long-term on key figures in global industry, government, and academia, covering core issues like sustainability, transformation, and value practice. They showcase leaders worldwide, including business founders, CEOs, and family successors, and how they drive concrete action and deep influence through different roles and strategies.
As a partner media for this event, The Icons is not just a recorder but a constructor of value narratives. They excel at building multi-dimensional influence for business leaders. Through comprehensive “Leader IP” construction strategies, combining global sentiment analysis, international media matrices, and AI technology, and employing international issue management techniques, they ensure leaders are profoundly understood by the world in a complex era.
“What moves me most about The Icons is how their journalists delve into why a business leader thinks, chooses, and acts a certain way,” Samuel Yang said. “In this age of information overload, many companies doing the right things cannot effectively tell their stories. What The Icons does is distill the thinking behind each leader’s decisions, restore the true value of the enterprise, and help all stakeholders genuinely understand the company’s core beliefs and direction.”
TutorABC is the company most clear about the role of education. As its Chairman, Samuel Yang knew, education is never just knowledge transfer, but a complete system for enabling ideas to be understood, absorbed, and ultimately transformed into action. “What we do daily is make teaching a bridge to understanding. Because we know that for a concept to truly resonate, it needs countless rounds of transmission, dialogue, and clarification before it can turn into concrete change.”
TutorABC represents the practical power of education. Samuel Yang pointed out: “Education is not just knowledge transfer, but a process enabling ideas to be understood, internalized, and acted upon.”
As a global leader in education platforms, TutorABC has promoted online education and corporate talent training in over 100 countries, helped over 100 million learners improve language skills, and built cross-cultural communication and global competitiveness for over 3,000 enterprises. TutorABC also holds the WASC international highest accreditation, equivalent to that of Stanford and UCLA, symbolizing its teaching quality, systems, and management have reached global top-tier standards.
“What we do daily is truly help knowledge cross linguistic and cultural boundaries. The mission of education is not only to help people learn a language but to enable ideas to be understood by the world. To truly embed sustainability into businesses requires not just advocacy, but the power of education to turn understanding into choice and ideas into action.”
It is worth noting that British Council, The Icons, and TutorABC jointly sponsored this year’s “UK Alumni Association of the Year – ESG & UK Education Impact Award.” This award recognizes exemplary individuals who combine educational background, international vision, and ESG practice.
“British Council and British Office Taipei provide cultural context, The Icons lets the world see the structure of understanding, and TutorABC represents how an education brand achieves genuine transformation.”
Samuel Yang concluded: “Value is never a slogan, but a journey of being understood and practiced. What TutorABC does is not just teaching, but enabling ideas to be seen, understood, and implemented. We believe only through clear communication, accurate language, and long-term companionship can education become a force for social change. These three roles are indispensable, and TutorABC’s existence is precisely to let this change continue and make the ‘education brand’ the sturdiest bridge between understanding and action.”
When Values Start Connecting, They Cease to Be Slogans
The Better Business Awards ceremony is not the end of a grand event, but the beginning of an even longer journey.
For Samuel Yang, true value never relies on constant telling, but on actual connection. These companies appearing as sponsors not only provide various resources but also use their positions to offer real support for a value system aligned with the collective interests of humanity. He pointed out that when a company is willing to step forward and say, “I am here too,” the ecosystem gains additional weight.
“The Better Business Awards hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei are not about selecting the best companies, but about inviting those willing to step into the future to be seen together. Every company on the sponsor wall, and all nominees and winners, are backed not by a few slogans, but by one moving commitment after another,” Samuel Yang said. He and the BCCT team are deeply grateful to these partners for choosing, at this point in time, in this way, to say to this era: This is worth doing together.
“We hope to find more willing companions on this journey,” Samuel Yang said. Next year’s Better Business Awards welcome more sponsor partners and participating companies to join in the grand occasion, for a more vibrant business environment and for a better, more sustainable life for humanity.
“All of this is not for any particular award, nor for any single grand event, but to let value truly endure. Because when a group of people begin to believe that businesses are not just battling in the marketplace but can join hands to shoulder responsibility for this world, then the spirit of the Better Business Awards is truly realized.”
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