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Jens Rübbert, President of Singaporean-German Chamber of Commerce, honored with German Order of Merit
Jens Rübbert, President of Singaporean-German Chamber of Commerce, honored with German Order of Merit, © German Embassy Singapore
Acknowledgment of contributions towards forging closer ties of Asia’s economies with both Germany and the European Union
German Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier has bestowed upon Mr. Jens Rübbert the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Mr. Rübbert had various leadership positions in European and German Chambers of Commerce in Asia in the past decade and currently serves as President of the Singaporean-German Chamber of Commerce of Commerce and Industry. In these roles, Mr. Rübbert has been a tireless advocate for the advancement of foreign trade, amongst others in his work towards the reduction of barriers to trade between China and the EU, an investment protection agreement or the Free Trade Agreement with Vietnam. Likewise, he set decisive impulses in Vietnam for intensified bilateral economic dialogue, the set-up of a bilateral Chamber of Commerce as well as the establishment of the “Deutsches Haus (German House) Ho Chi Minh City” that has become a model for similar Projects.
In Singapore, he carried on the previous efforts of positioning Germany’s brand by initiating the ‘Green Book’ Initiative with Singaporean partners that has since led to the set-up of the Plastics Recycling Association Singapore. He also continues his advocacy efforts for the advancement of the German vocational training,that has served as a model in various contexts in the country.
German Ambassador to Singapore Dr Norbert Riedel, who presented the Order of Merit on behalf of Germany's Federal President Steinmeier for his outstanding commitment to the promotion of German and European foreign trade with Asia’s economies and its fundamental sociopolitical principles congratulated the awardee:
With his long-standing social and economic commitment, Mr. Rübbert has boosted Germany’s prestige as an innovative and sustainable economy. A German initiative that has started to bear fruits due to his impetus is the Plastics Recycling Association that provides the framework for a Centre of Excellence for Recycling. This project is exemplary of what we want to achieve as part of the Indo-Pacific guidelines adopted by the German government last year and will serve as a model for countries in the region. I am glad to see how his contributions to strengthening the visibility and reputation of German today receive the special recognition they deserve and hope to see many more initiatives sparked-off by him.
Mr. Rübbert currently represents the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW) as Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore. Previously, he held leading positions for Deutsche Bank from as early as 1991, initially in Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore and Turkey. He then moved on to serve as Executive Director for Deutsche Bank in China from 2009 to 2013 and Chief Country Officer of Deutsche Bank in Vietnam from 2014 to 2017. He also serves as a Member of the Board of the German Asia-Pacific Business Assocation.
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was handed over by Ambassador Dr Riedel on 25 November 2021 at the official residence of the Ambassador. Due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions the ceremony was restricted to a small Group.
Singaporean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC) is part of a network of 140 offices of the German bilateral Chambers of Industry and Commerce abroad in 92 countries. The Chamber is one of the largest national Business Chambers in Singapore with a membership of more than 600 representatives from a variety of industries from Germany and Singapore.
The SGC is a valuable and well established networking platform. Through its active industry committees, SGC gives a voice to businesses. The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC) was established in 2004. The SGC is a not for profit organization and has been tasked to promote bilateral Germany-Singapore trade, advise German and Singaporean companies on investment and market opportunities in Singapore and Germany, respectively, and assist these companies in developing international business contacts.