Sustainability Award 2022

HO REN YUNG, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BRAND HQ AT BANYAN TREE GROUP

A sustainability advocate long before it was trending, Ho Ren Yung leads the evolution of Banyan Tree Group as it sharpens its focus on bringing holistic travel experiences to a world out of balance.

Understanding the importance of inner work, the company began its mindfulness journey from within, through its Organisational Wellbeing Index to assess employees’ state of well-being and the “I Am With You” service culture programme designed to build resilience and mindfulness among its staff. “This has created team cohesion, passion and conviction in the value of what we offer guests, and a shared connection between our guests and associates,” she said in a previous interview.

Against the backdrop of the travel boom, Banyan Tree has launched two new brand extensions, Escape and Veya, under the Banyan Tree Wellbeing Sanctuary concept

Opened in June 2022, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape in Bali, is constructed from recycled Ulin (iron) wood from Indonesia’s Kalimantan region. It features a “no walls, no doors” concept for guests to fully immerse in central Bali’s local heritage and culture, and boast a zero-waste farm-to-table menu. Meanwhile, Banyan Tree Veya Phuket, which debuted this March, is a resort centred on well-being and offers bespoke programmes built on Banyan Tree’s proprietary eight pillars of well-being that revolve around the mind, body and soul.

“I’m more excited and driven than ever, as we took this year to reshape our sustainability strategy and deepen it through everything we do and how we do it,” said Ren Yung in her recorded acceptance speech screened on-stage during the ball.

“We’re being bold in surpassing industry targets for decarbonisation, linking ESG KPIS to incentive plans, experimenting with carbon-positive and circular new builds, mapping where our food comes from, and even looking into rewilding all the green spaces of our properties worldwide. There’s so much to do, and so much that we can do. Every one of us has something that we can change in service of a better world. It is a hopeful future ahead.”