During this global Covid-19 pandemic, ALMU ushered in our 2nd ALMU Council. The first meeting of the newly elected ALMU Council took place on 17 June 2020. Facing a myriad of challenges that include Covid-19 and the perils of climate change, our new ALMU Chairman, Mr. Pai Kok Tan, about his priorities during his two-year term. Pai Kok highlighted the importance of building an organisation that is more flexible in responding to change.
ALMU, the voice of the Asian lubricants industry, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Virtual Town Hall Meeting via a virtual platform on 29 September 2020, in response to Covid-19 and existing travel restrictions.
Pai Kok shared during the virtual meeting the top four priorities for ALMU in 2020-2022: a) membership growth, b) sustainable future, c) technical competency, and d) supporting members through the pandemic.
Pai Kok is vice president of Operations, Lubricants, for Total Oil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, responsible for Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
Regarding membership growth, Pai Kok said ALMU’s target is to increase the number of its corporate members from 130 to 200 companies by 2022.
Membership growth can be achieved by enhancing ALMU’s value proposition for its members and organising activities aligned with member needs, he said.
Pai Kok emphasised ALMU’s vital role as an environmentally and socially responsible collective organisation.
“The association will put in the necessary resources and knowledge to behave as a responsible collective association,” he said.
ALMU recently published a sustainability statement, which unequivocally states its commitment to environmental, social and community stewardship.
Subcommittee leaders, including Sharmini Lohadhasan, counsel, Brands, of BP Singapore Pte Ltd.; and David Barned, global vice president, Operations & Supply Chain/General Manager – North America, of Master Fluid Solutions; Dr. T.C.S.M. Gupta, senior vice president, Quality, R&D and Technical, Apar Industries Limited; and, Watcharapong Pathompanich (Alex), business development manager, P.S.P. Specialties Co., Ltd., gave details on their respective subcommittee plans. Sharmini also gave the presentation for the membership subcommittee on behalf of Mia Krishna Anggraini, vice president, Overseas, PT Pertamina Lubricants.
A few of the new initiatives highlighted during the Virtual Town Hall meeting include:
- Conducting a Certificate of Lubricant Proficiency joint certification course with the Shanghai Lubricant Trade Association (SLTA) in Mandarin, to be held in the Spring of 2021 in Shanghai, China;
- Collaboration with the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE);
- Advocacy/Industry Partnership Sharing Sessions which kicks off in late November;
- Hybrid education courses, which will include live training workshops combined with virtual sessions, to make them more cost-effective and more inclusive;
- Member-to-Member sharing sessions;
- A six-month Membership Extension program;
- Member-Get-Member Initiative;
- White paper on On-Highly Commercial Vehicle Lubricant Quality in Key Asian Markets in Asia which is being co-authored by Lubrizol;
- White Paper on Counterfeit Lubricants Market in Asia co-authored by Kline Group which is currently under review and will be presented in March 2021, during the ALMU Annual Meeting;
- Developing a Guide on Sustainable Lubricants and Best Practices for Responsible Consumption and Production of Lubricants;
- Knowledge sharing on the role of lubricants in regards to Industry 4.0;
- Developing a list of certified independent laboratories performing industry-specific tests and negotiating discounted pricing for ALMU members;
- Web-based networking forum and sharing sessions on technical topics.
To view the recorded ALMU Town Hall Virtual Meeting, click here