Kuala Lumpur, 1 December 2011 – Kuala Lumpur’s iconic sporting event, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, returns for another four years from 2012 – 2015 through an official agreement marked at a signing ceremony between Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad and Dirigo Events Sdn. Bhd. today.
The signing signifies Standard Chartered Bank’s strong commitment as the first international bank for sports in Malaysia, by bringing back the country’s largest marathon for a fourth successive year continuing up to the seventh edition in 2015. Representing Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia as the marathon’s title sponsor was Osman Morad, Managing Director & CEO, and the event’s co-organiser, Rainer Biemans, Director of Dirigo Events.
The next ‘Standard Chartered KL Marathon’ will be held on the 24 June 2012 and expects 27,000 participants from over 45 countries worldwide to participate. The prize package remains the highest amongst marathons in Malaysia, with a total prize money of USD100, 000.
Osman Morad, Managing Director & CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd, said, “The elements of a marathon is a clear representation of the Bank’s brand philosophy – going the distance, persevering for excellence, a positive ‘can-do’ attitude, creativity and passion. Year on year, we at Standard Chartered are encouraged by the enthusiasm as well as the determination and commitment all Malaysian and international runners show during the marathon. Just like a marathon, we are committed to the country for the long run and we are proud to be part of Malaysia’s largest sporting event.”
Rainer Biemans, Director, Dirigo Events., co-organiser of the ‘Standard Chartered KL Marathon’ added, “We’re overjoyed to be organising the next four Standard Chartered KL Marathons which continues to show exceptional progress each year. The success of the marathon is also a testament of our solid partnership with Standard Chartered Bank as an active and involved title sponsor, and we believe the marathon will continuously grow over the coming years to be one of the largest running events in Asia.”
The ‘Standard Chartered KL Marathon’ also aims to encourage Malaysians to view sports as a way forward towards unity and national development, which is in line with the vision of the Sports Ministry in Malaysia. Additionally, the marathon brings together runners and spectators from various countries, making it a major tourist attraction for the country.
Next year's marathon will continue to be a key calendar highlight as organisers continue to secure all aspects of the marathon to make it a positive and exciting running experience for participants. With the introduction of more training programmes, additional incentives, new apparel designs as well as charity partners, the ‘Standard Chartered KL Marathon’ will definitely be an event not to be missed.
About the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012
Back for the fourth time, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon is scheduled to take place on 24 June 2012. The marathon aims to grow to 27,000 total participants, ranging from elite professionals to first-time amateurs. A truly international event, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon boasts participants from all over Malaysia and 45 countries.
The Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012 continues as Malaysia’s flagship running event with top runners competing for a total of USD 100,000 prize money.
About the Event Organisers
Dirigo Events Sdn Bhd
Dirigo Events is a Kuala Lumpur based company that provides strategic event management expertise for high scale sporting events. Dirigo is headed by Rainer Biemans and Gloria Ng that collectively have over 30 years in planning international sports events and managed previous Standard Chartered KL Marathons. The company was also recently signed with Standard Chartered Bank to organise Standard Chartered KL Marathons from 2012 to 2015. For more information on Dirigo Events Sdn Bhd, please call +603 7725 0881
About Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered PLC, listed on both London and Hong Kong stock exchanges, ranks among the top 25 companies in the FTSE-100 by market capitalisation. The London-headquartered Group has operated for over 150 years in some of the world's most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its income and profits have more than doubled over the last five years primarily as a result of organic growth.
Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank for its customers across its markets. The Group earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, from its Wholesale and Consumer Banking businesses. The Group has over 1600 branches and outlets located in over 70 countries. The extraordinary growth of its markets and businesses creates exciting and challenging international career opportunities.
Leading by example to be the right partner for its stakeholders, the Group is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity. It employs around 70,000 people, nearly half of whom are women. The Group's employees are of 125 nationalities, of which about 70 are represented in the senior management.
For more information on Standard Chartered, please visit www.standardchartered.com
Standard Chartered in Malaysia
Standard Chartered Bank, a member of the Standard Chartered Group was established in Malaysia in 1875 and incorporated as Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad on 29 February 1984. As Malaysia’s first bank, Standard Chartered leads the way through product innovation, consistent and strong growth performance and sustainability initiatives. The Bank’s two businesses – Wholesale and Consumer Banking – provides a comprehensive range of financial products and services to corporates, institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals through its network of more than 30 branches across Malaysia.
In 2001, Standard Chartered PLC established a global shared service centre named Scope International in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to provide software development, banking operations, IT support services and customer service capabilities to the Bank in up to 70 countries – the first international bank to do so in Malaysia. It now houses the biggest software development division in the country, International Software Centre Malaysia (ISCM) and has a total workforce of more than 4,000 people. Scope International Malaysia was conferred the ‘ICT Organisation of the year’ Award on 18 November 2011 by The National ICT Association of Malaysia or PIKOM at the PIKOM 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner and ICT Leadership Awards making it the first hub of an international bank to win the prestigious award. Standard Chartered’s two other global shared service centres are in Chennai, India and Tianjin, China.
Price Solutions Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank UK is also located in Malaysia. The company promotes and markets Standard Chartered’s financial products in Malaysia through a network of direct sales agents.
Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad’s Islamic Banking subsidiary was established in November 2008. It offers a full suite of Shariah-compliant products and services to individuals and corporates through its financial centres.
Standard Chartered employs more than 6,000 employees in all its Malaysian operations.