Interview Denis Ho - Business Development Manager at SGS
Denis Ho, SGS
Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do at SGS?
I am Denis Ho, a Hong Kong-born Chinese. I have studied in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom and completed my dissertation in The Netherlands for Acer, the Taiwanese computer brand. I have worked for over 20 years in the Greater China region in Information technology and Supply Chain and I now work as Business Development Manager for Digital Trust and Sustainability Assurance, and auditor at SGS. Depending on the nature of the assignment, I travel around the world for SGS.
What does SGS do and how has the company evolved in the past few years?
SGS Hong Kong is the local branch of SGS, a Swiss-based global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services. It supports a wide range of industries by ensuring product quality, safety, and regulatory compliance. I´m part of the Business Assurance business unit; where we conduct audits and provide certification and verification services to our clients.
How do you make sure that your team stays up to date with information and technological advancements?
To become a certified auditor at SGS, one must meet certain qualification standards. First, you need to pass an examination by the professional evaluation and certification board (PECB) to show your capabilities and competence. For example, to qualify as an ISO/IEC 42001 auditor (for AI Management Systems), I had to take an exam by the PECB to get the certificate ISO/IEC 42001 auditor. In addition, you also need to demonstrate your involvement and practical experience in the AI audit job. Second, SGS requires auditors to complete an internal assessment. In this case, auditors are required to complete around 40 hours of specialized AI technical training, to ensure technical understanding of AI systems. After passing this test, you receive a second certification.
Even with these two certifications, it is important to stay up to date with technological advancements in the field that you are active in. To ensure continuous learning, SGS provides training courses through SGS Academy. This platform offers ongoing technical education, updates on certification standards, and a diverse portfolio of over 20,000 courses in more than 20 languages - including French, German and even Dutch – supported by a network of over 1,000 tutors.
For example, when auditing topics related to AI , specific training is required in areas such as speech recognition, robotics, natural language processing, deep learning, machine learning, computer vision and more. Through this approach, SGS ensures that the auditors have the specialized knowledge needed to maintains its industry leading expertise. 
Note: SGS Academy offers training courses to facilitate DCC’s members with flexible training options - classroom, virtual, eLearning, or on-site – covering Digital Trust, Sustainability, Health, Safety & Compliance, Management and Soft Skills to meet diverse learning needs.
What is the biggest challenge to maintaining a certain standard at SGS?
SGS is proud to be a pioneer in the field of certification. As a certified body, we were the first globally to issue an ISO/IEC 42001 AI management system certification, and the first in China and Hong Kong. Maintaining this leadership position and our trustworthiness in a vast evolving world is our biggest challenge. We must maintain this momentum and the quality of our work. That´s why SGS invests resources in internal trainings through SGS Academy and having auditors with professional qualifications are critical. They ensure our pool of auditors remain at the forefront, both in qualifications and in practical expertise.
What are the biggest opportunities for SGS in the near future?
Looking ahead, digital trust assurance and AI represent key growth areas for SGS. As early movers, we are already focused on this field, but we should make sure to maintain technical excellence and client trust. In addition, sustainability will play a big role in the future. Through our global training partnership with EcoVadis, we help companies manage ESG risks, meet sustainability targets, and improve performances across their value chain. We have even undergone our own EcoVadis assessment, reflecting our commitment to a sustainable future.