2 & 3 October 2023
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur | Virtual Platform
Concept Paper
Since the inception of KMF, themes have been discussed ranging from a context where uncertainty is normality to whether or not good stewardship based on the political economy of location, environment, and demographics can overcome geography as destiny; to the juxtaposition between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence; to building our Collective Brain and, most recently, to understanding Development and its Complexities and how we may Steer Our Way through a Perfect Storm to achieve more inclusive development outcomes for markets, firms, economies, and most importantly, societies.
The KMF2023 theme is "Our Next Episode: Orchestrating A Development Bargain for Sustainable Growth". In upholding KMF traditions, panel discussions will continue to be organised along four core sessions: how various markets globally are affected; what the theme means to firms and society at large; what are the imperatives of leadership and people.
Programme
9:05am - 9:25am
Opening Address
Dato' Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir
Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Dato' Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir
Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Dato’ Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir joined Khazanah in July 2021. Previously, he was Group Chief Financial Officer of Malayan Banking Berhad (“Maybank”) since July 2016 and he was also the Group Head, Global Banking of Maybank from October 2014 until June 2016. Prior to Maybank, he joined Permodalan Nasional Berhad in 2010 as Executive Vice President of Special Projects and was seconded to Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad, a public listed company, as Group Managing Director. In 2008, he was appointed as Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking for Maybank Investment Bank where he was responsible for the Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, Equity Capital Markets and Private Equity Divisions. He had also served as Executive Director at BinaFikir Sdn Bhd from 2004 to 2008. He is currently the Chairman of Iskandar Investment Berhad , M+S Pte Ltd, and Yayasan Khazanah. He also sits on the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Hasanah and Khazanah Research Institute.
Dato’ Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales, a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, and a Chartered Banker, Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics majoring in Accounting and Finance from London School of Economics & Political Science, United Kingdom and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
9:30am -10:15am
Keynote Address: 'Malaysia's Development Bargain: Can it be Renewed and Enhanced?'
Prof Stefan Dercon
Author; and Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Introducer:
Tan Siaw Woan
Director, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Prof Stefan Dercon
Author; and Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at Oxford University. He combines an academic career with work as policy advisor in UK, including as Chief Economist of the UK Department of International Development (DFID) between 2011 and 2017, and advisor to successive UK Foreign Secretaries. His research concerns what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets, governments and politics, and how to achieve change. His latest book “Gambling on Development: why some countries win and others lose”, published in 2022, reflects on this, based on his research and on his experience in the world of policy making.
Tan Siaw Woan
Director, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Siaw Woan joined Khazanah in 2009 and has more than 15 years of experience in the industry. She is currently a Director with the Research Division of Khazanah Nasional, where she is involved in roles covering impact investments, sector strategies, technology and macro-strategy. Prior to Khazanah, she worked at the Securities Commission and Ernst & Young. She is a CFA Charterholder, holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, a MSc in Economics and Finance from the University of Warwick and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
10:15am - 10:30am
Break
10:35am - 11:50am
Core Session 1: Macro and Markets
Some Things, Some Places, at Specific Times: Addressing Global Macroeconomic Challenges in an Era of Less Abundance
Allen Ng
Group Head and Principal Economist, ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO)
Frances Lim
Managing Director, Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk, KKR
Dr Peter Berezin
Chief Global Strategist and Research Director, BCA Research
Chairperson:
Wong Wai Seng
Head, Strategy and Asset Allocation, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Allen Ng
Group Head and Principal Economist, ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO)
Allen Ng is Group Head and Principal Economist at the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), an international organisation that aims to contribute to the macroeconomic and financial resilience and stability of ASEAN, China, Japan, and Korea.
He was previously the Chief Economist of Securities Commission Malaysia (SCM), where he was also a member of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions’ Committee on Emerging Risks and a board member of the Institute for Capital Market Research Malaysia. Prior to SCM, Allen was Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute, and before that he spent more than a decade in the Central Bank of Malaysia.
He has a BA and an MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Frances Lim
Managing Director, Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk, KKR
Frances Lim joined KKR in 2011 as a Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific Macro, and a member of the Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk team. She also leads portfolio management and asset allocation for KKR’s Strategic Partnership Initiative (KSPI) and is a member of the Asia Risk and Operations team.
Previously, Ms. Lim served as Head of Asia Pacific Macro and Asset Allocation based in Sydney, and Head of Portfolio Management and Asset Allocation for Strategic Partnerships in New York. Prior to joining KKR, she was a vice president at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) and a member of the Global Macro and Asset Allocation team. Ms. Lim focused on macro trends and top-down global analysis and was a co-portfolio manager of the MSIF Absolute Return Currency Fund. She also worked as an equity strategist at Fortress Investment Group and Morgan Stanley Equity Research.
Ms. Lim earned her M.B.A., Beta Gamma Sigma, from the Stern School of Business at NYU and was awarded the Egbert H. Van Delden Scholarship. Ms. Lim earned her B.A. from the University of East Anglia under a Malaysian Public Services Department (JPA) Scholarship.
Dr Peter Berezin
Chief Global Strategist and Research Director, BCA Research
Peter Berezin is BCA Research’s Chief Global Strategist and Research Director. His reports are read by thousands of investment professionals and frequently cited by the media. Prior to joining BCA Research, Peter worked as a Senior Global Economist with Goldman Sachs in New York. Peter began his career at the International Monetary Fund where he served as the desk economist for a number of countries, including Malaysia. He also spent time in the IMF’s research department working on its flagship publication, the World Economic Outlook. Peter has a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto.
Wong Wai Seng
Head, Strategy and Asset Allocation, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Wong Wai Seng joined Khazanah in August 2011. He is responsible for overall corporate strategy, strategic asset allocation and strategic planning to meet Khazanah’s long-term mandate and sustainability goals. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management (Technology), majoring in Finance from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Masters in Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management as a Fullbright scholar and Master of Science in Management as a Sloan Fellow from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Wai Seng is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant (“ACMA”).
11:55am - 12:40pm
Feature Address: 'Chinese New Economy and Globalisation - The Sequel'
Dr Eric Li
Founder, Chengwei Capital and Guancha.cn
Introducer:
Kenneth Woo
Head, Private Markets (North Asia), Khazanah Nasional Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Limited
Dr Eric Li
Founder, Chengwei Capital and Guancha.cn
Eric Li is chairman of Chengwei Capital. He is founder and chairman of Guancha.cn, and a trustee of Fudan University’s China Institute and chairman of its advisory council. He also serves on the boards of School of SciTech Business at University of Science and Technology of China, Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, Asia Society Hong Kong, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He received his B.A. in economics from University of California, Berkeley, MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, and Ph.D. in political science from Fudan University. He is a frequent contributor to leading global publications such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Economist.
Kenneth Woo
Head, Private Markets (North Asia), Khazanah Nasional Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Limited
Kenneth is the Head of Private Markets (North Asia) and is based in Khazanah’s China office in Shanghai. He has more than 22 years of professional experience in investments and corporate finance advisory, of which over 15 years are relating to China investments covering the internet and technology, sustainable development, financial services, infrastructure, education and consumer sectors. Kenneth joined Khazanah in 2008 with about 7 years prior experience with a prominent consulting firm specialising in M&A and project financing advisory as well as corporate finance and restructuring. Kenneth is a CFA charter holder and is also a Certified Practicing Accountant from CPA Australia as well as a Chartered Accountant under Malaysian Institute of Accountant (MIA). Kenneth received his Bachelor of Business (double majored in Accounting & Finance) from University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
12:40pm - 1:40pm
Lunch Break
1:45pm - 2:30pm
Fireside Chat
Lim Chern Yuan
Group CEO, Yinson Holdings Berhad
Nick Khaw
Head, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Lim Chern Yuan
Group CEO, Yinson Holdings Berhad
Mr Lim Chern Yuan is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Yinson Holdings Berhad. As the Group CEO, he oversees Yinson’s overall performance and plays a significant role in conceptualising, communicating and executing its business strategies. Under his leadership, Yinson’s market capitalisation grew by more than 120 times since 2011, establishing the company as one of the largest FPSO contractors globally. Mr Lim is instrumental in driving Yinson’s direction to embrace the energy transition, including its expansion into renewables and green technologies, as well as its positioning as a sustainability leader in the industry. He is an experienced, active and highly respected business leader who is ESG-driven in the energy infrastructure and technology space.
Nick Khaw
Head, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Nick Khaw is an economist and Head of Research at Khazanah Nasional. In addition, Nick is Co-Head of Dana Impak, an allocation within Khazanah to undertake strategic investments for the nation. Nick is also a trustee of the Khazanah Research Institute. Prior to Khazanah, Nick served as an economist in Malaysia’s Economic Planning Unit, where he was directly involved in several national development initiatives. Nick holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School and completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at Harvard College. He is currently pursuing a part-time PhD in Political Economy Research at King’s College London. He writes a monthly column for The Edge Malaysia. All his writings can be found at www.nicholaskhaw.com.
2:35pm - 3:50pm
Core Session 2: Firms and Transformation
All Across the (Corporate) Tower – Combining Alpha and Beta Activism for Value Creation
Arni Laily Anwarrudin
Head, PETRONAS Ventures
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift
CEO, Bursa Malaysia
Till Vestring
Lead Independent Director, Keppel Corporation; and Advisory Partner, Bain & Company
Chairperson:
Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin
Executive Director and Head, Malaysian Investments, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Arni Laily Anwarrudin
Head, PETRONAS Ventures
Arni Laily Anwarrudin is the Head of Merger & Acquisition and PETRONAS Ventures since January 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
With 20 years of experience at PETRONAS, her career has encompassed roles in business planning, business development, treasury, financial services, management reporting and risk management. In her current position, Arni leads corporate M&A, divestment activities and PETRONAS’ corporate venture capital investments in Future of Chemicals, Future of Energy and Future of Facilities. Prior to this role, Arni headed Group Corporate Finance, focusing on capital markets, fund raising and credit rating advisory for PETRONAS.
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift
CEO, Bursa Malaysia
Muhamad Umar Swift is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bursa Malaysia Berhad since 2019. He serves as the director of all subsidiary companies within the Bursa Malaysia Group and is the Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives and Clearing.
Umar aspires to play a catalytic role in the economy’s transition to green, and envisions Bursa Malaysia to be “ASEAN’s leading, sustainable and globally-connected marketplace”. His mission involves creating opportunities and growing value for the stakeholders, while improving investability for issuers and investors.
Umar brings over 25 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, previously serving as the CEO of MAA Group Berhad. He currently serves on the Boards of Securities Industry Development Corporation, Capital Market Development Fund and Malaysia Forest Fund. Umar is also an advisor for the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia and Brunei and serves as a Councillor of the Overseas Regional Council of Malaysia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Till Vestring
Lead Independent Director, Keppel Corporation; and Advisory Partner, Bain & Company
Till Vestring is a senior adviser and non-executive director with extensive Asia experience. He is Lead Independent Director at Keppel Corporation and an Advisory Partner with Bain & Company for Southeast Asia as well as a director at Advanced Micro Foundry and Delaware International. He is also lead investor in a sustainable tourism business in Cambodia, an active angel investor and on the board of venture philanthropy Leap201.
He has spent the last 25 years with Bain in Asia serving as Bain Southeast Asia’s managing partner from 2007 to 2013 and head of Bain’s Asia Pacific industrial practice from 2003 to 2007.
He has a Masters in Economics from the University of Bonn, Germany, an MBA from the Haas School of Business, Berkeley and is a graduate of INSEAD’s International Directors Programme.
Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin
Executive Director and Head, Malaysian Investments, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Datuk Amran Hafiz Affifudin joined Khazanah in June 2011. He started his career with PETRONAS in corporate finance and treasury functions. He also has experience in the private equity industry, where he served in various roles and responsibilities with several firms. He holds a B.Sc. in Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Finance from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, United States.
3:50pm - 4:05pm
Break
4:10pm - 5:55pm
Innovation Without Borders
Science, Technology and Innovation in Malaysia and Beyond
Ethan Lin
Co-Founder and CEO, Klook
Jan Nicholas
Executive Director, Consulting - Semiconductors, Deloitte Consulting (SEA)
Kelvin Teo
Co-Founder and Group CEO, Funding Societies
Khailee Ng
Managing Partner, 500 Global
Sophie Viger
Managing Director, 42
Introducer:
Hafriz Abdul Rahman
Senior Vice President, Investments, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Ethan Lin
Co-Founder and CEO, Klook
Ethan is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Klook, Asia’s leading platform for experiences and travel services. Founded in 2014, Klook inspires and enables more moments of joy for travelers with over 500,000 curated quality experiences ranging from the biggest attractions to paragliding adventures, iconic museums to rich cultural tours, and other convenient local travel services across 2,300 destinations around the world.
Growing up in the US, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, Ethan developed a lifelong passion for travel that has taken him to explore over 50 countries to date. Prior to founding Klook, Ethan started his career in 2008 at Citi’s Investment Banking division. He played an integral role in deals valued at over US$20 billion across Asian markets, specialising in the hospitality and real estate sectors.
Under Ethan’s leadership, Klook has achieved remarkable growth and has quickly become the market leader across Asia Pacific. This impressive journey has garnered substantial support and investment from an illustrious roster of renowned investors, including Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Softbank, Aspex, Goldman Sachs, TCV, and more.
Jan Nicholas
Executive Director, Consulting - Semiconductors, Deloitte Consulting (SEA)
Jan Nicholas is an Executive Director at Deloitte Consulting, and leads Deloitte’s Technology Sector in Southeast Asia. He also leads the firm’s Semiconductor Industry consulting practice in Southeast Asia as well as the firm’s Asia Pacific Semiconductor Centre of Excellence. He has over 25 years of experience leading projects in industry and consulting across strategy, operations, R&D, new product development, and supply chain management.
Prior to consulting, Jan held various operations and engineering roles in the semiconductor industry, including process development, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain. Jan holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Kelvin Teo
Co-Founder and Group CEO, Funding Societies
Kelvin Teo is the co-founder and Group CEO of Funding Societies (Modalku). He has been a key member of the Singapore FinTech Association’s Digital Finance Subcomm since 2018 and recently named by the Association as among the Top 12 Fintech Leaders in Singapore in 2020. As one of the Top 200 FinTech Influencers in Asia, Kelvin has spoken at major conferences such as LendIt Shanghai, Boao Hainan and Money20/20. He has also been featured on Bloomberg, BBC and Business Times. Prior to this, Kelvin served as a consulting professional at KKR, McKinsey and Accenture. Kelvin graduated from Harvard Business School and National University of Singapore, and is a certified Chartered Accountant.
Khailee Ng
Managing Partner, 500 Global
Khailee Ng is a managing partner at 500 Global, a multi-stage venture capital firm with $2.5B in assets under management that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. Khailee has led over 300 investments in startups across Southeast Asia. His team is a leading technology investor in the region having invested early in companies valued at over US$1B such as Grab, Carsome, Carousell, Bukalapak, FinAccel, and eFishery. 500 Global is one of the top 3 most active VC firms in Malaysia, with over 62 companies headquartered in Malaysia, and more than 116 companies operating locally. Prior to 500, Khailee was the founder of Groupsmore (acquired by Groupon) and Malaysia’s largest online media company, Says.com (acquired by Media Prima).
Sophie Viger
Managing Director, 42
Sophie was appointed Managing Director of 42 in 2018. Under her leadership, the international dimension of 42 has grown exponentially. From an innovative educational model present in six countries, she created a connected international network which, four years later, is present in 29 countries on all continents with 49 campuses.
She has made 42 more inclusive by removing the age limit and promoting a healthy environment for collectivity and community. Sophie is also committed to combating the systemic stereotypes of the technological world to enable more women to consider a career in IT. Through these actions, 42 is today one of the most sought-after IT training courses for both women and men, and recognised as the number one training course for ethical value in 2023 on the WURI Ranking (source).
Her next challenge? To revolutionise the world of education… by making 42 the world reference in IT and inclusion!
Hafriz Abdul Rahman
Senior Vice President, Investments, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Hafriz Abdul Rahman leads financial services private equity investments at Khazanah and currently sits on the Board of CIMB Bank Berhad. He has been with Khazanah for over eight years with previous roles in private fund investments, portfolio management and strategy. Prior to Khazanah, he worked in Ernst & Young covering financial services clients. Hafriz holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy from University of Otago, and a Chartered Accountant from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).
End of Day One
Programme is correct as of 2 October 2023
9:30am - 10:50am
Special Address & Fireside Chat: 'Ekonomi Madani'
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Malaysia
Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi
Committee Member, Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Co-Head, Secretariat for the Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Moderator:
Dato' Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin
Executive Director, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head, Corporate & Support Services, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Malaysia
Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz was appointed as a Board member of Khazanah effective 1 April 2020. He is a Senator of Dewan Negara and the Minister of Finance.
He has over 22 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Prior to his ministerial position, he was the Group CEO/Executive Director of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad. He had also served as CEO of Maybank Investment Bank Berhad and Maybank Kim Eng Holdings, as well as held senior positions in Citigroup Malaysia, Kenanga Holdings Berhad and Avenue Securities.
He graduated from University of Bristol, UK in Economics and Accounting. He also holds a Masters in Finance and Management from University of Exeter, UK and is a certified Fellow Chartered Banker by the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.
Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi
Committee Member, Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Dr Nungsari, 63, is currently a Trustee of Yayasan Rahimah Yusof and a member of the Board of Directors of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was formerly the Executive Chairman of the Malaysian Aviation Commission and Chairman of Khazanah Research Institute Board of Trustees. He was also an Executive Director at Khazanah Nasional Berhad and the Principal Officer at Danainfra Nasional Berhad, Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Berhad and Syarikat Jaminan Pinjaman Perniagaan as well as the Managing Director at Prokhas Sdn Bhd.
Dr Nungsari holds a PhD in economics from Purdue University.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Co-Head, Secretariat for the Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Nurul Izzah Anwar currently co-heads the Secretariat for the Advisory Committee to Finance Minister (ACFIN) that includes overseeing the preparation of the policy recommendations relating to subsidies and social protection, government-owned entities, government revenue and national debt. She served as Member of Parliament in the Malaysian legislature for three terms from 2008-2022, where she was also appointed on the Public Accounts Committee and is a strong advocate for Parliamentary reform. Prior to entering politics, Nurul Izzah earned her Masters’ Degree from the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University studying International Relations (with a specialisation in Southeast Asia Studies). She received her Bachelors’ Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional, graduating in 2004.
Dato' Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin
Executive Director, General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head, Corporate & Support Services, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Dato’ Mohamed Nasri Sallehuddin joined Khazanah in September 2009. Prior to that, he was a partner with a leading law firm in Malaysia, advising clients on corporate law and the legal aspects of corporate restructuring, takeovers and mergers. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom in 1993. He sat for his bar examination in 1994 and was admitted to Gray’s Inn as a barrister-at-law in 1995. Having completed his pupillage, he was admitted to the High Court of Malaya as an advocate and solicitor in 1996. He also holds an MBA from University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom.
10:55am - 12:15am
Core Session 3: Growth and Development
More Football, Less Golf: Orchestrating a Multi-Stakeholder Approach to the Development Bargain
Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood
Professor and Executive Director, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University
Naina Subberwal Batra
CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
Prof Stefan Dercon
Author; and Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Chairperson:
Selvendran Katheerayson
Executive Director and Head, Real Assets & Property, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood
Professor and Executive Director, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University
Dr Jemilah Mahmood is a medical professional with more than two decades of experience managing crises in health, disasters and conflict settings. She is currently Professor and Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in Malaysia. She holds advisory roles at the Consultative Council for Foreign Policy Malaysia and is currently a member of the Health White Paper Advisory Council at the Ministry of Health Malaysia. She is also the sustainability advisor at Air Asia and the national advisor of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Globally, she is a member of the board of Roche in Switzerland and the Norwegian Refugee Council. In 2023, she was appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council of Responsible Resource Use, and one of three Global Champions for the Grand Bargain in Humanitarian Efficiency and Effectiveness. She is a strong advocate of planetary health and sustainability and actively advises on Environment, Social and Governance in the advisory and board roles she holds.
Naina Subberwal Batra
CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN, a regional social investment network that aims to increase the flow of financial, human and intellectual capital for impact.
Naina’s leadership since 2013 has nurtured the AVPN community, growing the membership base by more than four times and elevating the organisation into a truly regional force for good. Under her direction, AVPN has grown from focusing only on venture philanthropy to supporting the entire ecosystem of social investors, from catalytic philanthropists to impact investors and corporate CSR professionals.
Naina is Board Member of the Global Resilient Cities Network, Chair at the International Venture Philanthropy Center (IVPC) and Trustee at Bridge Institute.
In 2021, Naina was featured on the list of Asia’s Most Influential by Tatler Asia and in 2019, she was awarded one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen by CSRWorks.
Prof Stefan Dercon
Author; and Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at Oxford University. He combines an academic career with work as policy advisor in UK, including as Chief Economist of the UK Department of International Development (DFID) between 2011 and 2017, and advisor to successive UK Foreign Secretaries. His research concerns what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets, governments and politics, and how to achieve change. His latest book “Gambling on Development: why some countries win and others lose”, published in 2022, reflects on this, based on his research and on his experience in the world of policy making.
Selvendran Katheerayson
Executive Director and Head, Real Assets & Property, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Selvendran Katheerayson has been with Khazanah since January 2006. Prior to this, he has worked at Motorola Inc and Maxis Communications Berhad. He started his career at Ernst & Young in June 1994. He holds a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University, a Master of Business Administration (Finance) degree from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and an Honours degree in Law from the University of London, United Kingdom.
12:20pm - 1:05pm
Feature Address: 'The Evolving Future of AI and Generative AI'
Matt Fitzpatrick
Senior Partner and Global Leader of QuantumBlack Labs, McKinsey & Company
Introducer:
Puteri Nabeela Johari
Senior Vice President, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Matt Fitzpatrick
Senior Partner and Global Leader of QuantumBlack Labs, McKinsey & Company
Matt is a Senior Partner at McKinsey, and the Global Leader of QuantumBlack Labs, the firm’s Tech/Analytics Research & Software Development Group, and Chairs its Global Technology Committee. He also leads the firm’s financial-services digital and technology solutions: a suite of six solutions, 75 assets, and more than 1000+ colleagues globally. These six solutions, FinLab, GCI Analytics, Finalta, PriceMetrix, Performance Lens, and Panorama, enable business transformation with data, analytics, and software tools across banking, wealth and asset management, real estate, and private equity.
Prior to rejoining McKinsey, Matt co-founded multicategory ecommerce retailer Lazada and worked as private-equity investor at 3i Group. Drawing on his extensive experience in software, data, and technology, Matt helps clients transform their businesses with technology tools, new digital-product launches, and analytical use cases, which includes multichannel customer acquisition, customer retention, credit underwriting, credit collections, natural-language processing of contract data, real-estate location selection, fraud, smart operations and robotic-process automation, and people analytics.
Puteri Nabeela Johari
Senior Vice President, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Nabeela joined Khazanah in February 2020 with more than 10 years of working experience within the investment banking and investment management industry. Prior to joining Khazanah, Nabeela worked as a Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst at Valuecap and VCAM Asset Managers, an Equity Sales Associate at Nomura Securities, and an Equity Analyst at Affin Investment Bank.
Nabeela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University College London and an MBA from the Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT Sloan.
1:05pm - 2:05pm
Lunch Break
2:15pm - 3:50pm
Malaysiana: Stories of Spectacular Malaysians
Anuthra Sirisena
Chemistry teacher, SMJK Chung Hwa Tenom; and Founder, Tenom Innovation Centre
Edmund Tan
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Lim Shiew Li
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Jasmin Amirul Ghani
Managing Director, Hire.Seniors & Amazing Seniors
Khoo Salma Nasution
Co-Founder, Areca Books; and Vice President, Penang Heritage Trust
Wilson Beh
Co-Founder and COO, PolicyStreet
Introducer:
Edmund Goh
Vice President, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Anuthra Sirisena
Chemistry teacher, SMJK Chung Hwa Tenom; and Founder, Tenom Innovation Centre
Anuthra Sirisena is an accomplished educator and a leading advocate for technology education and innovation. With a strong passion for empowering students and bridging the digital divide, she has dedicated her career to transforming education in rural communities. As the founder of the Tenom Innovation Centre (TIC), Anuthra and her team have established a vibrant hub for creativity and technological exploration. TIC provides students in rural areas with access to cutting-edge resources, mentorship, and hands-on learning experiences in robotics, coding, and other STEM disciplines. Through her leadership, Anuthra has not only bridged the digital gap but has also inspired a generation of young minds to embrace the possibilities of a digital future.
Edmund Tan
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Edmund Tan co-founded Inside Scoop, a local artisanal ice cream shop, with his wife Shiew Li in 2013 where the market space was predominantly served by international chains. Using a mixture of high quality local and imported ingredients, they made flavours that were inspired by Malaysian flavours alongside classic ice cream flavours. Inside Scoop now has 40 stores across Malaysia and a large portion of the company was recently acquired by Farm Fresh.
Edmund and Shiew Li continue to run Inside Scoop with plans on rolling out consumer packaged ice cream products. Edmund holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, specialising in accounting and finance. Prior to his entrepreneurial journey, Edmund was an investment banker at Macquarie Bank in Singapore.
Lim Shiew Li
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Lim Shiew Li co-founded Inside Scoop, a local artisanal ice cream shop, with her husband Edmund in 2013 where the market space was predominantly served by international chains. Using a mixture of high quality local and imported ingredients, they made flavours that were inspired by Malaysian flavours alongside classic ice cream flavours. Inside Scoop now has 40 stores across Malaysia and a large portion of the company was recently acquired by Farm Fresh.
Shiew Li and Edmund continue to run Inside Scoop with plans on rolling out consumer packaged ice cream products. Shiew Li holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, specialising in actuarial studies. Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, Shiew Li was a product development manager at Great Eastern Life in Singapore.
Jasmin Amirul Ghani
Managing Director, Hire.Seniors & Amazing Seniors
Jasmin is behind the creation of two innovative digital platforms targeting the senior demographic. She spearheads Hire.Seniors, a recruitment platform that facilitates connections between mature professionals, seniors and retirees, to companies in need of experienced and skilled resources. Complementing this, Jasmin is a co-founder of Amazing Seniors, a pioneering digital ecosystem tailored to individuals aged 50 and above, aimed at connecting seniors with each other and embracing the joys of getting older. The Amazing Seniors App helps seniors discover community events, read inspiring stories and access valuable resources tailored for older adults.
She draws from over 25 years of working experience across various industries, with background in business consulting, digital banking, and large-scale transformation programmes.
Khoo Salma Nasution
Co-Founder, Areca Books; and Vice President, Penang Heritage Trust
Khoo Salma Nasution @ Khoo Su Nin is commissioning editor at Areca Books, a publishing house and bookshop in the George Town World Heritage Site. She has been writing about Malaysian place-histories, from The Streets of George Town (1993) to The Chulia in Penang (2014), awarded International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) book prize, and is now producing cultural heritage maps on Malaysian towns. She is past president of the Penang Heritage Trust and council member of Penang Forum. She is also founding president of Jaringan Ekologi Dan Iklim (JEDI), which promotes awareness of lifestyle-ecology-climate connections. She is currently conducting research on edible plant gardening with a focus on ulam, which she associates with her Nyonya peranakan heritage.
Wilson Beh
Co-Founder and COO, PolicyStreet
Wilson Beh is a Co-Founder of PolicyStreet, a regional full-stack insurance technology company providing digital insurance solutions to businesses and consumers in Southeast Asia and Australia. PolicyStreet works directly with over 40 life, general, and takaful providers to offer a comprehensive range of products and services, which includes but not limited to embedded insurance, customised employee benefits, financial advisory and aggregation of insurance, as well as the development of digital solutions to make insurance purposeful and simple. It is licensed as a Reinsurer and General Insurer by the Labuan FSA, an approved Financial Adviser and Islamic Financial Adviser by Bank Negara Malaysia, and a licensee by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Wilson also serves as the President of the Fintech Association of Malaysia and prior venturing into Fintech, he worked in a leading investment bank.
Edmund Goh
Vice President, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Edmund joined Khazanah in May 2012 as an Associate in the Knowledge Management unit of the Research division. He is currently responsible for managing the organisation’s knowledge system and various knowledge events. Prior to joining Khazanah, he was a senior marketing executive at a homegrown clothing company and had a brief stint as a junior public relations executive, servicing FMCG and healthcare clients. Edmund graduated from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman with a bachelor degree in Communications.
3:55pm - 4:40pm
Fireside Chat
Magnus Grimeland
Founder and CEO, Antler
Moderator:
Latifah Daud
Executive Director and Head, Strategic Human Capital Management, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Magnus Grimeland
Founder and CEO, Antler
Magnus Grimeland is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Antler (www.antler.co), recognised as the most active seed-stage investor globally, backing the world’s most driven founders from day zero to greatness. He leads a global team across 6 continents and 25 locations that has invested in and helped build over 750 portfolio companies worldwide.
Prior to Antler, Magnus co-founded ZALORA.com, Asia’s largest fashion e-commerce company. He served as COO and Managing Director of Zalora after it was acquired by Global Fashion Group (GFG) and expanded it across 26 countries.
Magnus is an alumnus of Harvard University. He was a Junior Partner at McKinsey & Co and worked in North America, Europe, and Asia in the global telecommunications, media, and tech industries. Prior to this, he served as a Navy Seal with the Royal Norwegian Navy Special Operations.
Latifah Daud
Executive Director and Head, Strategic Human Capital Management, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Latifah Daud joined Khazanah in April 2015 from Honeywell International Inc. where she and her family lived in Shanghai, China for eight years. She has extensive management consulting and human resources experience gained over a 30-year career in a variety of industries including semiconductor, aerospace and software technology solutions.
Early on in her career, she worked for a consulting firm in Singapore, as well as at Hatibudi Nominees/Renong Group and Arab Malaysian Merchant Bank in Kuala Lumpur. She once taught computer science at Yayasan Pelajaran MARA. She was a Board of Trustee of Yayasan Khazanah and a member of the Industrial Relations Panel at Malaysian Employers Federation. She now sits on the Board of Theta Edge Berhad, a Tabung Haji Group company as an Independent Director as well as the Industry Network Talent Advisory, at TalentCorp, Ministry of Human Resources.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Management and an MBA from Eastern Illinois University, United States.
4:40pm - 4:55pm
Break
5:00pm - 6:20pm
Core Session 4: People and Leadership
Of the People, By the People, For the People – Competing to Run our Development Journey
Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman
President and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Monash University Malaysia
Sha-Ron Low
APAC Regional HR Director, ERM
Suthen Thomas
Group CTO, Grab
Chairperson:
Nick Khaw
Head, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman
President and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Monash University Malaysia
Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President & Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia, previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at University Malaya.
She is also an Honorary Professor at UM and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Yale University, USA. She is actively involved in HIV prevention, treatment, and care programmes and holds leadership positions as Chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and Past President of the International AIDS Society. She has contributed significantly to the establishment and activities of the regional HIV research network initiative, TREAT Asia.
Additionally, she has advised various WHO, UNAIDS, and UNODC committees on HIV/AIDS and served as Co-Chair of WHO’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) for HIV. She is the founding Chair of the ROSE Foundation, an organisation dedicated to eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia and the region. Professor Adeeba has received numerous national and international awards for her achievements, including the prestigious Merdeka Award.
In April 2015, Monash University honored her with a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) for her contributions to medicine and role as a health advocate.
Sha-Ron Low
APAC Regional HR Director, ERM
Sha-Ron Low is the APAC Regional HR Director for ERM, the largest pure play sustainability consulting firm in the world. Sha-Ron started her career as an IT consultant before transitioning to a HR career. For the past 25 years, Sha-Ron has experienced many regional HR roles ranging from HR Business Partner, Talent Strategy Lead, Learning & Development Lead to Diversity and Inclusion Lead.
Sha-Ron’s consultancy experience has shaped her approach to HR. She deeply understands business imperatives and layers in HR perspectives to co-create and implement balanced solutions. Since joining ERM, Sha-Ron is on a mission to make the sustainability industry, a great place for sustainability talent to thrive and make a positive impact to clients, society and nature.
Suthen Thomas
Group CTO, Grab
Based in Singapore, Suthen oversees Grab’s technology teams across the company’s Deliveries, Mobility and Financial services businesses. He is responsible for driving Grab’s technology vision, strategy and execution and plays a critical role in optimising Grab’s superapp synergies to drive sustainable growth and create greater value, convenience, and efficiencies for consumers and partners.
Before this, Suthen was the Chief Technology Officer of Mobility, Automation and Platform Excellence, Deliveries, and Experiences. He was also Grab’s first technical lead when the company was founded in 2012. At Grab, he has led the development of many Grab products and platforms, which supported the rapid growth of Grab’s Deliveries and Mobility services. He also held operational leadership roles and founded the Business Operations team.
Suthen has a Bachelor’s degree in computer software engineering from Multimedia University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Nick Khaw
Head, Research, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Nick Khaw is an economist and Head of Research at Khazanah Nasional. In addition, Nick is Co-Head of Dana Impak, an allocation within Khazanah to undertake strategic investments for the nation. Nick is also a trustee of the Khazanah Research Institute. Prior to Khazanah, Nick served as an economist in Malaysia’s Economic Planning Unit, where he was directly involved in several national development initiatives. Nick holds a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School and completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at Harvard College. He is currently pursuing a part-time PhD in Political Economy Research at King’s College London. He writes a monthly column for The Edge Malaysia. All his writings can be found at www.nicholaskhaw.com.
6:30pm - 7:00pm
Closing Address
YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia; and Chairman, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia; and Chairman, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim was appointed as the Chairman of Khazanah effective 3 January 2023. He is the current Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Finance. He was the Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998 and has also held various ministerial posts, including Minister of Education, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
End of Day Two
Programme is correct as of 2 October 2023
KMF2023 Speakers
Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman
Allen Ng
Anuthra Sirisena
Arni Laily Anwarrudin
Edmund Tan
Dr Eric Li
Ethan Lin
Frances Lim
Jan Nicholas
Jasmin Amirul Ghani
Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood
Kelvin Teo
Khailee Ng
Khoo Salma Nasution
Lim Chern Yuan
Lim Shiew Li
Magnus Grimeland
Matt Fitzpatrick
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift
Naina Subberwal Batra
Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Dr Peter Berezin
Sha-Ron Low
Sophie Viger
Prof Stefan Dercon
Suthen Thomas
Till Vestring
Wilson Beh
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Prof Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman
President and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Monash University Malaysia
Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President & Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia, previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at University Malaya.
She is also an Honorary Professor at UM and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Yale University, USA. She is actively involved in HIV prevention, treatment, and care programmes and holds leadership positions as Chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and Past President of the International AIDS Society. She has contributed significantly to the establishment and activities of the regional HIV research network initiative, TREAT Asia.
Additionally, she has advised various WHO, UNAIDS, and UNODC committees on HIV/AIDS and served as Co-Chair of WHO’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) for HIV. She is the founding Chair of the ROSE Foundation, an organisation dedicated to eliminating cervical cancer in Malaysia and the region. Professor Adeeba has received numerous national and international awards for her achievements, including the prestigious Merdeka Award.
In April 2015, Monash University honored her with a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) for her contributions to medicine and role as a health advocate.
Allen Ng
Group Head and Principal Economist, ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO)
Allen Ng is Group Head and Principal Economist at the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), an international organisation that aims to contribute to the macroeconomic and financial resilience and stability of ASEAN, China, Japan, and Korea.
He was previously the Chief Economist of Securities Commission Malaysia (SCM), where he was also a member of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions’ Committee on Emerging Risks and a board member of the Institute for Capital Market Research Malaysia. Prior to SCM, Allen was Director of Research at Khazanah Research Institute, and before that he spent more than a decade in the Central Bank of Malaysia.
He has a BA and an MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge.
Anuthra Sirisena
Chemistry teacher, SMJK Chung Hwa Tenom; and Founder, Tenom Innovation Centre
Anuthra Sirisena is an accomplished educator and a leading advocate for technology education and innovation. With a strong passion for empowering students and bridging the digital divide, she has dedicated her career to transforming education in rural communities. As the founder of the Tenom Innovation Centre (TIC), Anuthra and her team have established a vibrant hub for creativity and technological exploration. TIC provides students in rural areas with access to cutting-edge resources, mentorship, and hands-on learning experiences in robotics, coding, and other STEM disciplines. Through her leadership, Anuthra has not only bridged the digital gap but has also inspired a generation of young minds to embrace the possibilities of a digital future.
Arni Laily Anwarrudin
Head, PETRONAS Ventures
Arni Laily Anwarrudin is the Head of Merger & Acquisition and PETRONAS Ventures since January 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
With 20 years of experience at PETRONAS, her career has encompassed roles in business planning, business development, treasury, financial services, management reporting and risk management. In her current position, Arni leads corporate M&A, divestment activities and PETRONAS’ corporate venture capital investments in Future of Chemicals, Future of Energy and Future of Facilities. Prior to this role, Arni headed Group Corporate Finance, focusing on capital markets, fund raising and credit rating advisory for PETRONAS.
Edmund Tan
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Edmund Tan co-founded Inside Scoop, a local artisanal ice cream shop, with his wife Shiew Li in 2013 where the market space was predominantly served by international chains. Using a mixture of high quality local and imported ingredients, they made flavours that were inspired by Malaysian flavours alongside classic ice cream flavours. Inside Scoop now has 40 stores across Malaysia and a large portion of the company was recently acquired by Farm Fresh.
Edmund and Shiew Li continue to run Inside Scoop with plans on rolling out consumer packaged ice cream products. Edmund holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, specialising in accounting and finance. Prior to his entrepreneurial journey, Edmund was an investment banker at Macquarie Bank in Singapore.
Dr Eric Li
Founder, Chengwei Capital and Guancha.cn
Eric Li is chairman of Chengwei Capital. He is founder and chairman of Guancha.cn, and a trustee of Fudan University’s China Institute and chairman of its advisory council. He also serves on the boards of School of SciTech Business at University of Science and Technology of China, Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, Asia Society Hong Kong, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He received his B.A. in economics from University of California, Berkeley, MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, and Ph.D. in political science from Fudan University. He is a frequent contributor to leading global publications such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Economist.
Ethan Lin
Co-Founder and CEO, Klook
Ethan is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Klook, Asia’s leading platform for experiences and travel services. Founded in 2014, Klook inspires and enables more moments of joy for travelers with over 500,000 curated quality experiences ranging from the biggest attractions to paragliding adventures, iconic museums to rich cultural tours, and other convenient local travel services across 2,300 destinations around the world.
Growing up in the US, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, Ethan developed a lifelong passion for travel that has taken him to explore over 50 countries to date. Prior to founding Klook, Ethan started his career in 2008 at Citi’s Investment Banking division. He played an integral role in deals valued at over US$20 billion across Asian markets, specialising in the hospitality and real estate sectors.
Under Ethan’s leadership, Klook has achieved remarkable growth and has quickly become the market leader across Asia Pacific. This impressive journey has garnered substantial support and investment from an illustrious roster of renowned investors, including Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, Softbank, Aspex, Goldman Sachs, TCV, and more.
Frances Lim
Managing Director, Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk, KKR
Frances Lim joined KKR in 2011 as a Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific Macro, and a member of the Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk team. She also leads portfolio management and asset allocation for KKR’s Strategic Partnership Initiative (KSPI) and is a member of the Asia Risk and Operations team.
Previously, Ms. Lim served as Head of Asia Pacific Macro and Asset Allocation based in Sydney, and Head of Portfolio Management and Asset Allocation for Strategic Partnerships in New York. Prior to joining KKR, she was a vice president at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) and a member of the Global Macro and Asset Allocation team. Ms. Lim focused on macro trends and top-down global analysis and was a co-portfolio manager of the MSIF Absolute Return Currency Fund. She also worked as an equity strategist at Fortress Investment Group and Morgan Stanley Equity Research.
Ms. Lim earned her M.B.A., Beta Gamma Sigma, from the Stern School of Business at NYU and was awarded the Egbert H. Van Delden Scholarship. Ms. Lim earned her B.A. from the University of East Anglia under a Malaysian Public Services Department (JPA) Scholarship.
Jan Nicholas
Executive Director, Consulting - Semiconductors, Deloitte Consulting (SEA)
Jan Nicholas is an Executive Director at Deloitte Consulting, and leads Deloitte’s Technology Sector in Southeast Asia. He also leads the firm’s Semiconductor Industry consulting practice in Southeast Asia as well as the firm’s Asia Pacific Semiconductor Centre of Excellence. He has over 25 years of experience leading projects in industry and consulting across strategy, operations, R&D, new product development, and supply chain management.
Prior to consulting, Jan held various operations and engineering roles in the semiconductor industry, including process development, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain. Jan holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
Jasmin Amirul Ghani
Managing Director, Hire.Seniors & Amazing Seniors
Jasmin is behind the creation of two innovative digital platforms targeting the senior demographic. She spearheads Hire.Seniors, a recruitment platform that facilitates connections between mature professionals, seniors and retirees, to companies in need of experienced and skilled resources. Complementing this, Jasmin is a co-founder of Amazing Seniors, a pioneering digital ecosystem tailored to individuals aged 50 and above, aimed at connecting seniors with each other and embracing the joys of getting older. The Amazing Seniors App helps seniors discover community events, read inspiring stories and access valuable resources tailored for older adults.
She draws from over 25 years of working experience across various industries, with background in business consulting, digital banking, and large-scale transformation programmes.
Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood
Professor and Executive Director, Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University
Dr Jemilah Mahmood is a medical professional with more than two decades of experience managing crises in health, disasters and conflict settings. She is currently Professor and Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in Malaysia. She holds advisory roles at the Consultative Council for Foreign Policy Malaysia and is currently a member of the Health White Paper Advisory Council at the Ministry of Health Malaysia. She is also the sustainability advisor at Air Asia and the national advisor of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Globally, she is a member of the board of Roche in Switzerland and the Norwegian Refugee Council. In 2023, she was appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council of Responsible Resource Use, and one of three Global Champions for the Grand Bargain in Humanitarian Efficiency and Effectiveness. She is a strong advocate of planetary health and sustainability and actively advises on Environment, Social and Governance in the advisory and board roles she holds.
Kelvin Teo
Co-Founder and Group CEO, Funding Societies
Kelvin Teo is the co-founder and Group CEO of Funding Societies (Modalku). He has been a key member of the Singapore FinTech Association’s Digital Finance Subcomm since 2018 and recently named by the Association as among the Top 12 Fintech Leaders in Singapore in 2020. As one of the Top 200 FinTech Influencers in Asia, Kelvin has spoken at major conferences such as LendIt Shanghai, Boao Hainan and Money20/20. He has also been featured on Bloomberg, BBC and Business Times. Prior to this, Kelvin served as a consulting professional at KKR, McKinsey and Accenture. Kelvin graduated from Harvard Business School and National University of Singapore, and is a certified Chartered Accountant.
Khailee Ng
Managing Partner, 500 Global
Khailee Ng is a managing partner at 500 Global, a multi-stage venture capital firm with $2.5B in assets under management that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. Khailee has led over 300 investments in startups across Southeast Asia. His team is a leading technology investor in the region having invested early in companies valued at over US$1B such as Grab, Carsome, Carousell, Bukalapak, FinAccel, and eFishery. 500 Global is one of the top 3 most active VC firms in Malaysia, with over 62 companies headquartered in Malaysia, and more than 116 companies operating locally. Prior to 500, Khailee was the founder of Groupsmore (acquired by Groupon) and Malaysia’s largest online media company, Says.com (acquired by Media Prima).
Khoo Salma Nasution
Co-Founder, Areca Books; and Vice President, Penang Heritage Trust
Khoo Salma Nasution @ Khoo Su Nin is commissioning editor at Areca Books, a publishing house and bookshop in the George Town World Heritage Site. She has been writing about Malaysian place-histories, from The Streets of George Town (1993) to The Chulia in Penang (2014), awarded International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) book prize, and is now producing cultural heritage maps on Malaysian towns. She is past president of the Penang Heritage Trust and council member of Penang Forum. She is also founding president of Jaringan Ekologi Dan Iklim (JEDI), which promotes awareness of lifestyle-ecology-climate connections. She is currently conducting research on edible plant gardening with a focus on ulam, which she associates with her Nyonya peranakan heritage.
Lim Chern Yuan
Group CEO, Yinson Holdings Berhad
Mr Lim Chern Yuan is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Yinson Holdings Berhad. As the Group CEO, he oversees Yinson’s overall performance and plays a significant role in conceptualising, communicating and executing its business strategies. Under his leadership, Yinson’s market capitalisation grew by more than 120 times since 2011, establishing the company as one of the largest FPSO contractors globally. Mr Lim is instrumental in driving Yinson’s direction to embrace the energy transition, including its expansion into renewables and green technologies, as well as its positioning as a sustainability leader in the industry. He is an experienced, active and highly respected business leader who is ESG-driven in the energy infrastructure and technology space.
Lim Shiew Li
Co-Founder, Inside Scoop
Lim Shiew Li co-founded Inside Scoop, a local artisanal ice cream shop, with her husband Edmund in 2013 where the market space was predominantly served by international chains. Using a mixture of high quality local and imported ingredients, they made flavours that were inspired by Malaysian flavours alongside classic ice cream flavours. Inside Scoop now has 40 stores across Malaysia and a large portion of the company was recently acquired by Farm Fresh.
Shiew Li and Edmund continue to run Inside Scoop with plans on rolling out consumer packaged ice cream products. Shiew Li holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne, specialising in actuarial studies. Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, Shiew Li was a product development manager at Great Eastern Life in Singapore.
Magnus Grimeland
Founder and CEO, Antler
Magnus Grimeland is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Antler (www.antler.co), recognised as the most active seed-stage investor globally, backing the world’s most driven founders from day zero to greatness. He leads a global team across 6 continents and 25 locations that has invested in and helped build over 750 portfolio companies worldwide.
Prior to Antler, Magnus co-founded ZALORA.com, Asia’s largest fashion e-commerce company. He served as COO and Managing Director of Zalora after it was acquired by Global Fashion Group (GFG) and expanded it across 26 countries.
Magnus is an alumnus of Harvard University. He was a Junior Partner at McKinsey & Co and worked in North America, Europe, and Asia in the global telecommunications, media, and tech industries. Prior to this, he served as a Navy Seal with the Royal Norwegian Navy Special Operations.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Senior Partner and Global Leader of QuantumBlack Labs, McKinsey & Company
Matt is a Senior Partner at McKinsey, and the Global Leader of QuantumBlack Labs, the firm’s Tech/Analytics Research & Software Development Group, and Chairs its Global Technology Committee. He also leads the firm’s financial-services digital and technology solutions: a suite of six solutions, 75 assets, and more than 1000+ colleagues globally. These six solutions, FinLab, GCI Analytics, Finalta, PriceMetrix, Performance Lens, and Panorama, enable business transformation with data, analytics, and software tools across banking, wealth and asset management, real estate, and private equity.
Prior to rejoining McKinsey, Matt co-founded multicategory ecommerce retailer Lazada and worked as private-equity investor at 3i Group. Drawing on his extensive experience in software, data, and technology, Matt helps clients transform their businesses with technology tools, new digital-product launches, and analytical use cases, which includes multichannel customer acquisition, customer retention, credit underwriting, credit collections, natural-language processing of contract data, real-estate location selection, fraud, smart operations and robotic-process automation, and people analytics.
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift
CEO, Bursa Malaysia
Muhamad Umar Swift is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bursa Malaysia Berhad since 2019. He serves as the director of all subsidiary companies within the Bursa Malaysia Group and is the Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives and Clearing.
Umar aspires to play a catalytic role in the economy’s transition to green, and envisions Bursa Malaysia to be “ASEAN’s leading, sustainable and globally-connected marketplace”. His mission involves creating opportunities and growing value for the stakeholders, while improving investability for issuers and investors.
Umar brings over 25 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, previously serving as the CEO of MAA Group Berhad. He currently serves on the Boards of Securities Industry Development Corporation, Capital Market Development Fund and Malaysia Forest Fund. Umar is also an advisor for the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia and Brunei and serves as a Councillor of the Overseas Regional Council of Malaysia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Naina Subberwal Batra
CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN, a regional social investment network that aims to increase the flow of financial, human and intellectual capital for impact.
Naina’s leadership since 2013 has nurtured the AVPN community, growing the membership base by more than four times and elevating the organisation into a truly regional force for good. Under her direction, AVPN has grown from focusing only on venture philanthropy to supporting the entire ecosystem of social investors, from catalytic philanthropists to impact investors and corporate CSR professionals.
Naina is Board Member of the Global Resilient Cities Network, Chair at the International Venture Philanthropy Center (IVPC) and Trustee at Bridge Institute.
In 2021, Naina was featured on the list of Asia’s Most Influential by Tatler Asia and in 2019, she was awarded one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen by CSRWorks.
Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi
Committee Member, Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Dr Nungsari, 63, is currently a Trustee of Yayasan Rahimah Yusof and a member of the Board of Directors of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was formerly the Executive Chairman of the Malaysian Aviation Commission and Chairman of Khazanah Research Institute Board of Trustees. He was also an Executive Director at Khazanah Nasional Berhad and the Principal Officer at Danainfra Nasional Berhad, Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Berhad and Syarikat Jaminan Pinjaman Perniagaan as well as the Managing Director at Prokhas Sdn Bhd.
Dr Nungsari holds a PhD in economics from Purdue University.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Co-Head, Secretariat for the Advisory Committee to Finance Minister of Malaysia
Nurul Izzah Anwar currently co-heads the Secretariat for the Advisory Committee to Finance Minister (ACFIN) that includes overseeing the preparation of the policy recommendations relating to subsidies and social protection, government-owned entities, government revenue and national debt. She served as Member of Parliament in the Malaysian legislature for three terms from 2008-2022, where she was also appointed on the Public Accounts Committee and is a strong advocate for Parliamentary reform. Prior to entering politics, Nurul Izzah earned her Masters’ Degree from the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University studying International Relations (with a specialisation in Southeast Asia Studies). She received her Bachelors’ Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Universiti Tenaga Nasional, graduating in 2004.
Dr Peter Berezin
Chief Global Strategist and Research Director, BCA Research
Peter Berezin is BCA Research’s Chief Global Strategist and Research Director. His reports are read by thousands of investment professionals and frequently cited by the media. Prior to joining BCA Research, Peter worked as a Senior Global Economist with Goldman Sachs in New York. Peter began his career at the International Monetary Fund where he served as the desk economist for a number of countries, including Malaysia. He also spent time in the IMF’s research department working on its flagship publication, the World Economic Outlook. Peter has a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Economics from the University of Toronto.
Sha-Ron Low
APAC Regional HR Director, ERM
Sha-Ron Low is the APAC Regional HR Director for ERM, the largest pure play sustainability consulting firm in the world. Sha-Ron started her career as an IT consultant before transitioning to a HR career. For the past 25 years, Sha-Ron has experienced many regional HR roles ranging from HR Business Partner, Talent Strategy Lead, Learning & Development Lead to Diversity and Inclusion Lead.
Sha-Ron’s consultancy experience has shaped her approach to HR. She deeply understands business imperatives and layers in HR perspectives to co-create and implement balanced solutions. Since joining ERM, Sha-Ron is on a mission to make the sustainability industry, a great place for sustainability talent to thrive and make a positive impact to clients, society and nature.
Sophie Viger
Managing Director, 42
Sophie was appointed Managing Director of 42 in 2018. Under her leadership, the international dimension of 42 has grown exponentially. From an innovative educational model present in six countries, she created a connected international network which, four years later, is present in 29 countries on all continents with 49 campuses.
She has made 42 more inclusive by removing the age limit and promoting a healthy environment for collectivity and community. Sophie is also committed to combating the systemic stereotypes of the technological world to enable more women to consider a career in IT. Through these actions, 42 is today one of the most sought-after IT training courses for both women and men, and recognised as the number one training course for ethical value in 2023 on the WURI Ranking (source).
Her next challenge? To revolutionise the world of education… by making 42 the world reference in IT and inclusion!
Prof Stefan Dercon
Author; and Professor of Economic Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Stefan Dercon is Professor of Economic Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Economics Department at Oxford University. He combines an academic career with work as policy advisor in UK, including as Chief Economist of the UK Department of International Development (DFID) between 2011 and 2017, and advisor to successive UK Foreign Secretaries. His research concerns what keeps some people and countries poor: the failures of markets, governments and politics, and how to achieve change. His latest book “Gambling on Development: why some countries win and others lose”, published in 2022, reflects on this, based on his research and on his experience in the world of policy making.
Suthen Thomas
Group CTO, Grab
Based in Singapore, Suthen oversees Grab’s technology teams across the company’s Deliveries, Mobility and Financial services businesses. He is responsible for driving Grab’s technology vision, strategy and execution and plays a critical role in optimising Grab’s superapp synergies to drive sustainable growth and create greater value, convenience, and efficiencies for consumers and partners.
Before this, Suthen was the Chief Technology Officer of Mobility, Automation and Platform Excellence, Deliveries, and Experiences. He was also Grab’s first technical lead when the company was founded in 2012. At Grab, he has led the development of many Grab products and platforms, which supported the rapid growth of Grab’s Deliveries and Mobility services. He also held operational leadership roles and founded the Business Operations team.
Suthen has a Bachelor’s degree in computer software engineering from Multimedia University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Till Vestring
Lead Independent Director, Keppel Corporation; and Advisory Partner, Bain & Company
Till Vestring is a senior adviser and non-executive director with extensive Asia experience. He is Lead Independent Director at Keppel Corporation and an Advisory Partner with Bain & Company for Southeast Asia as well as a director at Advanced Micro Foundry and Delaware International. He is also lead investor in a sustainable tourism business in Cambodia, an active angel investor and on the board of venture philanthropy Leap201.
He has spent the last 25 years with Bain in Asia serving as Bain Southeast Asia’s managing partner from 2007 to 2013 and head of Bain’s Asia Pacific industrial practice from 2003 to 2007.
He has a Masters in Economics from the University of Bonn, Germany, an MBA from the Haas School of Business, Berkeley and is a graduate of INSEAD’s International Directors Programme.
Wilson Beh
Co-Founder and COO, PolicyStreet
Wilson Beh is a Co-Founder of PolicyStreet, a regional full-stack insurance technology company providing digital insurance solutions to businesses and consumers in Southeast Asia and Australia. PolicyStreet works directly with over 40 life, general, and takaful providers to offer a comprehensive range of products and services, which includes but not limited to embedded insurance, customised employee benefits, financial advisory and aggregation of insurance, as well as the development of digital solutions to make insurance purposeful and simple. It is licensed as a Reinsurer and General Insurer by the Labuan FSA, an approved Financial Adviser and Islamic Financial Adviser by Bank Negara Malaysia, and a licensee by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Wilson also serves as the President of the Fintech Association of Malaysia and prior venturing into Fintech, he worked in a leading investment bank.
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Minister of Finance Malaysia; and Board Member, Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz was appointed as a Board member of Khazanah effective 1 April 2020. He is a Senator of Dewan Negara and the Minister of Finance.
He has over 22 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Prior to his ministerial position, he was the Group CEO/Executive Director of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad. He had also served as CEO of Maybank Investment Bank Berhad and Maybank Kim Eng Holdings, as well as held senior positions in Citigroup Malaysia, Kenanga Holdings Berhad and Avenue Securities.
He graduated from University of Bristol, UK in Economics and Accounting. He also holds a Masters in Finance and Management from University of Exeter, UK and is a certified Fellow Chartered Banker by the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.