Speakers
Keynote Dialogues
Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Chee Hong Tat
Minister for Transport and
Second Minister for Finance
Singapore
Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva
Former Prime Minister
Thailand
Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Jin Liqun
President and Chair of the Board of Directors
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Suahasil Nazara
Vice Minister of Finance
Indonesia
Moderator:
Associate Professor Simon Tay
Chairman
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Keynote
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Mr. Chee Hong TatMinister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Mr Chee Hong Tat was appointed Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance on 18 January 2024. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament for the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in 2015 and was re-elected during the 2020 General Elections. On 12 July 2023, Mr Chee was appointed Acting Minister for Transport, while concurrently serving as Senior Minister of State for Finance. He was appointed Senior Minister of State for Transport on 27 July 2020 and took up a concurrent appointment as Senior Minister of State for Finance on 13 June 2022. He was also Deputy Secretary-General at the National Trades Union Congress from May 2021 to June 2022. Prior to this, Mr Chee had served as Senior Minister of State for Health, Communications & Information, Education, Trade & Industry and Foreign Affairs. Mr Chee was born in 1973 and is married with four children. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science (Highest Honours) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts (Highest Honours) in Economics. He obtained his Masters of Business Administration from Adelaide University in 2006. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Trades Union Congress in April 2021 and was conferred an Honorary Fellow by the Institution of Engineers, Singapore in January 2023. |
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Keynote
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Mr. Abhisit VejjajivaFormer Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was Thailand’s 27th Prime Minister, holding the post from December 2008 to August 2011. He was first elected to Parliament in 1992 and was reelected eight times. He had served as Government Spokesperson (1992-1994) and as a Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office (1997). Over two and a half decades, he has assumed many responsibilities including Deputy Secretary General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs; Chairman of the House Committee for Education; and as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives for three terms. Within the Democrat Party, he has also assumed many positions: Party Spokesman, Deputy Party Leader; and from 2005 – 2019, Party Leader. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom in 1964. After completing his primary education in Thailand, he returned to the United Kingdom to study at Eton College. He later graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) with 1st class Honours from Oxford University, where he also earned a Master’s Degree in Economics. Before entering politics he taught at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy from 1987 to 1988 and at the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University from 1990 to 1991. |
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Keynote
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Mr. Jin LiqunPresident and Chair of the Board of Directors Jin Liqun is the inaugural President and Chair of the Board of Directors. On July 28, 2020, he was elected to serve a second term of five years, beginning on Jan. 16, 2021. Before being elected as the Bank’s first President, he served as Secretary-General of the Multilateral Interim Secretariat tasked with establishing the Bank. Jin has rich experience across the private and public sectors and with MDBs. He served as Chair of the China International Capital Corporation Limited (China’s first joint-venture investment bank), Chair of the Supervisory Board of the China Investment Corporation, and Chair of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds. He previously served as Vice President and then Ranking Vice President of the Asian Development Bank and as Alternate Executive Director for China at the World Bank and at the Global Environment Facility. Jin spent nearly two decades at the Chinese Ministry of Finance, reaching the rank of Vice Minister. He holds a master’s degree in English Literature from Beijing Institute of Foreign Languages (now Beijing Foreign Studies University) and was a Hubert Humphrey Fellow in the Economics Graduate Program at Boston University from 1987 to 1988. Jin is from the People’s Republic of China. |
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Keynote
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Mr. Suahasil NazaraVice Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara is the Vice Minister of Finance, Republic of Indonesia, having been appointed since October 25, 2019. He was previously appointed as Chairman of Fiscal Policy Agency, at the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Indonesia, having been appointed on October 31, 2016. Currently, Suahasil has been given a mandate by the President as Chair of the National Economic Recovery Task Force since March 2021 and is also trusted to become Chair of the Job Creation Law Task Force since August 2022. Prior to his appointment at the Ministry of Finance, Suahasil was an active and leading economist as a member of the Indonesian Economist Association, the Expert Team for Minister of Finance on Fiscal Decentralization (2009-2011), and the National Economic Committee (2013-2014). He was previously also active as Vice Chairman of Supervising Committee of the Indonesian Decentralization Watch (2009- 2015) and the Policy Coordinator at the Secretariat of the National Team of Poverty Reduction Acceleration at the Office of the Vice President (2010-2015). Suahasil Nazara is a committed academic. He joined the government official as a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia (1999) which he then held different positions: Head of Graduate Degree Program in Economics (2004-2005), Director of Demographic Institute (2005-2008), and Head of Economics Department (2009-2013). In 2009, Suahasil obtained the status of Professor in Economics. He earned his bachelor’s degree majoring in Economics from Universitas Indonesia (1994), his Master’s degree from Cornell University USA (1997), and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign USA (2003). His expertise includes the economics of development, regional economics, labor economics, the economics of poverty and social protection, and econometrics. He was born in Jakarta on November 23, 1970 |
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Moderator
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Associate Professor Simon TayChairman Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policy-makers. He is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainablity issues that matter to policy makers and corporations in ASEAN and Asia. Consistently ranked by an international survey within the top 50 of the world and amongst the best in ASEAN, the SIIA is also rated the No 1 independent think tank across all of Asia. The SIIA works actively in “track 2” diplomacy with policy makers, not only in Singapore but across ASEAN, including previously advising the Indonesian and Myanmar governments on foreign investment. SIIA members and benefactors include many of leading Singaporean companies and multinationals. Presently, Prof Tay serves as an Ambassador for Singapore, accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is a board member of the Maritime Port Authority and also chairs the trade and sustainability dialogues for free trade agreements that Singapore has with the European Union and UK. He has previously served Singapore in a number of public appointments. These include Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08); Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019); independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); and to coordinate the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). He co-chaired a number of national public commissions such as Singapore 21, the Singapore Green Plan and the Singapore Concept Plan 2010. In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Additionally, Tay is a tenured Associate Professor, teaching since 1995 at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law with a focus on international law. He has also taught as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. In addition to academic works, his book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. His comments and interviews often feature in the international and regional media. Another aspect of Prof Tay’s work is to advise major corporations. Currently, he is Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of over 300 lawyers and offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. Previously, he served on global advisory boards for MUFG Bank of Japan, and Toyota Japan, and was Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). For more than a decade, he served as independent board director for companies including the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein and Deutsche Boerse (Asia). He is often asked to brief major corporate boards and financial institutions and has spoken at leading business conferences including the World Economic Forum, APEC and ASEAN CEO Summits. Additionally, Tay is a prize winning author of fiction and poetry. His 2010 novel City of Small Blessings was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize and in 2019 he received the SE Asia Write award in recognition of contributions to the region’s writing. He graduated in law from the National University of Singapore (1986), where he was president of the student union for three terms. He also holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (1993-94), which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship and where he won the Laylin prize for the best thesis in international law. He was born in 1961 and is the only son of the late Tay Seow Huah, a pioneer generation civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and the late Madam Cheong Keong Hin, a teacher. Prof Tay is married and has one son. |
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Panel 1: Regional Connectivity and Supply Chains – Private Sector Perspectives
Panellist:
Mr. Christopher Ong
Senior Vice President and
Managing Director
Managing Director
DHL Express Singapore
Panellist:
Mr. Jimmy Koh
Managing Director and Head of Network Partnerships and Strategic Marketing,
Group Foreign Direct Investment Advisory
Group Foreign Direct Investment Advisory
UOB
Panellist:
Ms. Seow Hwee
Head of Port Ecosystem Business,
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
PSA Corporation Limited
Moderator:
Mr. Nicholas Fang
Director of Security and Global Affairs
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Panellist
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Mr. Christopher OngSenior Vice President and Managing Director Mr. Christopher Ong is currently the Managing Director of DHL Express Singapore, a position he has held since November 2018. Responsible for driving sustainable growth in this key market, Chris has been focused on delivering great service quality to loyal customers through a highly motivated workforce. For 4 consecutive years since 2020, DHL Express Singapore has been named as the #1 Singapore Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work Institute. This was a climb up from #6 in 2018 to the top position in a span of two years. Chris joined DHL in 2006 and was responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions, Partnerships and Planning, First Choice (Six sigma) and GoGreen corporate programmes for Asia-Pacific. In October 2011, he was appointed Country Manager of DHL Express Vietnam before he took on the role of Managing Director for Malaysia and Brunei in March 2014 where he managed over 1,200 employees and 27 facilities, including 7 international gateways, spread across East and West Malaysia and Brunei. Chris has been spearheading strategies that led to improved delivery experiences for both merchants and buyers and increasing customer loyalty, with a key focus on helping SMEs tap the global market. He is a member of the Future Economic Council, Advanced Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee as well as the Industry Advisory Panel of the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Material Managers (SIPMM). He has been invited to share his views on a wide range of topics including Corporate Culture, Sustainability, Supply Chain and eCommerce. Prior to joining DHL, Chris worked for 10 years at Temasek Holdings, where he was involved in transactions in the Transport, Logistics, Telecom, Media, Technology, and Manufacturing sectors. Chris graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, US. |
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Panellist
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Mr. Jimmy KohManaging Director and Head of Network Partnerships and Strategic Marketing, Group Foreign Direct Investment Advisory Mr Jimmy Koh currently leads Network Partnerships and Strategic marketing at Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Advisory. As a managing director, one of his key roles is to identify and establish partnerships with local and overseas ecosystem partners, while providing direction and editorial guidance that can help profile FDI initiatives in Southeast Asia. Mr Jimmy Koh has more than 20 years in banking and global markets research and business experience, having previously led UOB’s external and internal communications, as well as the Bank’s CSR and Art Programme initiatives. |
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Ms. Seow HweeHead of Port Ecosystem Business, Southeast Asia (SEA) Seow Hwee is the Head of Port Ecosystem Business, SEA, PSAC. She reports to the Regional Chief Executive (SEA) of PSAC and is a Senior Management Member of PSA SEA. As Head of Port Ecosystem Business, Seow Hwee drives overall Port Ecosystem Business Strategy and Enterprise Growth for SEA. She works with both internal and external stakeholders and partners to strengthen PSA SEA Hub/Node stickiness by leveraging PSA port assets and network as Unique Service Differentiators. She strategizes to enhance nodal and hinterland connectivity through differentiated products and value-added services, build strategic corridors and drive integration across SEA nodes for end to end solutioning. She leads multi-disciplinary teams to build critical capabilities for targeted sectors of interest at the ports’ adjacencies and supported by digital platform. Seow Hwee has more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry. She has progressed in her career and held various management positions both in PSA Singapore as well as its oversea joint venture. She was a pioneer leading the start-up of present day Pasir Panjang Terminal as well as the setup of PSA-Guangzhou Joint Venture Container Terminal in China. In her role as Head of Terminal Services Division, she led multi-disciplinary teams to oversee a diverse portfolio including Berthing and Alliance Allocation, Transshipment Connectivity, Integrated Operations and Foreign Resources Management, Haulier Community Engagement, Dangerous Goods Services and Data Analytics. With her strong domain in container terminal business, operations and supply chain, she also spearheaded several critical Information Technology projects by leading overall planning and organizing user requirements, system testing, delivery and implementation schedules of Terminal Operating System and PSA’s flagship Port Community System, PORTNET. Seow Hwee represents PSA in several forums chaired by the Government Ministries including Singapore Future Economy Council Sub-Committee and Customs Advisory Council, both of which are driving the growth and transformation of Singapore’s future economy and enhancing Singapore’s Competitiveness. She also sits in several Boards including PSA’s Joint Ventures with NYK and Kline in Asia Automobile Terminal and SOTRANS Group in Vietnam. Leveraging her experience and network, Seow Hwee leads the development of intermodal solutioning, streamlines cross border transportation and drives adoption of digitalization by the industry to create an Intelligent Logistics Ecosystem in Singapore. As a People Developer, Seow Hwee is the mentor of PSA younger talents from varying divisions including Operations, IT, Finance, HR and Procurement. Outside of work, Seow Hwee is active in Grassroots activities and a volunteer counsellor. |
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Moderator
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Mr. Nicholas FangDirector of Security and Global Affairs Nicholas Fang graduated from Oxford University with a Masters in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He joined Singapore’s oldest think tank, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, in 2010. He is currently executive director of the institute, which was ranked local think tank, and among the top in Asia and the Pacific in 2015. Nicholas started his working life as a journalist, and spent nine years at Singapore’s national daily newspaper, The Straits Times. There he reported on financial and sports news, and also wrote lifestyle columns and special reports on a diverse range of topics, rising to the post of Senior Correspondent. He then spent two years as business desk editor at national broadcaster Mediacorp’s regional news channel – Channel NewsAsia. During this time, he oversaw local and business news coverage, and also presented various key bulletins, including the 2009 Singapore Budget Special. He is currently supervising editor of Singapore news at Mediacorp. He was appointed Nominated Member of Parliament in February 2012, and served a two-and-a-half-year term focusing on issues pertaining to international affairs, media, defense and security and sports. He currently sits on the boards of Singapore humanitarian non-government organisation Mercy Relief, and non-profit social innovation organisation Social Innovation Park. He is also a member of the advisory committee of the national youth volunteerism institution Youth Corps Singapore. A former national athlete, Nicholas has represented Singapore in fencing and triathlon. He hosted the International Olympic Committee meeting in Singapore in 2005, and was Team Singapore’s Chef de Mission at the 2015 South-east Asian Games hosted in Singapore. He founded Black Dot Pte Ltd, a strategic consultancy that offers public relations, media, sponsorship and marketing consultancy services focusing on the sports sector to help develop the sporting industry and talents in Singapore and the region. |
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Panel 2: Enhancing Connectivity between Singapore and Malaysia
Panel Keynote & Panellist:
Dato’ Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi
Menteri Besar of Johor
Malaysia
Panellist:
Dr. Chua Hak Bin
Regional Co-Head, Macro Research
Maybank Investment Banking Group
Panellist:
Ms. Leong Yee May
Managing Director, South Asia
Equinix Singapore
Panellist:
Mr. Teo Siong Seng
Executive Chairman
Pacific International
Lines (PIL), and
Pacific International
Lines (PIL), and
Chairman,
Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)
Singapore Business Working Group (SBWG)
Singapore Business Working Group (SBWG)
Moderator:
Associate Professor Simon Tay
Chairman
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Panel Keynote & Panellist
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Dato’ Onn Hafiz bin GhaziMenteri Besar of Johor Dato’ Onn Hafiz currently serves as the Chief Minister of Johor, a position he has held since March 2022. Dato’ Onn Hafiz is committed to transforming Johor with the Maju Johor 2030 agenda, a comprehensive plan aimed at sustainable growth, economic prosperity, and enhancing the quality of life for all Johoreans. By leveraging strategic investments and innovative solutions, Dato’ Onn Hafiz aims to create a resilient and inclusive economy, foster social well-being, and position Johor as a developed state in Malaysia. His leadership in this initiative reflects his dedication to building a prosperous future for Johor and its people. Prior to this, he was the Johor State Executive Councillor for Tourism, Youth, and Sports from 2019 to 2022, where he played a pivotal role in promoting tourism and youth development. Between 2013 and 2018, Dato’ Onn Hafiz served as the Political Secretary to the Minister of Defence, gaining valuable experience in defense policy and governmental affairs. His extensive experience in the private sector includes his tenure as Director of Chin Well Holdings Berhad from 2005 to 2013 and as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KMB Sdn. Bhd. during the same period. Early in his career, he honed his skills in finance and consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) from 2001 to 2004. Dato’ Onn Hafiz’s diverse background in both public service and private enterprise underscores his leadership and strategic management capabilities. Dato’ Onn Hafiz was a Johor State Assembly member for Layang-Layang (2018-2022), emphasizing infrastructure and public service improvements. He currently represents Machap (2022-present), focusing on regional development, economic growth, and enhancing the wellbeing of his constituents. |
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Panellist
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Dr. Chua Hak BinRegional Co-Head, Macro Research As Regional Co-Head of Macro at Maybank Investment Banking Group, he covers Singapore and ASEAN macro themes. He was formerly a consultant at GIC, and Head of Emerging Asia and ASEAN Economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch for about six years. Dr Chua has also worked as a strategist and economist at Citigroup, Deutsche Private Wealth Management, DBS Bank, and RHB Bank. Prior to joining the private sector, he was with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), heading the external economies, financial surveillance and planning, policy and communications divisions. Dr Chua holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brown University. He was a Visiting Lecturer in International Economics at Yale University for a year after completing his PhD. |
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Ms. Yee May LeongManaging Director, South Asia Yee May Leong is responsible for leading the company’s business strategy in Singapore. She focuses on facilitating digital transformation of businesses to support the government’s plan to establish Singapore as the digital hub in Asia and helping global multinational companies execute their digital strategy in Asia-Pacific and globally. During her tenure, Yee May has led the team to expand Platform Equinix in Singapore while driving other important people and environmental initiatives. As a diversity, inclusion and belonging ally and a global executive sponsor of WeAreEquinix, a company-wide initiative to create a place where our employees can say “I’m safe, I belong, and I matter,” Yee May supports equality and underrepresented groups within the company and the local community. In line with Equinix’s Future First sustainability vision, Yee May also played a pivotal role in signing Equinix’s first renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA) in Singapore, contributing to the scaling and improvement of the quality of energy resources. She has also fostered public-private collaborations, including the partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to study alternative green hydrogen fuel technologies and the collaboration with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Dell Technologies to spearhead innovation and green practices in digital infrastructure deployment. |
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Panellist
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Mr Teo Siong SengExecutive Chairman Chairman
Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) Singapore Business Working Group (SBWG)
Mr Teo is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PIL’s listed subsidiary in Hong Kong, Singamas Container Holdings Ltd, a leading container manufacturer and logistics service provider. Mr Teo’s other appointments are as follows: – Immediate Past Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) |
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Moderator
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Associate Professor Simon TayChairman Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policy-makers. He is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainablity issues that matter to policy makers and corporations in ASEAN and Asia. Consistently ranked by an international survey within the top 50 of the world and amongst the best in ASEAN, the SIIA is also rated the No 1 independent think tank across all of Asia. The SIIA works actively in “track 2” diplomacy with policy makers, not only in Singapore but across ASEAN, including previously advising the Indonesian and Myanmar governments on foreign investment. SIIA members and benefactors include many of leading Singaporean companies and multinationals. Presently, Prof Tay serves as an Ambassador for Singapore, accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is a board member of the Maritime Port Authority and also chairs the trade and sustainability dialogues for free trade agreements that Singapore has with the European Union and UK. He has previously served Singapore in a number of public appointments. These include Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08); Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019); independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); and to coordinate the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). He co-chaired a number of national public commissions such as Singapore 21, the Singapore Green Plan and the Singapore Concept Plan 2010. In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Additionally, Tay is a tenured Associate Professor, teaching since 1995 at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law with a focus on international law. He has also taught as visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. In addition to academic works, his book, Asia Alone: the Dangerous Post Crisis Divide from America (Wiley 2010) was well reviewed in the Economist and Financial Times. His comments and interviews often feature in the international and regional media. Another aspect of Prof Tay’s work is to advise major corporations. Currently, he is Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of over 300 lawyers and offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. Previously, he served on global advisory boards for MUFG Bank of Japan, and Toyota Japan, and was Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). For more than a decade, he served as independent board director for companies including the LGT Bank of Liechtenstein and Deutsche Boerse (Asia). He is often asked to brief major corporate boards and financial institutions and has spoken at leading business conferences including the World Economic Forum, APEC and ASEAN CEO Summits. Additionally, Tay is a prize winning author of fiction and poetry. His 2010 novel City of Small Blessings was awarded the Singapore Literature Prize and in 2019 he received the SE Asia Write award in recognition of contributions to the region’s writing. He graduated in law from the National University of Singapore (1986), where he was president of the student union for three terms. He also holds a Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (1993-94), which he attended on a Fulbright Scholarship and where he won the Laylin prize for the best thesis in international law. He was born in 1961 and is the only son of the late Tay Seow Huah, a pioneer generation civil servant reporting to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and the late Madam Cheong Keong Hin, a teacher. Prof Tay is married and has one son. |
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Panel 3: Digital Transformation and Connectivity – Future of ASEAN’s Digital Economy
Panel Keynote:
Mr. Satvinder Singh
Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community
ASEAN Secretariat
Panellist:
Mr. Debarun Roy Choudhury
Managing Partner Head, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Regional, SEA
Visa
Panellist:
Mr. Abraham Thomas
Managing Partner
IBM Consulting, ASEAN
Panellist:
Mr. Theodore Sutarto
Assistant Deputy Minister
Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Indonesia
Panellist:
Ms. Jamie Ko
Director, Regional Public Affairs and Policy
Grab
Moderator:
Dr. Ming Tan
Founding Executive Director
Tech for Good Institute
Panellist
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Mr. Satvinder SinghDeputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community Satvinder Singh has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community for the period of 2021-2027, with a recent renewal of another 3- Year term starting from 2024. In this role, he will play a key leadership role in implementing the AEC Blueprint 2025 and overseeing the AEC Department at the ASEAN Secretariat. Additionally, he will offer strategic guidance to advance ASEAN’s economic integration agenda. Before assuming this role, he was the Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Trade Connectivity & Business Services at Enterprise Singapore, where he was instrumental in strengthening Singapore’s role as Asia’s trading hub, supporting the growth of 15,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians jobs. With over 27 years of experience, he has held a variety of local, regional and global management positions across the region. At Enterprise Singapore, Mr Singh oversaw four divisions and drove digitalisation efforts in Singapore amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Singh holds a Bachelor degree in social sciences from the National University of Singapore and attended the Harvard’s Business School Advanced Management Programme in 2017. |
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Mr. Debarun Roy ChoudhuryHead, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Regional, SEA Current Position and Responsibilities Debarun Roy Choudhury (Roy) is Head of Commercial & Money Movement Solutions, Regional SEA. In this role, Roy is responsible for leading the business unit that works on expanding Visa’s network beyond consumer-to-merchant payments. This include business-to-business (B2B), peer-to-peer (P2P), Government Solutions and Cross Border Solutions, including the near real-time P2P network Visa Direct, and the cross-border corporate payment network B2B Connect. Roy’s team is focused on driving new business opportunities and enabling new ways to move money for clients and partners across key markets in SEA. Other Information Roy is financial services professional with over 17 years of experience in Singapore and SEA across Transaction Banking, Digital & FINTECH, Payments, Marketing & Analytics, Product, Sales, and Channel Management with a strong track record in (i) business management (ii) SME and Corporate Segments, (iii) government relations and (iv) profitable innovation. Prior to Visa he has worked with Banks and Fintech’s such as Standard Chartered, United Overseas Bank and ByteDance. Roy has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a double major in Marketing and Psychology from Singapore Management University. In his spare time, Roy is a musician focused on the genres of classic rock and rock’n’roll, mentors and engages Fintech’s and SMEs and spends quality time with his young family. He is also passionate about cricket and tennis. |
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Ms. Jamie KoDirector, Regional Public Affairs and Policy Ms Jamie Ko heads Grab’s Regional Public Affairs and Policy team, which looks into public policy topics relating to technology and its impact in the region. She and the Grab Public Affairs team build partnerships with governments to support national policies, engage with governments and other stakeholders on policy discussions, and drive initiatives to harness the potential of technology to create impact. Prior to Grab, she did management consulting at BCG, solving challenges with large companies and global social organisations. She also led strategy and business development at Pulsifi, a HR-tech start-up that leverages data to discover and realize the potential of people.
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Mr. Abraham ThomasManaging Partner Abraham Thomas was appointed to the role of GBS Managing Partner, ASEAN, on October 1st 2021. Prior to this, he was the GBS Managing Partner for Mainland China. In his current role, he is responsible for the Consulting and Systems Integration business in the ASEAN region. He was the Country General Manager prior to his role in GCG and was responsible for the IBM business in Singapore from July 2017 up to end September 2019. Between 2015 and 2017 he was running the ASEAN GBS business. He returned to Singapore from South Africa, where he was the GM for IBM South Africa, from July 2012 to June 2015. He was based in Johannesburg with his family and was responsible for managing and developing the IBM business there. From from January 2008 to June 2012, he was Vice-President of System Sales, Systems and Technology Group – IBM Growth Markets Unit, headquartered in China. In this role he oversaw sales of the complete range of IBM Servers and Storage Systems. Prior to that, Abraham held various leadership appointments in Singapore, ASEAN and Asia Pacific. Between January 2001 and June 2004, he was the Managing Director of IBM India and IBM Global Services India, based in Bangalore. Abraham was instrumental in putting together the India Growth Strategy, which allowed IBM to become a dominant force in that market. Abraham began his career with IBM in 1986 as Territory Representative for the Small and Medium Business solutions unit. In his 35 years with IBM, he has undertaken many leadership roles and has been instrumental in building new businesses and primarily being asked to turn around under performing businesses. This is the primary reason he has been asked to run the GBS business in China. He was recognized by IBM’s Hundred Per Cent Club for exceeding his sales quota for eight consecutive years. He was also awarded the 1997 IBM ASEAN/ South Asia General Manager’s Award for outstanding business performance. He has also been selected for three Golden Circles, IBM’s premier recognition event. Abraham is a Business Administration graduate from the National University of Singapore. He was an active executive committee member of the Singapore Computer Society. He was also a National Council Member of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Prior to moving to his role in Shanghai, he was an Executive Council Member in the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). Abraham is a keen golfer and enjoys reading and travelling. He is married and has three children. |
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Mr. Theodore SutartoAssistant Deputy Minister Pak Theodore is responsible for coordinating policy formulation and implementation in regards to digital economic development. Prior to joining the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Pak Theodore worked in LKPP, Indonesia’s National Public Procurement Agency, where he formulated international government procurement policies and LKPP relation to international partners. Pak Theodore has also worked in domestic trade and with SMEs at the Ministry of Trade, and was posted in Chile to handle trade issues and promote Indonesian products in the South American Region.
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Moderator
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Dr. Ming TanFounding Executive Director Dr Ming Tan is founding Executive Director for the Tech for Good Institute, a non-profit seed-funded by Grab to catalyse research and collaboration on social, economic, and policy trends accelerated by the digital economy. She is concurrently a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore. Her interests lie at the intersection of technology, business and society, including sustainability and innovation. |
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Closed-door Workshop: Strengthening Connectivity – Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
in ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) Negotiations
Key Discussant:
Mr. Satvinder Singh
Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community
ASEAN Secretariat
Key Discussant:
Ms. Trisha Suresh
Head of Public Policy
LinkedIn
Key Discussant:
Mr. Yip Shue Heng
Managing Director, and Head of Asia Digital Strategy
MUFG Bank Ltd
Key Discussant:
Mr. Matin Mohdari
Head, Public Policy, Government and Corporate Affairs (Southeast Asia and South Asia)
Expedia
Discussant
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Mr. Satvinder SinghDeputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community Satvinder Singh has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community for the period of 2021-2027, with a recent renewal of another 3- Year term starting from 2024. In this role, he will play a key leadership role in implementing the AEC Blueprint 2025 and overseeing the AEC Department at the ASEAN Secretariat. Additionally, he will offer strategic guidance to advance ASEAN’s economic integration agenda. Before assuming this role, he was the Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Trade Connectivity & Business Services at Enterprise Singapore, where he was instrumental in strengthening Singapore’s role as Asia’s trading hub, supporting the growth of 15,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians jobs. With over 27 years of experience, he has held a variety of local, regional and global management positions across the region. At Enterprise Singapore, Mr Singh oversaw four divisions and drove digitalisation efforts in Singapore amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Singh holds a Bachelor degree in social sciences from the National University of Singapore and attended the Harvard’s Business School Advanced Management Programme in 2017. |
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Ms. Trisha SureshHead of Public Policy Trisha Suresh leads LinkedIn’s public policy strategy and programmes in Singapore and Southeast Asia. She develops partnerships with governments, multilateral organisations and economic institutions to advance LinkedIn’s vision to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. In her role, Trisha works with LinkedIn’s data scientists and economists to leverage data from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph to shape and inform skills and workforce development policies. Prior to LinkedIn, Trisha spent almost nine years in a consulting role with The Economist Group in Singapore and Hong Kong. At The Economist Group, she built data-driven policy strategy and thought leadership programmes for governments, corporates and multilateral organisations. Trisha graduated from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy with a Master in Public Policy, and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Singapore Management University. Trisha’s LinkedIn profile is available here. |
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Mr. Yip Shue HengManaging Director, and Head of Asia Digital Strategy Yip Shue Heng joined MUFG in September 2017 and was appointed Managing Director, Head of Asia Digital Strategy in April 2024. His primary role is in strategic venture capital investments and new business creation in the digital space for the Bank. He has had experience in public and private sectors across financial services, legal services and info-communication technology. Mr. Yip has 20 years of experience in fintech innovation, leading strategic investments and alliances within the banking industry. Prior to his current role, he was MUFG’s Managing Director, Head of Digital Transformation for Asia, where he drove initiatives that developed strategic capabilities and built ventures in untapped markets in emerging Asia. He is currently a member of the evaluation panel for MAS Financial Sector Technology and Innovation (FSTI) Innovation Acceleration Scheme. Before joining MUFG, Mr. Yip was a Director with the Sectoral Transformation Group at the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore, to spearhead initiatives andinnovations across trade, financial and legal services for the nation. Mr. Yip was previously with Citibank where he was its Regional Chief Architect for its Transaction Banking Services, before assuming the role of Regional Technology Head of Channels, Information, Client Delivery, Liquidity and Innovation Lab. His career began as an enterprise solutions consultant with Microsoft, and later its Solutions Sales and Consulting Engagement Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) from the National University of Singapore. |
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Mr. Matin MohdariHead, Public Policy, Government and Corporate Affairs (Southeast Asia and South Asia) Matin serves as the Head of Public Policy, Government, and Corporate Affairs for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the leading global travel technology company, Expedia Group. In this capacity, he holds the responsibility of offering strategic advisory on matters related to technology policy and providing support with policymakers in the formulation of legislation at the intersections of the travel and technology domains. He also leads collaborative initiatives with the public sector to advance the digital transformation, economic development, and sustainability agendas of countries. He was previously Deputy Director for Regional Public Affairs and Policy at Grab, and Strategy Director at the Tech for Good Institute, a policy think tank that focuses on advancing an equitable, sustainable, and inclusive digital economy in Southeast Asia. Prior to joining the private sector, Matin served in the Government of Singapore, with the Singapore Tourism Board, where he was involved in portfolios that included policy planning and strategy, industry development, investment promotion, and international marketing. He holds a Master’s degree in Media and Communications from Wee Kim Wee School of Communications and Information, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree from the National University of Singapore. Matin serves as Chair of the US-ASEAN Business Council Travel and Tourism Committee, and was selected as an ASEAN Youth Fellow in 2022. He is also an Advisor to National Youth Council Singapore’s inaugural Youth Panel (on Tech Policy) and a board member to several local non-profits. |
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Key Discussant:
Ms. Chelsea Su
Marketing Expert, Network Solution Marketing and Sales Department, AP Region
Huawei
Key Discussant:
Mr. Darryn Lim
APAC Head of Trade Policy & Competitiveness
Google
Key Discussant:
Ms. Teresa Tan
Director, Public Policy, ASEAN & SG
ByteDance
Moderator:
Dr. Ming Tan
Founding Executive Director
Tech for Good Institute
Discussant
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Ms. Chelsea SuMarketing Expert, Network Solution Marketing and Sales Department, AP Region Chelsea joined Huawei in 2005 and has since built a distinguished career. From 2005 to 2014, she was deeply involved in R&D, supporting the entry of WDM products for major telecom operators such as Swisscom, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, and Telecom Italia. Her technical expertise ensured Huawei’s solutions met the rigorous standards of these industry giants, significantly contributing to the company’s reputation in the global market. In 2014, Chelsea transitioned to a Product Manager role in Huawei AP region. Over the next five years, she successfully led project expansions for WDM, IP, and other products. She achieved significant milestones with operators like PLDT and Globe in the Philippines, Telkom and XL in Indonesia, and VHA and Optus in Australia. Her strategic vision and leadership were instrumental in driving substantial business growth and establishing strong partnerships with these telecom operators. Currently, Chelsea serves as a Network Marketing Expert for the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on F5.5G and Net5.5G industry marketing. She develops and executes strategies that promote Huawei’s innovative network solutions, ensuring alignment with market needs and technological trends. Her work involves close collaboration with industry stakeholders, driving the adoption of next-generation network technologies and positioning Huawei at the forefront of the telecommunications industry in the region. |
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Mr. Darryn LimAPAC Head of Trade Policy & Competitiveness Darryn Lim is Head of APAC Trade Policy and Competitiveness at Google, covering issues relating to digital trade for the Asia-Pacific region. Darryn has more than 25 years of experience in information technology, telecom, and intellectual property law and policy. He has most recently held senior positions handling policy and legal issues in Twilio, BSA | The Software Alliance, and Microsoft. He was previously also with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, where his duties included representing Singapore in international forums and free trade agreement negotiations on intellectual property issues. Before IPOS, Darryn held several corporate counsel and policy positions in public and private sector entities, including in the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and a regional telecom service provider. Darryn has a law degree from the National University of Singapore and is qualified to practice law in Singapore. He is based in Google’s Singapore office. |
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Ms. Teresa TanDirector, Public Policy, ASEAN & SG Teresa Tan leads ByteDance’s public policy and government affairs in Singapore, as well as ASEAN thought leadership and policy programmes in the region. She also helms product policy, providing issue expertise across e-commerce, payments, enterprise tech, content, privacy & safety. Prior to joining ByteDance, Teresa served as the Regional Communications Lead at Grab where she pioneered the policy communications function. Teresa also served more than 10 years in the Singapore government across finance, home affairs and ICT agencies. She is passionate about tech for good and civic innovation. |
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Moderator
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Dr. Ming TanFounding Executive Director Dr Ming Tan is founding Executive Director for the Tech for Good Institute, a non-profit seed-funded by Grab to catalyse research and collaboration on social, economic, and policy trends accelerated by the digital economy. She is concurrently a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore. Her interests lie at the intersection of technology, business and society, including sustainability and innovation. |
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