Speakers

Featured Speakers

H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn

Secretary-General

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

In-Conversation

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn

Secretary-General

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn’s career has focused on strengthening Cambodia’s international relations particularly in ASEAN, driving policy advocacy and promoting research, education, and development. Dr. Kao has served as a two-term Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia since September 2013. He has authored dozens of books and articles about Cambodia and ASEAN.

Dr. Kao is a Member of the Supreme National Economic Council, a Senior Fellow at the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, and a Member of the Global Council of The Asia Society. He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace and the Worldwide Support for Development. He also has acted as a Member of the Standing Committee of the Cambodian Red Cross.

With the mission of providing education to disadvantaged Cambodian youths, Dr. Kao established The University of Cambodia in 2003 and continued to serve as the university president until he stepped down in October 2022.

For his services to Cambodia, Dr. Kao has earned the Royal Order of Cambodia, the Royal Order of Sowathara, and The Grand Order of National Merit. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Ohio University in 2007 and an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in India in 2014.

Dr. Kao survived the Khmer Rouge genocide and moved to the United States at the age of 15. He returned to Cambodia in January 1993 to run a think-tank dedicated to ASEAN and international affairs and later joined the Royal Government of Cambodia where he had served, from August 2001 to August 2013, in a variety of capacities including a post as Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Dr. Kao completed Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies from Baylor University, Master of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in International Studies from Ohio University, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

He is married with two adult children who live in Phnom Penh.

Mr. Ong Ye Kung

Minister, Ministry of Health

Republic of Singapore

In-Conversation

Mr Ong Ye Kung

Minister, Ministry of Health

Republic of Singapore

Mr Ong Ye Kung is the Minister for Health. He was elected Member of Parliament for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in September 2015, and was re-elected in July 2020 in Sembawang GRC.

He had held the positions of Minister for Transport, Minister for Education, Second Minister for Defence and board member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He is also the Chairman of the Chinese Development Assistance Council.

Prior to joining politics, he held various positions in Government, including Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, and Deputy Chief Negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. He served several years in the Labour Movement, as the Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, and spent some time in the private sector, as the Director of Group Strategy at Keppel Corporation.

Mr Ong graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK) and the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland. He is married with two children.

Panel Keynote

Mr. Liew Chin Tong

Deputy Minister

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia

In-Conversation

Mr Liew Chin Tong

Deputy Minister

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia

Mr. Liew Chin Tong is the Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, after being elected on 19 November 2022. He is also the State Assemblyperson for Perling, Johor. He was a Senator in Dewan Negara (17 July 2018 to 17 July 2021) and served as Deputy Defence Minister from July 2018 to February 2020.

He was first elected Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera (2008-2013) and was subsequently the Member of Parliament for Kluang (2013-2018).

Since 1999, Mr. Chin Tong has served DAP in various capacities and is now a member of its Central Executive Committee, serving as the Deputy Secretary-General. He is also the Chairman of Johor DAP.

Mr. Chin Tong graduated with a degree in Political Science and an honours degree in Asian Studies from the Australian National University, and holds an International Masters in Regional Integration from the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya.

Mr. Chin Tong is the Chairman of Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) since 2012 and was the Executive Director of Penang Institute (previously Socio-Economic and Environmental Research Institute, SERI, from 2009-2012). He was also formerly a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore.

He is passionate about policies relating to the economy, defence and security, institutional reform, political Islam, security and international relations, and urban studies.

Prof. Mari Pangestu

Former Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships

World Bank

In-Conversation

Prof. Mari Pangestu

Former Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships

World Bank

Prof. Mari Pangestu was the World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. In this role, which she assumed on March 1, 2020,  Prof. Pangestu provides leadership and oversees the research and data group of the World Bank (DEC), the work program of the World Bank’s Global Practice Groups, and the External and Corporate Relations function.

Prof. Pangestu joins the Bank with exceptional policy and management expertise, having served as Indonesia’s Minister of Trade from 2004 to 2011 and as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy from 2011 to 2014.

She has had vast experience of over 30 years in academia, second track processes, international organizations and government working in areas related to international trade, investment and development in multilateral, regional and national settings.

Most recently, Prof. Pangestu was a Senior Fellow at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, as well as a Professor of International Economics at the University of Indonesia, adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University and a Board Member of Indonesia Bureau of Economic Research (IBER), as well as Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.

Prof. Pangestu is highly regarded as an international expert on a range of global issues. She served as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington D.C and as advisor to the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. Her record of board and task force service includes the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), co-chair of the expert group for the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the panel of the WHO health initiative, the Equal Access Initiative, commissioner for the Low Carbon Development Initiative of Indonesia and executive board member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). She has also served on the board of a number of private sector companies.

She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University, and her doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis.

Panel 1: Charting Growth amid Geopolitical Challenges

Mr. Liew Chin Tong

Deputy Minister

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia

In-Conversation

Mr Liew Chin Tong

Deputy Minister

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia

Mr Liew Chin Tong is the Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri, after being elected on 19 November 2022. He is also the State Assemblyperson for Perling, Johor. He was a Senator in Dewan Negara (17 July 2018 to 17 July 2021) and served as Deputy Defence Minister from July 2018 to February 2020.

He was first elected Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera (2008-2013) and was subsequently the Member of Parliament for Kluang (2013-2018).

Since 1999, Mr. Chin Tong has served DAP in various capacities and is now a member of its Central Executive Committee, serving as the Deputy Secretary-General. He is also the Chairman of Johor DAP.

He is passionate about policies relating to the economy, defence and security, institutional reform, political Islam, security and international relations, and urban studies.

Amb. Pham Quang Vinh

Former Ambassador to the United States and Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

In-Conversation

Amb. Pham Quang Vinh

Former Ambassador to the United States and Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh worked in Vietnam’s foreign service for over 38 years (September 1980 – December 2018), focusing on multilateral diplomacy and relations with Southeast Asia and the United States.

He served as Vietnam’s 5th ambassador to the United States (2014-2018).

He was promoted as Deputy Foreign Minister since September 2011, and before that as Assistant Foreign Minister in 2008. He served at the same time as Vietnam’s ASEAN SOM Leader (2007-2014).

He was accorded Vietnam’s highest diplomatic rank as Senior Ambassador.

He has retired from the foreign service since December 2018. After retirement, he has been elected as President of the Vietnam-US Society since December 2021, and served as senior advisor to various think tanks.

Ambassador Vinh was graduated from the University of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam in 1980 and earned a post-graduate degree at the Canberra College of Advanced Education, Australia in 1985.

He’s married to Mme. Hoang Bich Lien and has two children.

Mr. Piyush Gupta

Chief Executive Officer

DBS Bank

In-Conversation

Mr. Piyush Gupta

Chief Executive Officer

DBS

Mr. Piyush Gupta has been Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group since 2009.

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, headquartered in Singapore. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by several global publications like Euromoney and Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, and was also named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney. In addition, in 2019, DBS was listed among the top ten most transformative organisations of the decade by Harvard Business Review.

Prior to joining DBS, Mr. Piyush had a 27 year career at Citigroup, where his last position was Chief Executive Officer for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Mr. Piyush is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University, Vice-Chairman of the Institute of International Finance, Washington, and Vice-Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Executive Committee. In addition, he is a member of Singapore’s Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data, and Bretton Woods Committee – Advisory Council. He sits on the boards of Singapore’s National Research Foundation, and the Singapore’s Council for Board Diversity. Mr. Piyush is a term trustee of the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA). Previously, he has been a member of the Singapore Emerging Stronger Taskforce, aimed at defining Singapore’s future in a post-Covid world, the UN Secretary General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the McKinsey Advisory Council.

Mr. Piyush has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, India and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad.

Mr. Piyush was awarded the Public Service Star by the President of Singapore for his meritorious services to the nation in 2020. He is a recipient of the 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honour conferred by the Indian Government on the country’s diaspora.

Mr. Piyush was named one of the world’s top 100 best-performing chief executives in Harvard Business Review – 2019 edition of “The CEO 100”.  He was named Global Indian of the Year by the Economic Times in 2021, Singapore Business Awards’ Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year in 2016, and Singapore Business Leader of the Year by CNBC in 2014.

In his personal capacity, Piyush takes a keen interest in nature, and is a Co-Chairman of the BirdLife International Advisory Group.

Panel 2: Paths to Recovery and Rebuilding Socioeconomic Resilience

Mr. Anthony Tan

Deputy Group Head and Senior Economist

ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO)

In-Conversation

Mr. Anthony Tan

Deputy Group Head and
Senior Economist

ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic

Research Office (AMRO)

Mr Tan, Deputy Group Head and Senior Economist at the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research
Office (AMRO), is responsible for overseeing and anchoring the regional macroeconomic and
financial surveillance of members’ economies, including issues related to the Chiang Mai Initiative
Multilateralisation. He is amongst one of the pioneer staff of AMRO, having joined the office in
2011 when AMRO was newly established in Singapore.

Mr Tan has worked on various regional and country assignments with a leading role. He is the
lead author for the conjunctural chapter of the AMRO flagship report (the ASEAN+3 Regional
Economic Outlook). From 2019 to 2021, Mr Tan was seconded to the Regional Studies Division
of the Asia Pacific Department (APD) of the IMF, contributing to several analytical chapters in the
APD flagship Regional Economic Outlook report. He was also the senior desk for Brunei
Darussalam in the IMF. Prior to joining AMRO, Mr Tan was with the Economics Department of
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), performing as expert in macroeconomic surveillance and research
of the global and domestic economy. Throughout his career with the central bank, Mr Tan was
involved in various strategic initiatives of the department, including making assessments and
policy-related recommendations to the government of Malaysia.

Mr Tan earned his Master’s Degree (with Distinction) from the University of Malaya in Malaysia
and a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) from the London School of Economics in the UK. He has written
several departmental papers while he was with the BNM, as well as journal articles and book
chapters appearing in the Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, the South East Asian Central Banks
(SEACEN), Bretton Woods: The Next 70 Years, and several AMRO and IMF thematic studies
and working papers.

Prof. Anthony Cheung Bing-Leung

Former Secretary for Transport and Housing
Hong Kong SAR
Former President, Education
University of Hong Kong

In-Conversation

Prof. Anthony Cheung Bing-Leung

Former Secretary for Transport and Housing Hong Kong SAR

Former President, Education

University of Hong Kong

Professor Anthony B. L. Cheung GBS, BBS, JP was the Secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong SAR Government from July 2012 to June 2017 and, in that capacity, also Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, and Chairman of the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council.

Before that he was the President of the Education University of Hong Kong (then known as Hong Kong Institute of Education) (2008-2012). He laid the foundation for the Institute’s retitling by championing an “Education-plus” vision.

After stepping down from ministerial office, Professor Cheung re-joined the Education University in 2018 as Research Chair Professor of Public Administration and has since early February 2023 become an Advisor (Public Administration) of the University.

Professor Cheung holds a PhD degree in Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. His research has focused on governance, public administration, and public policy. He has published 17 authored/edited academic books, and some 115 refereed journal articles and book chapters, and delivered numerous keynote presentations, training talks and conference papers. He co-founded the Asian Association for Public Administration in 2010 and served as its President in 2012.

Among his many public service roles over the years, Professor Cheung had served as a Non-Official Member of the Executive Council (2005-2012) and Chairman of the Hong Kong Consumer Council (2007-2012). During 1995-97, he was a Member of the Legislative Council. He is currently the Chairman of the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education and Member of both the Education Commission and University Grants Committee. During 2017-18, he chaired a government task force to review self-financing post-secondary education.

Prof. Lee In-ho

Vice Chairman

National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), South Korea

In-Conversation

Prof. Lee In-ho

Vice Chairman

National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), South Korea

Prof Lee Inho is the current Vice Chairman of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) and a Professor Emeritus of Economics, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He is an economist interested in competition policy, financial market regulation, and competition and technology innovation. He previously served as President of Korea Economic Association (2020-2021) and Chair of Financial Development Committee, Financial Service Commission (2018-2020). He also served as President of Financial Information Society of Korea; President of Korea Advanced Society of Industrial Organization; Committee Chair of Conglomerate Committee, Korea Fair Trade Commission. LEE Inho earned his B.A. in Economics from Seoul National University, Korea, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from UCLA, U.S.A.

Prof. Mari Pangestu

Former Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships

World Bank

Prof. Mari Pangestu

Former Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships

World Bank

Prof. Mari Pangestu was the World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. In this role, which she assumed on March 1, 2020, Ms. Pangestu provides leadership and oversees the research and data group of the World Bank (DEC), the work program of the World Bank’s Global Practice Groups, and the External and Corporate Relations function.

Most recently, Prof. Pangestu was a Senior Fellow at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, as well as Professor of International Economics at the University of Indonesia, adjunct professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University and a Board Member of Indonesia Bureau of Economic Research (IBER), as well as Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta.

She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the Australian National University, and her doctorate in economics from the University of California at Davis.