Philanthropy Asia Summit 2023

Mr A. B. Colayco is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Argosy. Prior to returning to Manila to become Chairman of Jardine Davies (listed vehicle of Jardines in the Philippines), Mr Colayco was President of AIG Investment Corporation (AIGIC) in New York. AIGIC managed AIG’s assets of $25 billion in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. AIGIC also played a key role in organising the $1.2 billion AIG Asia Infrastructure Fund with GIC, the first infrastructure fund in Asia, focused on power assets.

Mr Colayco became Non-executive Country Chairman, Philippines, for Jardines in 1998 when he co-founded Argosy, and remains in that position currently.

Mr Colayco is Chairman of Colliers Philippines and CareSpan Asia, and a board member of Sumifru. He was formerly chairman of Lafarge Republic Cement, advisory board member of JG Summit, board member of Generali Philippines, Maybank Philippines, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, RFM, Genesis Emerging Markets Fund (London) and UIC (Singapore).

Ms Anna Skarbek is Chief Executive Officer of Climateworks Centre and leads a team of over 100 climate transition specialists working with decision-makers in Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and across Southeast Asia who have the power to reduce emissions at scale. In Southeast Asia, Climateworks Centre is focused on facilitating knowledge exchange, developing regional communities of practice, and demonstrating what good looks like as we enable the acceleration of rapid large-scale decarbonisation.

Ms Skarbek is one of six leaders in climate and finance to join the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of the newly formed Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), which supports engagement with financial institutions and policymakers across the Asia-Pacific region. This year, Ms Skarbek was appointed by the Australian Prime Minister as the board of advisor of the Net Zero Economy Agency to advise on the establishment of Net Zero Agency which will support the net zero transformation that is needed in industries, regions and communities.

A former banker and green policy adviser, Ms Skarbek has led Climateworks since its creation in 2009, in analysing emissions reduction opportunities, setting the ambition and unblocking barriers to implementation.

Before Climateworks, she worked in London’s carbon markets as Vice President of Advisory with Climate Change Capital, an investment manager raising capital for low carbon activities. Ms Skarbek’s prior career in Australia included senior policy advisor to the Victorian Deputy Premier and Minister for Water, Environment and Climate Change, investment banker in Macquarie Bank’s energy and utilities team, and solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Climateworks’ independent and non-partisan approach, co-founded by The Myer Foundation and Monash University, sees Ms Skarbek working with multiple federal government departments as well as state governments and large corporations along with other stakeholders, including investors and business, environment and civil society leaders.

Ms Skarbek has a Bachelor of Commerce and Law with Honours from Monash University. She is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has completed leadership and management programs at Oxford University’s Said Business School and Melbourne University’s Business School.

Mr Badr Jafar is the CEO of Crescent Enterprises, a diversified conglomerate operating across nine industry sectors in 15 countries. Mr Jafar is actively engaged with a diverse range of non-profit organisations and initiatives focused on humanitarian aid and international development, strategic philanthropy, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, education and the arts, including serving as a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing and the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education.

In 2010 Mr Jafar founded the Pearl Initiative, in collaboration with the UN Office for Partnerships, to promote a corporate culture of transparency and accountability within the Gulf Region. He is also the Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy based at the Cambridge Judge Business School, which is dedicated to enhancing the impact of strategic philanthropy both within and from the world’s fastest growing economies; and is the Founding Patron of MENA’s first Strategic Philanthropy Initiative at NYU Abu Dhabi to study and promote high-impact philanthropy in the region. Mr Jafar is the COP28 Special Representative for Business & Philanthropy and a member of the COP28 Presidency Advisory Committee.

Mr Bernard Tan is the Country President of Sinar Mas. Over the last six years he has been intimately involved in Sustainability as a function, and has been very focused on ESG issues, especially with regard to fire and haze, on the rehabilitation of landscapes, and on carbon markets.

Prior to joining Sinar Mas, Mr Tan had a distinguished background in public service in Singapore. He had a successful career in the military, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier General. After retirement, he joined DBS Bank, South East Asia’s largest bank, where he was Managing Director and held positions in Debt Capital Markets, was Country Head of Taiwan and Indonesia over a span of six years. He assumed the appointment of Chief Marketing Officer in ST Engineering, a diversified engineering company with interests in over 40 countries, a job which afforded him experience in global coverage.

He is currently the Acting President of the Football Association of Singapore, the Chairman of Catholic Junior College, and a Board Member of the Singapore Sports School.

Mr Tan holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Birmingham, UK (First Class Honours) in Economics and Political Science and a Masters of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

He speaks English, Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesia. He is an active sportsman, plays golf and runs marathons as a hobby.

Mr Tan is married with three sons.

Mr Chavalit Frederick Tsao is the fourth-generation family business steward and Chairman of IMC Group, a global shipping business with a diverse portfolio of interests and investments in shipping, property, investment management, and the shifting of human consciousness. He is instrumental in reforming his own family business and is committed to its sustainability.

Mr Tsao believes that humanity is now experiencing the dawn of an era of well-being, where business will reform to lead the rise of a new global economy, which he refers to as the "well-being and happiness economy". Born in Hong Kong and educated in the United States, Mr Tsao’s unique perspective is influenced by his Eastern heritage, Western upbringing and his stewardship of IMC. He founded Octave to advocate the well-being economic model to Asia Pacific and beyond. As Chairman of the Council of Wisdom for Family Business Network International, Mr Tsao is also an advocate for family business reform as the herald for the new economy.

Mr Tsao is also an author. In his most recent work, "One Choice, One World: Rise of the Well-being and Happiness Economy", he outlines his vision for new consciousness in life, needed to forge a common worldview for humanity’s collective well-being. The book draws on Mr Tsao life insights and business foresight on Eastern Wisdom and Western Science to present his vision of a well-being and happiness economy.

His other work includes collaborations with Ervin Laszlo and Chris Laszlo for the books, 'Dawn of an Era of Well-being: New Paths to a Better World' and 'Quantum Leadership: New Consciousness in Business'. These books are part of his anthology of 40 publications commissioned under the Octave Institute lineage of research that began in 1995.

Ms Christiana Figueres is a Costa Rican citizen; and was the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2016.

During her tenure, Ms Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, corporations, activists, women’s groups, scientists, spiritual communities, financial institutions as well as NGOs to jointly deliver the historic 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Under this Agreement, 195 sovereign governments decided on a collaborative path to limit future global warming to below 2°C and strive for 1.5°C in order to protect the most vulnerable in every nation. For this achievement, she has been credited with forging a new brand of collaborative diplomacy; and received multiple awards.

Since then, Ms Figueres has continued to foster rapid action on climate change. She is the co-author of The Future We Choose, The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis (Penguin Random House 2019), and co-host of the popular podcast, Outrage and Optimism. She sits on the Boards of ACCIONA and ACCIONA Energía.

Ms Figueres is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the London School of Economics; and has been awarded multiple honorary doctorate degrees from academic institutions such as Yale University, the University of Massachusetts, Georgetown University, and the University of Edinburgh.

Mr Dan Reyes is a respected business leader and a pioneer in the information technology and business process management industry of the Philippines.

He is currently the Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of CareSpan Asia, a social enterprise company involved in community healthcare.

Previously, Mr Reyes was the Country Manager of Genpact Philippines, President of Sitel Philippines, ClientLogic Philippines and Contact World. He also held the position of Country Chairman of Salmat Philippines and was part of the senior leadership of Fujitsu Philippines.

Together with other esteemed leaders of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, Mr Reyes founded the IT and Business Process Management Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and was its Chairman from 2013 - 2017.

Mr Reyes was recognized as one of the Outstanding Leaders in Asia in 2017 by the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards and the ICT Individual Contributor for 2011 by the International ICT Awards.

Mr Desmond Kuek is the CEO of Temasek Trust.

Prior to this, Mr Kuek was UBS Global Head of Sustainable Finance and Chairman of UBS Optimus Foundation Singapore from 2019 to 2022. He was President and Group CEO of SMRT Corporation Ltd from 2012 to 2018; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources from 2010 to 2012. He served in the Singapore Armed Forces in his earlier years, and was appointed Chief of Army from 2003 to 2007, and Chief of Defence Force from 2007 to 2010.

Mr Kuek holds a Master of Arts (Engineering Science) from Oxford University, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Dr Binod Chaudhary is the Chairman of Chaudhary Group, Nepal, and CG Corp Global, a multi-dimensional conglomerate with a complementary business portfolio that comprises 160 companies, 123 brands present in five continents and 27 countries.

Dr Chaudhary’s determination to expand his grandfather’s business across the globe has catapulted him into one of Nepal’s most innovative changemakers. CG is a global player in fast-moving consumer goods; and he is the brain behind Wai Wai, CG’s iconic brand which holds over 2.6 per cent share of the global noodle market that has earned him the epithet, “Noodle King”. CG’s other businesses include education, hospitality, financial services, telecom, electronics, real estate, energy, cement, and automobiles, which are among the 15 business verticals within CG.

Dr Chaudhary’s drive and dedication are his inherent strengths. Contrary to popular belief, he proved an entrepreneur can do business in Nepal and still emerge as a billionaire — the only one from the Himalayan republic listed by Forbes.

Dr Chaudhary was the President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry from 1993 to 1995; and an Honorable Member of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal from 2008 to 2012. Presently, he is a Member of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress; an Honorable Member of the Parliament of Nepal; President Emeritus of Confederation of Nepalese Industries; and a Member of the World Presidents’ Organization.

In 1995, Chaudhary established the Chaudhary Foundation, which is dedicated to improving lives, strengthening communities, creating socially responsible businesses, and sustainably developing Nepal.

Dr Elle Wibisono is a Lui-Walton fellow at Conservation International, working as the Senior Manager for Fisheries and Marine Protected Areas. She is responsible for developing and designing the science pillar of the Blue Halo S initiative, an integrated protection and production mechanism for a 100% sustainably managed ocean.

Before working at Conservation International, Dr Wibisono was a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (D), where she helped draft, research, communicate, and negotiate oceans and climate change bills. She also worked at The Nature Conservancy Indonesia Fisheries Conservation Project on the sustainable management of deep-water snapper and grouper fisheries.

In addition to her research and policy work, Dr Wibisono explores the importance of effective science communication by designing and creating fish comics. Through her comics, she aims to highlight topics in fishery science and conservation in a fun and engaging way. She received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Wellesley College and her Doctor of Philosophy in sustainable fisheries management from the University of Rhode Island.

Dr Gabriel Leung is Executive Director (Charities and Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, overseeing its Charities Trust. One of Asia’s most respected leaders in higher education, health and philanthropic, he is known for his commitment to improving human capabilities, nurturing impactful innovation, and building strong institutions.

Dr Leung’s career has straddled academe, public service and philanthropy. From 2013 to 2022, he was the longest-serving Dean of Medicine and inaugural Helen and Francis Zimmern Professor in Population Health at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Previously, he was Hong Kong's first Under Secretary for Food and Health, and fifth Director of the Chief Executive's Office in government.

Dr Leung’s research defined the epidemiology of three novel viral epidemics, namely, SARS in 2003, H7N9 influenza in 2013, and most recently, COVID-19. In government, he led Hong Kong's response against the 2009 influenza pandemic. He was founding co-director of HKU's World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, and established the Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H) at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park.

Dr J. Satrijo Tanudjojo is the global Chief Executive Officer of Tanoto Foundation, a philanthropic organization that harnesses the transformative power of education to realise people’s full potential and to improve lives. He oversees the strategy development and implementation across the geographical areas where Tanoto Foundation operates, namely Indonesia, Singapore and China. He is directly responsible for driving various initiatives to develop partnerships with the local authorities, universities, schools, health care clusters, and international organizations such as UNDP, UNICEF and World Bank, to enhance learning environments, develop future leaders, and facilitate medical research.

Dr Satrijo comes to Tanoto Foundation following 35 years of service in the private sector and academics. Starting as an engineer, he steadily grew his career to hold senior executive positions in general management, strategy, and human resources. Satrijo has been President & CEO of several leading international companies in Greater China, Japan, Iran, the Middle-East and France. Satrijo holds a Doctorate in knowledge management from the Cranfield University in Great Britain, a Masters in Business Administration from ESSEC in France, a certified directorship in corporate governance from INSEAD in France, a coaching certificate from the Columbia University in the United States, and is a geophysics graduate from Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia.

Dr Jeanne Ong graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering from National University of Singapore, and has a rich and varied background spanning the public sector, multinational corporations, and start-ups. Dr Ong devoted her early career to research and development in water purification using membrane technology. She has enjoyed her two and a half years serving as a lecturer at a local polytechnic upon her PhD graduation before moving on to various leadership roles in the private sector.

Presently serving as a Research and Project Manager at Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator, Dr Ong plays a pivotal role in managing and driving impactful projects. She is a fervent advocate for sustainability and aspires to be a true champion in this field. Dr Ong’s passion for positive change is evident in her commitment to finding innovative solutions that address environmental challenges and promote sustainable practices.

Dr Naweed Naqvi has significant research experience and expertise in harnessing microbiomes for plant growth and yield improvement. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (India) and the International Rice Research Institute (Philippines) in 1995.

Dr Naweed worked as a Rockefeller Foundation Project Scientist at International Rice Research Institute until 1997, when he joined the Institute of Molecular Agrobiology (Singapore) initially as a postdoctoral fellow; and then as a Principal Investigator focusing on fungal patho-biology and host-pathogen interaction. Currently, he is appointed as a prestigious Temasek Senior Investigator at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (Singapore) and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore.

Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran is a distinguished researcher in the field of Biochemistry with a specialization in Plant Molecular Biology. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Idaho, where he conducted groundbreaking research under the mentorship of Prof David Oliver. In 1993, Dr Ramachandran joined Prof Nam Hai Chua's group at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and Institute of Molecular Agrobiology in Singapore.

For the past two decades, Dr Ramachandran has been at the forefront of Rice Functional Genomics, leading significant research initiatives at the Institute of Molecular Biology and, since August 2002, at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory. He concurrently served as Chief Technology Officer at JOil, a spin-off company focused on the development of commercial Jatropha varieties, from 2008 to 2021. Since 2014, Dr Ramachandran also holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Dr Yin Zhongchao earned his Doctor of Philosophy at Fudan University in 1997. After postdoctoral research at the Singapore Institute of Molecular Agrobiology, he joined Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and led the molecular plant pathology group since 2002.

Dr Yin has devoted his career to improving rice through gene identification, marker-assisted breeding, and genetic engineering. His research group bred a new version of aromatic Indica rice, marketed as Temasek Rice, a good grain variety with high yield, improved cooking quality and multiple resistance to biotic and biotic stresses. He also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore.

Ms Gargee Ghosh is President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A member of the foundation’s executive leadership team, she is accountable for the organization’s worldwide government affairs, development policy, resource mobilization partnerships, and advocacy campaigns. Her division works hand in hand with all programme teams at the foundation, from global health to climate adaptation, as well as building policy and partnerships for meaningful global action.

Ms Ghosh aims to bring head and heart to her career in global development. She holds graduate degrees in economics and international relations from Oxford and Georgetown Universities, respectively. Her personal connection to drivers of development progress began with her own family’s experiences in West Bengal, and continued through deep work in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her career has spanned public and private sectors from the United Nations to McKinsey & Company, the Center for Global Development, and Google.

For over a decade, Ms Ghosh has held roles of increasing responsibility at the Gates Foundation. She has successfully deepened the foundation’s work in economic policy, modernised partnership strategies and organisational structures to be more effective globally and juggled complex geopolitical tensions to deliver strong outcomes for foundation goals and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ms Geetika Higgins is a social impact professional with over 15 years of experience in Education Management, both in the for profit and not for profit sectors. Prior to transitioning into the development sector eight years ago, she had been on the founding team of three educational institutes, and had set up the first degree awarding college for film & media education in India.

In the development sector, Ms Higgins has been part of incubators and accelerators, such as Atma & UnLtd India, advising newly formed non-governmental organisations on strategy and organisational development, and guiding them to create their pathways to impact and scale. She has a post graduate degree in Gender & Media Studies, and has always worked closely on women issues, both in professional and avocational capacity.

Ms Higgins joined Educate Girls two years ago to launch Educate Girls’ Second Chance Program called Pragati. In the capacity of project lead, she works closely on the program design and strategy, and oversees the operationalisation of the program at all levels, leading the Pragati team to achieve the intended outcomes for adolescent girls and young women.

Ms Gillian Tan is the Assistant Managing Director of the Development and International Group and Chief Sustainability Officer of Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), overseeing the development of Singapore as an international financial centre as well as MAS’ sustainability strategies and international relations.

Prior to this appointment, Ms Tan was Executive Director of the Financial Markets Development Department, focusing on the development of the capital market, asset management and insurance sectors as well as sustainable finance capabilities and solutions in Singapore. She was also tasked with setting up MAS’ Enforcement Department, which is responsible for investigating breaches of anti-money laundering regulations, market misconduct offences and other laws administered by MAS, and served as its Executive Director from 2016-2019.

Ms Tan previously worked in the Supreme Court of Singapore as a Justices’ Law Clerk, Assistant Registrar and Magistrate, and was subsequently appointed as a District Judge of the State Courts of Singapore. She served as a Deputy Public Prosecutor and Deputy Senior State Counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers for a number of years.

Ms Tan co-chairs the Private Banking Industry Group, the Singapore Funds Industry Group and the Human Resources Industry Group. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Green Finance Industry Taskforce and the Advisory Boards of the Singapore Green Finance Centre and the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute, which conduct multi-disciplinary research and talent development in sustainability and sustainable finance. Ms Tan is also a Board Member of Infrastructure Asia, which supports Asia’s social and economic growth through infrastructure development. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Monetary Fund’s Singapore Regional Training Institute.

Ms Tan graduated from Cambridge University with a First Class Honours in Law. She also holds a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School. She was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2018 in recognition of her contributions to public service.

Mr Guntur Sutiyono leads Climateworks’ Indonesian team, enhancing Climateworks’ understanding of the region by providing context around policy, politics, and the economic landscape. His team is responsible for assessing opportunities and acting as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, with Mr Sutiyono overseeing projects in sustainable finance, fiscal policy, energy, and supporting business development

Prior to joining Climateworks, Mr Sutiyono worked for the Climate Policy Initiative and the World Bank as an analyst covering topics including fiscal policy, public finance, climate finance, and environmental economics. He has also worked with governments, local universities, and civil society organisations, providing analysis and capacity building.

Mr Sutiyono is passionate about marine life and rural communities. He started his career by working in research on reef economics and coastal communities. He has also worked as consultant for several projects covering issues as diverse as gender, energy, and forestry. Mr Sutiyono has co-authored several reports in public financial management, fiscal policy, climate finance, land use, and energy policy.

Mr Sutiyono holds a Master’s Degree in Development and Resource Economics from the Norwegian University of Life Science, and a Bachelor of Economics from University of Indonesia.

Ms Helen Mountford is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ClimateWorks Foundation. She brings over 25 years of global experience at the intersection of environmental action, economic development, and climate policy to her role.

Before joining ClimateWorks, Ms Mountford was the Vice President of Climate and Economics at the World Resources Institute (WRI), where she led global teams to advance policies and economic approaches to successfully address climate change. She also was the programme director for the New Climate Economy project, a flagship initiative of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. Prior to joining WRI, she was the deputy director of environment for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where she advised governments on policy reforms, and oversaw work on green fiscal reform.

Ishika Mookerjee is the deputy team leader for Asia stocks based in Singapore, covering market-moving news and companies across the region. She has a decade of experience, during which she has tracked markets, financial services and politics in Asia.

Prior to joining Bloomberg News in 2019, she was a private banking reporter at Citywire Asia and worked as a producer on the international news desk at Channel NewsAsia.

Ms Jennifer Lewis is the Advisor of Temasek Trust, where she was previously the Head, Communications & Engagement.

Ms Lewis joined Temasek Foundation in April 2020, and headed the Philanthropy Advocates Practice. She was responsible for the strategic management of the foundation’s internal and external communication and engagement activities. Prior to that, she had been with GIC since 2007, also managing strategic communications for the sovereign wealth fund.

She began her corporate communications journey after more than twenty years as a journalist with television, print and online experience. She also advises several artificial intelligence and digital asset start-ups.

Ms Lewis serves on the boards of the Singapore Institute of Management University, Straits Times School Pocket Fund and OnePeople.sg.

Ms Kanika Bahl is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Evidence Action, where she has been on the Board since 2015. She is also on the Board of TechnoServe and a Trustee of Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust. Previously she served as Managing Director at Results for Development (R4D), where she established and led the Market Dynamics practice. The practice has increased access to products such as childhood pneumonia treatments and malaria bed nets for millions of individuals in Africa and Asia.

Before R4D, Ms Bahl served as an Executive Vice President at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) where she established greenfield operations in 17 African countries. She launched and led a $400M, 33-country public-private facility focused on driving access to new HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostics. She received her Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Economics from Rice University.

Mr Kazumi Yanai is a Group Senior Executive Officer of Japanese holding company Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., which owns and operates a number of international apparel brands around the globe, including UNIQLO, Theory, HELMUT LANG, and JBRAND. Mr Yanai is based in New York. He serves as a Sustainability Committee member of the Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.

Born in Yamaguchi, Japan, Mr Yanai aspired to the retail business as he watched his father, Tadashi Yanai, build Fast Retailing into the global force it is today. After spending three years in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs Tokyo, Mr Yanai joined Fast Retailing in New York in 2004 and worked for domestic and international production and business development for Theory and HELMUT LANG.

Mr Yanai was transferred to UNIQLO Japan in 2009 to focus on store operations and development in Tokyo. He also led the global product launch for its first activewear line. He returned to New York in 2011 to join the global management team for Theory and the UNIQLO USA team. Today, Mr Yanai is the Global Chairman of Theory and Chairman of UNIQLO USA.

Mr Leow Kah Shin co-founded Quantedge Capital out of his bedroom in Singapore with his high school mate in 2006. They built it into an award-winning, multi-billion-dollar global macro fund and launched Quantedge Foundation in 2015 as a means of giving back to society.

Mr Leow is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the University of Cambridge. He is an outdoor lover, having climbed Mount Everest and ran ultramarathons in deserts around the world. He also serves his country as the commander of a reservist battalion in the Singapore Armed Forces.

Ms Li Xin is Vice President of Caixin Media and Managing Director of Caixin Global, leading the company’s global news and intelligence services, as well as Caixin’s international branding and global events.

Before Caixin, she was the Managing Editor of the Chinese Wall Street Journal and Chinese Dow Jones Newswires.

This is her second stint at Caixin, where she was formerly the Managing Editor of Caixin - China Economics & Finance, an English-language magazine, and Caixin Online at Caixin Media.

In 2006, she founded Caijing Magazine’s first bureau in the United States, as a correspondent of politics and economics. Ms Li was a documentary producer at China Central Television between 2001 and 2004.

Ms Li holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language from Tsinghua University, a master’s degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri, and an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

She is an Aspen China Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, as well as a member of the International Media Council at the World Economic Forum. She is the Co-chair of the China Council for the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Councils.

Mr Lim Boon Heng is the Chairman of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance.

Mr Lim was appointed Chairman of Temasek Holdings on 1 August 2013, after having served as its Director since 1 June 2012.

Mr Lim is the Chairman of NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Ltd. He was previously a Cabinet Minister within the Prime Minister's Office. Mr Lim’s career spans the private and public sectors, having led Singapore’s National Trade Union Congress, and having served as a Member of Parliament (1980 to 2011) and Cabinet Minister for Trade and Industry. Before entering the public sector, Mr Lim spent a decade at NOL (Neptune Orient Lines).

Mr Lim holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.

Ms Lim Seok Hui is Chief Executive Officer of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance.

Prior to joining Temasek Trust, Ms Lim was Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). During her tenure at SIAC, Ms Lim was for several years concurrently the first Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC). She now serves as a Board member of SIMC.

Over the years, Ms Lim has worked in Singapore and Hong Kong with local and international law firms as a corporate, mergers and acquisitions and securities lawyer; and has also served as General Counsel at multinational corporations.

She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, qualified as a barrister and is admitted as a solicitor in Singapore, Hong Kong and England and Wales.

Mr M.L Dispanadda Diskul (Duke) is the Chief Executive Officer of The Mae Fah Luang Foundation, a private, non‐profit organization working to catalyse the growth of sustainable economic, social, cultural, and environmental development through their flagship social enterprise, the Doi Tung Development Project, and many area-based programmes within Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Duke leads the strategic mission and vision, and is the key representative disseminating the Foundation's core principles and knowledge, as well as advising on policy at national and global stages.

He is also very active in Thailand social enterprise scene, where he is a co-founder and president of the Social Enterprise Thailand Association (SE Thailand), a platform to help build capacity for new enterprises in Thailand.

Duke has a Masters in Business Administration from Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University.

Mr Maharshi Vaishnav is Educate Girls’ Chief Executive Officer and has the privilege of leading an incredible team of over 2,500 field employees and over 20,000 community volunteers to deliver Educate Girls’ mission of mobilising 1.5 million out-of-school girls into schools by 2025.

Mr Vaishnav’s association with Educate Girls began a decade ago during its early stages. Throughout his journey, he has taken on diverse responsibilities, including serving as the Chief of Staff to the organisation's founder and later as the Chief Operating Officer. Notably, he effectively managed operations during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Vaishnav’s accomplishments extend to successfully executing the world's first Development Impact Bond in the field of education and raising over $150 million in philanthropic funding to support Educate Girls' initiatives.

Prior to dedicating his efforts to the development sector, Mr Vaishnav’s spent a decade in various roles within the private sector. His academic background includes graduate degrees in both Public Policy and Business.

Ms Meizani Irmadhiany leads Konservasi Indonesia (a national foundation and main partner of Conservation International in Indonesia) and advises Conservation International’s works across the Asia Pacific region, implementing strategies and developing partnerships to achieve the best outcomes for people and nature.

Ms Irmadhiany has over 18 years of experience in conservation, sustainable land management, agriculture/plantations, renewable energy, labour, and disaster relief. Before joining Conservation International and leading Konservasi Indonesi, she worked in the private sector for sustainable rubber commodities and was instrumental in establishing a sustainable natural rubber production business in a highly complex landscape.

Ms Irmadhiany served on the Board of Directors and develops high-level corporate finance instruments, including the company’s first sustainability bond issuance in Asia in 2018, while developing public grant schemes to support several environmental and social programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in global studies and political science from the University of Minnesota and was a fellow of the United in Diversity/MIT Sloan IDEAS programme in 2011 – 2012.

Ms Morgan Lance is passionate about ensuring all children are given a chance to thrive. She has dedicated the last 20 years to leading projects focused on educational equity including as Executive Director of the Daraja Education Fund, an organization focused on girls’ education in Kenya and as US Director of Animals Asia, an organisation with Humane Education programmes in China and Vietnam.

She joined OneSky in 2017 and served as Chief Development Officer before being elected Chief Executive Officer upon the retirement of the organization’s visionary founder, Jenny Bowen, in 2020. Under Ms Lance’s leadership, OneSky has successfully launched a Family Skills Training program in Mongolia and a Community Hub and Training Center in Hong Kong, SAR, as well as negotiating an agreement with the Vietnamese government to train childcare providers across the country.

Ms Lance has led OneSky through COVID and a subsequent pivot to online training, along with a strategic planning process that has the goal of positively benefitting the lives of over one million children by 2030. Ms Lance holds certificates and a teaching credential from the Harvard Kennedy School and the Center for Nonprofit Leadership, but the bulk of her learning through the years has come from listening deeply to the communities she supports.

Ms Neo Gim Huay is Managing Director, Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum. Before joining the Forum, she held various Managing Director roles in Temasek, including Climate Change Strategy, Sustainability and Enterprise Development. Temasek is an investment company, headquartered in Singapore with a net portfolio value of approx. USD$280 billion in 2020.

Ms Neo was responsible for seeding new businesses as well as working with Temasek’s existing portfolio of companies to develop strategy and build new capabilities. She also spearheaded Temasek’s sustainability strategy and initiatives across the organisation and within the community.

Prior to joining Temasek, Ms Neo was a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Co in the Lagos, New York and San Francisco offices. She also served in the Singapore Public Service as an Administrative Officer, with stints in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Prime Minister’s Office as well as the Singapore Embassy in the United States.

Ms Neo holds a Masters in Business Administration (Arjay Miller Scholar) from Stanford University and a Masters of Engineering (Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honors) from Cambridge University. She was selected as an Eisenhower Fellow in 2015.

Mr Parth Bahuguna is the Director of the Neonatal, Maternal, & Child Health vertical of our Accelerator program. Mr Bahuguna leads the development and expansion of our safe water projects in India. He provides operational oversight and steers external engagement of our safe water projects in India. He has been building and leading the expansion of our new programs, especially our safe water projects in India.

Mr Bahuguna brings over 15 years of experience, most recently including 11 years at Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc (CHAI), where he developed many programs for their India office and led an extensive multi-country cervical cancer program. Before CHAI, Mr Bahuguna worked in various industries, including consulting, finance, and information technology. He is based in Delhi, India.

Mr Paul Schreier joined Wellcome in September 2019 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer in February 2023. Before joining Wellcome, Mr Schreier was the Chief Executive Officer of Hakluyt & Company, prior to which his experience includes roles as: Deputy Vice Chancellor and COO of Macquarie University in Australia; deputy secretary with responsibility for economic policy and strategy in the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; a partner with McKinsey & Co; and an officer in the Royal Navy, including a period in Command.

Mr Schreier chairs the Wellcome Sanger Institute, is a trustee of the Francis Crick Institute and the National Army Museum in London and is a member of the Investment Committee for Wellcome.

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 Gupta had a 27-year career at Citigroup, where his last position was Chief Executive Officer for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Gupta 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 Gupta 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 Gupta 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 Gupta 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.

Prof Lye is Director of Infectious Disease Research and Training Office at National Centre for Infectious Disease (NCID), professor at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and deputy executive director, Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE), Singapore. He is senior consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, TTSH.

Prof Lye has held more than SGD$13million in research grant as principal investigator to date. His research interests are in COVID-19, dengue and antimicrobial resistance. He has published more than 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals such as NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, JAMA Oncology, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Microbe, Lancet Global Health, Annals Internal Medicine as well as Science, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Reviews Immunology, Nature Microbiology, Nature Communications, Science Translational Medicine, Journal Clinical Investigation and Journal Experimental Medicine. He was a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2022.

Prof Lye is President of Society of Infectious Disease (Singapore). He is an advocate for HIV prevention as Vice President of Action for AIDS. Internationally, he is President of Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, and an ex officio of executive committee, International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, and council of International Society of Infectious Diseases.

Prof Lim is founding Executive Director of the Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE) at the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, inaugural Chairman of the Consortium for Clinical Research & Innovation Singapore (CRIS), Senior Advisor at Singapore’s Ministry of Health, and Policy Core Lead at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute.

Prof Lim is an experienced healthcare professional, government administrator and national regulator. He graduated in medicine from the National University of Singapore and holds postgraduate degrees in public health from NUS and health policy and management from Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine Singapore and a Specialist in Public Health Medicine under the Singapore Medical Council.

Formerly Chief Executive Officer of Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority and Deputy Director of Medical Services in MOH, Prof Lim has also held other senior positions in Singapore’s Health and Education ministries. His current roles promote capacity building, scientific excellence and innovation for health regulation and systems in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific. He is a member of the Singapore Food Agency Board, Singapore Medical Council, US Pharmacopoeia Council of the Convention and Asia-Pacific Regional Chapter Chair, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Leadership Group, APEC Harmonization Center Advisory Board, and the St Andrew’s Mission Hospital Board, among others.

Prof Lim has been awarded the DIA Global Connector Inspire Award and the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society’s Founder’s Award for leadership in promoting global collaboration, and shaping regulatory practice and policy throughout his career.

Prof Koh Lian Pin was appointed Vice Dean (Research), Faculty of Science of the National University of Singapore (NUS) on 1 January 2022. He is currently the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Chair Professor of Conservation at NUS, and is also the Director of the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, Director of the Tropical Marine Science Institute and Co-Director of NUS Deltares.

Prof Koh, who attended Hwa Chong Junior College from 1993 to 1994, obtained his Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology (First Class Honours) in 2001, Master of Biological Science in 2000 at NUS and his Doctor of Philosophy in 2008 at Princeton University. In 2020, Prof Koh returned to Singapore under the National Research Foundation’s Returning Singaporean Scientists scheme to join the Department of Biological Sciences at NUS.

Prof Koh has 20 years of international research experience in the field of sustainability and environmental science, having worked in institutions across Europe, Australia, the United States and Singapore. He was formerly a Swiss National Science Foundation Professor at ETH Zurich, the Chair of Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of Adelaide, and Vice President of Science Partnerships and Innovation at Conservation International in the USA. Additionally, Prof Koh is one of the most highly cited conservation scientists in Asia, authoring over 140 high-impact scientific publications in prestigious journals, with over 22,000 citation of his research. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Public Library of Science (PLoS) Sustainability & Transformation, Editor-in-Chief of Climate Change Ecology, a TEDGlobal and TEDx speaker, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Prof Koh is passionate about facilitating collaborative efforts to address the world’s urgent environmental challenges, and plays an advisory role across both the public and private sectors. He is an International Advisory Council Member of Climate Impact X, Distinguished Advisory Group Member of The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and Natural Climate Solutions Initiative Advisory Group Member of Procter & Gamble.

Prof Koh is also a nominated Member of Parliament for the 14th Parliament of Singapore, where he advocates for strong public-private-people partnerships to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development.

Prof Michael Kremer directs the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago, where he is a University Professor. He is the joint winner of Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (Economics Nobel Prize) 2019, for the “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.

Prof Kremer’s work focuses on innovation, including in education, health, water, finance, agriculture. He has also worked extensively on how to design institutions to accelerate innovation, including through Advance Market Commitments (AMC) and social innovation funds.

Prof Kremer actively translates his academic work into real-world programs. He helped to design an AMC for a pneumococcal vaccine. Subsequently, three vaccines have been approved, and rolled out in 60 countries, saving an estimated 700,000 lives. As part of the Accelerating Health Technologies group, he conducted research and advised governments and international organizations on how to accelerate vaccination against COVID-19. His work on school-based deworming informed India’s national deworming day, which treats over 275 million children each year. His work on safe drinking water led to the Dispensers for Safe Water Program, which reaches 4 million people via the non-governmental organization, Evidence Action. He is a Co-founder of Precision Agriculture for Development, which leverages digital technology to improve productivity and incomes for small-holder farmers in developing countries.

Prof Kremer is a co-founder and serves as Scientific Director of United States Agency for International Development’s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV), an open, tiered, evidenced-based fund that supports innovation for development.

Prof Paul Pronyk is the Director of the Duke-NUS Center for Outbreak Preparedness (COP) and the Deputy Director of the Duke-NUS Medical School.

As an infectious disease and public health physician, Prof Pronyk has over two decades of experience in communicable disease control in low and middle-income countries.

Prior to Duke-NUS, he held senior positions in UNICEF, including supporting infectious disease control efforts in Indonesia and Sierra Leone, and was the technical lead for the United Nations Commission on Life Saving Commodities which provided support to strengthen health systems in 23 countries in Africa and Asia.

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 is one of the 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.

Previous appointments include the Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit secretariat at the United Nations, and Chief of the Humanitarian Response Branch at UNFPA. She was the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia on Public Health and member of the Government of Malaysia’s Economic Action Council from April 2020-September 2021 as well as the Climate Action Council of Malaysia until end 2022. She is the founder of MERCY Malaysia, a southern-based international humanitarian organisation.

Dr Mahmood is the recipient of numerous national and international awards including the most prestigious Malaysian Merdeka Award in 2015 and the ASEAN Prize in 2019, for her contribution to peace, community development and humanitarian work. She also received the inaugural Isa Award for Humanity in 2013 from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Gandhi- King-Ikeda Award for community development and peace building from Morehouse College, USA. More recently, she was awarded the Wu Lien-Teh Award for Leadership in Public Health 2023.

Dr Mahmood graduated as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the National University of Malaysia, has a Masters in Obstetrics & Gynaecology from the same university and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists United Kingdom. She also completed executive education at the International Management and Development Centre, IMD Lausanne and University California Berkeley Law.

A global macro investor for more than 50 years, Mr Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates out of his two-bedroom apartment in NYC and ran it for most of its 47 years, building it into the largest hedge fund in the world and the fifth most important private company in the US according to Fortune Magazine. His investment innovations (e.g., risk parity, alpha overlay, and All Weather) changed the way global institutions approach investing, and he has received several lifetime achievement awards.

Over the decades he has been a valued macroeconomic advisor to many policy makers around the world. Because of the impact his thinking has had on global macroeconomic policies, he was named by TIME magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Today, Mr Dalio remains an investor and mentor at Bridgewater and serves on its board. He is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles: Life and Work, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, and Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises.

Mr Dalio graduated with a BS in Finance from C.W. Post College in 1971 and earned an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1973. He has been married to his wife Barbara for more than 40 years and has three grown sons and five grandchildren. He is an active philanthropist with special interests in ocean exploration and helping to rectify the absence of equal opportunity in education, healthcare, and finance.

Ms Sheryl Fofaria leads Social Impact and Philanthropy for UBS across Southeast Asia, including philanthropy advisory and execution services, as well as impact in the community.

Ms Fofaria has 18 years of experience spanning philanthropy and finance. Prior to joining UBS, Sheryl led J.P. Morgan’s Philanthropy Centre in Europe, the Middle East & Africa for eight years – advising wealth management clients on using strategic philanthropy to tackle social and environmental issues. She has advised institutional asset managers and hedge funds on their cross-asset macro and Asian equity strategies at UBS Investment Bank in both London and Hong Kong. She also has grassroots experience running programmes for a social enterprise focused on diversity, inclusion and social mobility.

Ms Fofaria holds an undergraduate degree in Economics & Management from Cambridge University and postgraduate in International Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is an advocate for innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to global development, and is passionate about learning from different cultures, having been born and brought up in Africa, educated in Europe, and travelled extensively through Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Ms Susana Tuisese is Vice President for Conservation International’s Pacific Islands and Oceans Program. She has a Bachelor of Science from the University of the South Pacific and a Master’s degree in Forestry and Natural Resource Economics from the Australia National University and University of Queensland.

Ms Tuisese served as the Conservator of Forests in the Fiji Ministry of Forest, followed by a stint in the pine industry prior to becoming the Country Director of Conservation International Fiji in 2012. In 2020, she took the role of Senior Director for Conservation International’s Pacific Islands and Oceans Program and became Vice President for the Pacific in 2023. In this role, she leads Conservation International’s work, strategic partnership, and community engagements across the Pacific region.

Ms Vo Thi Hien has led OneSky’s Vietnam programme from the very beginning.

She holds a Master of Arts in Education Management and served as the Senior Education Project Officer and Team Lead at World Vision Vietnam as well as Education Program Manager at the East Meets West Foundation before joining OneSky.

Ms Vo is a Global Leader in the Young Children’s cohort of the World Forum.