Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysia

Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz is CEO of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). He was with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Economic Planning Unit and the Prime Minister’s Department before joining MATRADE in 1994. He served 14 years as a trade commissioner at MATRADE in Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and New York. Mohd Mustafa, was previously Deputy CEO (export acceleration) of MATRADE and held various positions within the organisation who led the markets of ASEAN, Australasia, China, North East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and Africa. He also led professional and business services section as well as mid-tier companies’ development and SMEs go-ex section. Mohd Mustafa holds a master’s degree from Universiti Putra Malaysia and a bachelor’s degree from Hawaii, the United States.

Latifa Elbouabdellaoui

Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), Morocco

Latifa Elbouabdellaoui is Director General of the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) since 2020. She was Director of International Trade Relations at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy of Morocco. She was responsible for the development of industrial strategy and has a wide range of expertise in international trade, notably in terms of developing trade policies, negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements as well as implementing commercial and industrial cooperation projects with international partners. During her career at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Green and Digital Economy of the Kingdom of Morocco, she was the Chief negotiator of Morocco for many trade related topics. She is trained as an industrial process engineer.

Dr Lili Yan Ing

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East  Asia (ERIA), Indonesia

Lili Yan Ing is a Lead Advisor (Southeast Asia Region) at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

Dr Ing was appointed as Lead Advisor to the Minister of Trade of Indonesia from 2017–2019 and Senior Advisor on Trade and Investment at the President’s Office of the Republic of Indonesia from 2015–2016.

She has written articles and edited books, among others: World Trade Evolution, East Asian Integration, The Indonesian Economy, Production Networks in Southeast Asia, Regional Integration and Non-Tariff Measures in ASEAN, Non-Tariff Measures in ASEAN, and 50 Years of Indonesia’s Trade Policy. She regularly speaks at international fora such as WTO symposiums, NTM Weeks, and East Asia Business and Investment Summit. She is also a frequent contributor to the East Asia Forum, The Diplomat, Asian Nikkei Review, and Jakarta Post.

Prof. Dr Evelyn S. Devadason

University of Malaya, Malaysia

Dr Evelyn S. Devadason is Professor at the Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya, and Vice President of the Malaysian Economic Association (MEA). She received her Ph.D. (Economics) from the University of Malaya in 2006 and M.Soc.Sci. (Economics) from the National University of Singapore in 1992. She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief to the Institutions and Economies journal, Associate Editor to the International Journal of Social Economics, and member to the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Contemporary Asia and International Journal of Rural Management. She has been engaged in a number of international research projects, including a joint project between the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the Asian and Pacific Regional Organization (ICFTU-APRO), Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, a joint project between the Economic Research Institute of East Asia and ASEAN  and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (ERIA-UNCTAD).

Shamsul Majid (Sam Majid)

Shamsul Majid is Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.  He is a business technology leader with vast international experience in driving innovative growth in areas including transportation, utilities, logistics, telecommunications and government, and is recognised for his track record in accomplishing business growth through digital transformation. Sam is responsible for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) technology, innovation vision, strategies execution and improving technological advancement. He has bootstrapped startups and driven corporate innovation. He is a regular public speaker garnering innovation awards from IDC, APICTA and iAwards. He holds a Research Masters and Engineering Degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Sonia Bashir Kabir

Sonia Bashir Kabir was educated and trained in Silicon Valley, USA. She has worked for Fortune 500 companies, Sun Microsystems and Oracle. She served as Director for Microsoft Southeast Asia New Markets, Country Director for Dell Bangladesh and Managing Director of Microsoft Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal Bhutan and Laos. Currently, Sonia is Vice Chair and Governing Council member of the United Nations Technology Bank. She founded SBK Tech Ventures, a licensed venture capital fund, and SBK Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which empowers rural communities with technology. Sonia is also a board member of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Education and Peace, member of the Dell CXO Advisory Board for Asia Pacific and Japan, steering committee member of International Network for Government Science Advice Asia. She has received many prestigious and international awards including the Daily Star ICT Awards and Microsoft’s Prestigious Founders Award given by Bill Gates.

Andres Varela

Andres Varela managed the account strategist side of Google Partners Program in Australia for over five years, increasing product adoption and focusing on improving account performance for Google Ads across digital agencies in Australia. Working with a dynamic portfolio of over a thousand advertising agencies, he was directly responsible for the strategy, execution as well as analysis of thousands of digital advertising campaigns, product training and program development. He now leads Engine Room, a performance digital marketing agency. Thus, employing his valuable skill set in digital advertising across the full range of channels to manage and grow the company’s marketing operations as well as client account performance.

Nadiah Hanim Abdul Latif

Nadiah Hanim is a Strategic Advocacy and Corporate Affairs professional committed to developing effective collaborations for scaling impact. With over 20 years of experience ranging from corporate to NGO and humanitarian work, she is passionate about issues relating to sustainability, business, human rights, social impact, enterprise, youth empowerment, child rights protection and development, disability advocacy and access to resources. A speaker, trainer, moderator, facilitator and youth mentor, Nadiah has had the opportunity to engage stakeholders from grassroots advocacy and to participate in discussions on legislation and national action plans, both in Malaysia and abroad. At present, she is the Head Strategy and Programmes at Yayasan Anak Bangsa Bisa, an NGO based in Indonesia and a Programme Host with BERNAMA TV. Nadiah is also the Co-founder of OpiS International, a social enterprise that is committed to championing better work-life balance in Malaysia.

Marina Tabassum

Marina Tabassum is the Owner and Principal Architect of Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has been the Director of Academic Programme at the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements since 2015.  She is also a Visiting Professor of BRAC University in Bangladesh, Technical University Delft in the Netherlands, Harvard University Graduate School of Design in the US and Technical University of Munich in Germany.

Marina is a recipient of many awards including Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize (2021), Jameel Prize from Victoria and Albert Museum (2018), Ananya Shirshwa Dash (2005) and Architect of the Year Award (2001). Marina was the designer of Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh which was completed in 2012.  In 2016, she won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the design of Bait Ur Rouf Mosque.

She was listed among the Top Ten Thinkers of the World by Prospect Magazine UK in 2020. Marina received an Honorary Doctorate from the Technical University of Munich Germany in 2020.  She has published numerous articles and research as well as lectured and presented papers at various international forums around the world.

Peter Gould

Peter Gould leads a strategic design team based in Sydney, Dubai and Jakarta. Gould Studio advocates for Heart-Centered Design to create meaningful brands, cross-cultural understanding and spiritually inspired positive change.  Over nearly 20 years, his clients have included United Nations, Greenpeace, Dubai Future and a diverse portfolio from senior government projects to USD100 million start-ups.

Peter is a recipient of the Stanford Certificate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and has lectured design thinking at the University of Technology, Sydney. His personal journey has been a major influence on his creative vision for a globally connected, like-hearted community. His contributions to design have resulted in international acclaim, including a major award from the UAE Vice-President. In 2020, he was appointed as an UNHCR Ambassador for his work in supporting refugees.

Raymond Siva

Raymond Siva has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, strategic marketing as well as crisis and issues response. He is a sought-after Reputation and Influence Strategist for international brands, local conglomerates and CEOs. He has conducted over 100 spokesperson and crisis trainings, messaging workshops as well as talks in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Raymond was promoted to Senior Vice President, Digital Investments Division in 2020 after being appointed as Chief Marketing Officer of MDEC in 2019. Currently he is overlooking a 110-member team which includes the Investment and Grants Development, MSC Services and Brand and Strategic Partnerships Departments.

He holds an LLB from the University of London and a professional diploma in public relations from the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia.

Alex Fox

Alex Fox is a product leader, software engineer and writer committed to building inclusive tech and teams. She is the founder of Origin of Mind, a lifestyle brand and e-commerce platform designed to raise awareness around, and channel support for, critical social issues. Their latest product, Marketplace, amplifies independent creators of colour by helping bring their businesses online.

Alex is exploring ways to better engage, support and foster community through personal transformation and service. She regularly hosts conversations around faith, identity and justice in partnership with Muslim scholars as well as leaders. She is passionate about racial equity and Oakland.

Sayantan Das

Sayantan Das is the Managing Director of foodpanda Malaysia. He oversees all commercial and operational efforts from end to end and is responsible for developing key strategies to tackle the complex food delivery marketplace. After being an analyst with the Singapore Exchange, he then moved on to TripAdvisor before founding his own start-up. His strong data and analytical sense has helped him build as well as implement financial accounting frameworks and develop key strategies to compete against competitors such as Airbnb.

Sayantan is a start-up enthusiast with a passion for marketplaces, consumer behaviour, IoT and fintech. He has great respect for the cultures and traditions of Southeast Asia after living in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia for over 20 years. Also, he considers climbing Mount Kinabalu, and reaching its peak at 13 years of age, as his greatest achievement.

Stephen P Francis

Stephen P Francis is a  programmer, journalist, consultant, marketeer, entrepreneur and business owner who has been involved in building customer centric experiences for over two decades. With a consulting background that saw him building some of the biggest brands in Southeast Asia, his latest effort has seen him working with his co founders to create one of Malaysia’s leading online grocery experiences – MYGROSER. An integrated services that emphasises convenience, freshness and value.

Bryan Loo

Bryan Loo has a diverse portfolio of F&B brands spanning multiple countries. He is an award-winning entrepreneur who has long dominated the premium quick-service and fast-casual restaurant business in Malaysia. Born and bred in Perlis, Bryan first embarked on a medical career path after obtaining a degree in biotechnology from Monash University, Australia. However, he decided to make his mark in the local F&B industry instead.

Bryan started LOOB Holding Sdn Bhd and is responsible for the rapid growth of highly-recognised F&B brands such as Tealive, Baskbear Coffee, Gindaco, Croissant Taiyaki, Define:food, Define:burgers, Ko Ko Kai and Yun Bridge Noodle. His hard work and dedication have made him a role model for young entrepreneurs, his gripping personality made him a sought-after spokesperson for world class brands such as TUMI, Merc, Huawei, Sony and Haig Club.

Still in his 30’s, Bryan has won notable accolades including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013/2014, JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur Award, RHB Bank Top 40 Under 40 Best Performance Award 2014 and The Brand Laureate SMEs Brand Leadership Award 2014-2015 as the SME Brand Personality of the Year. Now, he manages a 2,000-strong workforce serving over five million customers in more than 530 outlets worldwide including Malaysia, United Kingdom, Australia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei and Philippines.

Jashidah Kamal

Jashidah Kamal has over 20 years of experience in wealth management. She is well-versed in managing multiple asset classes such as equity, bonds, foreign currencies and gold, to name a few.

She is also the Board of Director of Women of Global Change, Kuala Lumpur, which is a network of business leaders and entrepreneurs working towards building businesses as well as making social impact globally.

Jashidah’s mission is to empower women as well as manage their money efficiently and ultimately achieve financial freedom. Aside from growing her clients’ net worth, she is also involved in other projects such as wealth coach with Supparetreat and wealth expert in a television Show called Goal-Getters. Armed with a degree in accounting and finance from Middlesex University, London, she has helped numerous clients achieve their financial goals and increase their wealth.

Andrea Chow

Founder, Global Circles Academy, Malaysia

Besides being a sales trainer, coach and consultant, Andrea Chow is also the founder of ACETS Sdn Bhd since 2016 and Global Circles Academy in January 2021. She helps clients rewire their sales process, improve on their sales strategy and brought improvement between 20 per cent – 200 per cent.

Andrea has trained thousands of students and clients in sales all over Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. As the author of Breakthrough with a Coach she shared her experience in business on how she got stuck and hired a coach to accelerate her business to a six-figure income in just weeks.

In 2020, she was awarded by Marketing in Asia as the Rising 70 Personnel on LinkedIn in Malaysia. Towards the last quarter of 2020, together with her business partner they launched Sales Wiring Program to serve the sales profession, business owners, individuals who are seeking out new business after they lost their income or job during the pandemic. Her training and consultancy clients include Prudential, Maybank, Etiqa and Standard Chartered.

Hew Hui Shan

Hew Hui Shan is the CEO and founder of Sohow Sdn Bhd, a business training and coaching firm, helping hundreds of SMEs  to build profitable, sustainable and scalable businesses. She believes that everyone can turn their passion into a profitable business. She is a chartered accountant, a certified financial planner and business coach. In addition to that, she is a member and a trainer of Business Network International (BNI), Malaysia.

With  14 years experience, she has developed a structured and easy to follow Business DNA for Success programme that can help many new startups or existing businesses to have clarity on their business goals and direction, the right business model to achieve their business goals, quantification of their projected investment, profitability and cash flow, as well as  how to implement their business step by step to achieve success. Those who attended her programme have gained clarity on what needs to  be done for their business, avoid  common startup mistakes, and most importantly  save cost and time.  They have also commented  on her sincerity in sharing the methodology to success.

Angeline Ann Samuel

Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons), University of Staffordshire & Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Angeline Ann Samuel is the CEO and founder of A TECH, a digital marketing firm in Malaysia specialising in professional development and digital marketing.

Angeline is experienced in strategic planning, managing and leading teams in diverse roles such as sales, marketing, advisory, operations management, digital marketing, market expansion strategies, business development initiatives, competitive as well as market intelligence, determining pricing strategies, control and monitoring of budget or spend of products. Her unique interpretation of online business allows her to travel the globe as a speaker, trainer and consultant, working with multiple organisations such as hotels, banks, energy, as well as oil and gas. Amongst her clients are SIRIM Malaysia, Bank Islam Malaysia, PETRONAS Malaysia, Dragon Oil Dubai, Zimbabwe Power, Qatar Petroleum Company Corporation, Saudi Aramco and Mozambique Airlines (LAM).

Kevin Zahri

Kevin Zahri, affectionately known as Cikgu Fitness Malaysia, is an award-winning US certified personal trainer and nutritionist with over 15 years’ experience. He is the Founder of Malaysia’s largest weight loss movement called Jom Kurus. He has published books, ebooks, written for several fitness and lifestyle magazines, hosted and appeared on various television shows.

An avid corporate wellness speaker, web entrepreneur and a member of MENSA, Kevin grew up in Germany and has called Malaysia home for almost two decades now. He furthered his studies in mechanical engineering with a minor in economics at Northeastern University in Boston. It was during his time in college that he became certified as a personal trainer and nutritionist.

A proud father of two, Kevin founded Malaysia’s biggest weight loss movement Jom Kurus in 2013 and it has since garnered over 40,000 members who have collectively lost 300,000kgs. The foundation of its success is simple: empowerment, education, fun factor and community. Now, it has evolved into a sports and CSR initiative called Jom Kurus Sekolah that aims to reduce obesity and inactivity among Malaysian schoolchildren.

Lisette Scheers

Lisette Scheers is the founder and the brain behind Nala Design in Malaysia. The company was started in 2012 and its products draw inspiration from the rich Malaysian multiracial culture and history while embedding the country’s architecture, language, flora and fauna, and traditional forms of art. The result is a colourful and contemporary range of fabrics, bags and clothes, among other things.

Other than Nala Design’s home base in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, its products can be found in 13 locations in the city including Isetan KLCC as well as globally, including Japan, Hong Kong and a standalone store in Paris.

Dutch by heritage, born in Singapore and living in Malaysia, Lisette began her career as an art director in the advertising industry and had a successful career in large advertising agencies. With a background rooted in graphic design and having studied fine arts in Belgium, Lisette started her own graphic design consultancy, L.inc, which is behind many of The BIG Group’s restaurant interiors and marketing collateral in Malaysia.

Yap Keng Teck

Yap Keng Teck is the Founder and Managing Consultant of Bizsphere Brand and Marketing Group. He has been named an Influential Global Marketing Leader by World Marketing Congress. He is also a National Council Member of SME Association of Malaysia and a member of Industry 4wrd Readiness Assessment Technical Committee of the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Keng Teck has over 20 years of branding and marketing experience. He assisted various local emerging brands to record double digit growth and expand their market reach abroad. Some of the brands he has consulted include Joven, Avis, MUJI Malaysia and Galactic Advance Engineering.

Besides consulting, Keng Teck is a columnist, campaign manager and a certified trainer in his field. He has advised National Mark of Malaysian Brand recipients and international brands listed in the MATRADE Directory. He was a panel brand expert for MITI Brand Excellence Award 2011, a Global Advisory Member of World Brand Congress in 2013-2014 and a speaker for World Brand Congress 2015 as well as World Marketing Congress 2016.

Atilia Haron

Atilia, a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200), is the Founder of the Yogaonethatiwant which is a chain of yoga studios across Malaysia and a brand ambassador for Under Armour, an American footwear as well as apparel brand. Her experience in practising and teaching yoga spans more than a decade. Always seen with a huge smile on her face and an infectious passion for all things yoga, this fun-loving yogi’s journey started on a far less happy note.

Plagued with chronic back pains and shortness of breath, Atilia turned to yoga for an answer to her mounting health problems. In 2018, Atilia was awarded Yogi of the Year by Yoga Journal Singapore due to her impactful role in positively influencing numerous individuals.

Although petite in stature, Atilia is huge in talent. In addition to her yoga empire, she is an accomplished singer, songwriter and recording artiste, not only in Malaysia and abroad. She has made appearances at major events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos and the US-Asean Summit Gala Dinner, performing for world leaders and luminaries.

Lora Dash

Lora Dash is a professional hairstylist, makeup artist as well as coach based in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. She has gained over eight years’ experience in the beauty industry of Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. She is a member of Malaysian Nail Technician Association, a makeup artistry judge for International Beauty Expo Malaysia and a certified trainer from Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) Malaysia.

Armed with an innate sense of style and a variety of creative abilities, Lora was trained at the Y SNOW Beauty Academy to teach practical makeup and also in makeup artistry at City & Guilds in the United Kingdom. She has had nine years of working experience in the private sector and holds a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Asia E University in Kuala Lumpur.

Lora is currently pursuing a certificate for a verification training officer from Malaysian Skills Development, which is an initiative by the Malaysian government.