ESCAP SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS NETWORK

A champion for sustainable development, ESG investment, digital transformation and the Green Economy, Dr. Lam is Chair of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Sustainable Business Network (ESBN), and the ESBN Task Force on Sustainable and Inclusive Finance.  He is a member of the Governance Committee of the Hong Kong Growth Portfolio, and the Development Bureau Common Spatial Data Advisory Committee, of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and Convenor of the Panel of Advisors on Building Management Disputes of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Home Affairs Department. He is also a member of the Court of the City University of Hong Kong and the Belt and Road and Greater Bay Area Committee of the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC), Vice Chairman of Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Economic and Financial Issues of the World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (WUSME), and President of Hong Kong-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Foundation.

Dr. Lam earlier served as Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport, Hong Kong's digital technology flagship and global innovation hub.  He was a member of the Committee on Innovation, Technology and Re-Industrialization, the Sir Murray MacLehose Trust Fund Investment Advisory Committee, and the Central Policy Unit, of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.  A former member of the Hong Kong Bar, Dr. Lam is a Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong, an Accredited Mediator of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), a Fellow of Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Australia, the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators, the Hong Kong Institute of Directors and the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM), an Honorary Fellow of Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Australia, the Hong Kong Institute of Facility Management and the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Alliance (HKITDA).  In 2019, Dr. Lam was awarded by the Hong Kong Government a Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) for serving the public.

As Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Sintesa Group (www.sintesagroup.com), Shinta is responsible for the Management and Expansion of the Group’s business interests in Indonesia. The Sintesa Group is an Indonesian group with 16 subsidiaries, which operates under four main pillars: Property, Energy, Industrial Products, and Consumer Products.

As a businesswoman, Shinta is involved in numerous business and social activities, including as the Coordinating Vice Chairwoman III for Maritime, Investment and Foreign Affairs of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia), Vice Chairwoman of Employers’ Association of Indonesia (APINDO), Regional Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific and Executive Board Member of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Founder of Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD), Founder of Indonesia Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (IBCWE), Founder of Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN), Strategic Advisor for the Business for Nature (BfN), Board of Trustees of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Board of Trustees of Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) and the Member of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Indonesia. She was chosen by the United Nations as one of 30 global corporate leaders to join the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD Alliance). She was also elected to serve as Chair of B20 Indonesia during the Indonesian Presidency at the 2022 G20 Summit.

Shinta graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University New York in 1989 and Executive Education at Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA in 2002.

As part of her achievement, she was named Fortune Indonesia’s 20 Most Powerful Women 2022, The Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Woman Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019, FORBES Asia’s 50 Powerful Businesswomen (2012, 2013, & 2016), Business Indonesia Award’s 30 Best CEOs 2015, among many others. In 2017, she was decorated as the Commander of the Polar Star by the King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and the Commander of the Order of Leopold of Belgium.

An active advocate for green building and sustainability for over two decades, Esther has been instrumental in establishing CDL’s leadership in sustainability.  It is ranked top real estate company on the 2021 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and is also the only CDP A-List company for both climate strategy and water security in SE Asia and Hong Kong.  Key ESG initiatives she has spearheaded include publishing the first sustainability report in Singapore in 2008; issuing the first green bond by a Singaporean company in 2017 and pioneering an SDG Innovation Loan in Singapore in 2019.

A forerunner in embracing the UN SDGs, Esther was conferred 2018 SDG Pioneer for Green Infrastructure and A Low Carbon Economy by the UN Global Compact, is a signatory for the UNGC Caring for Climate network and is also a corporate member to the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network.  She sits on the boards or advisory platforms of several organisations, including World Green Building Council, Global Reporting Initiative, GRESB Asian Real Estate Benchmark Committee and UNEP FI Real Estate Work Group.  She Chairs the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association’s Sustainability and ESG Committee, Co-Chairs the Urban Land Institute Singapore’s Sustainability Product Council and Vice-Chairs the Singapore Institute of Directors’ ESG Committee.

As the Executive Vice-chairman and CEO of New World Development Company Limited, Adrian oversees the Group’s strategy and operations across the Group’s ecosystem of property development, investment, infrastructure, retail, health and wellness, insurance, education, and hospitality projects.  His vision in injecting sustainability, culture and innovation into his portfolio of businesses has led to several iconic projects in Greater China.

In 2008, he created the K11 brand, intertwining art, commerce and sustainability through malls, offices, and hospitality. K11 is expanding its footprint to 40 projects across 10 Chinese cities in 5 years. He also provides early-stage funding to technology start-ups and platforms that develop innovative solutions for modern life.

Adrian’s dedication to Creating Shared Value (CSV) to connect business success with social progress has won him the Shared Value Champion Award in 2020, the first CEO in Asia to claim this title.

Adrian serves as the chairman of the Hong Kong Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee and a board member of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council. In 2022, he was awarded Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) by the HKSAR Government for his contributions to the development of arts and the well-being of the underprivileged.

Asif Ibrahim is the Vice Chairman of Newage Group of Industries, a business house involved in manufacturing and exporting of readymade garments, textiles and plastic products from Bangladesh employing 10,000 personnel. He is recognized as a CIP (Commercially Important Person) by the government of Bangladesh.

Asif Ibrahim is the Chairman of Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). He is a former President (2011-2012) of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) & founder Chairman of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD), a Public Private Dialogue platform to enable policy reforms for an improved investment climate in Bangladesh. He is a director of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) holding the responsibility of all sustainability projects of BGMEA. He is also one of the conveners of Resurgent Bangladesh, a platform to help develop policies for Bangladesh to overcome the economic impacts of the covid crisis. He is a member of the Board of Advisers of BRAC Business School under BRAC University. He is also a core committee member of the Citizens’ Platform for SDGs Bangladesh representing the private sector.

Dr Kam joined the MTR Corporation Limited in 1995 and had held various management positions in the Operations, Projects and Mainland China and International Business Divisions. He was appointed as the CEO on 1 April 2019, and has been a Member of the Board since then.

As the CEO, Dr Kam is responsible for all performance of the Corporation and its group companies, both in and outside Hong Kong.

Dr Kam is a member of the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency Governing Council, the board of directors of The Community Chest of Hong Kong, the General Committee of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the General Committee of the Employers’ Federation of Hong Kong and the Council of the Hong Kong Management Association.  He is also an Honorary Chairman of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

Dr Kam qualified as a Chartered Engineer in the UK, a Chartered Fellow of CILT-HK and Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, and a Corporate Member of HKIE.  He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering and PhD in Mechanical Engineering. 

Dr Kam was appointed a Justice of the Peace and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Vocational Training Council, both in 2021.

Mrs Lee Ju Song is the former Executive Director of the International Chamber of Commerce, Regional Office, Asia from 2002 to 2020, during which in a pioneering fashion she established and developed several ICC’s flagship Chamber services including the ATA Carnet System and the ICC/WCF International Certificate of Origin (CO) Accreditation Chain. She continues to serve as the Founding Chair of the ICC WCF International CO Council.

She played a key role in the setting up of ICC’s global HQ on e-learning in Singapore in 2015, an ICC Representative Office in Shanghai in 2016, and a Court Office in Singapore in 2018. Mrs Lee continues to champion the early implementation of the ATA Carnet System, the world’s passport for goods throughout Asia to help speed up regional integration as an active member of the World ATA Carnet Council. As an ICC specialist on international trade facilitation and documentation and a founding Chair of the ICC WCF International CO Council, she also actively urges the provision of electronic CO services to the expanding international business community.

Poman is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Regal Hotels Group. She is also the Founding Managing Partner of AlphaTrio Capital, an Asia-focused sustainable technology fund empowering green tech unicorns to provide disruptive solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Poman serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching sustainable business management and impact investing at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She founded the non-profit Institute of Sustainability and Technology with a mission to nurture ESG talent through executive education and advance the sustainability agenda through interdisciplinary research and international conferences.

Poman has been appointed as Member of Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Expert Group, Member of the Green Technology and Finance Development Committee, Council Member of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Honorary President of Hong Kong Federation of Women.

Poman is the only person in Hong Kong to receive both the “Outstanding Young Person of the World Award” and the “Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award”. She is also the first and only female Asian recipient of the “Oslo Business for Peace Award” by the Business for Peace Foundation in Norway.  

Mr. Murthy founded Infosys in 1981. Infosys is, today, a highly-innovative software services global company listed on NYSE in the US and on the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai with US$ 14 billion in revenue and about US$ 76 billion in market capitalization.  Under his leadership, Infosys became the leader in innovation in technical, managerial and leadership training, software technology, quality, productivity, customer focus, employee satisfaction, and physical and technological infrastructure. Mr. Murthy conceptualized, articulated and implemented the Global Delivery Model (GDM) which has become the backbone of the Indian software industry and introduced the concept of 24-hour-work-day to the world.

Currently, he serves on the boards of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (NJ) and the United Nations Foundation. He has served on the boards of Ford Foundation (NYC), HSBC and Unilever (London). He was ranked among CNBC’s 25 global business leaders (2014), Fortune’s ‘12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time’ (2012), The Economist’s 10 most-admired global business leaders (2005), Financial Times’ list of “Business pioneers in technology” (2015). He is a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US National Academy of Engineering.  He received the Founders Medal (2018), the Hoover medal (2012) and the Ernst Weber Medal (2007), all three from IEEE.

Abanti Sankaranarayanan is the Chief Group Public Affairs Officer and Member of the Group Executive Board of the Mahindra Group. In her role, Abanti leads Public Policy & Regulation, Sustainability, Risk and Economist functions for the Mahindra Group. Abanti serves as Director on the Board of Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited (the Joint Venture between Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and British International Investment for the Four-wheel passenger electric / non-ICE vehicles), Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd., Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., and CIE Automotive, Spain. She is also Member of the Executive Council of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Chair, CII Working Group for Transportation.

Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with a valuation of over $20 Bn, over 260,000 employees, and operations including manufacturing, design, and R&D facilities in over 100 countries. Mahindra is India’s leading SUV manufacturer, the world’s largest tractor company by volume, and enjoys a leadership position in information technology and financial services in India. The Group has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, farm equipment, logistics, hospitality, and real estate.

Prior to joining Mahindra, she was the Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer for Diageo India and a member of its Executive Committee. Her responsibilities included Alcohol Policy, Regulatory & Trade matters, Market Access, Corporate Communications & Reputation, and programs to address alcohol misuse, champion responsible consumption and deliver Social Impact.  As head of Strategy, she led the strategy development and execution for Diageo’s business in India. Prior to this, Abanti was Managing Director, Diageo India Pvt Ltd, leading Diageo’s business mandate for international spirits in India.

Abanti joined Diageo in June 2010 as the Marketing and Innovation Director responsible for building Diageo’s iconic global brands like Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, VAT 69, and Cîroc.

Prior to Diageo, Abanti served as a member of the Tata Administrative Service (TAS) cadre since 1992 in an illustrious career where she held key roles managing some of the best-known consumer brands of the Tata Group in India, United Kingdom, and the United States. In her 17-year career with the Tata group, Abanti worked across various companies such as Tata Global Beverages, London, the Taj Group of Hotels- Mumbai & New York, Tata Housing & Tata Finance in Mumbai.

Abanti’s contribution to the business have been recognized by Fortune India (The Most Powerful Women in Business; 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016), IMPACT (50 Most Influential Women in Media, Marketing and Advertising; 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), India Today (India’s 25 Most Influential Women, 2013) and Fast Company, New York (100 Most Creative People in Business, 2012).

Abanti is an Economics Graduate from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.

Mr. Carson Wen is the Founder and Chairman of Bank of Asia (BVI) Limited and BOA Financial Group Limited. He is also Chairman of the Sancus Group of companies, which has investments in policy driven sectors such as new energy, logistics, finance and technology. He has practiced law for over 30 years at his own Hong Kong partnership and subsequently at leading global law firms. Mr. Wen has been named as a leading adviser on Chinese law, mergers & acquisitions and capital markets work in Who's Who of the Law, Asia Pacific Legal 500, AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers, Chambers Asia and China's Top 200. He is also named in the International Who's Who and Who's Who of the World.

Mr. Wen was a three-term Deputy to the National People's Congress of China, which is the PRC's national legislature and constitutionally the highest organ of state power, representing Hong Kong. He is also a Justice of the Peace of Hong Kong and held various public service appointments in Mainland China and Hong Kong. He was the Vice-Chairman and currently Party Affairs Advisor of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong ("DAB"), the largest political party in Hong Kong. He is also Guest Professor of the Law School of Zhongshan University (also known as Sun Yat-Sen University), which is the leading university in Southern China. He is also a Director of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, and inter alia, a Founding Director of the China M&A Association.  Mr. Wen was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for his contribution to economic ties between Hong Kong, Mainland China and the rest of the world. Mr. Wen obtained his B.A. (economics) from Columbia University, where he majored in economics, and B.A. and M.A. (law) from Balliol College, Oxford University.

Tan Sri Michael O.K Yeoh is a social entrepreneur, public intellectual, thought leader and influencer who has had 35 years senior management, Boardroom, Consulting and international experience. He is an author of several books and is a speaker at many international conferences.

He was co-founder and CEO for 25 years of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute a globally ranked Think Tank, and is currently President of the Kingsley Advisory and Strategic Initiatives Sdn Bhd, a Business Advisory, research and events company as well as a Board member of several Public Listed companies in Investments, Finance, Property and Food. He sits on the Board of Governors of a University and the Board of Trustees of the OSK Foundation. He advises several new technology and e-Commerce companies.

He is Deputy President of the Society for Promotion of Human Rights (PROHAM), Secretary General of the Malaysia Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) and Director of the Malaysia-China Business Council. He has served as Malaysia’s Representative (Ambassador rank) on the ASEAN High Level Task Force on Connectivity and was a Commissioner in the Malaysian Competition Commission and the Human Rights Commission besides being a member of the Advisory Board of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. He holds a Doctor of Laws (hc) from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor of Economics from Monash University.

Xiaochen leads the design and implementation of FinTech4Goods’s strategy which aims to introduce impactful fintech and blockchain solutions to frontier markets through incubation, acceleration and investment. He brings more than 16 years of thought leadership and global experience to build impactful solutions and scale up innovative ideas in North America, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

He is the Chairman of the Global Blockchain4SDGs Alliance, and serves on the Crowdfunding Professional Association Board of Directors, and as a senior advisor of the China Social Entrepreneurs Foundation and Inter-America Development Bank. He is also the founder of Blockchain Frontier Group and a co-chair of several blockchain labs.

Prior to FinTech4Good, Xiaochen advised government agencies and multinational organizations on innovative finance, green technology, climate policy, and sustainable energy, including at the at the World Bank. Xiaochen has extensive experience in the incubation and scale-up of result-based solutions and innovative financing mechanisms for the public and private sectors globally. He is a recognized speaker on investment planning, climate finance, green innovation, and crowdfunding. He holds an M.A. in Global Studies from Leipzig University.

Mr Simmonds is responsible for CLP Group strategic planning and the strategy agenda as well as driving the Group’s sustainability agenda and ensuring that it is embedded into the business.

He is also responsible for managing the investments and ventures that help support CLP’s growth strategy, the Group’s investments in Taiwan Region and Thailand and the Group’s property development activities.

In addition, Mr Simmonds is the Group General Counsel & Company Secretary of CLP Holdings, responsible for the provision of legal, corporate secretarial and insurance services across the Group.

Mr Simmonds is the President of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI) and is a Fellow of both The Chartered Governance Institute and HKCGI. He is also a Board Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau and a member of The Asia Society. Mr Simmonds is also a member of the Standing Committee on Company Law Reform and the Hong Kong Advisory Committee of The Fred Hollows Foundations.

Mr Simmonds holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

Anthony is a Sustainability entrepreneur, investor and author. He joined IVL armed with 20 years of experience in this field and can be seen as a pioneer and early advocate of the importance of sustainability in Business. His last position was Head of Growth – Innovation and Smart Mobility at Alstom, based in Bangkok. Prior to that he was Global Head of Digital and Climate Innovation at Bombardier and amongst other roles, a consultant for different organizations, including his own firm to drive sustainable innovations, clean energy and market transformation to a profitable, environmentally better way of doing business.

With his vast experience and his sustainable enthusiasm, Anthony helps IVL identify and capture the opportunities linked to climate change. From renewable energy procurement to green financing, he drives projects and strategic initiatives from ideation to implementation to keep IVL as a chemical industry front runner and sustainability champion. He supports IVL in developing its competitive advantage within the industry to continue being a preferred supplier for our customers and a strong sustainability influence in the world.

Anthony arrived in Thailand in 2014 after a 1-year trip around the world with his family. He holds a PhD from University of Toronto, Canada.