Azrina Azmel is the General Manager and Head of Corporate Governance Department at the Securities Commission Malaysia.
Her current responsibilities include leading the development and implementation of strategic corporate governance policies and initiatives to enhance governance practices among Public Listed Companies (PLCs) in Malaysia.

With over 25 years of experience in the capital market, she has held various regulatory and policy roles, including developing frameworks for digital innovation, Islamic fintech, equity crowdfunding, peer-to-peer financing, venture capital, private equity, investment banking, and Islamic banking. She also led capital market negotiations in international, regional, and bilateral free trade agreements, and previously advised on capital market regulation and law reform, including legislative amendments through the Parliamentary process.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mohamad Azhar Hamidi is the Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Surveillance & Governance at Bursa Malaysia Berhad, a role he has held since September 2022. His responsibilities include overseeing the exchange's regulatory frameworks for listed issuers, with a particular focus on corporate disclosures, governance practices and sustainability reporting.

He has spent over 25 years in the Malaysian capital and financial markets. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Head of Market Surveillance at Bursa Malaysia, where he was involved in monitoring trading activities and ensuring orderly market conduct. His earlier career included stints in compliance, risk management, and audit at RHB Bank Berhad, Public Bank, and Amanah Capital.

In his present capacity, he works closely with listed companies and stakeholders to navigate regulatory expectations and contributes to ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening market integrity and investor confidence.

Mark is the Executive Director of Regulatory Standards at the FRC. He leads the division responsible for the FRC’s technical and public policy work covering audit, corporate reporting, corporate governance and stewardship, actuarial, and digital reporting and taxonomies. Prior to joining ExCo, Mark led the FRC’s UK Audit Policy programme, implementing measures to support greater competition in the UK audit market and work to support the reform of international standard setting for auditors, by global regulatory authorities.

Mark has previous experience as a Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Chair. He is also a member of IESBA, which sets the global Code of Ethics for the accountancy profession, and chairs IESBA’s Sustainability Task Force. Before he joined the FRC, Mark had a 20-year career in audit and was a Director at the UK National Audit Office.

Stephen is CEO of The Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA). He is a long-standing member of the King Committee since the launch of King III in 2009. He also served on the King Committee Thought Leadership Working Group in 2022 and 2023, which prepared some of the key issues for King V. Stephen currently serves on the CGI International Qualification Programme Steering Group, which is developing a new curriculum. He previously served on the CGI International Standard Review Working Group from 2016 to 2018, which developed the current curriculum. Stephen has presented a number of papers on corporate governance at conferences. He is a prolific writer and writes a column in CGISA’s quarterly Boardroom magazine. Stephen holds the following degrees: MBA, M. Ed, BA (Hons), Post Graduate Certificate in Education.

Prior to joining the CGISA, Stephen held a number of senior positions in the education sector. He was Director: Strategic Support at the South African Qualifications Authority, one of the pioneering bodies in the world, to introduce a national qualifications framework. He was also Director: Research and School Improvement at the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance, which was responsible for training 2000 school governing bodies in the Gauteng Province. Prior to that, Stephen was Chief Education Specialist: Curriculum Delivery and Support at the Johannesburg East District of the Gauteng Department of Education, which was responsible for 120 schools.

Kerrie Waring is Director General of the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI), the world’s premier membership body for Company Secretaries. Working with nine divisions, she leads CGI’s global strategy, advocacy and international qualifying programme, serving 28,000 members across 80 markets.

Kerrie was CEO of the ICGN for 10 years until 2024, an organization led by investors with assets of USD 90 trillion. Earlier, she was Corporate Governance Manager at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, International Development Manager at the UK Institute of Directors, and Coordinator for International Relations in Hiroshima as part of the JET Programme, a Japanese Government initiative.

Earlier in her career, Kerrie contributed to the Global Corporate Governance Forum, convened by the OECD and World Bank, helping to establish governance foundations worldwide through the creation of codes, institutes, and director training programmes. As a specialist in Japanese governance, she served for seven years as a Member of TSE-FSA’s Council of Experts advising on governance and stewardship reforms.

Kerrie was named Rising Star of Corporate Governance by the Yale School of Management in 2008. She was lead author of the IFC’s Global Director Training Toolkit (2002) and co-author of the Handbook on International Corporate Governance (2004). Kerrie is a Chartered Company Secretary and holds a BA (Honors) in International Business and Japanese.

YBhg Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar is currently the Chairman of IOI Corporation Berhad and Cypark Resources Berhad as well as Board member of Sunway Berhad. He previously served as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Economic Planning (2013-2016), Group Chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (2016-2018) and Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Berhad (2020-2025).

He has successfully led as CEO three major organisations i.e. Maybank, Telekom Malaysia and UEM Group Berhad. He also holds various academic and non-profit roles, including as Chairman of WWF Malaysia and MySDG Foundation, Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and INCEIF University, Adjunct Professor of Universiti Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM), and as Sultan bin Abdulaziz Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, United Kingdom.

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid a Chartered Accountant with membership from ACCA, ICAEW and MIA.

Gill Meller FCG HKFCG (PE) is MTR Corporation Limited’s Legal & Governance Director. She is responsible for leading the Company’s environmental, social and governance initiatives and for overseeing the Company’s legal, company secretarial, insurance, risk and assurance management and procurement and supply chain functions.

Gill is qualified to practise as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales. She graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Geography from Hertford College, the University of Oxford and obtained her postgraduate qualifications in law from The College of Law in the United Kingdom. She is the chair of the Legal Committee of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Listing Committee of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and an independent director of Hong Kong, China Rugby. She is also a representative of the China/Hong Kong Division on the Council of the international Chartered Governance Institute, a former President of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute, a Fellow of both of these institutes and in July 2026 began her term as President of the Chartered Governance Institute.

Mr. Sasaki joined the Ministry of Finance, Japan in 1983 and then spent more than 20 years at Financial Services Agency (FSA) Japan as Director General of Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC), Director General of Certified Public Accountants and Audit Oversight Board (CPAAOB) as well as Director General of Department of Strategy Development and Management. He has a number of experiences in financial sector supervision and capital market oversight both at policy development and execution level. His professional experiences and expertise cover prudential risk management, compliance/conduct risk management, oversight of misconducts in financial markets, AML/CFT including financial sanction compliance, internal and external audit functions, corporate governance, digital transformation (DX) including crypto assets and cyber security threats, and sustainability.

He also has lots of experiences in international front, including working experiences at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He has actively joined and made contributions to policy discussions at international forum including Financial Stability Board (FSB), Basel Committee for Banking Supervision (BCBS), International Organization for Securities Commission (IOSCO), International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR), Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and G-7 financial sector expert meeting.

After leaving FSA in July 2019, he is currently working as Visiting Professor at National Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Business Administration in charge of programs for global financial regulation and oversight, and as Chair of its Global Financial Regulation Study Forum. He also currently serves as President, Core Corporate Governance Research Institute (CCI) , Japan as well as Chair, CCI’s Study Group on Corporate Secretary in Japan.

As Market Lead for Malaysia, Celine is responsible for driving commercial growth, market strategy, and customer engagement across one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic markets. With over 25 years of experience in consulting, business strategy, and commercial leadership, she has successfully led market expansion initiatives, built high-performing teams, and launched new service offerings that strengthen organisational competitiveness and long-term growth. Her expertise spans growth strategy, client relationship management, business transformation, and stakeholder engagement, enabling organisations to achieve sustainable business outcomes in an increasingly complex environment.

Heeraman (Soodesh) Jowaheer, FCG, MBA is the Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Services Commission, Mauritius (FSC) since July 2026. A seasoned financial regulatory executive, he brings over 20 years of international leadership in non-bank financial services regulation, supervision and policy development across Mauritius, the United States, the United Kingdom, India and the Cayman Islands.

Prior to rejoining the FSC, Soodesh served as Head of Securities Supervision at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), where he led risk-based supervisory initiatives, oversaw regulatory enforcement and contributed to the integration of blockchain analytics for virtual asset service providers. His extensive international experience also includes more than a decade as Director of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance at a US SEC-registered investment adviser, as well as high-level consultancy roles advising global regulatory bodies and financial institutions.

As the first Head of Listing of the Stock Exchange of Mauritius and one of the founding contributors to the Mauritius Offshore Business Activities Authority (MOBAA) and the FSC’s initial regulatory framework, Soodesh’s return to the Commission reflects his longstanding commitment to the sustained development of the Mauritius International Financial Centre (IFC). Throughout his career, he has successfully translated complex statutory mandates into institutional outcomes, strengthening supervisory effectiveness, driving operational delivery and championing robust corporate governance across complex financial environments.

Soodesh is highly regarded within international regulatory networks and has worked closely with standard setting bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). He has regularly contributed to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) evaluations, National Risk Assessments and cross-border regulatory cooperation frameworks. He recently concluded a three-year term as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI), where he also served as Chair of the Investment Committee, and currently serves a second term as a Member of the Professional Standards Committee of the Chartered Governance Institute – Global.

Soodesh holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Mauritius and the IOSCO/PIFS-HLS Global Certificate, Harvard Law School & IOSCO. He is a Fellow (FCG) of the Chartered Governance Institute of UK & Ireland and a Graduate/Associate of the Toronto Leadership Centre for Financial Supervision. He was awarded the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland President's Medal in 2012, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the governance profession.

Samantha is a Council Member and Chartered Governance Professional of the Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA). She is currently the Chairman of the Technical Compliance & Governance Committee and the Deputy Chairman Young Company Secretaries Working Group. She is also one of the Institute’s representatives in the Corporate Practice Consultative Forum (CPCF) set up by the Companies Commission of Malaysia. She is also the representative of the Institute on the ASEAN Corporate Secretaries Network (ACSN) focusing to driving Corporate Governance initiatives.

She has more than 30 years of experience in corporate governance and the corporate secretarial industry providing trusted advice on corporate needs to leaders in Malaysia and around the region. She provides advisory services including due diligence reviews for corporate restructuring, IPO processes and roll-outs, virtual meeting management, governance related advisory including Board assessment to clients of PLCs, liquidation and preparation of circulars for submission to Bursa Malaysia. Samantha is a strong advocate for corporate governance and boasts a robust presence within the capital markets in Malaysia.

She is a much sought-after trainer for in-house trainings and speaker for seminars/webinars organised by professional bodies/organisations and regulators.

Samantha has received the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award 2019 – Outstanding Category for Professional & Business Service Industry and she holds directorships in Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors (MACD) and is also a member of the TAR UMT Thought Leadership Committee.

Fernanda Bayeux is Governance Officer and Head of Corporate and Capital Markets at Alpargatas S.A., a Brazilian multinational company and the owner of the iconic Havaianas brand—widely recognized as a global ambassador of Brazil’s lifestyle.

She is a corporate governance professional with more than two decades of experience advising boards, executive leadership, and multinational organizations in Brazil, Latin America and Spain. She holds a Law degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) and completed postgraduate studies at the Complutense University of Madrid and Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

Her expertise spans corporate governance, capital markets, M&A, compliance, internal investigations, anti-corruption, data privacy, and strategic legal affairs. In addition to her executive role, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors and as Governance Committee Coordinator at Plan International Brazil, and actively contributes to the Brazilian governance community through IBGC.

A strong advocate for innovation in governance, Fernanda focuses on how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, can enhance board practices, decision-making, and organizational resilience, while preserving ethical standards and human oversight.

Victoria is Group Company Secretary for W.A.G payment solutions plc, a UK listed company based in the Czech Republic. Victoria has over 30 years’ experience in a wide range of sectors and is skilled in corporate governance, project delivery and board leadership in UK and internationally listed companies.

Victoria was appointed to Council in 2021 and was a board member of CGIUKI until July 2025. She has served on CGIUKI’s Audit &Risk Committee, Investment Committee, Education Committee, Nomination & Remuneration Committee and was President of the division between 2020 and 2023. she is a trustee of the Chartered Secretaries’ Charitable Trust.

Based in Singapore, Yoke Kay founded Blue Carbuncle Private Limited in 2026, a pure-play corporate secretarial services provider focusing on stakeholder governance and compliance advisory.

As part of her previous employment, she had acted as the engagement lead and named company secretary for a few Mainboard issuers listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). She also served relatively short stints in-house with a family-owned business and a public interest engineering company, both of which are constituency members of the FTSE Straits Index (STI). Prior to her relocation to Singapore, she was working with a corporate secretarial agent in Malaysia servicing companies listed on Bursa Malaysia.

Yoke Kay graduated from Tunku Abdul Rahman College (now Tunku Abdul Rahman University College) with an Advance Diploma in Commerce (Business Management), and further obtained First Class Honours in a Degree of Bachelor of Arts (Commerce) from Liverpool John Moores University. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) Singapore Division.

Neill is a researcher and lecturer in governance. He is the Programmes Director at KCB Global, a leading Higher Education Institution dedicated to supporting governance professionals globally.

His research, undertaken as part of the Governance Group at Henley Business School—one of the UK’s leading centres for governance research—focuses on board effectiveness, with particular emphasis on how governance practices are evolving in response to an increasingly complex and dynamic business environment. A central theme of his work is the changing role of governance professionals, exploring how their responsibilities, influence, and strategic contribution continue to develop, and how they can maximise their impact and clearly demonstrate their value.

Neill began his career in 1989 at CGIUKI, where he developed a longstanding passion for governance. In 2000, he left CGI to found an e-learning business, which grew to become a leader in its field before being acquired by a major UK software provider in 2019.

He has remained closely connected to the CGI throughout his career, most recently completing a six-year term on the Professional Standards Committee.

YBhg Datuk Suseela Menon is a Past President of MAICSA, having served as President from October 2020 to June 2022. Currently, she serves as the Immediate Past President on the Council of the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA), an international federation of corporate secretaries and governance professionals.

She has served and continues to serve on various committees of MAICSA. She was the Chairman of the Transformation & Re-branding Committee, where she led the re-branding exercise undertaken by the Institute. Presently, she holds the Chairmanship of the Editorial Board, the Thought Leadership Committee and the Appeals Tribunal Committee.

Suseela served as Executive Director of UMW Corporation (a prominent public-listed conglomerate in Malaysia), having risen to that position from the role of Group Secretary. It is noteworthy that she was the first female Executive Director in the Group. Her 30 years’ of working experience encompass company secretaryship, corporate communications, branding, corporate governance, investor relations, IT, property and administration.

She has had entrepreneurial experience in managing businesses, specifically in the medical and Esports industries. She continues to engage in consultancy work for companies that require her expertise.
Suseela served as the first-ever female President of the All-Malaysia Malayalee Association and as a Disciplinary Committee member of the Malaysian Bar Council for many years, Datuk Suseela was conferred the Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) in June 2014 by His Royal Highness, the King of Malaysia, which carries the title “Datuk”, in recognition of her corporate work and charitable activities.

Pauline is a non-executive director of Mercer Superannuation Australia Limited and Chair of Zurich Assure Pty Ltd and Ardea Funds Management. Pauline is also the President and Chair of Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the International Council of The Chartered Governance Institute.

Pauline is recognised as an expert in broad financial services, governance, risk management and public policy.

She has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including as a senior regulator with ASIC, various directorships on listed, public, NFP and fiduciary entities, CEO positions, including CEO of ASFA and as an international adviser on pensions governance.

Professor Mak Yuen Teen is Professor (Practice) of Accounting at the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore (NUS). He was a former Vice Dean and the founder of the first corporate governance centre in Singapore at NUS, where he also founded the Centre for Investor Protection. He is the inaugural Chairman of GDInstitute Ltd (GDI), a regional body for directorship and governance, which he recently co-founded, and co-founder and director of Corporate Monitor, which publishes in-depth independent research on listed companies in Singapore.

Professor Mak has served on three of the four corporate governance committees set up by the Singapore authorities to develop and revise the code of corporate governance for listed companies. He is currently serving a third three-year term on the Corporate Governance Advisory Committee under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and is involved in the current review of the Code.

Professor Mak was director and Deputy Chairman of the largest healthcare charity in Singapore and director and Chairman of another healthcare charity. He served on the Audit Advisory Committee of two UN funds based in New York. He was also APAC head of research for a global consulting firm and Singapore head of research of a Big 4 accounting firm, while he was on leave from the university.

Professor Mak has edited or written more than 300 case studies relating to corporate governance around the world. He has extensive experience in conducting corporate governance training for directors, regulators and other professionals, and is a regular speaker on corporate governance in conferences in Asia and beyond.

Professor Mak holds first class honours, master and PhD degrees in accounting and finance, and is a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).

Emi is a leading voice at the nexus of sustainable finance, corporate governance, and long-term value creation in Japan with more than 25 years of experience in asset management. After working at J.P. Morgan (1998–2000), Goldman Sachs Asset Management (2000–2020), and Japan Catalyst as COO (2020–2022), she founded Eminent Group Inc. where she currently serves as CEO.

As an institutional investor, she conducted more than 200 stewardship engagement meetings annually at GSAM and has contributed to Japan’s sustainability and governance reforms through multiple governmental expert panels, including the Financial Services Agency’s Sustainable Finance Expert Panel, METI’s corporate disclosure discussions, and the Cabinet Office’s governance and intellectual property investment initiatives. She also serves as an independent director of several listed companies and a financial institution. Emi holds a Master of Technology Management (MOT) from Tokyo University of Science and is the author of Connecting Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Finance (World Scientific Publishing, forthcoming 2026).

With more than three decades of experience advising boards and executives across five continents, Dr Denis Mowbray is a globally recognised authority on governance and organisational performance. His doctoral research pioneered the “Third-Team” concept, a framework that reframes the relationship between a board and its executive leadership team not as adversarial or merely transactional, but as a unified, high-performing team whose behavioural dynamics are the true determinants of organisational success. For directors of private companies, where the board–management relationship is often closer and more fluid, this construct has proven especially powerful.

Denis’ work moves governance beyond the compliance-first mindset that dominates much of the field, focusing instead on the behavioural and cultural drivers that separate boards that govern with impact from those that merely govern. He has applied this approach across a broad spectrum of entity types, private and publicly listed companies, family-owned enterprises, government ministries, and not-for-profit organisations, advising high-profile clients across New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Pacific. His tailored programs combine governance reviews, board effectiveness assessments, and strategic facilitation to deliver measurable change in how boards and executive teams work together.

A Fellow and Vice President of the Chartered Governance Institute (CGI Global), the world’s leading professional body for governance practitioners, Denis brings both the credentialed rigour of a senior governance professional and the perspective of an active practitioner. He is a sought-after speaker, educator, and published writer who bridges academic research and boardroom reality, regularly contributing to the global conversation on what effective governance looks like in practice.

Mahes is a globally recognized governance and compliance leader with over 47 years of distinguished service in the financial services sector. Her career spans 24 years in regulatory compliance, ethics, fraud investigation, and risk management, alongside 23 years in senior company secretarial roles for a listed entity. She is celebrated for her strategic foresight, ethical leadership, and unwavering commitment to building resilient, values-driven organizations.

Mahes is the former Executive Director and Group Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer of Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (KIBB), where she led transformative initiatives in corporate integrity and regulatory excellence. She was instrumental in forging KIBB’s historic partnership with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), USA—making it the first Southeast Asian company to do so.

Her pioneering contributions have earned her global acclaim, including the Outstanding Achievement in Outreach and Community Service award from the ACFE, USA (2023), and her election to the ACFE Board of Regents (2024–2026)—a first for Malaysia. In 2025, she was inducted into the Malaysia Book of Records for these dual honors and named Certified Fraud Examiner of the Year by the ACFE Malaysian Chapter.

Mahes currently serves on the boards of several prominent organizations, including the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM), Turiya Berhad, Malaysia Building Society Berhad (MBSB), MBSB Investment Bank and on the Risk Management Committee of University of Malaya. She also serves on the Nomination Committee of the ACFE, USA. Her governance roles span audit, risk, sustainability, strategy, and membership development. Mahes also served as a Member of the ACCA, UK Special Interest Group on Combatting Fraud 2024/5. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award (Finance) at the Fluxx Awards held in Manila in April 2026.

Beyond the boardroom, Mahes is a passionate advocate for women in leadership and a mentor. She also holds a unique place in Malaysia’s sporting history as a former national field hockey captain and Hall of Fame inductee by the Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM). She currently serves on the OCM Gender Equity Committee.

Her credentials include Fellow Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional (CGI UK & Malaysia), Certified Fraud Examiner (ACFE US/Malaysia), Chartered Banker (AICB/CBI UK), Certified Capital Market Professional – Compliance Advocate, and Certified Expert in ESG & Impact Investing (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management). She is also a Life Fellow of ICDM and an Honorary Member of LeadWomen’s Director Members Community.

Maheswari’s legacy is defined by courageous leadership, ethical transformation, and a lifelong commitment to empowering others.

Professor Michael BA(Hons), LLM(Lond), FCG, FGIA(Life), FAAL Adams is a Professor of Corporate Law & Governance at the IMC Law School (Australia); as well as an Adjunct Professor of Law, University of New England (Australia) and consultant for not-for-profit churches and charities. His key areas of expertise are corporate Law and corporate governance, including the not-for-profit charity sector; Securities markets regulation (insider trading & market manipulation); Technology and the Law; legal education. He has been a professor for over 30 years and Dean of Law at three Law Schools. He has written 12 books, 130 journal articles and presented at over 350 conferences, around the world. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law; Dean of Law at Western Sydney University, University of New England and Australian National Institute of Management and Commerce (IMC); he was awarded the 2020 Australian Academic Lawyer of the Year, and 2000 Australian University Teacher of the Year for Law; he is a Life member of the Governance Institute of Australia (and President's Award); and former Australian President of GIA, Cahir of Academic Board of the Australia Governance Academy and a current member of Professional Standards Committee, Chartered Governance Institute. Has been teaching, researching and consulting on corporate governance and strategic change management for 40 years.

Marianne joined Baillie Gifford in 2004 and has been integral to the firm’s evolving ESG resource and its integration across investment, operations, and client departments. Over the years, her role developed alongside the growth of the ESG function. It came to encompass research and analysis, stewardship responsibilities, client reporting, as well as engagement with institutional investors, regulators, and industry bodies worldwide.

Now based in Singapore, Marianne is the interim CEO. She combines an international outlook with her growing appreciation of the cultural and regulatory nuances that shape governance and sustainability across Asia.

Before joining Baillie Gifford, Marianne worked in environmental and geological survey roles within the offshore oil and gas sector. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science from the University of Aberdeen and an MBA from the University of Edinburgh. Marianne also serves as a member of the ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) Ethics Board.

Rangarajan has over 12 years of experience in the enterprise software industry, with a strong focus on Audit Management, Risk, and Analytics. He is a technology evangelist who is passionate about helping organizations address complex challenges to create meaningful and lasting impact. His mission is to ensure GRC functions are seamlessly integrated into an organization’s AI and digital transformation journey.

Justin J. Anthony is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Governance Institute of Malaysia (CGIM), formerly known as MAICSA, the nation’s premier professional body championing corporate governance and institutional integrity. As CEO, Justin steers the Institute’s strategic vision, positioning CGIM as a critical catalyst for sustainable business performance, investor confidence, and Malaysia's national progress.

A forward-thinking leader with over 30 years of executive experience, Justin excels at building high-impact partnerships across government, industry, and academia. Prior to anchoring CGIM, he spent over a decade as Executive Director of PIKOM (The National Tech Association of Malaysia). There, he was a central architect in driving Malaysia’s digital economy agenda, spearheading strategic initiatives across Global Business Services (GBS), e-commerce, and cybersecurity.

Today, Justin uniquely bridges the worlds of digital innovation and corporate stewardship. He believes that building a resilient, globally competitive Malaysia requires a powerful combination of technological evolution and uncompromised governance standards.

Justin is an Associate of the Association of International Accountants (AAIA), United Kingdom.

Dr Ismet Yusoff is a seasoned corporate governance advocate with vast experience as a policymaker and strategist on governance and sustainability practices. He plays an active role in raising the corporate governance and sustainability standards of corporates in Malaysia by working closely with local and international stakeholders, including regulators, standard setters, professional bodies, and corporates.

Dr Ismet is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG). Before MSWG, Dr Ismet was the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) and served the Securities Commission (SC)
Malaysia. He was instrumental in formulating Malaysia’s corporate governance and sustainability regulatory framework, best practices, and strategic priorities. These include the development of the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance, Malaysia’s Corporate Governance Strategic Priorities, Governance Code for Malaysia MSMEs, Guidelines on the Conduct of Directors of Listed Corporations and Their Subsidiaries, Guidelines on Corporate Governance for Capital Market Intermediaries and Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements, including Bursa Malaysia Sustainability Reporting Framework. He was also involved in developing analytics and machine learning systems for regulatory monitoring of governance disclosures, establishing the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia and other industry-led initiatives on corporate governance and sustainability.

Dr Ismet is a member of the Corporate Governance Council chaired by SC Malaysia and a Corporate Governance Expert for the ASEAN Corporate Governance initiatives under the ASEAN Capital Market Forum (ACMF).

Dr Ismet graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia. His doctoral thesis was on the effect of corporate governance and capital structures on the performances of Malaysian publicly listed companies.

Nana Li leads Impax’s sustainability research, stewardship strategy and policy advocacy across the Asia-Pacific region. She is responsible for overseeing sustainability analysis and engagement priorities, coordinating dialogue with investee companies and regulators, managing external sustainability- and stewardship-related inquiries, and contributing to the ongoing development of Impax’s proprietary sustainability frameworks and methodologies.

Prior to joining Impax in 2022, Nana served as Research and Project Director at the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA), where she authored and co-authored influential research on corporate governance developments across Asia. She continues to serve as Chair of ACGA's China Working Group and remains a Specialist Consultant to the organisation.

Nana is a frequent speaker at international conferences and industry forums and is widely recognised for her expertise in stewardship, shareholder engagement, sustainable finance and corporate governance. She is the author of Navigating
Sustainability in Asia: A Practical Guide for Corporate Leaders and Investors and coauthor of Unlocking Corporate Success by the Power of Diversity, the first book to examine gender diversity in Japan from an investor perspective.

She serves on several international advisory and policy bodies, including the Stakeholder Advisory Council of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants. In 2025, she received the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Excellence in Stewardship Award, becoming the first recipient from Asia.

Nana holds an MBA (Honors) from the University of Chicago, a Master of Finance from the University of Hong Kong (Dean’s List), and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales (Distinction). She is a CFA charterholder and has completed the HKICPA Qualification Programme.

As Head of Research and Advocacy at the ACGA, Dr. Helena Fung leads the research team and coordinates advocacy efforts across Asia. She works closely with the ACGA’s Secretary General and secretariat team. Helena joined the ACGA in April 2025, following her role as Head of Sustainable Finance and Investment, Asia Pacific, at the London Stock Exchange Group. With over 15 years of experience in sustainable investment and asset management since 2008, Helena specialises in ESG integration, policy analysis and responsible investment practices. Her experience includes advising pension funds and family offices on stewardship implementation, drafting responsible investment policies, and integrating sustainability factors into both active and passive portfolios. She also provides philanthropy advisory to family offices, asset managers, and institutional clients. Helena holds a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow, postgraduate qualifications in law, and a professional investment certification. She is a member of the SFC’s Public Shareholder Group in Hong Kong.

Jackie Mah is the President & CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM), the national institute dedicated to enhancing the professionalism and effectiveness of boards and directors in Malaysia. She drives the organisation’s strategic direction, growth and operational excellence with a clear commitment to advancing board effectiveness, strengthening director capabilities and shaping governance practices across organisations. She is also deeply committed to nurturing aspiring directors and strengthening the pipeline of future board leaders.

Prior to this position, Jackie’s tenure as Executive Vice President at ICDM saw her lead the Directors Development & Certification Framework, equipping boards with crucial skillsets for evolving governance challenges. She has led board evaluation engagements to strengthen effectiveness, enhance diversity, and foster a constructive boardroom culture. Recognising the importance of sustainability, Jackie completed the ESG Competent Boards Programme and was instrumental in integrating ESG into ICDM's offerings. She drove improvements in operational effectiveness, expanded outreach and accelerated business growth through strategic partnerships and focused market positioning. In parallel, she led the Research & Advocacy function, advancing thought leadership and deepening stakeholder engagement, while building a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team culture.

Before ICDM, Jackie served as CFO at the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation, where she led global projects across Financial Management, Strategic Planning, IT, HR, Business Development and Marketing & Communications.

Jackie’s passion extends to people and talent development, where she is committed to nurturing high performing, diverse and inclusive teams that promote ethical leadership, innovation, open dialogue, and a shared commitment to sustainable outcomes.

A member of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), Jackie also contributes as a member of the MIA’s Integrated Reporting Committee and serves as a Council Member for Climate Governance Malaysia, advancing climate stewardship initiatives.

Mr Simmonds is the Chief Strategy, Sustainability and Governance Officer of CLP and 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 Group’s Venture Capital and Research function, and the Group’s property development activities. In addition, Mr Simmonds leads the teams responsible for legal, corporate governance and insurance services across the Group.

Mr Simmonds is the Immediate Past President of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI) and current Council Member of The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) and a Fellow of both CGI and HKCGI. He is the Chair of the Task Force on Energy for the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network, 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.

Charlie is Immediate Past President of the CGIUKI Division. He is also a member of the CGIUKI's Company Secretaries Forum and the Association for the General Counsel and Company Secretaries of FTSE 100 companies. As Group Company Secretary for Experian plc in Dublin, he covers corporate governance, statutory and listing rules compliance and reporting, board support, shareholder and share plan services, and sustainability.

Taona has held several leadership positions in and outside the Financial Services Industry. Currently he is the Finance Director of Southlea Technopreneurship University, Non-Executive Director of Trust Insurance Brokers and chairs the Finance & Audit Committee. Chairs Nominations and Membership & Professional Competency Committees, Chairman of Dzidzo House Pvt Ltd. Appointed in two sub-committees of the Zimbabwe Republic Police Board of Governors: Finance Resource Mobilization & Investment as well as Technical & Infrastructure Development. International rep Zimbabwe Division, current Chairman of Chiefs School of Royal Harare Golf Club. Founder and Patron of St Stephens Anglican Church.

Former Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grain Marketing Board Pension Fund. Past President of the Institute CGAIZ, Chaired the Council, Executive Committee, Marketing and Strategy Committee. Former Chairman of the Institute of Business and Accounting Studies, a subsidiary of ICSAZ, Vice Chair of the Prison Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Board of Trustee Member-Zimbabwe Association of Pension Funds where he doubles as the Honorary Treasurer of the Association. Also Honorary Treasurer of the Zimbabwe Christian Golfers Association, past Treasurer of Vabvuwi Anglican Guild (CPCA) and St Aidans Anglican Church. Former Non-Executive Director of Corporate Secretaries International Association. Past Program Chairman of Premier Knowledge Consultants South Africa and AMC International South Africa for retirement conventions.

Certificate in sustainability reporting- PAFA & ESG Exchange.

Margie is the CEO of Thoughts In Gear (TIG), a Sustainability and Social Impact consulting firm working with corporations to embed Sustainability and ESG strategies and practices into their core business; and with non-profits for strategic and systemic impact.

Graduated an Electrical Engineer, Margie has a Sustainability Leadership certification with the London Business School. Margie has also worked with notable organisations like The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), ERM Consulting, Intel, HCL Technologies and the CIMB Foundation.

With more than a decade of experience, TIG’s achievements include, among others, developing the ASEAN Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide (SEDG), producing an 8-module preeminent Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) certification programme in the country, establishing South East Asia’s first Sustainability Accelerator with 100 listed companies in partnership with an agency in Malaysia’s Stock Exchange, producing Asia’s Best Sustainability Strategy and Report, setting up South East Asia’s largest Collective Impact Initiative for education in partnership with Malaysia’s Central Bank, and producing a Harvard-commended SROI Analysis.

Margie also currently serves on the Advisory Group for Sunway’s Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) Asia, on the Advisory Group for the Public Health Emergency Policy Hub, and is an Emissary for Responsible Finance and Investments (RFI) Foundation US.

Andrew S. Kalish is the Chief Legal Officer of BAC Education Group (BAC). He also heads Asia Law Academy and is a senior member of HRD Academy; both part of BAC. Called to the Malaysian Bar in 1998, his experience spans litigation, corporate advisory, international trade and trade finance. He joined BAC in 2012 and since 2014 has also been actively involved in continuing professional legal education and currently spearheads the design & development of programmes in law, corporate governance, alternative dispute resolution, LegalTech, AI & legal services, data privacy and ESG. He regularly speaks and moderates on legal, governance, regulatory, technology and professional development issues.

Amar Chhajer, in his role as the Vice President and Country Head, Malaysia for UST, is responsible for leading the Engineering Business for UST in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and Region. Amar is focused on developing business and managing its operations. Since 2011, Amar has served in several positions at UST doing Technology Consulting, Engineering Delivery, Client Relationship, and Center management. Prior to joining UST, Amar was with Accenture and Oracle in Software Engineering roles.

Driven by UST’s mission of Transforming Lives through Technology, Amar’s been instrumental in building the local ecosystem and capability development in niche and emerging areas like Gen AI, Silicon Engineering, Product Engineering etc.

Amar Chhajer serves as an Advisor for the Penang Silicon Design 5km initiative and the GBS Focus Group in Penang, contributing his expertise to drive industry growth. He is a TalentCorp Fellow under the TF50 program, actively involved in shaping the talent development strategies. Additionally, he is a Committee Member of the GBS Council Malaysia, involved in advancing the country’s Global Business Services sector, fostering innovation, and strengthening industry collaboration.

Amar was conferred the title of PJK by the Governor of Penang in 2020. In 2018, he received the Golden Globe Tigers Award for Excellence in Business Leadership in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Amar was named one of the Top 100 Inspirational leaders in 2022 by White Page International.

Amar is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, and he earned his degree in Engineering (Electronics and Telecommunications) from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT).

Calvin Cheng is the founder and CEO of Wizpresso, a leading technology company based in Asia, specializing in advanced artificial intelligence solutions for the financial markets, legal, and compliance sectors. Under Calvin’s leadership, Wizpresso delivers proprietary software that empowers financial institutions, professional services firms, and enterprises with actionable market intelligence, automated regulatory reporting, and robust knowledge management. Wizpresso’s solutions are trusted by hundreds of global organizations and have earned prestigious industry accolades, including the HKMA/HKT Global Innovation Gold Award, Best Tech Startup at the DaLa Awards, AI of the Year at APICTA, Grand FinTech Award at HKICT, and multiple other distinguished honors.

With over 15 years of experience in investment banking and product development, Calvin previously held roles in Global Banking at HSBC. Renowned for his commitment to innovation and education, Calvin was the first laureate of the BOCHK Science & Technology Innovation Prize and is recognized as a Gen.TLeader of Tomorrow by Tatler Asia. He serves as a Visiting Lecturer in FinTech at HKU SPACE and as a guest lecturer at HKU and CUHK. Calvin is also a mentor at HKU Business School, a steering committee member of CUHK’s Corporate Innovation Index (CII), a founding fellow of the Data Literacy Association (DaLa), and a council member at the Institute of Financial Technologists Asia (IFTA). He has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement by the Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao.

Calvin holds an Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree with distinction from Ivey Business School and is a CFA charterholder.

Eugene Teo is Microsoft ASEAN’s Chief Security Advisor. He partners with enterprise CIOs and CISOs to strengthen their digital resilience strategy and oversight, with cybersecurity at the intersection of technology, risk, and governance. His focus is the resilience and enterprise risk agenda that boards and senior leaders are accountable for, not technology controls alone. He also serves as Data Protection Officer (DPO) for several Microsoft subsidiaries in ASEAN, overseeing data protection and advising senior leadership on regulatory and risk matters.

Eugene brings direct boardroom and governance experience. He is an Accredited Board Director with the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and a Boardroom Certified Qualified Technology Expert (QTE), has completed its Board Readiness Programme (BRP), and serves on its Finance Committee. He has also served as a Subsidiary Board Director for UKG’s Singapore operations.

Eugene works closely on how organisations measure and govern technology and cyber risk. He is a Co-Founder and Co-Lead (APAC) of the Enterprise Risk Quantification Institute (ERQI) and Co-Chair of the FAIR Institute (Singapore Chapter), helping boards and executives express risk in financial terms for better decision-making. He is a co-opted committee member at the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP) and at the Singapore Computer Society (SCS). He has been active in the security community since 2001, as a founding executive committee member of the now-defunct Special Interest Group in Security and Information InteGrity (SIG2).

Before joining Microsoft, Eugene was Vice President of Global Security at UKG, a private equity backed technology firm, and held security leadership positions at Symantec and Red Hat. He was featured in the book Tribe of Hackers Security Leaders and is frequently interviewed by regional media. He speaks at many leading industry events, serves on advisory boards, and advises security technology start-ups. He has recently begun writing on cybersecurity and the issues that surround it, from digital resilience to risk. He has also served as adjunct faculty and a course leader at a local university since 2010.
Eugene holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computing from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and holds the CIPM, CIPP/E, CISM, CRISC, and Open FAIR 2 Foundation certifications.

Katrina Horrobin is Chief Executive Officer of Governance Institute of Australia, a national professional association and institute of higher education, dedicated to strengthening decision-making capability in people and organisations, everywhere decisions are made. She brings broad executive leadership experience across governance, education, superannuation, technology and telecommunications, with a career spanning strategy, transformation, stakeholder engagement, digital business growth and organisational change.

Katrina has extensive board and governance experience, including 12 years as a Director of the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, where she has also served as Deputy Chair. Her background includes founding-team experience in digital start-ups and senior roles leading marketing, communications, member engagement and technology-enabled transformation, providing a practical perspective on how organisations can govern digital technology in ways that build capability, trust and long-term value.

Linda Ford has a distinguished track record of leadership, membership growth and transformation across the professional and regulatory landscape. Linda joined the Chartered Governance Institute (CGIUKI) as its Chief Executive Officer in 2025. CGIUKI is the professional body for governance and the qualifying and membership body for governance professionals across all sectors. She was previously Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX), where she spearheaded major programmes of modernisation, expanded access to legal qualifications, and secured wide-reaching policy, regulatory and legislative reform. Over a 20-year leadership career, Linda has demonstrated her commitment to professional excellence, public interest outcomes and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed.

Linda also holds non-executive board director positions with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Institute of the Motor Industry and the Association of Accounting Technicians. She is Chair of The Alliance Schools Multi-Academy Trust and the National Association of Funeral Directors Board of Standards, Compliance and Ethics and is a strategic adviser to the UK Cyber Security Council.