Kevin Nealer

Principal and Partner The Scowcroft Group

As the Principal of the Scowcroft Group, Nealer offers strategic risk advisory services and direct investment support, focusing on financial services and trade policy matters in emerging markets, particularly China and Southeast Asia. Before his current role, he held positions as a principal in the consulting division of Washington's largest law firm and as a Vice President for corporate affairs in a prominent government strategies practice.

Nealer's experience also includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the US government's development finance agency, after being confirmed by the United States Senate in 2010. He actively participated in OPIC's Audit and Governance Committees until his term concluded in 2013. Additionally, he served as a Member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2014 to 2017, following his appointment by President Obama.

Charles Ormiston Founding Partner, Southeast Asia, Bain & Company

Charles Ormiston, the founding partner of our Southeast Asia business, brings extensive experience to his role as managing partner from 1995 to 2007. He has also played a crucial role in leading Bain's Retail practice in Asia-Pacific and has been a significant contributor to their Transformation and Strategy practices. Currently, he serves as a Bain Advisor. Alongside his client responsibilities, Charlie has actively participated in Bain's Global Management Committee, co-led a comprehensive evaluation of the company's global strategy, facilitated the establishment of new offices in emerging markets, and chaired Bain's Global Nominating Committee.

Beyond his involvement with Bain, Charlie has made notable contributions on various boards. He has served on the Boards of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, United World College of SE Asia (as Chair), IDA Singapore, Sentosa Development Corporation, Media Development Authority of Singapore, and MediaCorp. Currently, he holds a position on the Board of HCLI and serves as the chair of the Angsana Council of Monk's Hill Ventures.

Gita Wirjawan Chairman, Ancora Group Founding Partner & Alternate Chairman, Ikhlas Capital

Gita is an educator, entrepreneur, and proud Indonesian who is on a mission to find the best narrators to help tell the story of Indonesia's bright future through his podcast ‘Endgame’

He was Indonesia's Minister of Trade from 2011 to 2014 and Chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board from 2009 to 2011. He is a huge believer in soft power, and his passion for sports, music, and arts led to some of the nation's historic achievements. He was the Chairman of the Indonesian Badminton Association between 2012-2016. He has produced, composed, distributed, and played for some of Indonesia's most prominent artists. He also chairs Visinema Group, an award-winning entertainment and IP development company aiming to project Indonesian ideals and create meaningful change through storytelling.

Currently, he teaches and joins the advisory boards for Yale University School of Management, Asia School of Business (MIT Sloan), and the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia. Currently, he is also a visiting scholar at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) Stanford University.

Tan Sri Andrew Sheng Chief Adviser China Banking Regulatory Commission

A former central banker and financial regulator who holds several significant roles and advisory positions, including Chief Adviser to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, board member of Khazanah Nasional Berhad in Malaysia, member of the International Advisory Panel to the Australian Treasury's Financial System Inquiry, and advisor to the United Nations Environment Program Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System.

He is also involved in the International Advisory Council of the China Investment Corporation, the China Development Bank, the Advisory Council on Shanghai as an International Financial Centre, and the International Council of the Freie University in Berlin.

Additionally, he serves as an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University and the University of Malaya. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong.

With an impressive professional background that includes chairing the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong and working with the World Bank, Mr. Sheng has published extensively and received recognition as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

Cesar Purisima Founding Partner Ikhlas Capital

Cesar Purisima, a senior fellow at the Milken Institute and founding partner at IKHLAS Capital, holds various board positions including the AIA Group, De La Salle University, Ayala Land, Universal Robina Corporation, and the International School of Manila.

He also serves as a member of Partners Group AG LIFE's International Advisory Council, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation's Global Advisory Council, and Singapore Management University's International Advisory Council in the Philippines. From 2010 to 2016, Purisima held the role of Secretary of Finance of the Philippines and Chair of the Cabinet's Economic Development Cluster. He previously served as the Finance Secretary in 2005 and the Trade and Industry Secretary from 2004 to 2005. Notably, during his tenure, the Philippines achieved its first investment-grade ratings.

Purisima's remarkable achievements have been recognized with him being named Finance Minister of the Year on seven occasions over six consecutive years, an unprecedented accomplishment for the Philippines. Prior to his government service, he held the position of Chairman and Country Managing Partner at SGV & Co., the largest professional services firm in the Philippines. Additionally, he was a member of the Global Executive Board and Global Practice Council of Ernst & Young.

M. Arsjad Rasjid P. Mangkuningrat Chairman Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN)

Other than leading KADIN, Arsjad Rasjid Mangkuningrat is also currently serves as the President Director of Indika Energy, a leading integrated energy company in Indonesia. Under his leadership, the company achieved a remarkable turnaround, transforming from significant financial losses due to the decline in coal prices to a substantial increase in assets, approximately seven times growth within a span of six years. This success can be attributed to his ability to create value, foster synergy, align the company's vision, and effectively reduce inefficient expenses.

Mangkuningrat holds degrees from the University of Southern California and Pepperdine University in California, and he has also completed educational programs at renowned institutions such as INSEAD in France, the Harvard Kennedy School in the United States, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. His exceptional leadership qualities have been recognized through accolades such as being named the Best Executive in Indonesia by Asiamoney in 2010 and receiving the Young Global Leader award from the World Economic Forum in 2011.

Tan Sri Nazir Razak Founding Partner & Chairman Ikhlas Capital

Nazir Razak currently holds the position of Chairman and Founding Partner at Ikhlas Capital. Following a distinguished 29-year career with the ASEAN banking group, he retired as Chairman of CIMB Group in October 2018.

Throughout his career, Tan Sri Nazir has been recognized as Malaysia's top executive and CEO on multiple occasions. Notably, he received Finance Asia's 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in 2009, becoming the youngest recipient of this prestigious accolade. In 2012, he was honored with Euromoney's 'Outstanding Achievement Award,' and in 2015, he emerged as the winner of the esteemed 'Asia House Asian Business Leaders Award.'

As an advocate for ASEAN economic integration, Nazir held the inaugural Chairman position for the World Economic Forum's ASEAN Regional Strategy Group. Additionally, he served on the Investment Panel for the Employees Provident Fund from 2002 to 2017 and held a position on the Board of Khazanah Nasional from 2014 to 2018.

Nazir completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Bristol in 1988 and obtained an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge in 1989. In 2009, he was selected as the Chevening Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and in 2019, he served as the Transformational Leadership Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University.

Korn Chatikavanij Chairman & Leader, Chart Pattanakla Party

Korn, who formerly served as the Finance Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011, played a crucial role in steering the country's recovery from the global financial crisis. Under his leadership, Thailand achieved the world's second-fastest recovery, with remarkable growth rates of 7.8% and record-breaking export growth of 28.5%. The Financial Times' The Banker magazine acknowledged his accomplishments by naming him the "Finance Minister of the Year 2010." Furthermore, Korn had a successful political career, being elected to four terms as a Member of Parliament.

Prior to his involvement in politics, Korn gained valuable experience working at SG Warburg and later founded JF Thanakom in 1988. He eventually sold the company to JP Morgan after 11 years. Notably, he holds prominent positions as the Chair of Thailand's Fintech Association and the Chair of the Kaset Khem Kaeng program, which focuses on supporting farmers in Maha Sarakham province. Korn is an alumnus of St John's College, University of Oxford.

Purbaja Pantja Director & Group Chief Investment Officer Indika Energy

Pantja started his professional career in the banking industry before being appointed as Director and Group Chief Investment Officer of Indika Energy, starting April 2020. His previous roles include Head of Investment Banking, Indonesia at NM Rothschild & Sons Singapore (2003 – 2007), Head of Global Banking Indonesia at Deutsche Bank Singapore (2008 – 2010) and Head of Strategic Coverage Indonesia at Standard Chartered Bank Singapore (2010 – 2013). He also served as President Director of PT Alam Sutera Realty Tbk. and Senior Director at Capital Group Private Markets prior to his role with PT Indika Energy Tbk.

He earned his BSc (cum laude) in Statistics & Economics (double majors) from the University of California, Davis (California, USA) in 1991 and MBA in Finance from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA) in 1993.

Irvan Kolonas Co-Founder and President AgriAku

He co-founded AgriAku, a Jakarta-based B2B agriculture marketplace, with Danny Handoko since May 2021. AgriAku aims to give retailers/ farmers a bigger selection of products and access to transparent pricing in addition to their business software offerings on bookkeeping and inventory management tools, to help supplier forecasts the farmers demands. Since its launch, AgriAku has >10,000 active users registered under its farmer stores and it has expanded the coverage to over 500+ cities nationwide, with Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi as its top three areas of operation.

Kolonas’s history in the farming industry has started since he co-founded Vasham in 2013 with the objective to improve smallholder farmers wellbeing by providing working capital loans, farmer advisory, and market linkage at a guaranteed above-market price premium.

Niki Luhur Chairman and Co-Founder Fintech Association of Indonesia

As the Chairman, Luhur works with the regulators, financial institutions, and emerging fintech startups to create a progressive and collaborative environment for financial inclusion in Indonesia. Prior to this, he was the former Special Advisor to the Indonesian Minister of ICT for Fintech and Financial Inclusion.

Luhur is also the founder for 2 startups, namely (i) Kartuku, the leading independent payment infrastructure in Indonesia; and (ii) VIDA, a digital identity startup which he is managing this as its CEO.

He was previously selected as Indonesia’s first Endeavor High Impact Entrepreneur in 2012 as well as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015.

Tessa Wijaya Co-Founder & COO Xendit

“Wijaya” means “victory” in Indonesian, and Tessa Wijaya is having a winning run. The entrepreneur leads Xendit, a Jakarta-headquartered fintech company that has quickly carved out a place in payment infrastructure for businesses across Southeast Asia.

Founded in 2015, Xendit reached unicorn status in September 2021 in a round led by Tiger Global Management. Now processing more than 65 million transactions worth $6.5 billion annually, its partnerships includes names such as super app Grab, payments company Wise, and regional travel aggregator Traveloka. Given that only 7% of fintech companies are led by women, Wijaya has said she strives to set an example to other women in Southeast Asian tech: 40% of Xendit’s employees are women.

Joydeep Sengupta Senior Partner McKinsey

Joydeep is a senior partner at McKinsey. Over the last 25 years, he has focused on helping leading institutions around the world transform the performance and health of their businesses. He has deep expertise in architecting and leading multiyear business transformations with a large variety of institutions across Asia and Europe. His experience in banking, digital, analytics, strategy, organization, culture, change management, and leadership enables him to counsel and work closely with CEOs and boards to create stakeholder value and sustainable change.

Joydeep has been instrumental in leading several large-scale digital platform creations across markets in Asia. He is also a member of several policy-making groups in Asia focusing on financial sector reform and corporate governance.

Joydeep serves on McKinsey's Shareholders Council and the global knowledge council, which sets the firm’s knowledge and client agenda. He has led McKinsey’s Banking Practice in Asia for several years and currently leads McKinsey’s Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice in the region. Joydeep is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and is a graduate of the Shriram College of Commerce. Prior to joining McKinsey, Joydeep spent five years with HSBC in various executive roles.

Sandiaga Uno Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Republic of Indonesia

Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno or better known as Sandiaga Uno, was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of Tourism and Creative Economy Agency on December 23, 2020.

Sandiaga is a renowned businessman with various experiences serving as directors of a number of companies in various sectors, including: Summa Group, Seapower Asia Investment Limited, MP Holding Limited Group, NTI Resources Limited, and PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya.

His political career began when he was sworn in as Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta for the 2017-2022 period. During this period, he intensively created programs aimed at fostering entrepreneurship in Jakarta residents. He was also actively encouraging DKI Jakarta to become a halal tourist destination.

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes Chief Executive Officer Capital A Berhad

One of Asia’s most recognisable entrepreneurs, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is best known for co-founding low-cost carrier AirAsia with Datuk Kamarudin Meranun in 2001 and democratising air travel in the region. Since 2018, Fernandes has been spearheading a digital transformation of his businesses, launching AirAsia’s super app in October 2020, a comprehensive travel and lifestyle platform which offers flights, hotels, e-hailing services, food, and edutech products. He is currently the CEO of Capital A, an investment holding company with a diverse portfolio of synergistic businesses, including aviation, fintech BigPay and logistics venture Teleport.”

He has also recently been appointed as the Council Member of ASEAN-BAC Malaysia, starting 2023.

Vinayak HV Senior Partner AT McKinsey Singapore Leader of McKinsey Digital Asia Pacific

Vinayak leads McKinsey Digital in Asia–Pacific. He works closely with leading incumbents and fast-growing technology companies across North and South Asia.

Vinayak helps institutions maximize the value from technology by helping imagine, build, and scale new businesses, transform legacy technology to be fit for purpose, and scale AI and analytics capabilities across organizations. With an eye to disruptive and transformative digital opportunities, Vinayak has spent significant time with executives at global and local institutions in Asia as they undertake strategic “big bets” and build new capabilities to be relevant in an increasingly digital world.

Vinayak has helped establish deep fact bases on new trends and dynamics in the Asian markets. He has coauthored several publications on digital and technology trends, and helped set up Build by McKinsey in Asia.

Peng T Ong Co-Founder and Managing Partner Monk's Hill Ventures

Peng is a veteran entrepreneur with over 25 years of industry experience as both an entrepreneur and an investor in Silicon Valley and in Asia.

Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China. The firm is known for its successful investments in companies like Didi Chuxing and Qunar. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded a series of successful companies today including Electric Classifieds (today known as Match.com), Interwoven and Encentuate, which combined today generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually. He is currently the Chairman of SolveEducation! and a board member of the International Advisory Board for the University of Texas at Austin.