Steward Leadership Summit 2022

Mr Chan Chun Sing

Minister for Education, Republic of Singapore

Mr Chan Chun Sing was appointed Singapore’s Minister for Education on 15 May 2021. He is also Minister-in-charge of the Public Service since 1 May 2018.

Mr Chan drove Singapore’s economic and industrial development as Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI) from 1 May 2018 to 14 May 2021. At MTI, he ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, as well as deepened international cooperation on the digital economy. As Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association from 1 October 2015 to 14 May 2021, he oversaw national efforts to foster social cohesion.

From May 2015 to May 2018, he was Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and expanded the Labour Movement network to represent all working people in Singapore. Prior to NTUC, he served as Minister for Social and Family Development (2013-2015) and Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (2011-12). He was also Second Minister for Defence (2013-15) and Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts (2011-12).

Serving with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from 1987 to 2011, Mr Chan held various appointments including Chief of Army. He left the SAF to run in the 2011 General Election and was elected Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency.

An SAF (Overseas) and President’s Scholarship holder, he graduated with First Class Honours in Economics from Christ’s College, Cambridge University, UK. He was also awarded the 1998 Distinguished Master Strategist Award by the US Army Command and General Staff College. In 2005, he completed the Sloan Fellows Programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship.

Born in 1969, Mr Chan is married with three children and enjoys reading and jogging.

Mr Lim Boon Heng

Chairman, Temasek Holdings

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

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

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

Mr Bey Soo Khiang

Vice-Chairman, RGE; Chairman, APRIL Group

Since 2011, Mr Bey Soo Khiang has served as the Vice-Chairman of RGE and Chairman of APRIL Group. At RGE, he oversees all its business groups in areas such as sustainability, continuous improvement, and digital transformation.

As the Chairman of APRIL Group, Mr Bey Soo Khiang actively guides APRIL Group’s operations in Indonesia on matters relating to fiber plantations and manufacturing operations.

He is also the Executive Adviser of Tanoto Foundation, where he provides counsel and management on critical matters affecting longer-term strategic direction of the Foundation.

Before joining RGE, Soo Khiang spent 11 years in Singapore Airlines (SIA) holding positions in Technical/Operations areas as well as in Human Resources. He held key appointments such as Chairman of SIA Cargo Pte Ltd, Chairman of Silkair Pte Ltd, Chairman of Singapore Flying College, and Board Member of Virgin Atlantic Limited.

A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) overseas scholar, Soo Khiang made significant contributions in transforming the RSAF into a modern and advanced air force as Chief of Air Force. He assumed the top post as Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force (CDF) from 1995-2000 and played an instrumental role in defence diplomacy by strengthening and expanding ties between the SAF and other armed forces around the world.

While serving as the CDF, he was also appointed as a member of the Board of Directors for Singapore Technologies Engineering and Singapore Airlines Limited.

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

Prof Arnoud De Meyer

Chairman, Stewardship Asia Centre

Professor De Meyer is a global academic leader with more than 35 years of experience in top academic institutions in Europe and Asia. Until December 2018, he served as President of Singapore Management University (SMU). Before joining SMU, Professor De Meyer was from 2006 until 2010 Director (Dean) of the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

Earlier on he was a faculty member at INSEAD and assumed several management positions, among others as founding dean of INSEAD’s Asia campus in Singapore. He has additionally been an Independent Director of various international companies and non-profit organisations. He is currently Independent Director of Viva Energy Pty Ltd, Banyan Tree Holdings Limited and upGrad Tech Pte Ltd.

Professor De Meyer is an internationally recognised researcher in the areas of Research & Development and Innovation Management, Manufacturing Strategy and International Management. He has published more than 100 academic articles and 12 books. His most recent books are “Ecosystem Edge: Sustaining Competitiveness in the Face of Disruption” (Stanford Business Press) and “Building Excellence in Higher Education: Singapore’s Experience” (Routledge).

Mr Frank E. Mars

Board Chair and Advisor, Strategic Programs, Mars, Incorporated

Mr Frank E. Mars is Chair of the Mars Board of Directors and a fourth-generation member of the Mars Family. He has worked within the Mars business since 1990, served on the Board of Directors since 2010, and was appointed Board Chair in 2020.

For the past 31 years at Mars, Mr Mars has held a variety of positions across its diverse business categories and global operations, including roles in Electronics, Snack Food, Pet Care and Food segments. He’s worked across the United States, Europe and Asia, and his business experience includes senior roles in Industrial Marketing, Sales, Commercial and Manufacturing.

From 2002 to 2005, he leveraged this breadth of experience as Regional President responsible for Asia and a member of the Mars Global Management team. From 2005 to 2017, Mr Mars served as President of Mars Symbioscience, leading the development of a technology-based health and life sciences venture within Mars tasked with developing and commercializing novel science and evidence-based products and services. This included most notably - Wisdom Panel®, a range of innovative and pioneering canine genetic tests which are now part of Mars Petcare, as well as CocoaVia™, a revolutionary cocoa flavanol extract-based supplement that supports improved cardiovascular and cognitive health by promoting healthy blood flow.

In 2017, Mr Mars transitioned to Vice President of Mars Sustainable Solutions. In this role, he led a multidisciplinary team developing scalable solutions to increase the resilience and sustainability of key tropical marine and forestry raw material supply ecosystems important to Mars’ business and ecosystem preservation. The outcomes of this work include a novel and highly innovative low-cost method of coral reef restoration which Mars is now sharing within the marine science community globally and has been adopted as global brand initiative by the Sheba Brand.

Outside of Mars, Mr Mars is Co-founder and a Director of Heliae®, a micro-algal-based life sciences and technology company. Founded in 2008, Heliae is actively globally commercializing an innovative range microalgal products which improve overall agricultural crop resilience and productivity. PhycoTerra® branded products naturally enhance soil health by improving soil microbial response, structure, water productivity, and nutrient use efficiency. Mr Mars is also a Patron of Nature for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and serves on the Advisory Board to the United Nations’ Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Before joining the family business in 1993, Mr Mars served from 1990 to 1993 as the majority Owner/CEO of Insulated Shipping Containers, Inc. (ISC), a specialty packaging engineering company. He was Chairman of the Board of ISC from 1993 until 2001, when the business was acquired by SCA Packaging, and now part of Sonoco Thermosafe.

Mr Mars is a co-inventor of multiple patents related to electronic coin and/or bill recognition, vending machine management and microalgae production. He is also a co-author of several peer reviewed scientific papers in the area of coral reef ecosystem restoration. Mr Mars earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Yale University in 1985 and his MBA in 1990 from Duke University (Fuqua School of Business). He and his wife Susan have four children and five grandchildren.

Mr Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala

Head of Business Development and Digital Innovation Group, Ayala Corporation

Jaime Alfonso is the Head of Business Development and Digital Innovation Group of Ayala Corporation.

He is a Board of Director of ACEN Corporation, AC Energy International Inc, AC Enexor, Inc, Globe STT GDC, Inc., BPI Capital Corporation, BPI BanKO, MCT Berhard (Malaysia), Ayala Land Logistics, and AC Ventures Holdings Corp. He is the Chairman of Global Ideas Committee of the Makati Business Club and a member of the Investment Committee of Kickstart Ventures Inc. and 917Ventures.

Prior to this, he was previously the Head of Fixed-Mobile Convergence (Product Management) and Head of Business Development (Prepaid Division) of Globe Telecom.

He graduated at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA with a Primary Concentration in Government in 2013, and his Masters of Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York in 2019.

Ms Erika Cheung

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Ethics in Entrepreneurship

Ms Erika Cheung is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ethics in Entrepreneurship (EIE), a non-profit organisation that is mobilising a social movement to promote an ethical culture within companies. EIE acts as the connective tissue between tools, resources and experts to implement ethics at the core of their businesses.

Ms Cheung was one of the key whistleblowers in the Theranos scandal that stopped the company from processing thousands of patients’ samples with faulty technology. The story has been covered in the book "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou, 60 minutes, ABC news, the HBO documentary "The Inventor: Out for Blood in the Silicon Valley,” and “The Dropout” on Disney+.

After working for biotechnology companies, she committed herself to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Hong Kong, China and Southeast Asia. She was the founding team member of the Betatron, a technology accelerator based in Hong Kong. The programme invests and supports early-stage tech companies scale and grow across Asia. She also founded Spiral Bio, an application-based community facilitating investment and partnerships for healthcare and biotechnology companies across the APAC markets.

Mr Edward Booty

Chief Executive Officer, reach52

Edward is the founder and CEO of reach52; a tech startup on a mission to connect the 52% of the world that lack access to essential health services.

The reach52 model trains health workers to collect data, run targeted health awareness, education and screening campaigns, and provide access to essential health products. He has launched reach52 operations in six countries and 2500 communities, building relationships with over 30 funding partners, and developing the operations and digital platforms to enable this.

He has worked in health systems across three continents and 12 countries; and has extensive experience in digital health, health equity, access to medicine and essential health products, public health campaigns, supply chain, government relations and public affairs, private sector engagement strategy and startup operations.

Prior to reach52, he worked in healthcare consulting, for the UK National Health Service (NHS) and for a multinational pharmaceutical company in India, looking at access to medicine in more rural areas. He is a graduate from the London School of Economics (LSE).

Mr Munib Madni

Founding Panvestor, CEO, Panarchy Partners

Mr Munib Madni from Panarchy Partners is the founding Panvestor and Lead PM of the Global Panvest® Fund, a portfolio of purpose-driven companies.

After 25 years of investing for the likes of Morgan Stanley and Aberdeen, Mr Madni founded Panarchy Partners with a mission to redefine wealth and how it is created. Panarchy Partners has pioneered the Panvesting Philosophy, a natural and required evolution of investing. As a shareholder, to Panvest is to be vested in the four forms of capital (human, social, environmental and financial) that a firm needs and nurtures to deliver on their purpose and still make profits.  

Mr Madni has been investing for 27 years. He started his career in Sydney, Australia, with the likes of Equitilink Investment Management and Aberdeen Asset Management where he focused on Australian Equities. In 2005, he moved to Singapore with Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) to broaden his equity focus. He was at MSIM for 14 years and had assignments such as PM Emerging Markets Team, Chief Investment Officer Asia and CO-PM Active International Allocation Strategy. After leaving MSIM in 2018, he founded Panarchy Partners with a strong belief in the philosophy of Panvesting.  

Mr Madni has been a student throughout his life. He received a Bachelor of Finance (First Class Honors) & LLB from the University of Technology, Sydney. He also obtained his CFA Designation in early 2000. In 2018, he went back to school to sharpen his skills as a Panvestor and in June 2020, he graduated from the National University of Singapore with an MSc in Environmental Management (MEM).

Ms Aw Kah Peng

Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore

Ms Aw Kah Peng has been the Chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore since January 2019. She drives energy transition in the country, in support of RDS’ ambition to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.

Kah Peng joined Shell in 2012 as the General Manager for Global Commercial Strategy. She moved to the Chemicals business in 2014 and was in a number of global and regional roles. In Chemicals, she delivered significant business value, leveraging her deep knowledge and experience in the industry, commercial acumen, passion for people and customers, and her drive for excellence.

Prior to joining Shell, Kah Peng had a successful 22-year career in the Singapore public service. She worked at the Economic Development Board across a range of industries and geographies in the US and Europe; before she was appointed as CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board. Throughout her career, she played a key role in a wide range of developments, such as Jurong Island, LNG terminal, Integrated Resorts and the F1 night race. She also sat on the boards of a number of companies (both private and not-for-profit), government agencies, as well as on the Advisory Board of the City of Rotterdam.

She is a Fellow of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Chairman of the Industry Advisory Panel of the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a steering committee member of the Philip Yeo Initiative (for young entrepreneurs), also at NUS. She has been recognised for her work in public service and the arts. Outside work, Kah Peng loves running, spending time in the kitchen and is a strong supporter of the arts in Singapore. She remains a board member of the Singapore Repertory Theatre.

Mr Shai Ganu

Managing Director; Global Leader – Executive Compensation & Board Advisory, WTW

Shai Ganu is passionate about embedding ESG priorities, building better boards, combating climate change, and driving behavioural change through innovative incentives and human capital governance.

Shai is the Global Leader for WTW’s Executive Compensation & Board Advisory business. He leads a team of over 500 exceptional consultants, across 40 countries, who are trusted advisors to clients on issues related to board and executive compensation, performance management and incentives, board effectiveness, organisation design, culture transformation, and human-capital governance.

Based in Singapore, Shai has extensive experience working closely with the Boards and management teams of some of the largest companies in Asia Pacific and globally. He is a trusted advisor to more than a hundred Boards, Remuneration Committees, Nomination Committees, and Sustainability Committees.

Shai is a member of the Governing Board of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and chairs its ESG Committee. He is faculty member at NED associations in the region – and teaches courses related on Remuneration, Nomination, Talent Management, and ESG matters.

He also serves on the boards of leading companies and not-for-profits in the region and chairs the HR and Compensation committees. He is a member of the Global Governing Board of Climate Governance Initiative (CGI); and is a co-founding member of the Singapore chapter and ASEAN network. He was recently inducted into the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Climate Governance Global Community of Experts.

Dr Vinika D. Rao

Executive Director, INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute, Gender Initiative & Africa Initiative; Asia Director, INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business & Society

Dr Vinika D. Rao is Executive Director, INSEAD Africa Initiative & Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, Asia. She is also Adjunct Professor, Singapore Management University. She sits on several Boards and Advisory Boards, including TiE Singapore, European Women on Boards, LiveWithAI, Nine by 9, and Hearth Ventures. She advises & trains global organizations on Diversity & Inclusion and Sustainability initiatives. She is also Ambassador, Power Women of India; International Advisory Committee, Mody University for Women & SP Jain Return to Work Programme; Ambassador, She2030 (Europe) and Advisory Council, Board MatchUp (Asia).

Vinika’s research is in diversity & inclusion in leadership, allyship and inter-generational influences on the future of work. She is frequently invited to speak on related topics and is quoted/ published in leading business publications. She started her career with an MNC bank and went on to become Managing Director of an Asian conglomerate, before making a serendipitous transition to education. Prior to joining INSEAD she was Associate Professor of Strategy at S.P. Jain School of Global Management. She has taught MBA, EMBA and UG students and conducted specialised programmes for corporate clients. She is an alumna of INSEAD (International Directors Programme), Singapore Management University (DBA, award-winning doctorate in leadership diversity), IIM Bangalore (MBA), and has completed various business management programs at INSEAD and CEIBS.

Vinika believes that business has the potential to be a force for good, led by managers who value social impact and are committed to the UN Sustainability Development Goals. She is passionate about supporting women managers to make fulfilling work-life decisions, aiming to do this through active sponsorship rather than mentorship alone. She strives to engage all genders in the effort to foster DEI in their organizations and communities. 

Professor Tommy Koh

Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore & Professor of Law, NUS

Professor Tommy Koh is currently Professor of Law at NUS; Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Rector of the Tembusu College at NUS; Chairman of the Governing Board of the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS); and Special Adviser to IPS.  He is the Chairman of the International Advisory Panel of the Asia Research Institute (NUS) and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Master’s Degree on Environmental Management (NUS).  He is also the Co-chairman of the Asian Development Bank’s Advisory Committee on Water and Sanitation.  

He had served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador to the United States of America, High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico. He was President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea.  He was also the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for and the Main Committee of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit).  

Professor Koh received the Champion of the Earth Award from UNEP and the inaugural President's Award for the Environment from Singapore. Harvard University conferred on him the Great Negotiator Award in 2014.

Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria

Executive Director, APEC Secretariat, Singapore

Mr Jaime Ho

Editor of The Straits Times, SPH Media

Jaime is the Editor of The Straits Times, where he is responsible for all aspects of the newsroom's operations and growth.

Before joining SPH Media Group in October 2022, Jaime’s career had spanned more than 25 years across journalism and the Singapore civil service. He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1997 to 2013, overseeing issues such as bilateral relations with Europe and climate change, while also serving in Washington, D.C. and Geneva.

Jaime joined Mediacorp in 2013 as Associate Editor before becoming Deputy Chief Editor. He was appointed Chief Editor of CNA Digital in January 2016, a role he held until April 2022. Under his leadership, the team successfully navigated a period of significant audience growth, and the platform won several accolades. Jaime also wrote extensively at Mediacorp and fronted several broadcast events for CNA.

From June to October 2022, Jaime was also a Partner at FGS Global, a global strategic advisory, where he led its Singapore office and its operations locally and regionally.

Jaime graduated from the National University of Singapore with a BA (Hons) in 1997, and also holds a Master in Public Management from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in 2006.

Mr Rajeev Peshawaria

CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre

Rejecting platitudes and theoretical models, Rajeev combines 22 years of global Fortune 100 experience with research-based insights to provide unique and practical approaches to personal leadership, ethics, governance, sustainable business growth, and stewardship. A sought-after speaker and consultant, he is the CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, Singapore, and President of Leadership Energy Consulting, Seattle, WA, USA.

Author of the Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller Open Source Leadership (McGraw Hill), Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders (Simon & Schuster), Sustainable Sustainability (Penguin Random House), co-author of Be the Change (McGraw Hill) and a regular contributor for Forbes, he constantly challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, management, stewardship, sustainability, and corporate governance.  He has pioneered unique practical concepts such as Leadership Energy and Emotional Integrity for personal growth, the Brains-Bones-Nerves model for enterprise leadership, and the Steward Leadership model for driving sustainable business growth in the 21st century.

Rajeev is a high-energy, inspirational speaker who provides coaching, consulting and advisory services to corporate and public sector clients globally. He also serves as guest faculty at leading US, Europe and Asia business schools.  He has been widely featured in international media such as CNN, Bloomberg TV & Radio, National Public Radio, Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Fast Company, Leader to Leader, American Management Association magazine, Leadership Excellence magazine, The Times of India, The Straits Times, Business Times, and many more.

Before joining SAC and starting LEC, he was the CEO of the Iclif Leadership & Governance Centre.  He was formerly the Chief Learning Officer of Coca-Cola and Morgan Stanley and has also held senior positions at American Express, HSBC, and Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Rajeev helped found Pine Street − the firm’s acclaimed leadership academy − and headed Pine Street for Europe and Asia. In his early career, he was a banker and currency trader.

In 2014 and 2017, he was named one of the Top 100 Global Thought Leaders for Trustworthy Business by ‘Trust Across America.’  

A few of Rajeev’s videos and articles can be found on the links below:

1. CNBC Interview
2. Overview
3. Interview on CNN’s Quest Means Business
4. Forbes Article: Will G Save Us from E and S Challenges
5. TED Talk
6. TED Talk