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Ajay Banga is the President of the World Bank Group, beginning his five-year term on June 2, 2023. He stepped into the role with a clear mandate: to transform the 80-year-old institution into a faster, more efficient, and more impactful partner in development.
Since taking office, Ajay has led the adoption of a new vision and mission for the World Bank: to create a world free of poverty—on a livable planet. Under his leadership, the Bank has undertaken a broad set of reforms to boost lending capacity, simplify operations, and deliver development solutions that are practical, scalable, and impactful. He has prioritized a more agile institution—one that is easier to work with and focused on getting results.
At the core of Ajay’s agenda is a belief that job creation is the most powerful driver of development—offering not just income, but dignity and purpose. That conviction has helped shape new efforts to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, expand access to quality and affordable healthcare for 1.5 billion people, and develop a modern approach to agribusiness that can drive growth, improve food security, and create economic opportunity.
Ajay has also brought renewed focus to harnessing the power of the private sector. He has strengthened collaboration with development partners, philanthropies, and investors, and launched the Private Sector Investment Lab—bringing together leading CEOs and asset managers to tackle the barriers holding back private capital in emerging markets. His approach reflects a fundamental shift: development progress at scale cannot be achieved without the innovation, financing, and execution capabilities of the private sector.
Prior to joining the World Bank, Ajay was Vice Chairman at General Atlantic and, before that, President and CEO of Mastercard. There, he led a global workforce of nearly 24,000 and made financial inclusion a core part of the company’s strategy. He also founded the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to advance equitable and sustainable economic opportunity.
Ajay’s leadership extends beyond the private sector. He served as Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (2020–2022), and has held board roles with the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods, and Dow Inc. He is also a co-founder of the Cyber Readiness Institute. His contributions have earned wide recognition, including the Singapore Public Service Star award (2022), the Padma Shri from the President of India (2016), the Foreign Policy Association Medal (2012), and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
As President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga is reshaping the institution to meet the defining challenges of our time—with urgency, ambition, and a relentless focus on delivering results.
His Excellency Ahmed Talib Al Shamsi is a social impact innovator dedicated to empowering communities through leadership advocacy and the support of grassroots initiatives.
Since 2019, Ahmed has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Foundation, a member of Erth Zayed Philanthropies. The foundation invests in sustainable social development and accelerates community-led initiatives. Inspired by the vision of the UAE’s founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, to empower future generations, and founded by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Emirates Foundation has spearheaded transformative programmes through strategic subsidiaries and joint ventures, establishing itself as a key driver of sustainable social progress.
In addition to his role at Emirates Foundation, Ahmed serves as the Director of the National Experts Program (NEP), which equips the next generation of Emirati leaders through an innovative mentorship initiative.
Previously, Ahmed chaired the Abu Dhabi Youth Council. He also played a pivotal role in major UAE international engagements across diplomacy, culture, and sports, such as the Special Olympics, UAE-China Week, Formula 1 Abu Dhabi, and the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Notably, he was appointed as the UAE’s first UN Youth Ambassador.
Ahmed was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He was the Curator of the Global Shapers Abu Dhabi Chapter.
Ahmed holds a degree in International Relations from American University in Washington, D.C., and has pursued advanced training at Oxford University, Harvard University, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Alasdair Harris leads the Ocean Resilience & Climate Alliance (ORCA), a philanthropic collaborative advancing high-impact solutions at the intersection of ocean protection and climate action. ORCA brings together global funders to accelerate ocean-based climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience strategies at scale. A marine biologist and social entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience, Alasdair has built his career at the interface of ocean conservation and social justice. He previously founded and served as CEO of Blue Ventures, which began as a small community-led marine conservation initiative on a remote beach in Madagascar and grew under his leadership into an internationally recognised organisation of more than 300 staff working across over a dozen countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. His work pioneered community-led approaches to fisheries management, coastal livelihoods and marine protection, demonstrating how locally led conservation can deliver environmental recovery alongside economic resilience. In addition to his executive roles, Alasdair has served as a founding chair and board member of environmental non-profits, and currently serves on the boards of several conservation and climate-focused organisations. Across these roles, he works to strengthen governance, strategy and capital mobilisation in support of practical, community-led climate solutions. Alasdair is a TED Fellow, Ashoka Fellow and National Geographic Explorer. He holds a PhD in marine ecology and an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Edinburgh.
Aminath Shauna is a Maldivian leader in climate policy, sustainable development, and democratic governance, with over 15 years of senior experience in government and public policy. She served as Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology from 2021–2023, and earlier as Policy Secretary at the President’s Office, where she led national climate, energy, environment, and digital transformation agendas. As Minister, Shauna steered major reforms including tripling solar energy investments, introducing a comprehensive single-use plastics ban policy, and implementing a nationwide conservation program protecting ecologically significant areas. She also worked closely with development partners and international financial institutions to advance national priorities in renewable energy, waste management, conservation, and digitalization. Internationally, she co-led ministerial negotiations on the Global Goal on Adaptation at COP26 and COP27 and played a pivotal role in securing the Loss and Damage Fund. Shauna currently is an Advisor on sustainability at the Soneva Conservation & Sustainability Maldives. She also serves on the Board of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance. She is also a member of the UN Ocean Decade Advisory Board for the 2026–2027 term.
Dr Ana K. Spalding is the Founding Director of the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Dr Spalding holds a BA in economics and international studies from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in marine affairs and policy from the University of Miami and a master's and doctorate in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has published widely on the socio-environmental outcomes of lifestyle migration to Panama; on the linkages between land use and policy, property rights, and development; and, more broadly, on the evolution of marine policy and ocean governance. She is also fascinated by interdisciplinarity and collaboration as a critical framework for co-creating innovative solutions to the coupled social and environmental challenges of our times. Current research includes locally-led conservation, adaptation as a pathway to resilience for marine resource-dependent communities, and the role of ocean governance and finance in securing co-benefits for people and nature.
Dr Angela Pratt took up the role of WHO Representative in Viet Nam on 3 October 2022.
Angela has over 15 years experience in international public health and national health policy-making, with particular expertise in health policy, strategy and communications, and non-communicable disease prevention and control.
Before moving to the WHO Viet Nam Country Office, Angela was the Director of the Office of the Regional Director, and Director of Communications and External Relations in WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office, based in Manila. In this role she led the development of the WHO Western Pacific Region’s Communication for Health (C4H) program. Angela first joined WHO in 2012, in WHO’s China Country Office in Beijing, where she led the WHO's work on tobacco control in China for over 4 years.
Previously, Angela was Chief of Staff to the former Minister for Health (2008-2011) in her home country of Australia, during which time she was closely involved in delivering Australia's world-first tobacco plain packaging laws, along with a range of other reforms to the Australian health system.
Angela holds a BA (Hons) and PhD in Sociology and Politics from the University of Wollongong, Australia, and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Liverpool, UK. She is married with twin daughters.
Dr Arunabha Ghosh is an internationally recognised public policy expert, author, columnist, and institution builder. He is the founder-CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and has led CEEW to the top ranks as one of Asia's leading policy research institutions and among the world’s 20 best climate think-tanks. He played a formative role in creating the International Solar Alliance, and was a founding board member of the Clean Energy Access Network. Co-author/editor of six books and with more than two decades of experience across 54 countries, he previously worked at Princeton, Oxford, UNDP (New York), and WTO (Geneva). The Asia Society honoured him with the 2022 Asia Game Changer Award, for his and CEEW’s “incredible work, which is making a real difference for India and for the planet”.
Arunabha advises governments, industry, civil society, and international organisations around the world. The Government of India appointed him to the Commission for Air Quality Management. The Government of Brazil appointed him as a Special Envoy for COP30 climate negotiations. He chairs the AI and Climate Expert Group for the 2026 AI Impact Summit. He also co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Energy Nexus (and previously co-chaired the GFC on Clean Air). He served on Government of India’s G20 Finance Track Advisory Group and advised the Sherpa Track for India’s G20 Presidency in 2022-23. In 2022, the UN Secretary-General appointed him to the High-level Expert Group on the Credibility and Accountability of Net-Zero Announcements by Non-State Actors. In 2020, the Government of India appointed him Co-Chair of the energy, environment and climate change track for India’s Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP2020).
Dr Ghosh has been a member of the UN Committee for Development Policy since 2019 (nominated by the UN Secretary-General; Vice-Chair 2023-25). He co-convened the Our Common Air Commission. He has been a member of several international expert advisory groups: Global Commission on the Economics of Water; High-Level Group of Economists, constituted by the French president for the One Planet Lab; Senior Consultative Group for the Energy Transition Accelerator; High-Level Panel on the Environment of Peace. He sits on the Oversight Committee of the Exploring Climate Cooling Options programme of the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency.
He writes monthly columns across various platforms. A frequent speaker, he has hosted or featured in several documentaries, and his 2019 TED Talk on air quality (Mission 80-80-80) has crossed 280,000 views. He was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, an Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader, and fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He holds a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford and topped Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University.
Bambang Brodjonegoro, an Indonesian national, is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Before joining ADBI in April 2025 he was Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Economic Affairs and National Development. He served the Government of Indonesia in several senior leadership roles from 2011. He was Indonesia’s Minister of Finance (2014–2016), Minister of National Development Planning (2016–2019), and Minister of Research and Technology (2019-2021). Besides government and academic, he also served as Director General of Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (2009-2010).
Dean Brodjonegoro holds a doctorate and master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, where he was full Professor and serving as Dean during 2005-2009.
Benjamin is a globally recognised strategic philanthropic leader whose life's work has been dedicated to designing and scaling innovative platforms, partnerships, and funding models to drive systemic change.
As Executive Director of WINGS, he has built the world’s largest and most diverse global philanthropy network, with more than 250 members across 60 countries serving over 100,000 philanthropic actors. Under his leadership, WINGS has evolved into a powerful platform for collective action, co-investment, and global influence.
In this role, he has positioned philanthropy as a recognised actor in global governance (UN, OECD, G20, B20) and led large-scale global campaigns convening thousands of organisations, including Philanthropy for Climate and its network of 1,000 foundations. Benjamin has also been an important pioneer of approaches now central to the field, including locally-led and locally-resourced development, participatory grantmaking, multistakeholder partnerships and philanthropic ecosystem building.
Early in his career, Benjamin managed international development portfolios of more than USD 70 million focused on sustainable development, family farming, post-disaster reconstruction, and philanthropic field-building. His work has spanned North, East, and West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia in partnership with leading philanthropies and bilateral institutions.
Benjamin is also a sought-after keynote speaker, having contributed to major global platforms including the United Nations, G20/B20, Aspen Institute, and Stanford PACS. He advises leading international institutions such as the Global Government Council for Social Innovation, the World Economic Forum, the OECD, and Catalyst Now.
He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Social Economy from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Grenoble (Sciences Po Grenoble), as well as a Master’s degree in Communication and Information Sciences from Stendhal University of Grenoble.
Dr Brian Kennedy is a Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Physiology and also serves as the Programme Chair of the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme and Director of the Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Singapore. In addition, he is also the Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System. Collectively, NUS ageing research seeks to demonstrate that longevity interventions can be successfully employed in humans to extend healthspan, the disease-free and highly functional period of life. From 2010 to 2016, Dr Kennedy was the President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, USA and he maintained a professorship there through 2020. Dr Kennedy is also actively involved with a number of Biotechnology companies and also served as a Co-Editor-In-Chief at Aging Cell from 2011-2021. Finally, Dr Kennedy has a track record of interaction in China, where he was a Visiting Professor at the Aging Research Institute at Guangdong Medical College from 2009 to 2014.
Brishan Rowjee brings over a decade of experience deploying equity and debt capital across growth-oriented and impact-driven sectors. He currently works at Grand Challenges Canada, where he focuses on leading risk capital investments that support innovative companies and solutions aimed at improving health outcomes in communities globally. He brings deep expertise in investment sourcing, due diligence, transaction structuring, and portfolio value creation across equity, debt, and hybrid financing instruments. His work is centered on catalytic capital strategies that help early and growth stage companies achieve financial sustainability while delivering measurable social impact. Brishan also holds multiple board positions across portfolio companies, where he supports governance, strategic growth, and capital planning. Prior to joining Grand Challenges Canada, he held roles in private equity, leveraged finance, and private credit, working on complex transactions and restructurings across emerging and developed markets. He brings a global perspective and collaborative leadership style, with a strong commitment to scaling locally led businesses that create lasting impact.
Carissa operates at the intersection of family enterprise, capital, and sustainability. Originally establishing herself through her sustainable fashion venture, Earthkind, a sustainable fashion and conscious living platform, she has now returned to her family business with a clear mission: reshaping traditional models through climate and impact-led strategy.
Today, she leads sustainability and climate transition efforts across the family’s manufacturing operations while building an impact-oriented investment portfolio within the family office. Her work centres on emissions reduction, responsible supply chains, and deploying capital into the circular economy, energy, and sustainability across Southeast Asia.
Carol Liew is the Founding Managing Director of ECCA Family Foundation, bringing over 15 years of experience across impact-driven philanthropy and international development. She leads ECCA’s grantmaking and impact investments, supporting locally led solutions in ocean sustainability, biodiversity, and underserved communities. Under her leadership, ECCA works in close partnership with NGOs, community leaders, government, and academia to drive collective action and strengthen systems-level change. The foundation takes a relational, high-touch approach—backing early-stage and grassroots actors while helping to connect them with broader networks and resources. Previously, Carol was Head of Philanthropy at North-East Family Office, where she shaped strategic giving for families and helped establish ECCA. Her earlier work in humanitarian and development contexts spanned eight countries across Asia, managing multi-million-dollar programs in climate adaptation, sustainable livelihoods, and community resilience. She is committed to shifting power in philanthropy and mobilizing resources in ways that are flexible, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of those closest to the work.
Carol Ma is a leading expert in Service-Learning (S-L) and Ageing in Asia, serving as Head of Gerontology Programmes at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
She pioneered the service-learning curriculum in Hong Kong universities and successfully integrated it with the university’s curriculum, making it a valuable academic experience in higher education in Hong Kong and the region.
In Singapore, Carol also spearheads curriculum development, community engagement, and applied research in gerontology, advocating for transdisciplinary education to address ageing issues.
She has led impactful projects, including the first geragogy guidelines in Singapore, innovative dementia care programmes, reminiscence facilitation programmes, older adults' functional capacity under the WHO ICOPE framework and set up the first community-based Age + living lab, etc.
She is an advisor for caregiver and eldercare services with the NCSS, a member of the Tote Board Community Health Fund (TBCHF) Evaluation Panel, an advisor for the International Longevity Centre Singapore. Internationally, she is an advisor of Inclusive learning for the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and an academic board member for the Uniservitate (Global network of Catholic Higher Education Institutions to promote service-learning).
Carolina Suárez Visbal is a leader in philanthropy and impact investing in Latin America, with over 20 years of experience advancing capital mobilisation and ecosystem development. She is the CEO of Latimpacto, the region’s leading network connecting philanthropists and impact investors to deploy capital more strategically and at scale. Under her leadership, Latimpacto has strengthened cross-sector collaboration and positioned Latin America as a key actor in the global impact ecosystem. Carolina has a strong track record in mobilizing private capital, building strategic partnerships, and strengthening institutions to drive long-term social and environmental impact. With a background in international business law, she brings expertise in capital structuring and partnership design. She is a board member, author, and frequent speaker at global forums on impact and philanthropy.
Catur Endah Prasetiani has served as Director General of Social Forestry at the Ministry of Forestry since October 2025. She is remarkably proficient in the forestry sector, especially in community-based sustainable forest management, as she has been involved in Social Forestry for more than 10 years as the Director of Social Forestry Business Development from 2022 to 2025, as Vice Director of Social Forestry Business Development from 2018 to 2022, and also as the Head of the Program and Evaluation Division at the Secretariat of the Directorate General of Social Forestry from 2015 to 2018.
As a leader, she is highly committed to enhancing institutional capacity and advancing the initiatives of forest farmer groups. Moreover, she has initiated the development of the Integrated Area Development approach as a conceptual framework for landscape-based development, aiming to accelerate forest management within Social Forestry programs and to foster equitable access to forest resources for the community.
Chaoni Huang is the Head of Sustainable Finance and Transition, Asia, within HSBC’s Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) business. Based in Hong Kong, she leads the development and execution of HSBC’s Sustainable Finance and Transition strategy across the region, supporting clients in their decarbonisation efforts and facilitating the growth of critical transition ecosystems and emerging climate technologies.
With two decades of experience, Chaoni has held several sustainability-focused leadership and client-facing roles in Asia Pacific. Prior to HSBC, she led sustainable capital markets at BNP Paribas, and before that, Natixis. She also led the business development efforts for Trucost in Asia, a climate analytics company which S&P Global acquired.
Her work has been recognised with a number of industry accolades, including being named ‘Best Sustainable Finance Banker in HKSAR’ by FinanceAsia in 2023 and receiving the ‘Excellence in Sustainability’ award at the 2024 Women in Finance Asia Awards.
Beyond HSBC, Chaoni is an Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association and also appointed by the Hong Kong SAR Government as a member of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Co-operation Committee, Maritime Services and Development Committee, and the governing board of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Chaoni holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Warwick.
Diana Guzmán is a global sustainability leader and the Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Chair of the Prudence Foundation at Prudential Plc, where she directs the Group’s sustainability strategy across 24 markets and leads a multinational team to embed sustainability into core business decisions and long-term value creation — spanning inclusive products, responsible investment, climate and nature, and stewardship of a USD 16+ million philanthropic portfolio to maximise social impact.
A champion of financial innovation for inclusive and sustainable growth, Diana has spent her career at the intersection of public and private capital, policy and markets. She previously headed the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP) and Development Finance at the World Economic Forum, where she mobilised private capital for emerging markets and shaped global initiatives on blended finance, just transition and SDG investment pathways.
Earlier, Diana served as Director at CDP, the global environmental disclosure system, working with listed companies, institutional investors and municipalities to measure and manage environmental risks and opportunities, influencing corporate strategies and investment decisions across Southern Europe and the Middle East. Before that, she worked in the carbon markets, originating and trading greenhouse gas emission reductions from clean technologies across China, Southeast Asia and North Africa. She has also chaired the OECD’s Building Inclusive Markets Working Group on Blended Finance, helping shape policy guidance and market standards to unlock capital for underserved communities.
Damilola Ogunbiyi is the CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. With Mrs. Ogunbiyi at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200 partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than $1.4 trillion in energy finance.
She has practical on the ground experience, she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a $550 million facility which is a joint World Bank and African Development Bank programme that to date has provided energy access to over 8 million people across Nigeria and implemented over 100 megawatts of decentralized energy projects supplying electricity to hospitals, schools, and government facilities.
Mrs. Ogunbiyi is a member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a member of the Global Leadership Council of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), an Advisory Board member of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and a member of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). She was part of the COP28 Advisory Committee and was Co-Chair of the COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC).
She is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is passionate about achieving SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
Mrs. Ogunbiyi was recognized in the 2024 TIME100 Climate list and is the recipient of the First Class Order of Zayed II from the UAE President in recognition of her contribution to the success of the climate conference, COP28. She also received the Global Female Leadership Impact (GFLI) Award in 2024 and the Energy Institute President’s Award for 2023.
Dilhan has held various leadership roles in Temasek, including Head of the Investment, the Portfolio Management and the Enterprise Development Groups. He has also led the Temasek market teams in Singapore and the Americas.
Prior to Temasek, Dilhan was the Managing Partner of WongPartnership LLP. He has over 20 years of legal experience, mainly focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and corporate law.
Dominic is Chair of Rio Tinto; Chair of LeapFrog Investments, an impact-investment firm focused on emerging markets; and the Chair of Asia House, a leading think tank and advisory firm in London. He is also a senior advisor and partner at Radical Ventures, a leading AI investment firm; and a senior counselor at Eurasia Group, a global political risk consultancy.
Previously, Dominic was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and served as Global Managing Partner for three terms from 2009 to 2018. Dominic completed his role as the Ambassador of Canada to the People’s Republic of China from 2019 to 2021.He served as Chairman of Teck Resources and Non-Executive Director at the Singtel Group (Singapore) and Investor AB (Sweden). He brings a wealth of global business experience, as well as a deep insight of geopolitics, corporate sustainability, and governance.
Mr Edmund Koh is a career banker with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region during which time he garnered a deep understanding of Asian markets and developed a strong track record in leading and building successful businesses in Asia.
A strong advocate of talent development and community involvement; he is always in the front line of providing mentoring to juniors, knowledge sharing and nurturing the next generation of leaders.
Mr Koh is a board/council member of various committees including the MAS Financial Centre Advisory Panel, the Wealth Management Institute, the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research, and the University of Toronto International Leadership Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Elizabeth Yee is Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing global programs, regional offices, partnerships and learning and impact. She joined in 2019 as Managing Director of Climate and Resilience and later served as Chief of Staff. She previously held leadership roles at 100 Resilient Cities and spent 17 years in infrastructure finance at Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Barclays, closing over $30 billion in transactions. Liz serves on the boards of Sustainable Energy for All and Punahou School, the advisory board of Co-Impact, and is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
One of Asia’s most respected higher education, health and philanthropic leaders, Gabriel Leung is known for his commitment to improving human capabilities, nurturing impactful innovation and building strong institutions. He is Executive Director (Charities and Community) of the Hong Kong Jockey Club overseeing its Charities Trust, while serving as a Governor of Welcome Trust. Gabriel’s career has straddled academe, public service and philanthropy. From 2013 to 2022, he was the longest-serving Dean of Medicine and inaugural Helen and Francis Zimmern Professor in Population Health at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Formerly, he was Hong Kong's Under Secretary for Food and Health then Director of the Chief Executive's Office in government. His research defined the epidemiology of three novel viral epidemics, namely SARS in 2003, H7N9 influenza in 2013 and most recently COVID-19. As minister, he led Hong Kong government's response against the 2009 influenza pandemic. He was founding co-director of HKU's World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control and established the Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D24H) at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. Around the world, Gabriel regularly advises national and international agencies including the World Health Organisation, World Health Summit, Prince Mahidol Award Conference, Pasteur Network, Communicable Diseases Agency of Singapore and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Medicine and holds honorary professorships at Tsinghua, Peking Union Medical College Hospital and HKU.
Li Haifeng is a Global Partner at Fosun International and currently serves as the Chairman of the Shanghai Fosun Foundation. With over two decades of leadership experience at Fosun since joining in 2001, he has been instrumental in building the group’s strategic global representative systems and overseeing major foreign-related decision-making and cross-sector project implementations. In his role as Chairman of the Fosun Foundation, Mr Li has dedicated years to deep-tier rural health philanthropy. He personally leads the "Rural Doctors Program," a flagship initiative that has covered 78 counties across 16 Chinese provinces, supporting 25,000 rural doctors and benefiting over 16 million residents.
Known for his hands-on approach, he has conducted on-site visits to more than 80% of the project counties to supervise the deployment of innovative medical solutions, including AI village doctor assistants and primary healthcare training.
Beyond Fosun, Mr Li holds several distinguished social leadership roles, including Vice President of the China Charity Federation, Executive Director of the China Glory Society, and Vice President of the Shanghai NGO Network for International Exchanges. He is a frequent bridge for international exchanges among social organisations, coordinating multi-party resources for disaster relief, education support, and poverty alleviation.
Mr Li holds an EMBA from Tsinghua University and a Master of Philosophy from Fudan University. He also serves as a Special Advisor to the Board of Directors of Fosun International and Honorary Chairman of Fosun Trade.
Hari Menon leads the foundation’s Global Growth & Opportunity Division, which includes the Agricultural Development, Digital Public Infrastructure, Global Education, Inclusive Financial Systems, Nutrition, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene programmes.
These programmes work to strengthen food security and improve incomes so millions of families can break free from poverty and more low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia can get on a path to prosperity. They support greater productivity on smallholder farms; expanded access to high-quality digital public infrastructure, including payment systems; improved foundational reading and math skills among children; development of large-scale food fortification systems; and delivery of innovative sanitation products and services.
Before assuming his current role, Hari led the India office, overseeing the foundation’s work in South and Southeast Asia spanning family health, nutrition, sanitation, digital financial inclusion, agriculture, and women’s economic empowerment. These efforts, carried out in close collaboration with governments, local and global nonprofits, philanthropies, community groups, researchers, and the private sector, have contributed to progress toward India’s national health and development goals and strengthened the foundation’s partnerships in countries including Singapore, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
Hari’s earlier roles at the foundation included working on a range of public health efforts, particularly in maternal and child health and HIV prevention; leading policy, advocacy, and communications for programmes in the Global Health, Global Development, and Global Growth & Opportunity divisions; and leading the foundation’s policy work, government relations, and philanthropic partnerships in South and Southeast Asia.
Hari has been at the foundation since 2004, with a brief stint (2011–2013) outside the organisation as a strategic adviser to philanthropist Rohini Nilekani.
Earlier in his career, Hari worked in the consumer goods and information technology sectors for companies including Colgate Palmolive and Infosys Technologies.
Hari has a graduate degree in business management from XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi.
Hong Rui is Secretary-General of the Impact Philanthropy Institute, a Beijing-based think tank and industry service platform launched by China Philanthropist Magazine that combines research, convening, and practice to support China's philanthropy sector. He brings 16 years of cross-sector experience, including communications and marketing roles at Siemens, Lenovo, and Alibaba, before turning to philanthropy in 2022.
Hong Rui's work centers on building collaborative networks across the field. He is the convener of the Impact Philanthropy Salon, now in its 40th edition as a leading cross-sector platform connecting funders, scholars, and practitioners, and serves on the editorial board of the annual Impact Philanthropy Research Report. He has played a central role in shaping the Sustainable Social Value Collaborative, which has grown from 19 founding members to 46 leading Chinese enterprises, advancing joint corporate philanthropy initiatives in disaster relief, rural education, and resilient community-building.
Jamie Choi is the Chief Executive Officer of Tara Climate Foundation, an Asia-based philanthropic organisation working to build a more prosperous and sustainable future for the region, with a just energy transition at the heart of its mission. Under her leadership, Tara has grown into one of the region’s leading climate foundations, supporting close to 400 partners across 12 Asian geographies.
With over 20 years of experience in philanthropy and civil society, Jamie has dedicated her career to advancing climate and environmental initiatives across Asia. She serves as a Commissioner of the Energy Transitions Commission and was recognised as an Asia 21 Fellow by the Asia Society in 2011.
A native of South Korea, Jamie has lived and worked across Asia, North America, and Central America. She holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University.
Jonathan Berman joined Shell Foundation in May 2022 as its Chief Executive Officer, guiding SF’s strategy and delivery.
He currently serves on the Boards of Factor[e], which invests in and builds de-carbonised solutions for emerging market economies; Asoko Insight, which delivers superior data and analysis on emerging market corporations; and AIP Migo Money, which invests in emerging market payment solutions.
Before joining SF, Jonathan was managing partner of AIP, a private investment partnership focused on emerging market digital transformation. He was previously Partner and Director of the global corporate practice at Dalberg, a strategy advisor with 21 offices worldwide. Jonathan is author of the book Success in Africa (foreword by Robert Rubin), which President Bill Clinton calls “timely and important,” and Coke CEO Neville Isdell describes as “a great book” His views appear in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg and Harvard Business Review.
Jonathan holds a BA from Yale and an MA from University of California at Berkeley.
Kim Hellström is Senior Sustainability Manager, Climate at H&M Group, where he leads the company’s climate strategy across global production and supply chains. Based in Hong Kong, he is responsible for integrating decarbonisation into core business operations—driving the transition away from fossil fuels through supplier engagement, investment mechanisms, and internal change management.
Kim has been instrumental in developing and scaling H&M’s Green Investment function, working to unlock financing solutions that enable suppliers to adopt renewable energy, improve efficiency, and accelerate electrification. His work focuses on translating climate ambition into practical action- connecting energy systems, supplier realities, and financial tools to deliver measurable emissions reductions.
With over 18 years at H&M across sustainability, logistics, and global operations, Kim brings a deep understanding of supply chain dynamics and the complexity of implementing change at scale. He has played a key role in advancing internal carbon pricing, sustainability-linked financing, and supplier incentive structures aligned with science-based targets.
Kim is known for his pragmatic and principle-driven approach to decarbonisation—prioritising data, credibility, and real emissions reductions.
Kristina Elinder Liljas is Senior Director of Sustainable Finance & Engagement at the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), where she leads efforts to mobilise capital for supply chain decarbonisation. She works across development finance institutions, brands, philanthropies, and private investors to structure blended finance solutions and unlock investment through Aii’s $250M Fashion Climate Fund.
With over 20 years of experience across emerging markets, Kristina brings a unique combination of operational supply chain expertise and climate finance leadership. She has held senior roles at IKEA and H&M, working across Asia-Pacific and Europe in production, logistics, and sustainability - building a deep, practical understanding of how decarbonisation efforts translate at factory level.
Prior to joining Aii, Kristina served as Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to the Philippines, representing the Swedish Foreign Ministry and Business Sweden. In this role, she led high-level public-private partnerships, working closely with governments, multilateral development banks, and financial institutions to advance climate-aligned investment and infrastructure projects.
Kristina is known for bridging policy, finance, and implementation—translating global climate ambition into practical, scalable solutions. Her work focuses on structuring financing models, building cross-sector partnerships, and unlocking capital flows that support supplier transition pathways.
She holds a Master of Science in Business and Economics from Uppsala University and has worked extensively across Asia, Europe, and global multilateral platforms.
Laurel Blatchford is a director and senior partner at Delivery Associates, a global social impact consultancy that specializes in supporting governments and nonprofits to translate complex strategies into real-world delivery, with a particular focus on building the capacity of public systems to drive lasting, equitable impact. Laurel’s 25-year career has included leadership roles in the public, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Between 2023-2025 Laurel served as the Chief Implementation Officer for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at the US Department of the Treasury. Before her most recent government service, Laurel was a managing director at Blue Meridian Partners, a major philanthropic pooled fund focused on economic mobility. Laurel also served as President of Enterprise Community Partners, one of US's largest affordable housing and community development intermediaries, where she oversaw activities in 12 markets across the US. From 2009-2013, Laurel served as Chief of Staff to Secretary Shaun Donovan at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she held senior roles in the administration of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Laurel currently serves on the boards of the American Flood Coalition and Fountain House and is a Senior Advisor to Renaissance Philanthropy. She holds an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA from Williams College.
Lewis Perkins is the President of the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), an organisation launched by leading brands and apparel sector industry associations to select, fund, and scale programmes to drive positive impact in the fashion sector. Previous to this Perkins was President of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) where he led the Institute’s Fashion Positive initiative, which engages designers, manufacturers, brands and influencers in creating Cradle to Cradle Certified TM materials and products with the circular economy in mind. Prior to joining the C2CPII, Perkins consulted with corporations and organisations on the social and environmental programme development. He also served as Director of Sustainable Strategies for The Mohawk Group, a leading carpet manufacturer and the commercial division of Mohawk Industries.
Perkins’ passion for sustainability and non-profit work has included strategic roles with organisations such as The Clean Air Campaign, 360i and USWeb/CKS. He is an Ashoka and C&A Foundation Strategy Thought Partner for social entrepreneurs, a 2016 and 2017 member of the H&M Global Change Award Expert Panel, and a Design Mentor for both the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lexus Design Initiative–Eco Design Challenge Accelerator, as well as the IDEO & Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy “Circular Design Competition.” Perkins has also been a participant of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Consumption.
Perkins holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing and strategy with a focus on social responsibility from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington & Lee University. In 2018, he was recognised by his undergraduate alma mater, with the Distinguished Alumni award.
Marina is Associate Professor at University College London, and the Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change. The Lancet Countdown is an independent and multi-disciplinary research collaboration between over 100 academic centres and UN organisations from around the world, in strategic partnership with WHO, and headquartered at University College London’s Institute for Global Health.
She is also a member of the UK's Climate Change Adaptation Committee, and is one of the seven global experts selected to refine the Global Goal on Adaptation indicators for health under the Paris Agreement. In 2025 she was appointed honorary member of the UK Faculty of Public Health.
Marina trained as a clinical biochemist in the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and holds a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Cambridge. Her research background spans from toxicology through to environmental health and climate change, and before joining the Lancet Countdown she carried out her research in the Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires, the University of Cambridge, and the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK.
Marly Batenburg is an experienced partnerships specialist with over a decade of experience building and managing cross-sector collaborations across Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. In her current role as Principal, Partnerships at Minderoo Foundation, Marly works at the intersection of philanthropy, government, and community, designing and stewarding trust-based partnerships that align resources with complex social challenges and centre the agency of the communities being served.
Drawing on her work in international development and philanthropy, Marly is passionate about strengthening philanthropic ecosystems that can sustain and scale cross-sector partnerships , particularly in contexts where collaborative approaches are essential to addressing interconnected social challenges. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from the University of Western Australia and a Master's in Globalisation and Development Studies from Maastricht University.
Max Nelen is a mission-driven entrepreneur passionate about accelerating climate-smart solutions for smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia. As Founder and CEO of Agros, Max leads the company’s strategy, partnerships, and market development to make irrigation more sustainable, affordable, and scalable. Before founding Agros, he served as a Venture Builder at Rainmaking, where he helped launch and scale impact-driven ventures such as Solar AI and Table Pointer, advancing renewable energy and operational efficiency in urban and agricultural sectors. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Strategy Consultant at Roland Berger, advising Fortune 500 clients on growth and transformation. Fluent in English, Dutch, and French, he brings a global perspective to Agros’s mission of building a climate-resilient future for farmers.
Mimi (Meheret) Melles‑Brewer is the Team Lead for Healthy Lifestyles and Environment at the World Health Organisation (WHO) Viet Nam Country Office, based in Hanoi.
Mimi has over 18 years of experience in global public health, spanning health policy, environmental and climate‑related health, noncommunicable disease prevention, road safety and injury prevention, school health, and adolescent health and wellbeing. Her work focuses on translating evidence into policy and action through multisectoral engagement, strategic communications, and community‑centred approaches.
Prior to her current role in Viet Nam, Mimi worked at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, where she served in various technical roles across antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and adolescent health and wellbeing. She played a leading role in global advocacy and awareness initiatives on AMR, including youth engagement and media partnerships, and contributed to global frameworks, high‑level forums, and peer‑reviewed publications. Earlier in her career, she worked at UNAIDS and Advocates for Youth, providing technical support across multiple regions and partnering closely with governments and UN agencies.
Mimi holds a Master of International Public Health from EHESP in France and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Maryland, USA, and is a certified Project Management Professional. Mimi is married and has two children.
Munib is the Chief Executive Officer of FAST-P Asia Pte Ltd, overseeing the strategic direction and execution of Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (FAST-P), a blended finance initiative launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. FAST-P brings together international public, private and philanthropic partners to support Asia’s decarbonisation and climate resilience.
Munib has 30 years of Investment Management experience. Prior to leading FAST-P, he founded Singapore’s first B Corp-certified fund management firm, and had spent 14 years at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where he served as CIO of Asia Equity and co-Portfolio Manager for a global mandate with US$14 billion under his watch.
Munib is a CFA Charterholder with a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the National University of Singapore. He also holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance (First Class Honours) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN, Asia’s largest network of social investors that aims to increase the flow of financial, human and intellectual capital for impact.
Naina’s leadership since 2013 has nurtured the AVPN community, growing the membership base by more than four times and elevating the organisation into a truly regional force for good. Under her direction, AVPN has grown from focusing only on venture philanthropy to supporting the entire ecosystem of social investors, from catalytic philanthropists to impact investors and corporate CSR professionals.
Naina is currently a Board Director for the Blue Earth Foundation, as well as a Board Member of the Menzies Foundation and Blue Planet Environmental Solution Pte Ltd.
Naina was featured on the list of Asia's Most Influential by Tatler Asia in 2025 and 2021, and was a fellow at The Bellagio Center Residency Program in 2022. She was awarded by CSRWorks as one of Asia's Top Sustainability Superwomen in 2019.
Natalie Blyth is Global Head of Sustainable Finance & Transition at HSBC. She is also a Non-Executive Director on the HSBC Latin America Holdings Board.
Natalie has a 30-year career in banking, with extensive global leadership experience spanning investment banking, client coverage, trade and sustainable finance, and an exceptional track record in building high-impact, commercially successful teams.
In 2022, she was appointed head of HSBC’s global Commercial Banking Sustainability business, where she delivered material profitable revenue growth, contributed to HSBC’s #1 global Euromoney Sustainable Finance award, and was recognised as a top ten women leader in sustainability. Prior to this, Natalie led HSBC’s Global Trade & Receivables Finance business, establishing the bank as a market leader in trade finance.
She is passionate about working with clients to help them navigate the complexities of sustainability and achieve their transition priorities with safe, sustainable, profitable growth.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Mathematics and Bioenergetics from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Mr Ng Yi-Xian is the Group Chief Executive Officer of EtonHouse International Education Group, leading a global footprint of about 100 schools in Asia. A second-generation leader and son of founder Ng Gim Choo, he has driven group expansion through Middleton International School, The Eton Academy, and ELEVATE After-School Care. With a finance background in investment banking and hedge funds, he brings strong strategic discipline and has led the group’s digital transformation. His leadership was recognised with a 2024 Next ICON Award for technological innovation within a family enterprise. A father of three, he is an advocate for mindfulness and passionate about adventure sports.
Nonette is the Executive Director of Tenure Facility, a role she has held since the organisation’s founding in 2017. In this role, she has worked alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities to strengthen their tenure and ability to preserve, protect and enjoy the benefits of their traditional lands and resources. During this time, she has overseen the dramatic growth of Tenure Facility from a ground-breaking start-up to one of the world’s leading financing mechanisms offering longer-term, flexible, timely and direct support to Indigenous Peoples and local community organisations across 20 countries.
Nonette is a lawyer, and a specialist in Indigenous Peoples, land rights, environment, and natural resources management. Most of her previous work has been in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, especially in Indonesia, Philippines, Mekong region and Melanesia. Her experience spans for more than 30 years and includes nearly a decade advising the Global Greengrants Fund, several USAID and DFID-UK Natural Resource and Community Forestry Portfolios and the Norwegian Climate and Forest funds. She co-founded and led the Samdhana Institute and set up several non-governmental organisations focusing on advancing Indigenous Peoples and women’s legal rights. Over the years, she has consistently helped design and implement funding portfolios for local communities and Indigenous Peoples in the global south.
Noni holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial) from the University of Newcastle, Australia, an MBA from the University of San Francisco, completed an Executive Program at Harvard Business School, and an honorary Doctorate from the University of Newcastle. In recognition of her contributions, she also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and was appointed as an Honorary Council by the University of San Francisco.
Noni Purnomo currently serves as the President Commissioner of Bluebird Group Holding and Deputy President Commissioner of PT Blue Bird Tbk. During her tenure as President Director of Bluebird Group Holding and President Director of PT Blue Bird Tbk, she has led the company through transformation focused on service excellence and long-term sustainability. She has been a driving force behind Bluebird’s socially responsible initiatives, including Make Jakarta’s Sky Blue, One Ride One Seed, Bluebird Peduli, and Kartini Bluebird. Beasiswa Bluebird Peduli was founded as a commitment to supporting the academically outstanding children of Bluebird drivers and employees, ensuring they have the opportunity to succeed and thrive. These efforts have provided over 66,000 scholarships since 1998.
Throughout her career, Noni has played a key role in guiding Bluebird through critical periods, including the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. She is also the founder of Amsaka Investama, a private investment firm.
Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Noni is deeply committed to education, health, and women’s empowerment. Her philanthropic work continues to positively impact communities across Indonesia. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Indonesia, is a member of the Temasek Southeast Asia Advisory Panel and a member of the Honorary Council of WiLAT (Women in Logistics and Transport).
Her commitment to sustainability and empowerment is further reflected in her involvement with The Nature Conservancy’s Asia Pacific Council and Clean Air Asia, working to advance environmental and conservation goals—cementing her legacy as a driving force for positive change in Indonesia and beyond.
Noni’s trailblazing leadership has earned her national and international recognition. She was featured on Forbes' prestigious 50 Over 50 Asia 2023, named one of the 20 Most Powerful Women in 2023 by Fortune Indonesia, and recognised among the Women on Wheels 2025 by Media Oto. She is also a recipient of the Women Entrepreneur of the Year at the ACES Awards 2022 and the Iconomics Best CEO – Employees' Choice Award in 2020.
Nuriya brings with her over two decades of leadership experience in the social impact and education sectors. She has consistently championed holistic development through inclusive, evidence-based approaches and has built strong partnerships across government, corporate, and non-profit ecosystems to deliver sustainable solutions at scale.
Prior to joining Bharti Airtel Foundation, Nuriya served as President of Learning Links Foundation, where she led impactful programs leveraging technology to advance inclusive education. She was instrumental in spearheading India’s largest teacher professional development initiative, training over a million educators and fostering innovation in public schools to build future-ready skills among students.
A psychologist by training, Nuriya holds a BA (Hons) and MA from Delhi University. She has previously worked with Educomp Solutions and brings rich experience from working across India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. Her deep commitment to sustainable education and community responsibility aligns closely with the Foundation’s mission.
Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe is the WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore based in Kuala Lumpur since 2022.
With over three decades of experience, he is known for his expertise in public health, building partnerships with governments, UN agencies and development partners to improve public health outcomes, Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe has contributed to national, regional and global strategies for disease control and has represented WHO in high-level negotiations and intergovernmental forums. Most recently Dr Rabi was a Member of the Action for Results Group convened by DG WHO to support country focused transformation of WHO from 2023 to 2025.
He has earlier served as the WHO Representative to the Philippines and has held leadership roles as Director a.i. health security and emergencies in WPRO, including spearheading the regional response to COVID-19 and Director a.i. Communicable Disease Control WPRO. He was Coordinator and Team Lead Malaria, other vector borne diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases Control in WPRO. Dr Rabi’s work has spanned both strategic policy development and frontline coordination during health emergencies, contributing to WHO's mission of improving health outcomes in several countries.
Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe is a Board-Certified Medical Specialist MD (Community Medicine) from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Additionally, he has a M.Sc. in Biology and Control of Disease Vectors from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene from the Royal College of Physicians, London.
He is a Fellow of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka and a past President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka. He was a Senior Fellow of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and Advisory Board Chair of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network.
Ramanan Laxminarayan is founder and president of the One Health Trust in Washington, D.C. and Bangalore, a senior research scholar at Princeton University, and director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Antimicrobial Resistance in New Delhi. He is an affiliate professor at the University of Washington, senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. He is founder at HealthCubed, which works to improve access to healthcare and diagnostics worldwide.
Since 1995, Laxminarayan has worked to improve the understanding of antibiotic resistance as a problem of managing a shared global resource. His work encompasses extensive peer-reviewed research, public outreach, and direct engagement across Asia and Africa through the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership. Through his prolific research, active public outreach (including a TED talk that has been viewed over a million times) and sustained policy engagement, he has played a central role in bringing the issue of drug resistance to the attention of leaders and policymakers worldwide and to the United Nations General Assembly in 2016 and 2024.
During the Obama Administration, Laxminarayan served on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology’s antimicrobial resistance working group and in 2015 was appointed a voting member of the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance where he served until 2023. From 2018 to 2024, Laxminarayan was the first board chair of GARD-P, a global product development partnership created by the World Health Organization, that aims to develop and deliver new treatments for bacterial infections. He is a series editor of the Disease Control Priorities for Developing Countries, 3rd edition.
In 2003-04, he served on the National Academy of Science/Institute of Medicine Committee on the Economics of Antimalarial Drugs and subsequently helped create the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria, a $450 million novel financing mechanism for antimalarials that reduced the cost of antimalarials worldwide. In 2012, Laxminarayan created the Immunization Technical Support Unit that supports the immunization program of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India and which is credited with helping introduce four new vaccines and extending vaccination coverage to 3 million infants. As Vice President, Research and Policy at the Public Health Foundation of India between 2011 and 2015, he led the growth of a research division to over 700 technical and research staff.
Laxminarayan led the largest Covid-19 epidemiology study in the world based on extensive contact tracing in India. The flagship paper from this study was published in Science in 2020.
Laxminarayan is a fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was named a distinguished alumnus by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in 2019, and by the University of Washington Department of Economics in 2020. He is a winner of the Ella Pringle medal by the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh (Pringle was the first ever woman elected to the RCPE), the BP Koirala medal in honor of Nepal’s first democratically elected Prime Minister and 2024 Garrod Medal by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Laxminarayan’s work has been featured on ABC’s 60 minutes and on PBS Frontline as well as various documentary films, and has been widely covered in major media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, BBC, Financial Times, CNN, the Economist, LA Times, NBC, NPR, Reuters, Science, Wall Street Journal, and the National Journal. His research includes over 400 books, book chapters, and peer reviewed papers in leading journals in science, medicine and economics.
Rui Luo is on the environment team at Bloomberg Philanthropies where he oversees Energy Transitions in Asia Pacific. He brings cross-sector experience spanning philanthropy, intergovernmental organisations, multilateral development banks, bilateral aid programs, management consulting, and carbon markets. Rui has worked extensively with government and industry stakeholders across clean energy, manufacturing, petrochemicals, aviation, and carbon markets. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Sciences and Economics from Peking University.
Ryan holds several leadership responsibilities at Temasek Trust focused on climate and sustainability. He is the founding Head of Catalytic Capital for Climate & Health (C3H), where he manages capital deployment into early-stage companies addressing planetary and human health. He also serves as the Head of the Planet Collaborative, an initiative designed to align climate efforts across the Temasek Trust ecosystem, and oversees the organization’s Corporate Sustainability function.
His professional background integrates corporate strategy with operational execution. Ryan’s earlier career included roles in strategy consulting at Bain & Company and leading Mergers & Acquisitions at StarHub. He later transitioned into operations, serving as Chief Operating Officer for several technology startups, including the cryptographic firm D’Crypt. This combination of strategic planning and hands-on management informs his current work in scaling impact-driven initiatives.
Ryan’s leadership experience began in the military, which included a deployment to Afghanistan with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). He remains active in the Singapore Armed Forces (Reserves) as a Senior Lieutenant-Colonel and 2nd-in-Command of an Armoured Brigade. For his service, he was awarded a NATO medal and Singapore’s National Day Commendation Medal (Military).
His academic credentials include an Executive MBA from UCLA Anderson and the National University of Singapore, where he was Valedictorian and a John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow. He also holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College (summa cum laude with High Honours) and an M.A. from Columbia University.
Ryan is a board member of Equatic, a US-based carbon removal technology company.
Shamina Singh is the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and executive vice president of sustainability at Mastercard, where she leads the company’s global social and environmental impact strategy. A member of Mastercard’s Management Committee, she draws on more than two decades of public and private sector experience to unite investors, policymakers, government and impact leaders to advance private sector-led social and business outcomes that shape inclusive and impactful economies. Her cross-functional leadership style has been recognized by American Banker and the Financial Times. Since launching the Center in 2014, Shamina has leveraged the power of Mastercard’s data, technology, capital, and expertise to advance inclusive and sustainable economic growth around the world. Mastercard and the Center demonstrate how the private sector can lead on business and impact outcomes alongside governments, nonprofits and researchers. This “doing well by doing good” strategy has earned recognition from Fast Company, Fortune, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. With a career spanning four U.S. presidential administrations and three Fortune 500 companies, Shamina has held senior roles in the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and an alumna of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leadership Fellows Program. Currently, Shamina serve on the board of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), and on the advisory boards of data.org, Okta for Good, the Aspen Institute’s Civil Society Fellowship and the CGAP Financial Inclusion Initiative. She is also a contributor to MIT Sloan Management Review on the topic of responsible AI. Shamina holds a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas at Austin. She has received Alumni of Distinction honors from both institutions.
Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki is a Chartered Accountant with qualifications from the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. She has over 20 years of professional experience across Malaysia, Australia, and the United States. Her career includes leadership roles such as the Chief Executive Officer of Wanita Berdaya Selangor, an organization dedicated to celebrating talent and empowering women in Selangor in leadership, economic, and social fields. She has also served at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Khazanah Nasional Berhad, and the United Nations (UN). From 2015 to 2016, Siti served as an Economic, Financial, and Private Sector Advisor to the United Nations Humanitarian Financing High-Level Panel Secretariat in New York. During this time, she led the Islamic Social Finance for Humanitarian Action initiative, which was officially launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May 2016 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Her extensive background in both the commercial sector and social development has played a key role in fostering entrepreneurship, social progress, and sustainable development. In addition to her professional achievements, Siti is also a self-taught visual artist, blending creativity with financial expertise to drive innovation, promote Malaysia's cultural heritage, and advance the country's economic, social, and sustainability growth. She currently serves as the Trustee and Managing Director of the Hasanah Foundation, a leading impact-driven foundation in Malaysia. At the same time, Puan Siti is a board member of Yayasan Khazanah, INCEIF University, and Think City Sdn Bhd. Puan Siti has completed the Art and Practice of Leadership Development program in June 2025 and the Leading Economic Growth program in December 2025, both at the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education. Additionally, she has been appointed as a member of the National Unity Advisory Council (MPPN) for the 2025-2027 term, under the Ministry of National Unity (KPN).
Sonia is a 5th generation family principal of the Tsao family group which includes Tsao Pao Chee (TPC), Tsao Family Office (TFO) and Tsao Family Foundation (TFF). She is also the Co-Founder and Partner at Canopy Generations Fund, a fund focused on driving global impact in new and frontier areas including energy transition, digital infrastructure, and carbon markets.
Sonia shares the belief that family businesses hold a unique opportunity to build a better future for generations to come.
Before founding Canopy Gen, Sonia spent a decade in early stage technology startups in New York and California. Throughout her career, Sonia has focused on the intersection of East and West, with experience working in the US, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Sonia graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology and International Relations from Tufts University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is currently based in Singapore with her co-founder/ husband and three children. In her spare time, Sonia can be found hiking, traveling and exploring art museums.
Soumya Swaminathan is a pediatrician and global expert in tuberculosis and HIV research.
She recently served as the World Health Organization’s first Chief Scientist, and previously as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (2015–2017). She became Chairperson of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in February 2023.
She is also Principal Advisor to the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) and National Science Chair of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, Government of India.
Srikrishna Sridhar Murthy (Krishna) is the Co-founder and CEO of Sattva Consulting, one of India’s leading impact consulting firms. Krishna is known for championing Denominator Thinking in India’s social impact landscape. This approach focuses on driving systemic change at scale by fostering collaboration and innovation at the intersection of businesses, civil society, governments, and the broader impact ecosystem. His work emphasises the inclusion of underserved communities and geographies in these efforts. With over 15 years of experience in social impact, Krishna has served as an advisor to prominent national and international corporations, non-profits, foundations, and government agencies. Over the past five years, Krishna has helped 50+ leading corporations design CSR strategies that drive greater impact for communities and key industry stakeholders. He has also been a strong advocate for funding and supporting research, deep-tech innovations, and entrepreneurship through corporate CSR initiatives. His work involves close collaboration with institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIM, IISc, C-CAMP, Social Alpha, and others. A regular speaker at government and industry forums, Krishna emphasises the importance of strategic CSR backed by a data-driven approach to maximise impact. Krishna has also supported the creation of public good platforms in knowledge and data like India Data Insights and the India Partner Network, which have added value to the impact ecosystem. Krishna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Hons) from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from INSEAD.
Stanley Ng is the Global Partnerships Director at New Energy Nexus and works at the intersection of climate technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He leads efforts to build and scale energy and climate startup ecosystems globally as well as workforce development in the renewable energy space. He collaborates with universities, corporates, and governments to support the development and commercialization of climate technologies that accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
Stanley brings over 15 years of experience across renewable energy, cleantech startups, and management consulting, with a focus on bridging innovation and real-world deployment. Originally from New York City, he has spent much of his career working across the Asia Pacific, championing the role of skilled workforce and entrepreneurship in driving the energy transition.
Sumi Dhanarajan is the Managing Director (Southeast Asia) for Forum for the Future, an international sustainability organisation with a mission to accelerate the shift towards a just and regenerative future through shaping deep, transformative transitions in key systems: energy, food, health and markets. Forum's past and current programmes in the region include the Responsible Energy Initiative, Shaping the Future of Responsible Recruitment, Protein Challenge SE Asia, and Enabling Systemic Circularity in Fashion. Previous to Forum, Sumi served in strategy, advocacy, research, policy, teaching and leadership roles at the Malaysian Bar Council, The Secretariat for Legislative Councillors for the Hong Kong Democratic Party, Oxfam GB, The Centre for Asia and Globalisation at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and at the National University of Singapore's School of Law. With 30 years experience in the field of private sector environmental and social impacts, Sumi has held various trustee, board director and advisory positions, including to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the Business and Human Rights Centre, Inclusive Development International, the Ethical Trading Initiative, the WEF’s Global Futures Council on Human Rights and the editorial boards of Development in Practice and the Journal for Human Rights Practice.
Finance Association (HKGFA).
At AIIB, Tracy leads the development of innovative private capital mobilisation platforms that channel institutional investment into sustainable infrastructure at scale. At HKGFA, she drives policy advocacy and market development to position Hong Kong as a leading green finance hub.
Tracy previously served as Managing Director and Head of Asia Sustainable Finance at Standard Chartered, and earlier held fixed income and structured products roles at JPMorgan, Mizuho International, Barclays Capital, and BNP Paribas in London and Hong Kong.
Beyond her anchor roles, Tracy is Board Director of both the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and Sprinkle Charity Foundation. She also sits on the Policy Research Committee of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) and is Senior Advisor to the HK2050isNow Green Building Project.
She has contributed to the Securities & Futures Commission Climate Change Technical Expert Group, and previously held board positions with AIDS Concern and the Hong Kong LGBT+ Interbank Network, where she founded JPM PRIDE HK.
She holds BA and MSc degrees in International Finance and Capital Markets from the UK, completed the Social Finance Executive Programme at Oxford Saïd Business School, and is certified by the Hong Kong Institution of Bankers in Green and Sustainable Finance.
Vimmi leads CIFF’s Global portfolio on Organisation and Ecosystem Development. In this role, she drives systemic change through institution-building, collaborative partnerships, and innovative ecosystem investments across Asia, Africa and Europe. Prior to CIFF, Vimmi held senior leadership roles at the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department for international Development and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).
Her work is guided by a deep belief that resilient organisations and empowered ecosystems are essential to solving the world’s most complex challenges. She is passionate about scaling impact, fostering inclusive leadership, and building communities of practice that strengthen the fabric of social change. Vimmi is a Political Science graduate and has qualifications in Human Resource and Organisation Development. She is a certified MBTI, FIRO-B, and Executive Coach.
Xuan has held successive positions at institutions under the Ministry of Commerce, Daimler, and Tencent. Over the past two decades, she has focused on corporate sustainable development, ESG strategy, public policy and industrial policy research and tracking. She has established extensive partnerships with government agencies, environmental and public welfare organisations, research institutions, and high-level think tanks worldwide. At Lenovo, Xuan leads the ESG team to develop Lenovo's top-level ESG governance framework and long-term sustainable development strategy, with overall responsibility for the company's ESG and sustainability agenda. She established Lenovo Group's “1+N Sustainable Information Disclosure System” and has overseen the annual release of a series of flagship reports, including:
• Lenovo Group Social Value Report
• Lenovo Group Carbon Neutrality Action Report
• Lenovo Group Biodiversity Conservation Practice Handbook
• Lenovo Group Rural Revitalization Report
• Lenovo Group Report on Smart Empowerment for the Silver Economy
Under her leadership, Lenovo has maintained an MSCI ESG AAA rating—the highest global level—for four consecutive years.
Wen Yi brings two decades of experience working at the intersection of philanthropy, impact investing, and health systems in Asia. Her work spans grantmaking, impact investing, small business management, and co‑founding a social impact consultancy.
In their current role with Johnson & Johnson’s Global Health Equity organisation, Wen Yi leads program implementation across Asia and supports deal sourcing and partnership development for J&J Impact Ventures, the Foundation’s impact investment fund. This dual role allows Wen Yi to act as a bridge between philanthropic capital and investment approaches, helping translate funder priorities into practical, community‑led solutions.
Wen Yi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Economics from Wellesley College, is a CFA charterholder, and a certified ESG analyst. She is also an alum of the Oxford Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Saïd Business School.
Wilson L. White is Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google, where he is the global head of government affairs and public policy for Google’s Platforms & Devices business unit as well as Google’s government affairs operations across the Asia Pacific region.
With 20+ years of experience as an engineer and technology attorney, Wilson has used his multidisciplinary background and expertise to provide a lawmakers, regulators and other key opinion formers across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia with thought leadership on the rapidly growing and changing technology landscape and the societal implications of emerging technologies.
Wilson earned his Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in Computer Engineering from NC State University. He earned a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the North Carolina Law Review.
Woochong Um is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a multi-sector coalition established in 2021 to address one of the most pressing challenges of our era: eradicating energy poverty and combating the climate crisis through an equitable transition to renewable energy. As CEO, Woochong is committed to advancing GEAPP's mission to unlock sustainable, green energy solutions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean—fostering economic progress, resilience, and inclusive prosperity for all. His leadership brings new momentum to accelerating the clean energy transition in emerging and developing economies, providing millions of people and businesses with better and safer access to power.
Before GEAPP, Woochong's extensive career in international development, spanning over three decades, includes a distinguished tenure at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as Managing Director General. In this role, he led transformative global partnerships and innovative funding mechanisms designed to foster economic growth, sustainability, and community resilience across diverse sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and humanitarian aid. Woochong championed ADB’s environmental and renewable energy agenda, embedding climate action plans at the heart of the bank’s development initiatives.
Prior to his role as Managing Director General, Woochong served as Director General for ADB’s Regional and Sustainable Development Department, where he oversaw the bank’s climate finance initiatives, emphasizing private sector engagement and carbon market financing. His portfolio encompassed sustainable infrastructure, social development, governance, environmental safeguards, and public management.
Earlier in his tenure at ADB, he served as Secretary, overseeing relationships between shareholders and management. He also played a pivotal role in the Mekong Department, leading major infrastructure projects, including the groundbreaking Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, developed in collaboration with the World Bank.
Before joining ADB, Woochong gained valuable private-sector experience as a Corporate Information Systems Specialist at Pfizer Inc. in New York and as Lead Programming Analyst at Pitney Bowes Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut.
A Korean national, Woochong holds an MBA in finance and international business from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Management from Boston College.
Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and an Intermediate Licensed Social Worker, Xu Shan is a Training Expert with China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs and an Expert Advisor to the Guangdong Youth and Children Rescue and Protection Center. With a professional focus on child and elderly welfare, protection systems and mental health, Xu Shan brings extensive frontline and policy experience, having worked across Chinese and American counselling centres, elderly welfare management institutions, and public research institutions.
Since 2011, Xu Shan has led pioneering efforts to develop and scale community-based service models—including “Children Director,” “Friendly Communities for Children and the Elderly,” and “Community Early Childhood Development Services”—across more than ten provinces in China. This work has contributed significantly to strengthening China’s grassroots child welfare protection service system.
Professor YANG Bin is Vice Chancellor of Tsinghua University Council, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Social Value, and a distinguished faculty member at Tsinghua’s School of Economics and Management (SEM). Holding a Ph.D. from Tsinghua, his research focuses on organisational behavior & Leadership, business ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility, and Higher Education Innovation and Management.
A pivotal figure in Chinese higher education, Yang served as Vice President of Tsinghua University (2014–2025), Provost, and held various dean positions. He championed nationwide professional degree reforms and successfully advocated for mandatory ethics courses across Tsinghua. Notably, he contributed to drafting China’s first Academic Degrees Law and co-directed a prestigious executive program alongside Harvard Business School and CEIBS.
An award-winning educator, Yang received the Grand Prize in the National Teaching Achievement Award (2022) and the “Person of the Year for Responsibility” title. He teaches acclaimed courses like Critical Thinking and Moral Reasoning and Leadership and Organisational Change, Culture, Ethics and Leadership, Managerial Thinking, and Business History. He has also provided strategic consulting and training for numerous Fortune 500 companies. He is also a prolific author, writing influential books, while translating numerous global management classics.
Furthermore, Yang is instrumental in Tsinghua’s global strategy and international education collaborations. He currently leads several major international initiatives, serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Foundation, Executive Chairman of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), President of the UK-China Humanity Alliance, and Secretary General of the World Peace Forum.
Dr Yvonne Pinto is the Director General of the International Rice Research Institute and provides direction and management to meet the expectations of the Board, donors, investors, partners, stakeholders including farmers in rice-based systems across Asia and Africa. She led IRRI’s recent 2025-2030 strategy and guides innovation and scaled translation of IRRI’s sustainable efforts to solve some of the biggest global issues of climate change, nutrition, and environmental resilience. She champions breakthrough innovations in digital, and data across the CGIAR system and is the CGIAR Asia Pacific regional representative. With 30 years of experience Dr Pinto has held roles as Managing Director and Director of Strategy, Innovation, and Sustainability in the private sector. Prior to that, she spent 15 years in global philanthropic foundations where she managed intermediaries and set up institutions in the agriculture, finance and enterprise sectors. She has in this capacity supported Breeding Programs, Seed and Soil Health Systems Programs, Integrated Pest Management, Genetic conservation and Biodiversity, and women’s leadership and economic empowerment. She also established an impact investing fund and 2 NGOs in Kenya and Uganda and managed a relationship between a Foundation and its largest intermediary. Her early career was in Agriculture, and postdoctoral research in Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Virology. As the leader of a professional services firm measuring the impact of innovation in agriculture, she has worked with more than 250+ clients including donors, governments, private, research and non-government agencies in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. With combined scientific and economic experience and extensive networks, she has provided unique perspectives and advantages to these clients. Her experience includes Agriculture Sector Transformation, Innovation Ecosystem Management, Commercialization of Innovations, ML&E, ESG, Capacity Building, International Development, and Policy Formulation and Evaluation. She has analyzed digital innovations in Africa and Asia (26 countries) and assessed policies and frameworks for digital innovation and data security. She has advised within the start-up ecosystem, served on investment committees and been an assessor of health, life science and AgriTech enterprises and their growth.
Dr Pinto is a strong advocate of good governance with successful board roles for over 25 years including Chair, Committee Chair, Board member and Secretary. Dr Pinto has a BSc in Plant Sciences and Agriculture from Reading University, MSc in Plant Biotechnology and PhD in Molecular Virology from Imperial College and General Management Executive Education from the Judge Business School at Cambridge University. She speaks widely on science and its relevance to health and agriculture.