Speakers Profile

Prof. Annie KOH

Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice)
Senior Advisor, Business Families Institute Singapore Management University
PhD International Finance, New York University, 1988
M Phil International Finance, New York University, 1985
Bachelor of Social Science & Economics (Hons) National University of Singapore, 1976 Monetary Authority of Singapore Scholar, 1975

Professor Annie Koh is Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice) at Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU). She is a renowned conference speaker, panel moderator and commentator. She chairs the Asian Bond Fund 2 supervisory committee for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and is a committee member of Singapore’s Customs Advisory Council. She has recently been appointed board member of Singapore Food Agency with effect from April 1st 2023.

Professor Koh is currently Chairman of Prime US REIT and an independent director of AMTD IDEA Group, Prudential Assurance Company Singapore Pte Ltd, Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd and EtonHouse Community Fund (Charity), She previously served on GovTech, Singapore’s CPF, HMI, K1 Ventures boards, and was a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council from 2019 2022, and the HR Industry Transformation Advisory Panel from 2018 – March 2023.

Professor Koh also advises selected single-family offices and privately owned enterprises such as Flexxon Pte Ltd., PBA Group and TOP International, and startups such as Dedoco, Float Foods Pte Ltd, Hyperscal Solutions Pte Ltd, Pyxis Maritime Pte Ltd, and non-profit organisation such as Cyber Youth Singapore. She has been an investment committee member of iGlobe Partners since July 2010, advisor to CUBE3 Ventures since October 2021, and Asia Food Sustainability Fund since February 2022. Previously held leadership positions at SMU before January 2021 include Vice President for Business Development; V3 Group Professor of Family Entrepreneurship; Academic Director of Business Families Institute and International Trading Institute; Associate Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business; and Dean, Office of Executive and Professional Education.

Professor Koh received her Ph.D. degree in International Finance as a Fulbright scholar from Stern School of Business, New York University in 1988. Her research interests are in Family Office and Family Business, Investor Behaviour, Alternative Investments and Enterprise Risk Management. She co-authored Financial Management: Theory and Practice, 2nd edition (2021), and Financing Internationalisation – Growth Strategies for Successful Companies (2004), co-editor of Asian Family Business: Succession, Governance and Innovation (2020), and author of a number of Asian family business cases and survey reports. In recognition of her contribution to education and the public sector, she was awarded the bronze and silver Singapore Public Administration medal in 2010 and 2016 respectively, the Adult Education Prism Award in 2017 and the Tripartite Alliance Award in 2023.

Mr. Mark LEE

Deputy Honorary Treasurer of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Chief Executive Officer of Sing Lun Holdings Limited

Mr. Mark Lee boasts an impressive track record with over two decades of experience in the apparel industry. His remarkable entrepreneurial acumen was officially acknowledged when he received the “Most Outstanding Entrepreneur” award at the 2010 Asia Pacific Entrepreneur Awards in Singapore. In 2015, he continued to shine as the distinguished recipient of the EY Entrepreneur of The Year in the Manufacturing category.

Furthermore, Mr. Mark Lee’s commitment to the future well-being of Singapore is evident in his role as a member of the Committee for Future Economy (CFE), a crucial initiative established by the Prime Minister in 2016. Presently, he serves as a board member for several esteemed statutory bodies in Singapore, including the Singapore National Heritage Board and the Board of Trustees of the Yusof Ishak Institute of South-East Asian Studies. 

Adding to his extensive portfolio of responsibilities, Mr. Mark Lee assumes the role of Chairman at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum, and as a board director of Business China. His active involvement in various key roles within Singapore’s business community is evidenced by his positions as a council member of the Singapore Business Federation, deputy honorary treasurer, chairman of the Jobs and Skills Committee, and vice chairman of the Young Business Leaders Network and SMEC Innovation Sub-committee. 

Mr. Mark Lee is also an essential council member of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where he chairs the Commerce and Industry Committee. He brings his wealth of knowledge to the textile and fashion industry as an advisor to and past president of the Singapore Textile and Fashion Federation (Taff). Notably, he previously served as the chairman of the Textile and Fashion Federation Training Centre (TaF.tc) academic and examination board from 2014 to 2020.

Apart from his contributions to the business landscape, Mr. Mark Lee’s passion for sports is evident through his role as a board member of the Singapore Sports School, where he chairs the Financial Assistance Fund.

Educated at Monash University, Mr. Mark Lee graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing in 1996. He represents the third generation of the Lee family within the business, following in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Patrick Lee. During the 2000s, Sing Lun Group, the family business, embarked on a diversification journey into various sectors, including Industrial, Investments, and Real Estate.

This rich history and dedication to entrepreneurship are further underscored by Mr. Mark Lee’s recognition as the winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Manufacturing) award in 2015, cementing his legacy as an accomplished leader in the industry.

Prof. TAN Wee Liang

Vice-Chairman, IAAS
Director of Sunlit Asset Holdings
Council Member of Entrepreneurship Forum (Singapore)

Dr Wee Liang Tan is Associate Faculty, the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University (SMU).

Dr Wee Liang Tan joined SMU in 1999 as a member of the Core Planning Team of the then new university, SMU, when he developed the predecessor offices of the present day Office of Student Life and Office of Career Services. He joined academe beginning his career with the Faculty of Accountancy and Business Administration at the National University of Singapore in 1985. Prior to SMU, he had served as sub-dean, vice-dean and director of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre at NTU.

His current research interests lie in the domains of entrepreneurship, family business, international cooperation and corporate governance. His initial research was in law as he began his career as a law professor when he had publications in the Malayan Law Review. He has since moved into entrepreneurship research. He has published in the Journal of International Business Studies, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Family Business Review, Journal of High Technology Management Research, and Journal of Business Research. In addition to journal publications, he has co-authored Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Asia (2001) and edited several books. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Small Business Management, International Entrepreneurship and Management Research, and Small Business Research.

He has served as national expert for entrepreneurship and SMEs for APEC, Asian Productivity Organization, the Colombo Plan Secretariat and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

He holds degrees from The National University of Singapore (LLB), Cambridge University (LLM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MSc) and Eindhoven University of Technology (PhD).

Ms. Michelle CHEO

Deputy Chairperson & Chief Executive Officer of Mewah International Inc.

Ms Michelle Cheo is the Deputy Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of Mewah International Inc. She joined the Group in 2003 and is responsible for the formulation and execution of overall strategy of the Group, business development, project execution, corporate risk and factory operations. Prior to this, she was at Exxon Mobil from 1997 to 2003 in the US and Singapore.

Michelle joined the Council of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industries in 2019 and as of Dec 2020 sits on the advisory board of James Cook University Singapore.

Michelle was the 2019 Her Times Women Empowerment Award Winner for Entrepreneurship and has recently been awarded Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year in the 36th Singapore Business Awards 2020/2021. Michelle graduated with a First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London. She obtained a MBA degree from INSEAD in 2004.

Mr. John CHENG

Founder and Managing Director of Innovate 360

John Cheng founded Innovate 360, Singapore’s premier food accelerator, combining facilities and a venture capital fund. He is pivotal in Singapore’s food innovation landscape. He co-founded and chairs Feed 9 Billion, an open innovation ecosystem fostering sustainability and collaboration to feed the world’s projected 9 billion people by 2050. Under his guidance, the platform launched the Good Food Startup Manual: Singapore edition together with the Good Food Institute and alternative protein database helping startups navigate the food ecosystem. He serves on the Ministry of Trade’s Pro-enterprise Panel, aiding companies with novel solutions in overcoming regulatory obstacles, and contributes to the Singapore Food Story Thematic Scientific Evaluation Panel, facilitating research grants for scientists. Additionally, he holds board membership at the Science Centre Singapore and academic advisory roles at the Institute of Technical Education for Chemicals & Life Sciences, as well as at the Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Applied Sciences.

Ms. Cynthia Handriani WIJAYA

Chief Corporate Officer and Board Director & Sustainability at Daya Selaras Group

Cynthia is the Chief Corporate Officer of Daya Selaras Group (DSG) a company in the paper and corrugated carton industry for more than 30 years and based in Indonesia. DSG is a sustainable industrial hub linking the industrial loop from waste paper material to corrugated carton packaging through their network of subsidiaries and/or partners in the waste paper recycling, industrial paper, corrugated carton and logistics sectors, hence operating a circular value chain. Cynthia is also steering the group’s sustainability department and initiatives. She is passionate about circular economy and the zero-waste movement. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance in Macquarie University, Sydney and continued her executive education in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies from Cambridge Business Judge School. In addition, she initiated various projects with the informal waste sector, recycling start-ups, the Indonesian Circular Economy Forum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation community network, and many more. Cynthia is also the Founder of ‘ECO-S’ or Eco Selaras which is a coworking and office space that is operating Indonesia’s 1st climate tech hub and working together with venture builders, private, public and media sectors to promote activation and collaboration in the ASEAN climate tech industry. She is an active member of the ASEAN Youth Fellowship and Business Families Institute of Singapore Management University.

Dr. Kenneth GOH

Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education)
Academic Director, Business Families Institute
Course Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Concentration

Kenneth Goh, PhD, is Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) and Academic Director of the Business Families Institute (BFI) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), Singapore Management University (SMU), where he leads BFI in its research, education, and engagement of business families to enhance their growth and impact. Prof. Goh obtained his Ph.D. from the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, under the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship. He also holds degrees from The Wharton School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research has been published in leading academic journals in the field of management. Additionally, he has authored two books, namely “Circular Economy Principles for Family Business and Wealth Stewardship” and “The Inclusive Organizing Playbook”. Furthermore, his case studies on topics such as business families, innovation, analytics, start-ups, and social entrepreneurship have been widely used by business schools across the world. At SMU, he teaches courses on business families, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership in the undergraduate, MBA, and Executive programmes.

Ms. Jamie LIM

CEO of Scanteak Singapore

Jamie is the CEO of the Scanteak Singapore, and spearheads the Group’s regional branding initiatives, manages overseas franchises, and oversees Scanteak Singapore’s business operations.

Under Jamie’s influence, Scanteak has won several brand awards, such as the CitiBusiness – SPBA Regional Brand Award, the Singapore Good Design Award (Singapore), the Good Design Award (Japan), the IPOS Award for Design Innovation and the President’s Design Award Singapore. The Group now has over 150 showrooms worldwide and is one of the biggest furniture retailers in Singapore and Taiwan.

Jamie was a member of the Lifestyle Subcommittee of the Future Economy Council. She is the Assistant Honorary Secretary of Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC). She is also involved as a member in initiatives led by local educational institutions, such as the Business Management Advisory Committee of Nanyang Polytechnic, as well as the Curriculum Development Advisory Committee of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Mr. Nicholas NG

Director of X-Inc Pte Ltd

With a life revolved around food, Nicholas Ng has helped change the Singaporean dialogue around food as co-founder of The Food Bank Singapore, alongside his sister Nichol in 2012. A non-profit that distributes food to the needy, The Food Bank Singapore has been trying to bridge the gap between food insecurity and food waste. Additionally, he is director at his family’s food distribution and services company X-Inc and its five subsidiaries. In the last few years, The Food Bank has grown enormously—it receives an average of 60 tonnes of food donations every month, which is then distributed to 168 charity organizations.

Mr. Arthur CHUA

CEO of Goldbell Group

Arthur Chua is the CEO of Goldbell Group, Singapore’s leading large vehicle and equipment leasing provider. Arthur works closely with regional partners and governments focused on mobility, developing new business solutions and driving Goldbell’s vision to be at the forefront of innovation in the mobility space. Goldbell has been providing its services to the likes of Lazada, Redmart and SingPost through its fleet of vehicles.

Arthur sits on the board of the Singapore River One Precinct and is a panel member in the Land Transport Master Plan Singapore 2040. He is one of the youngest members to be admitted into the Entrepreneurs Organization in 2008 and the Young Presidents’ Organization in 2016.

Prof. Anne WU

Chair Professor, Department of Accounting, College of Commerce, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Anne Wu is a chair professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, and is the director of Integrative Strategic Value Management (ISVMS) Research Center, and the associate director of Center of Business Sustainability (CBS). She received her PhD from George Washington University. She has published articles in many journals, including The Accounting Review, Accounting, Organization, and Society (AOS), Contemporary Accounting Research (CAR), Strategic Management Journal (SMJ), Information Systems Research (ISR), Journal of International Business Studies, and Leadership Quarterly. She has been the editorial board member of several journals and won several best paper awards from international conferences. She has received American Accounting Association (AAA) 32nd “Outstanding International Accounting Educator Award”, 20nd “Lifetime Contribution to Management Accounting Award”, 50nd “Outstanding Accounting Educator Award”, and “Notable Contribution to Management Accounting Literature Award”.

Dr. Ravi KHETARPAL

Executive Secretary of the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), Thailand

Dr Ravi Khetarpal is the Executive Secretary of Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) since 2017 and is based at Bangkok. He is also involved in execution of projects sponsored by FAO, EU, WTO, ACIAR and others on knowledge management, agriculture innovation system, agriculture science technology indicators and pesticide risk mitigation. He is presently also serving as the Chairman of Tropical Agricultural Platform of FAO – a G-20 initiative for developing and promoting the Agricultural Innovation System. He has served for CABI – South Asia (India) as Regional Director and also as its Regional Advisor on Strategic Science Partnerships for a span of more than seven years. Prior to that he has worked for National Agricultural System in India in the field of Plant Protection for three decades. He holds PhD in Life Sciences (Plant Pathology) from University of Paris and was a Visiting Scientist in an EU Collaborative Project at INRA, Versailles, France for three years. His own areas of interest include research, development, policy issues and capacity building in the field of biosecurity, biosafety, seed certification and biodiversity. He has worked as Consultant of twelve FAO/World Bank/USDA Projects notably in Indonesia (as Team Leader), India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal, Mauritius and Cambodia. He also represented Asia as a Developing Country SPS Expert in STDF Working Group (2016-2017) in WTO. He has published 110 research papers, 18 books, 59 book chapters, 16 review articles and policy papers.

Dr. CHEW Fook Tim

Vice Dean and Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

Associate Professor Dr CHEW Fook Tim is Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore (NUS), overseeing the Undergraduate and International Programs. He is also the Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, teaching both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Molecular Genetics and Crop Biotechnology; and is the Principal Investigator of the Functional Genomics Laboratories, Molecular Immunology and Allergy Laboratory, Research Centre on Sustainable Urban Farming, and the NUS Agritech Centre. His key areas of research are in the Genetics of Allergic and Skin Diseases, Allergen Characterization, and Large-Scale Crop Breeding, where he has published >250 scientific articles and reviews. He is the lead scientific consultant to Syngenta Crop Protection, Sime Darby, First Resources, Genting Plantations and Olam International, where he works on the Genetics of Major Crops, and the Commercialization of Molecular Breeding and Seed Production Programs and is on the Governing Board of several major organizations.