Year-end lunch

An opportunity for CFOs to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Looking again at Myanmar: balancing opportunity and risk
Melvyn Pun, Chief Executive Officer, Yoma Strategic Holdings

Complexity is a word that might have been invented for Myanmar. With a population of almost 54 million people and an abundance of natural resources, it could be one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. Instead, it’s ranked seven out of 10 ASEAN nations in terms of GDP per capita. With a military government and an ongoing civil conflict, it’s an incredibly volatile and difficult place to do business. What approach should multinational companies take to operating in Myanmar? We’ll be joined in this session by one of the country’s most prominent business leaders, Yoma Strategic Holding’s CEO Melvyn Pun. Yoma is a Singapore-listed, Myanmar-based company with interests in real estate development - both residential and commercial - banking, fintech, retail and motor vehicle distribution. Melyvn, who is based in Yangon, will share his perspective on Myanmar’s long-range prospects, and his thoughts on managing risk.

View from the south - understanding Australia
Emily Follett, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore

Australia has a close but sometimes turbulent relationship with Asia, driven by shifts in trade, investment and government policies. Frequently a significant chunk of the Asia Pacific operations multinationals, it is often margin-friendly, representing an even bigger share of their profits. With all that in mind, it’s critical to understand the domestic dynamics of the nation, and its outlook on the broader Asia Pacific region. Here are the numbers: 27% of Australia’s two-way trade is with China alone. Twelve of its top 15 export markets are in Asia and Oceania, and its trade with ASEAN is greater than its trade with the EU. Equally, Australia is both heavily dependent on investment from Asia, and a key source of investment in Asia. So that we can understand the issues more deeply, we’ll be joined by Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner Emily Follett for a broad-ranging discussion on Australia, to be followed by a member-led conversation on how best to manage Australian subsidiary operations. Emily is an experienced senior diplomat, with prior postings including Washington DC and Vientiane, as well as senior trade negotiation roles.

Does pressure equal performance?
Shayne Bannan, High Performance Director, Singapore Cycling Federation
Prof Peter Tornquist, Dean, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
Coen van Putten, High Performance Manager, Singapore Badminton Association
Richard Gordon, Senior Director & Head of High Performance & Athlete Life, Singapore Sports Institute

How does goal-setting and the desire to win create positive pressure, and a high-performance environment? Join your CFO peers and a panel of high performance experts from sports and the arts for an engaging discussion on the lessons elite performers can teach Finance leaders. In this panel discussion, we’ll examine what drives elite performers both within and outside the business world to function at such a high level, and look at some of the lessons that can be applied in corporate life. We’ll also discuss the challenges of building cohesive teams in a dynamic, fast-changing world. We’ll be joined by Shayne Bannon, High Performance Director for the Singapore Cycling Federation, Prof Peter Tornquist, Dean of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Richard Gordon, Senior Director & Head of High Performance & Athlete Life at the Singapore Sports Institute, and Coen van Putten, High Performance Manager for the Singapore Badminton Association. Shayne is a world-renowned coach and former long-time lead of Australia’s national elite cycling program, who took up his appointment to lead the Singapore cycling program in 2021. A former elite level cyclist himself, Shayne has been involved in six Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and numerous World Championships. Peter is an accomplished composer and educator with a diverse background in music theory, electronic music, and improvisation, with major works performed by orchestras around the world. Peter was previously Principal of the Norwegian Academy of Music. Richard is a former competitive swimmer who’s held numerous sporting leadershipm positions in the UK and Singapore, and is now responsbile for setting policy and direction on high performance for all Singapore’s national sports associations. Coen leads Singapore Badminton’s high performance program, having previously held senior coaching roles with the Special Olympics and the Singapore Hockey Federation. Career highlights have included leading Singapore’s National Women’s hockey teams to medal-winning performances between 2013 and 2015 and coaching Kenya’s Butali Warriors Hockey Club to a bronze medal win in the Africa Cup for Club Champions in 2017.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Drinks and light food will be served.

US election briefing: global implications of a new administration
David Tamasi, Managing Director, Chartwell Strategy Group and leading Republican fundraiser
Senator Doug Jones, Counsel, ArentFox Schiff and former US Senator for Alabama
Rich Bagger, Partner, Christie 55 Solutions, and former policy chief for Chris Christie’s 2023-2024 presidential campaign

As the world watches with some trepidation, the United States is in the final stages of what’s been a fraught and highly contentious presidential election campaign. Whether 5th November brings a Trump or Harris presidency, it’s certainly introduced a significant degree of uncertainty into the plans not only of foreign national leaders, but the leaders of multinational companies. To translate a campaign that’s been fought largely on domestic issues into what that means for the Global CFO Network’s two membership regions - Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East & Africa - we’re joined by prominent Republican lobbyist David Tamasi and Democrat lobbyist and former US Senator Doug Jones. David is a widely regarded Washington public affairs executive, advising CEOs, heads of trade associations and world leaders on legislative, political and reputational risk. David is a leading Republican fundraiser, having served as Finance Chair of the Trump Victory Fund in the 2016 campaign, and on numerous presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial national finance committees over the past two decades, including the last four presidential campaign cycles. He has been featured in Politico as a "Power Player" and is annually listed by The Hill as a "Top Lobbyist." He frequently appears in international and US media providing political analysis on current affairs. In 2017, Doug Jones shocked the political establishment by winning a special election to fill a US Senate seat in Alabama – the first Democrat to do so in the state in 25 years. As a member of the Banking and Housing Committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Committee on Aging, he quickly built a reputation as a well-regarded and effective legislator. Doug’s extensive public service career includes serving as US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from 1997-2001. More recently, Doug served as President Joe Biden’s Nomination Advisor for Legislative Affairs during Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation process. Rich Bagger is a former New Jersey state Senator who was policy chief for Governor Chris Christie’s presidential campaign. In the leadup to the first Trump administration he served as Executive Director of Trump for America, the presidential transition team. His other public service includes two years as Chief of Staff to Chris Christie when he was Governor of New Jersey. Doug also has extensive corporate experience, having been global head of Corporate Affairs for Pfizer and Celgene.

Budgeting for 2025: building a flexible budget process

An opportunity for CFOs to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Creating a future for Thailand - a conversation with Pita Limjaroenrat
Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader, Move Forward Party and Visiting Democracy Fellow, Harvard University

“We could compromise on prioritisation, the pace of change, but not the reason for our existence and values that we bring,” says Pita Limjaroenrat, the prominent opposition politician who led Thailand’s liberal Move Forward Party (now the People’s Party) to win the greatest number of votes - and seats in the lower house of parliament - in the 2023 general election. The party was unable to form a government after it was blocked by the Senate, the members of which were appointed by the leaders of the 2014 military coup. the party’s travails since have included accusations Pita violated election laws (not guilty), a ruling by the courts that the party’s move to overturn lese-majeste law was unconstitutional, and an August decision by the Constitutional Court to dissolve it, resulting in the launch of its successor, the People’s Party. What’s driving the movement’s opponents? Fears that its highly reformist agenda will unseat generations of privilege, and upset the established order. When Pita spoke to the Global CFO Network in 2023, he outlined a significant policy platform that would drive innovation and economic growth. But now - banned from politics for 10 years by court order - how does he see the future? Join us for this engaging face-to-face conversation with one of Southeast Asia’s most promising leaders.

Making the transition from Finance leader to general management
Benjamin Chin, Managing Director Singapore and Malaysia and Finance Director Asia Pacific, ECCO

For many CFOs, the opportunity to step into a general management role is one that they can’t turn down. It’s a chance to make a broader impact on the business, and to see the outcome of the decisions they make, in real-time. It’s not an easy move to make, but Finance leaders - with a broad understanding of all elements of the business, and a deep knowledge of financial drivers - can be model CEOs. In this session, we’ll be joined by ECCO Managing Director Singapore and Malaysia, and Finance Director Asia Pacific Benjamin Chin. Benjamin - who recently added the MD role to his existing Finance leadership responsibilities, will discuss how he’s taken his Finance skills and applied them to driving the business’ commercial outcomes. He’ll discuss some of the challenges he’s faced, and the impact he’s having across ECCO’s business.

Managing a global restructure work in Asia
Serge Krol, CFO - Asia, FrieslandCampina

Towards the end of 2023, Netherlands-headquartered dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina - one of the industry's most significant players - announced a substantial performance-driven restructuring targeting an annual cost savings target of EUR400-EUR500 million by 2026. Dubbed 'Expedition 2030', the reorganization aimed to lower costs by a 15% reduction of white-collar headcount across the world, including Asia. With the aim to create funds for growth as well as improving profitability, the initiative was accompanied by a long-term supply chain improvement project called Performance+. In this session, FrieslandCampina's CFO Asia Serge Krol will walk us through the implementation steps, and summarise the lessons he and his team learned in implementing a major global restructure in Asia. Serge's prior postings include Finance leadership roles in Bangkok and Shanghai, as well as at head office in the Netherlands.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.

Tax controversy: staying ahead of the curve
Stephen Lam, Partner, International Tax & Transaction Services, EY

With global minimum tax expected to raise another US$220 billion for governments around the world every year, there’s never been a more important time to talk about how you’re managing your regional tax affairs. Global CFO Network research shows most CFOs of multinationals are sanguine about the changes, but they will have an impact. Tax competition between jurisdictions will continue, but differentiation will be more about subsidies and credit than rates. Helping you stay ahead of the changes is EY Partner Stephen Lam, who has more than 20 years’ experience advising large multinationals on tax and transfer pricing, having been based in London, Taipei and Singapore.

This call is open to CFOs and team members.

Pricing: how to get ahead in a market that’s more challenging than ever
Christoph Petzoldt, Partner, Simon-Kucher

Pricing is something that can make or break a business, and is incredibly difficult to get right.In an environment where customers face cost pressure and competitors are often willing to price aggressively, it’s important to strike the correct balance, preserving or expanding margins. But setting the ‘right’ prices has become more difficult due to a mix of external and internalfactors. Externally, businesses are deploying increasingly more sophisticated procurement systems to drive their interactions with suppliers, focusing the sale on price, and reducing the ability of suppliers to sell on value. Equally, those selling to consumers are themselves are unde rpressure from increasingly bargain-conscious, promotion-driven buyers. Internally, multinationals often make pricing harder than it should be, with inconsistent strategies, particularly relating to discounting, and sales incentives that prejudice orderly pricing. So what is your approach to pricing? Is it value-based or cost-plus? Or is it too haphazard to deserve either of those titles? And, importantly, who has responsibility for ensuring a consistent approach? Christoph Petzoldt is a Partner at Simon-Kucher, regarded as the world’s leading pricing consultancy. He’ll lead a discussion looking at best practice in relation to pricing, and will also examine the specific issues facing multinational subsidiaries, where regional decisions must sit within the global pricing matrix.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Drinks and light food will be served.

Winning in complex markets
Stephen Wilson, Managing Partner, Wilson Perumal & Company

We live in an age of complexity, and for multinationals, nothing is more complex than the vast array of countries in which they operate. Should you simplify your geographic footprint? The answer, it seems, is “it depends”. This session will introduce you to the Global Market Complexity Index, a data-driven approach to understanding where and how your business should be competing. The GMCI - created by strategy firm Wilson Perumal & Company in partnership with The Wall Street Journal - uses advanced technologies including AI to understand multiple aspects of geographic complexity, placing 100 countries into eight complexity groups using three dimensions and 34 metrics. The index allows you to identify your businesses’ strengths, and ultimately which markets you should enter, remain in, and exit. Wilson Perumal & Company Managing Partner Stephen Wilson will introduce the GMCI and chair a wide-ranging discussion on how and why we should all be tackling complexity. Stephen is the author of several books on the topic, including Waging War on Complexity Costs and Growth in the Age of Complexity.

This call is open to CFOs and team members.

Understanding the Asia Pacific consumer
On-site briefing at adidas Southeast Asia headquarters, and adidas Brand Center Orchard

Join your Global CFO Network peers as we gain a unique look at the Southeast Asia operations of adidas, one of the world’s best-known apparel brands. Hosted by adidas Southeast Asia Finance Director Sergio Pinzon and his team, we’ll hear from the business’ Finance, commercial and marketing leaders as we explore what’s driven adidas’ successful performance in the region. Ahead of Euro 2024, the discussion will look at the brand’s key categories, and explore consumer insights, while also looking at e-commerce initiatives, and marketing campaigns. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an engaging morning across two adidas sites: the business’ regional headquarters, and its Orchard Road flagship store. The event will also incorporate a discussion on regional consumer economics with Mastercard Asia and Middle East Africa Chief Economist David Mann.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Light refreshments will be served. Transportation will be provided between the two sites.

Navigating a changing Malaysia - a guide for business leaders
Dr Syaza Shukri, Head, Department of Political Science, International Islamic University of Malaysia

With Malaysia a substantial focus for Global CFO Network members, it’s timely we discuss how the nation has changed over the last decade, and what lies ahead. Understanding how Malaysians identify themselves is critical in turn to understanding what drives their behaviour as citizens, consumers and voters. We’ll be joined in this session by Dr Syaza Shukri, Associate Professor of Political Science at IIUM. Dr Syaza is nationally recognised for the depth of her insight into identity politics, and the ongoing shift towards religious identity among Malays. Understanding the significance of that shift - politically and in terms of consumer behaviour - is critical for global businesses that want to continue to grow in this important market.

Making a transformation work in APAC
Kristen Colella, Partner and Co-Lead, Consumer, Media and Technology Practice, Innosight
Kerry Williams, Consulting Director, Huron Consulting Group

With the vast majority of Global CFO Network members either just started on the Finance transformation journey, in the middle of one, or about to start, we asked one question: what does it take to make that transformation successful in the context of the Asia Pacific subsidiary? Challenging at the best of times, transformations often come unstuck because those in global transformation roles miss the nuances - be their cultural, language, regulatory, structural or tax - of the regions. Asia Pacific is one of the most diverse regions in the world on all those points; what should we do to make our transformations more successful? We'll be joined in this session by Kristen Collela, a Partner at leading growth strategy firm Innosight and Kerry Williams, Consulting Director at Huron Consulting Group, who will share a head office perspective on transformation, and open for a broader discussion on the rights and wrongs of transformation, and how major change can be used to drive not only efficiency, but also innovation.

A bigger role in Asia
HE Kara Owen CMG, British High Commissioner to Singapore

Post-Brexit, the United Kingdom is working hard to build its non-EU network of trading partners, and UK headquartered companies play a huge role in this strategy. In this session we’ll be joined by British High Commissioner Kara Owen for a discussion on the way the UK sees the Asia Pacific, and how it intends to build stronger trade and investment ties with the region. The High Commissioner has held several senior posts, including as the UK Foreign Office’s Director for the Americas, Deputy Head of Mission in Hanoi, and Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary,

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.

Indonesia: understanding the election, and the new President
Florida Andriana, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer, Think Policy Indonesia

After three loses in bids for the presidency or vice presidency, Prabowo Subianto seems to be Indonesia’s clear choice to succeed Joko Widodo as its eighth President. What will his government look like, and what will it mean for the region? Part of Prabowo’s success was in softening his hard-man image and appealing to younger voters through his promise to continue Jokowi’s policy agenda. But how will that agenda play out with Probowo as President? We’ll be joined in this session by Think Policy Indonesia Co-Founder Florida Andriana, who led the youth voter education platform Bijak Memilih (Vote Wisely) during the campaign. The success of the new president and his government will be in large part down to the ability to court and keep these voters over the long term. Come prepared with your Indonesia policy questions. Florida founded Think Policy in 2021; she previously worked in government relations consulting with Asia Group Advisors and Edelman.

This call is open to CFOs and team members.

Understanding our changing world: A CFO’s perspective
Sachin Mehra, Chief Financial Officer, Mastercard

We live in a time of rapid change, and the role of the CFO is to anticipate that change, and in effect, see around corners. You're invited to an informal luncheon to discuss the changes we need to anticipate, and the corners we need to see around. Our guest will be Mastercard CFO Sachin Mehra, who’ll share his perspective on the world and the region as part of a broader discussion on what the future holds. We’ll be hosted by Mastercard Asia Pacific CFO Sohil Tiwari, and will enjoy a wide-ranging conversation over lunch. Sachin is Mastercard’s group CFO, and sits on its management committee.

Luncheon will be served.

CFO Priorities 2024
Research insights presented by Simon Hayes, Managing Director, Global CFO Network
Where are multinationals investing in Asia, what’s on the agenda for 2024, and how is the Finance function positioning itself to drive performance? These are just a few of the questions we’ll be answering in this session, as we present insights from our CFO Priorities 2024 research study. The study explores the risks and opportunities multinational companies see in the Asia Pacific region, examines how MNCs are managing risk, and looks at how Finance functions in some of the world’s largest and most innovative organisations are adopting new technologies and ways of working to help them increase their impact. The session will incorporate an opportunity to discuss the findings with your CFO peers.

The practice of transformation : A Finance perspective
Chng Sok Hui, Chief Financial Officer, DBS Group

In any complex organisation, alignment on desired outcomes is a critical ingredient of success. If goals, targets and incentives are aligned, performance is easily managed. If that alignment doesn’t exist, different parts of the organisation pull in different directions, and performance is at a minimum significantly impaired. DBS Group - Singapore’s leading financial institution and a significant player in regional terms - restructured its targets and incentives to focus on customer outcomes across business units and functions, and has used this structure to drive performance improvements across the business. We’ll be joined by DBS CFO Chng Sok Hui, who will discuss how the structure was developed, how it was deployed, and how DBS has measured the outcomes. Sok Hui took on the CFO role in 2008, having previously been Head of Risk. She is a member of the DBS Executive Committee and also serves on the Board of the Singapore Exchange Limited and chairs its Risk Management Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Changi Airport Group and chairs its Audit Committee.

Regional competitiveness - Singapore and Hong Kong compared
Shibani Mahtani, International Investigative Correspondent, The Washington Post and Tim McLaughlin, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic

Facing an increasingly uncertain legislative environment, and a government under much tighter direction from Beijing, Hong Kong is once again risking the confidence of multinational companies with regional or sub-regional headquarters there. ‘De-risking’ from China - including Hong Kong - has become a common phrase in our conversations with CFOs, and that frequently includes decision about where to site HQs, and what tasks to perform in which countries. One clear beneficiary of this is Singapore, with an growing number of multinationals that once ran the region from Hong Kong now basing operations here. In this session we’ll discuss this trend with The Washington Post’s Singapore-based International Investigative Correspondent Shibani Mahtani, and The Atlantic Contributing Writer Tim McLaughlin. Shibnai was The Washington Post’s Hong Kong bureau chief, and prior to that was a reporter with the Wall Street Journal in Singapore and the US. Tim was part of a team at The Washington Post that won the 2020 Human Rights Press Award for investigative feature writing and the Kam Yiu-yu Press Freedom Award for a report on the misuse of force by the Hong Kong police during pro-democracy protests. He was previously based in Yangon as a correspondent with Reuters. Shibani and Tim are co-authors of Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Breakfast and light refreshments will be served.

CFO video discussion: Critical thinking and curiosity for Finance teams
A brainstorming session for CFOs

The Global CFO Network is delighted to be hosting this informal brainstorming session for interested CFOs. The topic of our discussion will be how you can best develop the critical thinking of your team, and how you can encourage your team to be more curious about the business, its customers and the broader operating environment. In short, we're exploring how we can empower teams to solve problems, drive performance, and add value to our commercial operations.

As this is a member-driven discussion, places on the call are strictly limited.

Planning for 2024? Here’s what you need to know
Taimur Baig, Chief Economist, DBS Bank and Honorary Advisor, Global CFO Network

Did anyone say ‘Black Swan’? With these ‘unpredictable’ macro events becoming … predictable, it’s time to start thinking about what we can expect in a macroeconomic sense from 2024, in what has long been one of the world’s more turbulent regions. China looms large in the thinking of many CFOs. Why is the Chinese Government not stimulating the economy in the way many multinational companies expected? What is the long-term impact of the real estate and construction crisis? And what are the implications of the high youth unemployment rate? On a global level, will the US presidential elections spark more uncertainty in the world’s largest economy? Meanwhile Southeast Asia is home to numerous promising markets, and it’s timely to examine what we can expect closer to home. We’re excited to be joined for this discussion by DBS Bank Chief Economist and Global CFO Network Honorary Advisor Taimur Baig. Taimur is one of the region’s most respected economists and thinkers, host of the popular podcast Kopi Time, and a former IMF economist who leads macroeconomic research for DBS.

How the US sees the Asia Pacific region
Casey Mace, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United States

The Asia Pacific region is more important than ever to global powers. As the US and China posit competing ideologies and systems, Asian nations are increasingly being called on to align with one or the other. Is there still a viable third way? Can the nations of Asia continue to manage peaceful and profitable relationships will all major powers? These are two critical questions for multinationals operating in the region. Join the Global CFO Network as we explore how the US sees the Asia Pacific, and better understand the vision it has for the region’s future. For this discussion, we’ll be joined by US Deputy Chief of Mission Casey Mace, a career foreign service officers whose prior roles include working on the National Security Council staff as principal Southeast Asia advisor to Presidents Obama and Trump, with prior postings in Jakarta, and as Political Unit Chief of the State Department’s China office.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.

Budgeting and planning: what CFOs can do to align global processes with regional needs

An opportunity for CFOs to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Cargill: The Finance transformation
Sandy Xu, Global Enterprise Controller Animal Nutrition, Cargill

When Cargill’s trusted and highly-rated Finance function undertook one of the most all-encompassing transformations in the history of business, it was with a specific aim in mind. Cargill aimed to drive efficiencies and reduce costs, while maintaining value-add to the business. The function undertook a multi-year, wholesale change of systems, processes, people and talent mix to drive a leaner, more effective and customer-focused Finance experience. At the same time, the Cargill business itself went through its own transformation to position it for future growth, which the Finance transformation needed to adapt and allow for. What did the business do right, and what were the lessons it learned? In this session we’ll be joined by Cargill APAC Regional Controller Sandy Xu, who’ll walk us through the myriad changes the company made, and explore how they’ve played out, both globally and in the Asia Pacific region.

Leading in a high performance environment
Janek Schergen, Artistic Director, Singapore Ballet
Ali Alsagoff, Chief Concierge, The Fullerton Bay Hotel

There’s no doubt that high performing individuals bring value to any team. But their true value is not only in their individual high performance, but in the dynamics they create with their peers. Ballet is an apt example: Principals and Soloists are top performer, and often audience drawcards, but they can only be successful in close teamwork with the corps de ballet. The role of the ballet’s Artistic Director is to bring together a large group of high performers, each with specialist skills, and get them working effectively together. Another example is a luxury hotel, where agility is the name of the game, and teams have to have the ability to flex to a range of different business models and guest demands, while working effectively together. Here the Chief Concierge plays a critical role in developing individual talent while building an effective team. Similarly, CFOs need to orchestrate outstanding performance in their own teams, and build an agile workforce to meet changing commercial demands. In this session we’ll be joined by the Singapore’ Ballet’s Artistic Director Janek Schergen, and The Fullerton Hotel’s Chief Concierge Ali Alsagoff, as we explore how he drives a high performance environment. Janek has been involved with the company since its inception in 1988, and has been Artistic Director since 2008, having previously been Ballet Master of the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Pittsburgh Ballet and the Norwegian National Ballet. He is a recipient of Singapore’s Public Service Medal, and was appointed Swede of the Year in 2019. Ali has worked in senior concierge roles in Singapore and Brunei, and before joining The Fullerton Bay was Head Concierge at the Four Seasons, and prior to that was at the Mandarin Oriental. He is a former Vice President of Les Clefs d'Or, the concierge professional body.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.

Leading in a matrix structure: what works, and what doesn’t
An opportunity for senior and high-potential Finance team members to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Members may nominate a Finance team member to attend.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Drinks and light food will be served.

The Russian economy, Europe and the future

Professor Sergei Guriev, Provost and Professor of Economics, Sciences Po, and co-author of Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century.

If Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a nasty wakeup call for Western companies with often-significant operations in Russia, the next 12 months will be critical in understanding what comes next. Will regime change result in peace in Europe and a more open Russian economy? Or will Russia’s future look much like it’s past? Join your Global CFO Network peers in Asia and Europe for a one-hour call with one of the world’s leading authorities on the Russian economy, Sciences Po Provost and prominent Russian economist Sergei Guriev. Prof Guriev has worked in senior academic and government roles in Russia - including as a speechwriter and advisor to then-President Dmitry Medvedev - and has sat on the boards of state enterprises, including Sberbank and the Russian Agricultural Bank. He left Russia in 2013 after a series of “frightening and humiliating interrogations”, and is now based in Paris, where he is Provost of Sciences Po, the elite French school of political science. Prior roles have included as Chief Economist for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

This is an online event.

Finance teams engagement: a discussion

An opportunity for CFOs to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Driving cultural change to support big picture goals

Associate Professor Tim Kastelle, Director, Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership
University of Queensland School of Business

Ever wondered what you can do to drive change in your organisation? Join your Finance peers from around the world as we look at how you can push cultural change, and achieve big-picture goals. In this highly practical video call with Associate Professor Tim Kastelle of the University of Queensland’s business school, we’ll learn what we can do to innovate in complex organisations, and help our businesses become more nimble in an ever-changing world. Tim has worked on numerous innovation projects with large global companies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and an MBA and a PhD from Australia’s University of Queensland. This call will bring together CFOs and Finance team members from both the Asia Pacific and Europe, Middle East & Africa for an engaging conversation.

This is an online event.

From global multinational to regional unicorn
Pankaj Kabra, Senior Vice President - Finance, Traveloka

One of the great attractions of Southeast Asia is its vibrant environment of innovation. And in the ecosystem of technology-driven Southeast Asian innovators, few are better known than Traveloka, an Indonesia-founded tech unicorn in the travel, financial services and lifestyle space. Behind the headlines, what’s it like to work at a senior level in Traveloka? What skills do you need to adapt from the complex and sometimes bureaucratic world of global multinationals to that of fast-moving regional innovators? We’re fortunate to be joined in this discussion by Pankaj Kabra, a senior Finance leader who joined Traveloka in 2021 from HP. Pankaj will lead us through his own transition, and outline how skills learned in the world of multinationals can be applied to regional businesses.

Making sense of Asia Pacific’s multi-speed economy
Selena Ling, Chief Economist & Head of Treasury Research and Strategy, OCBC

It’s a challenging time to interpret Asia Pacific’s conflicting economic signals: the Asian Development Bank is forecasting strong growth from both China and India over the next 12 months, together with slowing inflation. These forecasts are based on expanding demand from China with the recovery of consumer spending post-COVID, together with lower inflation supported by access to cheaper Russian crude oil. Equally, many of Asia export-oriented economies remain slow, with South Korea forecasting a 4.5% drop in exports this year, and Taiwan and Malaysia also facing export headwinds. Global CFO Network members and their teams are invited to join us as we meet with OCBC Chief Economist Selena Ling for a review of what’s happened so far this year, and what we should expect in the months ahead. Selena is one of the region’s most senior economists, a regular guest on Bloomberg and CNBC, and an insightful observer of the links between the Asia Pacific and the broader world.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Breakfast and light refreshments will be served.

Finance teams: how to build a structure that works

An opportunity for CFOs to meet with their peers and share ideas and experience, with a facilitated discussion topic.

Join your CFO peers for an informal discussion, and bring a problem or challenge you would like to share.

Drinks and light food will be served.

Innovation – what it is, and what Finance can do with it
Hosted at the SAP Experience Center

The typical challenge businesses face with innovation is the idea/execution gap; that is, taking great concepts and making them actually work in the business. CFOs in particular often struggle with valuing and investing in innovation – whether as part of mainstream business operations or as discrete projects – when the practical outcome of that innovation is difficult to document. The Global CFO Network is going to tackle these challenges head by exploring what world’s best practice businesses are doing to embrace profitable, sustainable innovation. As guests of SAP’s Experience Center, we’ll see how businesses both globally and in the Asia Pacific region are executing in innovative ways, and approaching long-standing business problems differently. We’ll be joined by the Experience Center team, SAP’s Finance leaders and other Network members for this interactive workshop.

Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.

Driving growth and margin in challenging times
A hosted discussion with Simon Hayes, Managing Director, Global CFO Network

Asia Pacific, it’s time to deliver on our promises.

Another turbulent year for the world, and a year in which multinational companies will be relying more heavily than ever before on the Finance function to deliver. Whether it’s cost management, driving profitability or growth that is your focus, the Global CFO Network’s CFO Priorities 2023 survey looks at what other CFOs are expecting from the markets in which they operate; how they’re building capability within the team to drive success, and what their businesses are doing enhance the Finance operating platform through the use of Shared Service Centres and Centres of Excellence.

This is an online event.

Regional security: understanding the Asia Pacific
Rear Admiral Mark Melson, Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73, US Navy

RDML Melson is a US Navy pilot who has served aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy and as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. Ashore, his assignments have included as Naval Aide to the Vice President of the United States, serving in the White House; as Deputy Director, Navy Senate Liaison; as Senior Military Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Executive Assistant to Deputy Chief of Navy Operations. His posting to Singapore commenced in 2022.