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