Thailand: the future
Pita Limjaroenrat, Leader, Move Forward Party (live via video)

With a General Election expected in Thailand early next year, the signs for Opposition parties are good. The recent elections for Governor of Bangkok appear to show Thais tiring of the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, which many see as a legacy of the 2014 military coup. Electing an independent as Governor and supporting opposition parties in the separate Bangkok Metropolitan Council race is a poor omen for the long-serving government, which had promised to introduce political reforms to end corruption, but in fact has done little. What’s the political outlook, and what would a change of government mean for Thailand? The Asia CFO Network is delighted to be hosting Pita Limjaroenrat, the Leader of the Move Forward Party, one of the key Opposition parties, for a wide-ranging discussion. Khun Pita will share his insights into Thailand’s short- and long-term future, as well as share his parties’ vision for the growth and prosperity.

McLaren’s lessons on high performance
Daniel Gallo, Chief People Officer, McLaren Racing (live via video)

How do you create a culture of high performance in a highly diverse team of 1000 people? And how do you keep driving high performance through tough times? McLaren Racing is a finely-tuned organisation focused on building the fastest cars on the planet and providing the world’s best racing experience. Behind the scenes, that performance is driven by an unrelenting focus on getting the best from people. Come prepared to unpack your own organisational culture as we look at what’s made McLaren so successful, including its leadership and people philosophy and the very close relationship of its senior leadership team. In the session we’ll be joined by Chief People Officer Daniel Gallo. Daniel joined McLaren in 2019, having previously been Group HR Director at Liverpool Football Club. Before his move into the sport and media sector, he held senior global HR positions within the aviation, telecommunications and banking industries.

What would a global recession mean for Asia Pacific?
Shahin Padath, Finance Director Asia Pacific, adidas
Joe Basile, Group Chief Financial Officer, iNova Pharmaceuticals
Cindy Ong, Regional Finance Director Asia Pacific, Shiseido
John Smith, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Suntory Beverage and Food

The last two and a half years has been one shock after another. And just when we thought conditions were becoming more favourable, many of the mature economies started heading into recession. What does that means for CFOs? What are your peers expecting, and how should you react? We’re fortunate to be joined by a panel of senior business leaders who’ll pick apart the region’s conflicting economic signals as part of a wide-ranging discussion that will touch on many of the challenges we face, from where to invest our capital through to how to recession-proof our supply chains. With major Southeast Asian economies still expected to grow ahead of inflation, our region will come under the microscope from global HQs. How much should they invest here? What impact will slowing economies in home markets have on their willingness to back emerging markets? Cindy Ong is Shiseido’s APAC Regional Finance Director, while John Smith is global Chief Supply Chain Officer for Suntory Beverage & Food, a USD11.5bn revenue Japanese-headquartered business. We will also be joined by Joe Basile, Group Chief Financial Officer for iNova Pharmaceuticals, whose brands include Difflam and Duro-Tuss, and by Shahin Padath, Finance Director Asia Pacific for adidas. Come prepared tp share your own perspectives as we explore what the future holds.

Luncheon, drinks and light refreshments will be served.