Global Speakers

Topic: Green Bonds For Climate-Resilient Future

Vivek Pathak was appointed IFC Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific in October 2014. He has extensive emerging markets experience in principal investments, restructuring and risk management across all industry sectors. Mr. Pathak joined IFC in 1998 and has since covered Asia Pacific, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia in various leadership capacities. Based in Hong Kong, Mr. Pathak leads IFC’s advisory and investment operations across 18 countries, which in fiscal year 2019 reached almost $4 billion in long-term investments, including funds mobilized from other investors.

Previously, he served as IFC Director for Investment and Credit Risk based in Washington, DC, managing a team of seasoned professionals responsible for global coverage of credit risk, investment risk, integrity risk, pricing and credit/equity training. Prior to that, he oversaw IFC’s portfolio in the Middle East and North Africa, and led IFC’s business development efforts in frontier markets like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

Before joining IFC, Mr. Pathak worked with Bank of America and ABN AMRO Bank in new business and risk management. In his capacity as Head of Risk Management at ABN AMRO Bank Thailand, he was responsible for managing a large and diverse portfolio during the Asian Financial Crisis. Mr. Pathak holds a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Mumbai, India.

Topic: ADB Case Study: Why Has ADB Made A Cornerstone Investment In Ayala Corporation?

Jackie Surtani was appointed Director of the Infrastructure Finance Division that covers East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands in April 2017.

For the last three years, Jackie led the risk function of Siemens Financial Services’ Asian commercial finance unit as their Regional Chief Risk Officer and was responsible for a team of 80 staff in China and India. Prior to joining Siemens, he was a Senior Investment Specialist for the same division at ADB responsible for project finance transactions in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Pacific Islands. He led the team that closed the US$1.1 billion project financing for the Sarulla Geothermal Power Project in Indonesia which won several Deal of the Year accolades. He also secured two other mandates for geothermal projects and built a strong deal pipeline for ADB in Indonesia. Jackie began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan) as Director of Global Power and Project Finance; was a Director for Global Project Finance at Credit Suisse; and Head of Project Finance Asia Pacific at KBC Bank for 14 years.

Mr. Surtani has over 27 years of successful experience in Asian infrastructure lending and advisory. He has a strong credit philosophy and sector and regional knowledge across the entire energy chain (i.e. power generation, renewable energy, LNG, petrochemicals), infrastructure and telecommunications.

Mr. Surtani is a national of the United Kingdom. He obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Finance and Economics from the University of East Anglia in 1988 with a First Class Honours degree. He obtained his Master of Philosophy Degree in Management Studies from the University of Oxford in 1990.

Topic: CDL Case study: Accelerating Sustainable Development Through ESG Investing And Green Financing

As a passionate and active advocate for sustainability for over two decades, Esther has been instrumental in establishing CDL’s leadership in sustainability and ESG best practices. These include publishing the first sustainability report using GRI standards in Singapore in 2008 and issuing the first green bond by a Singaporean company in 2017. A forerunner in embracing the UN SDGs, Esther was conferred 2018 SDG Pioneer for Green Infrastructure and A Low Carbon Economy by the UN Global Compact. She sits on the boards or advisory platforms of a number of global organisations including the World Green Building Council, Singapore Green Building Council, UNEP Finance Initiative Real Estate Group, GRI Corporate Leadership Group, Asia Pacific Real Estate Association Singapore Chapter Board and Global Compact Network Singapore. Esther founded the Women4Green Network as she believes in empowering women to drive sustainable practices at home, at work and at play.

Topic: Sindicatum Case Study: Why Did Sindicatum Became The First Asian Renewable Energy Firm To Issue Green Bonds?

I have spent over 30 years focusing on financial management and capital raising transactions. After qualifying as an ACA, I worked for two decades in investment banking, directly responsible for raising over US$30 billion, in both the public and the private markets, executing landmark transactions including equity, debt and other financings to corporate and government entities.  In the last nine years, I have been involved in the development, structuring and evaluation of renewable energy projects in Asia, responsible for financial reporting and operational management at Sindicatum and working on traditional and innovative capital raising solutions.

Topic: Masterclass B – Understanding The Emerging Differences In Green Bond Standards For Green Bond Issuance

With 20+-year experience in the fund management industry with more than 10 years at top ranking investment banking firms (JP Morgan, Citi and Credit Suisse), Cedric has been managing fixed income portfolios and analyzing corporate bonds during the most part of his career, most recently as the Head of Emerging Markets Corporate Credit Research at an independent credit research company. He’s been managing teams of analysts and acting as a principal of small investment teams in various capacities. He earned a Master’s in Finance from the London Business School and he is currently enrolled in the joint Executive MBA program of INSEAD in Singapore and Tsinghua University in Beijing. He is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society in Singapore. Since relocating for the second time to Asia six years ago (Bangkok and Singapore), he has been developing investable projects in the climate finance space in South East Asia. He’s been a consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (including Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines) on Green Finance.

Topic: Sustainability As An Enabler, Differentiator And Value Creator

Topic: Sunseap Energy Case Study: How Green Financing Helps Companies Improves Access To New Institutional Investors And Creates New Financing Liquidity By Increasing Their Commitment To ESG?

A focused media veteran with an in-depth knowledge of the Asian market with more than 20 years’ experience in broadcasting, Advertising and Production, having worked in Mediacorp, MTV Asia, Channel [V] International, Fox TV and activeTV (an international Emmy award winning TV production company).

Currently wearing 2 hats:
1. Managing Director & Founder of SolarPVExchange Pte Ltd (2014)
Singapore’s first solar PV platform for building owners, solar installers and investors. Built & Installed more than 12 MWp of solar installation. Crowdfunded $1M for solar PV renewable energy projects.
Core competency in EPC, financing, monitoring, operations & maintenance in renewable energy projects, as well as energy efficiency & energy IOT.
2. Vice President Marketing & Corporate Communications & Sustainable Reporting Head (Sunseap Group)

Topic: Green Bonds And Green Loans – Pluses And Minuses In Asian Markets

Alexandra Boakes Tracy is President of Hoi Ping Ventures in Hong Kong, which she founded to provide research and consulting on sustainable investment and green finance in Asian emerging markets.

Alexandra began her career as an investment banker in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and then ran a number of start-up businesses, including a software company and a publishing and information business. Following the sale of the latter, she was for several years Vice President – Strategy at First Eastern Investment Group, an independent private investment group in Hong Kong.

From 2013 to 2019, Alexandra was a member of the Listing Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. She is also the Active Private Sector Observer to the United Nations Green Climate Fund, a director of the Climate Markets & Investment Association in the UK and a member of the Financial Services Business Council of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Alexandra was non-executive Chairman of the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia for six years, stepping down in 2015, and was instrumental in establishing the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change during this period. She sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards in Hong Kong, including Tom Hugh Limited, where she is non-executive Chairman, and the Asia Pacific Investors Cooperation. She is also an Advisor to the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology’s Asian Family Business Research Centre and to the NDCI.org climate commitment community.

Alexandra speaks and writes regularly on sustainable finance, development and infrastructure issues. She has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and MA degrees from Yale University and Cambridge University.

Topic: ESG Integration: From Theory To Practice

Mr. Shah leads the ESG practice at GMO and is responsible for building GMO’s ESG capability across investment product areas and asset classes. Prior to joining GMO in 2017, he led a global team of analysts focused on ESG ratings and thematic research at Sustainalytics. Previously, he was an ESG Ratings associate at MSCI and, as a senior climate change consultant with Ernst & Young, has helped register a wide variety of projects with the UNFCCC under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) defined in the Kyoto Protocol. In 2015 and 2016, Mr. Shah was voted #1 “research firm analyst who understands the challenges & opportunities facing companies” in the Independent Research in Responsible Investment (IRRI) Survey. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from University of Mumbai and holds a post-graduate diploma in management – e business (finance specialization) from We School, Mumbai. Mr. Shah holds the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) credential issued by SASB and also is a CFA charter holder.

Topic: Impact Investment To Tackle Climate Change & Pollution In Asia

Rob has ten years of experience working for and in Family Businesses across the UK, Middle East and since 2017, Asia, following an early career in the British Army. Since 2015, as Managing Partner of Hezar Ventures, Rob has partnered with a 4th generation family member, former owners of a UK consumer industrial family business with a global footprint. Hezar Ventures focuses on incubating growth in impactful technology enabled businesses seeking to expand into emerging markets. Rob has been based in Singapore since 2017, where Hezar Ventures has expanded its footprint to include setting up an investment GP focused on technology enabled impact solutions to climate change and environmental impact within Asia, focused initially on Indonesia, in partnership with three Indonesian family conglomerate members. Rob is an advocate of tackling climate change and the environmental crisis as a priority within the impact sphere.

Topic: Ethical Investment To Impact Investing: The Role Of Intention And Measurability In Impact Investment

Sandeep’s passion for investing in innovative companies drove him to establish Kaizen Private Equity. As the Founder of the firm, he has been instrumental in driving the overall strategy and building the firm’s knowledge and client network across the globe. Sandeep’s passion is to work closely with entrepreneurs who have a deep sense of purpose and a plan for identifying and solving difficult societal problems through highly valuable, differentiated and sustainable companies. One of his professional commitments is to promote and improve the overall human wellbeing in emerging markets by investing in opportunities such as education, wellness and smart living. Sandeep has been a part of the venture capital and private equity industry since 2002 and has been credited with numerous successful transactions in the United States and in Asia. He sits on the boards of various education companies and is a frequent speaker on emerging investment and impact trends globally. He has an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

Topic: Singtel’s Role As An Ecosystem Builder: Enabling Shared Value And Scale For The Social Impact Start-Ups

Andrew is Vice President for the SingTel Group’s Corporate Sustainability, a Talent Coach to over 120 Optus Future and Emerging Leaders, and a mentor to non-profit and social impact start-ups. Singtel also runs a regional social innovation programme, Singtel Group Future Makers, which in 2019 provides grants and support of $1 million and capacity building programmes to social impact start-ups and non-profit organizations leveraging technology and innovation into solving for social issues. Andrew also founded and ran SingTel Ventures from 1997 – 2000, a S$150m corporate technology investment fund focused on emerging technologies in the ICT sector to drive innovation and develop new businesses spin-offs for the company.

Topic: Masterclass A – Structuring Successful Green Bonds: From Establishing ESG Ratings To Acquiring Anchor Investors And Compliance Monitoring For New Bond Issues

Topic: How Impact Investment Can Improve Nutrition Affordability?

Dr. Alok Ranjan for last 14 years has been working in areas of Public Health and Nutrition. Since last five years he has been leading the Nutrition work in India at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including nutrition work in Bangladesh for last three years and also Indonesia since 2019 onwards. As the Foundation rolled out its Global Nutrition Strategy in 2015, the biggest focus is on improving Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Dr. Alok worked with UNICEF for 6 and a half years. During this period, he worked as Consultant with UNICEF Office of Bihar in various roles in Health Section and worked for Routine Immunization, IMNCI, Maternal Health and Emergency Health. After that, he worked with UNICEF’s Nutrition Section and led UNICEF’s nutrition program in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – with focus on Infant and Young Child Feeding, Micronutrients, Maternal and Adolescent Nutrition and Management of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition. Having worked in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh over eight years, he believes that these are epicenter of the center of global malnutrition (India). He is a medical doctor and has a post-graduation in Preventive and Social Medicine. He started his professional career as Research Associate for health projects at Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM A). After his research work at IIM-A, he joined WHO-National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) for polio eradication work as Surveillance Medical Officer (SMO) in Bihar in India.

Topic: New Trends in Impact Investing: The Future Of Impact Investing In The New Digital Age

Nicolas Hazard is a French entrepreneur.

He created and manages INCO, an organisation with a presence in over 35 countries, whose mission is to be a leading accelerator for startups with a social or environmental impact, at every stage of their development. INCO mobilises over 200 million euros for impact entrepreneurs and accelerates and advises over 500 startups per year.

Nicolas also created INCO US, a social enterprise based in California, which develops the French social knowhow in the United States, in particular through the creation of companies dedicated to social insertion.

Nicolas Hazard also organises every year Impact2, a worldwide event of reference in the new economy. This event brings together 1,500 political and economic decision-makers coming from 50 different countries to the Paris City Hall. He wrote “Capitalism for all, 20 enterprises that change the world” (Edit the World, 2013), “The company of the 21st century will be social or will not be.” (Rue de l’Echiquier, 2012) and “L’Appel à la Guérilla mondiale (Débats Publics, 2019).

He wrote in the newspaper Le Monde a monthly paper about startups and tomorrow’s economy, as well as in The Guardian and in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Nicolas graduated from Sciences Po and HEC. He was a 2015 World Economic Forum “Young Global Leader” and is a laureate of the Montgolfier award (Economic arts committee). Also, he was elected Young Global Leader by the French American Foundation as well as by the Franco-British council.

Topic: How To Measure Impact Investments And SDG Impact At A Portfolio Level

Champ is the first Thai to have founded a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, co-founding Creative Ventures; a Deep Tech venture capital fund that invests into US-based startups and provides its portfolio with access into Southeast Asia market.

Champ has focused his investments in industrial, healthcare, and agrifood sector, where he saw the greatest opportunities to generate outsized return by accelerating the growth of his portfolio companies through partnership with Southeast Asia family businesses and conglomerates. Some of his previous investments includes ALICE
Technologies (partnered with Ananda Development, resulting in six figure commercial contract), Dishcraft Robotics (10x valuation growth in 10 months), and Exo (4x valuation growth in 4 months). He also serves as a Chief Strategy Officer at his family business, SHARP Thai City Electric.

Champ started his career at Johnson & Johnson in new product development. He later consulted for Fortune 500 companies as business designer at Smart Designs in New York, in which he helped his clients identify new business opportunities and design accompanying business models. Immediately prior to founding Creative Ventures, he worked at 99designs, a Silicon Valley startup with offices in five continents, to transform its business model from B2C to B2B.

Champ holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and M.Sc. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with first class honor. He also received an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley – Haas School of Business.

Topic: What Institutional Investors Look For When Investing In Green Bonds

Fion Chan is the Vice President – Corporate Investment and Special Officer of Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd. She has over 15 years of experience in power industry, began with daily operations and accounting role and subsequently moved into business development, project finance and contracts negotiations. Involved heavily in most of the power and non-power projects throughout her employment career thus far including but not limited to projects in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, India and China.

Fion Chan is heading the corporate investment division of the company, led in project financing exercise of the company and had recently completed the issuance of a Islamic Medium Term Notes for a 50MWac solar photovoltaic power plant in September 2019, which marks as the first ASEAN Sustainability SRI Sukuk and solar socio-agricultural Sukuk in Malaysia.