Mr. John F.G. Hannaford
Deputy Minister of International Trade
Government of Canada
John F.G. Hannaford
On December 7, 2018, the Prime Minister appointed John F.G. Hannaford as Deputy Minister of International Trade at Global Affairs Canada, effective January 7, 2019.
From January 2015 to January 2019, Mr. Hannaford was the foreign and defence policy adviser to the Prime Minister and Deputy Minister in the Privy Council Office of the Government of Canada.
Until December 2014, Mr. Hannaford was the assistant secretary to the Cabinet for foreign and defence policy in the Privy Council Office. Prior to December 2011, Mr. Hannaford was Canada’s ambassador to Norway. Before that, for two years, Mr. Hannaford was director general of the Legal Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. As a member of Canada’s foreign service, he had numerous assignments in Ottawa and at the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C., during the early years of his career.
Mr. Hannaford graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Arts (First Class) in history. After earning a Master of Science in international relations at the London School of Economics, he completed a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1995.
In addition to his work as a public servant, Mr. Hannaford has been an adjunct professor in both the Faculty of Law and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.
Topic: Afternoon Keynote address
H.E. Ambassador Diedrah Kelly
Canadian Ambassador to ASEAN
Global Affairs Canada
H.E. Ambassador Diedrah Kelly
H.E. Ambassador Diedrah Kelly
Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN
Global Affairs Canada
Topic: Canada and ASEAN: A Partnership for Growth
H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi
Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi
H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi is a Vice Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in since August 2019. Previously, he had served as Advisor to the Foreign Ministry from 2018-2019, Ambassador of Thailand to Canada from 2015-2017, and Ambassador of Thailand to the United States from 2013-2015.
Born on 28 June 1957, Ambassador Vijavat began his diplomatic career in 1990. He was a Congressional Fellow, serving in the offices of Senator Hank Brown and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.
He received B.A. in 1980 from Chulalongkorn University. In 1982, he received M.A. in Law and Diplomacy in 1984 as well as his Ph.D. in International Relations in 1989 from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, funded by a Fulbright scholarship.
Ambassador Vijavat is married to Wannipa Isarabhakdi and has one daughter,
Natasha.
Topic: Morning Keynote Address
Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Thailand
Ajarin Pattanapanchai
Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai was appointed as Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Digital Economy and Society on 1 October 2017. Prior to taking this executive position at the Ministry, she had spent her career at Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) since 1984. During that period, she was involved in many high profile projects development in petroleum & petrochemical sector, chemical sector, energy and alternative energy sector. She was also in charge of formulating investment promotion policy for many target sectors including policy to promote hi-tech industries such as aerospace, medical devices, biotechnology, and R&D in the country. Her major positions in BOI include Director of Planning and Development Division, Director of Chemical Division, Director of Services and Public Utilities Division, Director of Management Information System Division, Senior Executives Investment Advisor, and lastly Deputy Secretary General of BOI.
Ms. Ajarin Pattanapanchai holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and a Master of Business Administration, Youngstown State University, Ohio U.S.A.
Topic: Morning Keynote Address
H.E. Ambassador Donica Pottie
Canadian Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos
Global Affairs Canada
H.E. Ambassador Domica Pottie
Topic:
Brad Wall
Former Premier of Saskatchewan
Special Adviser
Osler
Brad Wall
Brad Wall is a Special Advisor in the Osler Calgary office. Prior to joining Osler, he was in politics for 18 years where he demonstrated a consistent ability to bring political and business leaders together as he implemented creative ways to bolster the Province’s economic well-being.
In 2007, Brad was elected as Premier of Saskatchewan and helped lead the province to a period of strong population and economic growth, export expansion, record infrastructure investment and tax reductions while helping to earn the provinces first ever AAA credit rating.
Brad offers Osler clients his strategic insight and guidance, particularly in relation to the energy and agri-food industries. In addition, clients will benefit from Brad’s extensive understanding of the interconnection between business, politics, and trade, on a global scale.
Topic: Agriculture
Pennapa Tingle
Senior Manager, Global Innovation Center
Thai Union Group PCL
Pennapa Sakchaichrearnkul
Pennapa Tingle is a Senior Manager at the Global Innovation Center for Thai Union Group PCL, a global seafood leader headquartered in Thailand. She holds a Bachelors of International Business from Chulalongkorn University and both a Masters in International Management and Corporate Finance from the University of Dallas. Pennapa is experienced with banking, retail, and manufacturing companies. She created value through the integration of various business segments into a strategically focused whole, driving customer satisfaction by being a cross-functional leader, identifying and utilizing key business drivers to generate dynamic business models. Mrs. Tingle possess outstanding communications skills and a superb sense of urgency that centers on delivering results.
Prior to Thai Union, Mrs. Tingle was in charge of key business development and enabling the integrated framework that drove innovative nutrition products into new markets at Ingredion (formally National Starch & Chemical Thailand). Furthermore, she developed strategic product pricing and executed regional product promotion plans for identified growth products. With twenty years’ experience in financial and business development she continues to establish and manage the innovation process as well as assist the Innovation Director to build the innovation strategy and framework for achieving Thai Union’s vison.
Topic: Agriculture
Sittikorn Direksoonthorn
Senior Executive Vice President
Export-Import Bank of Thailand
Sittikorn Direksoonthorn
Shawn Denstedt
Vice Chair, Western Canada
Osler
Shawn Denstedt
Shawn is the Vice Chair of Western Canada. His practice is comprised of energy, mining, environmental, regulatory and aboriginal law matters. Shawn advises companies in a variety of industries, primarily the Natural Resource industry.
He has been engaged in a number of international assignments, including advising the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the development of its oil sands regulatory system and the Government of Vietnam and PetroVietnam on the development of their offshore regulatory regime.
He has advised Canada’s largest energy industry associations (CAPP, CEPA and EPIC) in respect of regulatory reform for energy project development.
Shawn has appeared in major regulatory proceedings before the: Alberta Energy Regulator (Energy Resources Conservation Board); Alberta Utilities Commission; National Energy Board; Federal Environmental Assessment Joint Review Panels; Ontario Energy Board; Alberta Environmental Appeal Board and various other appeal boards.
He has successfully represented clients in the development of multi-billion dollar projects including pipeline projects, oil sands projects, shale gas projects, LNG projects, hydro-electric projects, offshore developments, and mining projects. He has also advised clients on their obligations to aboriginal groups and negotiated resource development and impact benefit agreements with Aboriginal groups on behalf of resource developers.
Topic: Agriculture
Tuuli McCully
Head of Asia Pacific Economics
Scotiabank
Tuuli McCully
Saknarong Siriporn na Rajasima
Executive Advisor
National Food Institute, Thailand
Saknarong Siriporn na Rajasima
Saknarong is the Executive Advisor of National Food Institute, Thailand since 1997. He used to workwith the Bank for Agriculture and Agricutural Cooperative (BAAC) and Thai-German Coperation (GTZ). He is the first one who created the Food Industry Development Plan of Thailand and he is the Commissioner for agriculture and cooperative, National Legislative Assembly in previous government.
Saknarong received Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University, Texas and Ph.D. in Economics from Ramkhamhaeng University, Thailand.
Topic: Agriculture
Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch
Founder & CEO
Ooca
Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch
Ms. Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch is an army dentist turned tech entrepreneur from Thailand.
After suffering from mental health herself, she founded OOCA, an app where users can directly video-call their psychiatrists and psychologists – it’s the first mental wellness app for people in Thailand where there are limited numbers of mental health professionals.
Ooca has grown from 0 to 52k users in 16 months with 11 public and international companies in their client portfolio and won as the best performing start from Dtac accelerate; Thailand’s number one accelerator program. She continues to create the proper ecosystem that supports mental health providers and better access with less stigma for people in society and awarded as one of 100 most inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2018 from BBC 100 Women.
Preeyanart Soontornwata
President
B. Grimm Group Power Public Company Limited
Preeyanart Soontornwata
Preeyanart Soontornwata joined B. Grimm Group in 1992 as Chief Financial Officer, before taking on the role of President of B. Grimm Power in 1996. She led the company through the 1997 Asian financial crisis and was one of the pioneers of the private power generation industry in Thailand. With a management style that focuses on teamwork, she oversees all aspects of the business from engineering to finance, legal affairs and environmental impact assessments. Following years of continuous growth and expansion, which includes greenfield investments, acquisitions and joint ventures, she took the company public in July 2017. Today, B. Grimm Power Public Company Limited is recognised as one of the leading private power producers in the country with a portfolio of both conventional and renewal power projects in Thailand and overseas. Moreover, Preeyanart Soontornwata has been consecutively selected as the Chairman of the Association of Private Power Producers during 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
Topic: Clean Technology
Lionel Pimpin
Senior Vice President – Digital Channels and P&C Strategies
National Bank of Canada
Lionel Pimpin
As Senior Vice President – Digital Channels and P&C Strategies, Lionel Pimpin is in charge of the management, performance and transformation of NBC digital channels. This encompasses defining strategic directions, developing and successfully implementing digital and emerging payments strategies and managing multi-year investment portfolio of digital and self-service channels.
From January 2014 to June 2016, Mr. Pimpin held the position of Vice-President – Client Experience, Strategy and Performance, with a mandate to structure, oversee and integrate all strategic and financial planning activities, portfolio management of business initiatives, overall performance in the Marketing, Customer Experience Management and Marketing research sectors.
Recognized for his ability to work in changing environments and specialized in the management of major transformation programs, Mr. Pimpin has a solid background in the service sector through the various roles he has held for 15 years as a managing director of the international consulting firm, Accenture.
Mr. Pimpin holds a Master’s degree in Business from EDHEC Business School in France and an MSc in Marketing Management from the University of Aston in the United Kingdom
Topic: FinTech
Audray Souche
Partner & Country Managing Director
DFDL Thailand
Audray Souche
Audray Souche is a Partner and the Country Managing Director of DFDL Thailand. She has been working in the region since 2004, combining general commercial/foreign investment experience with specialized experience focusing on energy, mining and infrastructure projects.
As the Deputy Head of the Regional Energy, Mining and Infrastructure Practice Group (since 2012), she leads DFDL teams on numerous energy project development, financing and technical assistance matters in the Lao P.D.R., Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, and Bhutan. Audray is the Head of the Clean Energy Division and has extensive experience on development and financing of renewable projects across the region.
As Managing Director of DFDL Thailand, she manages team members in Bangkok, Phuket, and Samui. In addition to her work on numerous renewable energy matters in Thailand, she also continuously supervises general market entry regulatory assessments, foreign investment structuring and restructuring, due diligence and risk assessment, merger and acquisition and private equity transaction works in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, insurance, mining, and aviation.
Audray has worked in DFDL’s Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and Ho Chi Minh City offices. She has been based in DFDL’s Bangkok office since 2012.
Topic: Clean Technology
Frank Turner
Partner and Head of Asia Pacific
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Frank Turner
Frank is Co-head of Osler’s Asia Pacific initiative and is the former National Co-Chair of the firm’s Corporate Group. Frank currently practices from the firm’s Calgary office in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. He also serves as a leader of Osler’s emerging company practice in Alberta. Frank routinely advises companies and other enterprises in the resource, financial services and technology sectors on matters involving acquisitions, dispositions, strategic alliances, governance and corporate finance. Frank has particular expertise advising clients in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world, including sovereign wealth funds, state-owned enterprises and public and private companies, on acquisitions and investments in Canada.
Topic: Invest in Canada
Silawat Santivisat
Senior Executive Vice President
KASIKORNBANK PCL
&
Founder
Blockchain Thailand Initiative Platform
Silawat Santivisat
Mr. Silawat Santivisat is the Senior Executive Vice President of KASIKORNBANK PCL and founder of the Blockchain Thailand Initiative Platform.
Mr. Santivisat has 22 years of experience in banking and is an industry leader in payment, cross-border trading, Blockchain, and crypto-assets. He has over 8 years of corporate experience at Shell, True and IEC.
He has a background in chemical engineering from Chulalongkorn University and the University of Texas, an MBA from Sasin Graduate School of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, and a Certificate of CIMB INSEAD Leadership.
Luis Gonzalez
Managing Director APAC
Element AI
Luis Gonzalez
Mr. Luis Gonzalez leads Element AI’s APAC operations as well as its Manufacturing and industrial vertical. He has 20 years’ experience in Digital Transformation of industrial enterprises and has been involved with over 40 Customers in Heavy Industries (Power, Oil & Gas, Chemical, Mining and Manufacturing) advising on developing and executing their software solutions roadmap within Asia Pacific, North/ South America, Europe and the Middle East.
Prior to joining Element, Luis was the VP & Chief Customer Success GE Digital responsible for delivery of all GE Digital Projects in APAC and formerly the GE Power VP Chief Digital Officer, responsible for Power Digital PNL in Asia.
Before that he spent 15 years working in the SAP Industrial solutions environment for Energy and Resources practices 10 of those years in Digital advisory for Accenture and Deloitte.
Luis has a graduate diploma from MIT with a double major undergrad from University of Victoria in Commerce and Computer Science as well as a specialization in Pacific Asian studies from Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Dr. Katrin Luger
Head of Sales, Transformation and Strategy
Bombardier Transportation Rail Control Solutions
Dr. Katrin Luger
Katrin has been working with Bombardier since 2009. She started her career in the Group Strategy team at Bombardier Transportation Headquarters in Berlin. In 2011 Katrin was appointed Vice President Group Strategy and became a member of the Bombardier Transportation Leadership Team. In this role she led the global strategy development and implementation for Bombardier Transportation worldwide, also playing key roles in Mergers & Acquisitions, Investor Relations and Strategic Partnerships.
In 2013 Katrin assumed additional responsibility for Bombardier Transportation’s global Contracts & Legal Affairs function as well as for the global Communications function. She also led the teams delivering Bombardier PRIMOVE, an innovative solution for fast, contactless charging powering electric mobility. Katrin was appointed Vice President Strategic Projects in 2015, developing and leading the company-wide restructuring program, and driving BT’s profitability to 8% EBIT margin.
When Bombardier Transportation’s Rail Control Solutions Division needed a Head of Strategy and Transformation in 2017, Katrin brought her many years of strategy and transformation experience to the business. She developed an ambitious growth strategy, which covered both entry into new markets and expansion into the services and system integration/turnkey business. She also oversaw the Division’s Innovation and Communications portfolio.
Since August 2019, Katrin has assumed the role of Head of Sales, Transformation and Strategy for Bombardier’s Rail Control Solutions Division in Asia Pacific, based in Bangkok, which is the regional headquarters and global engineering hub. In this role she is responsible for the order intake of Bombardier Transportation’s signalling and turnkey business in Asia Pacific, as well as for the longer-term strategic positioning of Bombardier as a true partner for urban and inter-city mobility in the region.
Before joining BT, Katrin spent 7 years at consultancy McKinsey & Company, Inc., serving mainly railway and shipping clients. Katrin holds a Ph.D. in economics and spent 2 years at Shanghai Jiao Tong University conducting research for her thesis on the Chinese railway sector. She is fluent in German and English and has various levels of proficiency in Mandarin and French. Katrin has a keen interest in economic development in Asia Pacific as well as in mentoring and coaching women in business and supporting their leadership development.
Topic: Smart Cities
Martin Desautels
Managing Partner
DFDL
Martin Desautels
Martin is the Managing Partner of DFDL and has been practicing law in the ASEAN region since 1999. Martin is a leading name for banking and finance work, and is also noted for his energy sector expertise. He is ranked as a leading lawyer by legal directories such as Chambers Asia Pacific, IFLR1000 and Legal 500.
He advises a range of lenders and sponsors, as well as state entities. He has been counseling a diversified group of foreign investors, including investments funds, international banks and large Asian investors, on their investment in the ASEAN Region. He also advised various governmental entities under technical assistance projects (notably for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and IFC) on various aspects of the development of investment, regulatory and legal frameworks.
Topic: Clean Technology
Lena Ng
Chief Investment Officer
Amata Corporation PCL
Lena Ng
Lena currently acts as the Chief Investment Officer for Amata Corporation Public Company
Ltd and oversees Smart Cities development, Urban Transformation, Strategic Investments and
Mergers & Acquisitions. She is the Chairperson of Investment Committee for China’s Belt &
Road Initiative for Greater Mekong Sub-region. She is also the Chairperson/Director of Amata
Thai-Japanese Co. Ltd, the Joint-Venture company for Hotel Nikko Chonburi development and
Director of Amata Global Pte Ltd in Singapore. Lena was honoured as a Young Global Leader
by the World Economic Forum in March 2014 and nominated as a Global Agenda Council
Member of World Economic Forum.
Topic: Smart Cities
Ignacio Miralles de Imperial
Director Project Development
Canadian Solar Energy Group
Ignacio Miralles de Imperial
Ignacio has developed most of his professional career in Southeast Asia and India, being currently responsible for the Philippines and Thailand for Canadian Solar Energy Group. He has participated in the development of more than 500MW of utility scale projects and 50MW of rooftop projects, being one the latest project the first floating PV pilot in the Philippines.
Topic: Clean Technology
Victoria Yung
Commercial Lead APAC, Financial Services
Element AI
Victoria Yung
Victoria Yung has been with Element AI in Singapore since August 2018 and is responsible for Element AI’s financial services commercial business in APAC, covering Asset Management, Capital Markets, Insurance and Banking. Prior to joining Element AI, Victoria spent 10 years working as an Asian Equities specialist within the Global Markets division of Investment Banks including Merrill Lynch, Standard Chartered and Jefferies in London and Singapore.
Victoria holds a Bachelors degree in Law from King’s College London, Masters in International Banking and Financial Law from University College London (UCL), and an MBA from INSEAD Business School.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence
Timothy Wong
Senior Vice President
Loxley Public Company Ltd
Timothy Wong
Timothy Wong is the Senior Vice President of Loxley Public Company Limited, a Thai conglomerate with more than 80 years in history.
He is responsible for evaluating and ultimately the successful negotiation of the group’s many investments, M & A, joint ventures and projects with foreign partners including Boeing, Siemens, NTT DoCoMo and Mitsui.
Mr. Wong has over 30 years of expertise in corporate finance, company restructuring, telecommunication, IT and trading. He is a licensed CPA, a member of Institute of Directors in Thailand and currently served as the Secretary General of Thai-Hong Kong Trade Association.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence
Klaus Houben
Chief Representative South East Asia
Export Development Canada
Klaus Houben
Klaus Houben joined Export Development Canada (EDC) in September 2010 and is currently EDC’s Chief Representative South East Asia based in Singapore. When joining EDC in 2010 he started as EDC’s Senior Regional Manager – Europe. He headed the representation in Dusseldorf, Germany. His primary responsibilities include business development and relationship management with private sector companies and public sector officials located in his region as well as supporting key clients and Canadian exporters and investors active in the market.
Mr. Houben has nearly 30 years experience in the banking industry serving corporate customers from medium sized enterprises to multinationals. Prior to joining EDC’s International Business Development Group, Mr. Houben worked as a self employed Consultant specialized in corporate finance developing financing strategies for corporate customers and supporting them in the arrangements of loans. Before that Mr. Houben was a Member of the Board of Directors of PB Firmenkunden AG, the corporate banking unit of Deutsche Postbank AG, the German Postbank. His responsibilities included the acquisition, support and management of corporate accounts as well as the development of innovative concepts and international business.
Topic: Invest in Canada
Vira Soekardiman
Managing Director
British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology
Vira Soekardiman
Ms. Vira Soekardiman was appointed by Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology to open the Jakarta office branch in 2016, where she currently holds the positon of Managing Director for Indonesia and Thailand.
Ms. Vira Soekardiman has over 25 years experience in leadership roles in the private sector scope of marketing, sales, and consultancy in various industries in Canada and in Indonesia.
Prior to her role in the British Columbia Government, Ms. Soekardiman worked in the Financial and Banking sector, at American Express Bank, as the Country Head for Global Corporate Services, Indonesia for 13 years. She also held senior positons as Country Director Indonesia at Polaris Financial Technology, where she started the Indonesian business and achieved notable outcomes with the largest private bank in Indonesia. Ms. Soekardiman also assumed the role as Director at the Sampoerna Strategic Group to promote education and obtain funding from corporations.
Ms. Vira Soekardiman graduated from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.
Topic: Invest in Canada
Wayne Farmer
President at Canada-ASEAN Business Council
Managing Partner at Islemount Limited
Wayne Farmer
Mr. Wayne Farmer, Managing Partner of a boutique advisory firm and a private-markets professional with 15 + years of originating, leading and structuring pan-Asia investment transactions (focus on South East Asia/China) and selected cross-border/ global deals. Originated approximately USD 3 billion of deal flow and leads the firm’s capital / fundraising relationships, industry market intelligence gathering as well as deal execution for clients – including expectations management, strategic /operational advice/ planning, corporate and board restructuring, staffing and deal / corporate documentation. Wayne is also a Strategic Advisor to Cobalt Equity Partners, a Pan-Asia focused PE fund manager based in Hong Kong. Successful track record of launching corporate, entrepreneurial and public policy ventures with a high level of dedication to outcomes. Engaging speaker and an articulate policy advocate practiced in government relations, with an established commitment to the development of ASEAN. A graduate of Queen’s University; Ivey Business School; Singapore Management University; and a permanent resident of both Singapore and Hong Kong SAR.
Topic: Canada and ASEAN – A Partnership For Growth
Henry Choi
Executive Director, Country Head of Risk Management
UOB Thailand
Henry Choi
Mr. Henry Choi, Executive Director, Country Head of Risk Management of UOB (Thai), is currently responsible for identification, measurement, monitoring and overall risk management of the bank, including Technology Risk Management which is evolving and has become one key area in recent years. He previously worked as Head of Retail Credit and has heavily involved in credit decisioning leverging significant amount of data and modelling. He would be able to share his views in AI development in the financial industry, the potential implications, benefits and obstacles to banks and to the end-customers.
He has been working in Thailand for around 10 years and was previously working in Hong Kong for other global banks with focus in risk management in Asia-Pacific.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence
Chaowarat Yongjiranon
Global Content Editor
Techsauce Media
Chaowarat Yongjiranon
Chaowarat Yongjiranon is a Global Content Editor at Techsauce Media, a leading source of technology and startup online news source. She is also a news presenter at Radio Thailand, an event MC, and a special English lecturer at Kasetsart University Business School. In addition to this, she is a corporate trainer for SpeakPro Company. She has been in the media industry for over a decade, working with NBT World and Krungthep Turakij TV of the Nation Group.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence
Zokhir Rasulov
Chief Digital Officer
ABA Bank
Zokhir Rasulov
Graduated from Tashkent Polytechnic University (degree on Production Management) in 1999,