Speakers for Asia Economic Forum 2026

Datuk David Chong is the Chief Executive Officer of CKH Realty, where he has led the transformation of MetroCity into one of Sarawak’s leading mixed-use townships. After practising as a litigation lawyer in Melbourne, he returned to Sarawak to join the family-founded business, bringing with him the analytical thinking, disciplined decision-making, and long-term perspective that define his leadership.

Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Datuk David has been guided by the values of integrity, perseverance, humility, and responsible stewardship instilled by his father and mentor, Dato Chong Kia Hoi, founder of CKH Realty.

His defining achievement has been the development of MetroCity, a 183-acre integrated township that has helped reshape the commercial landscape of Greater Kuching. Beyond property development, he is passionate about creating opportunities for the community, exemplified by his support for MetroCity’s Bumiputera Youth Night Market, which has grown into one of Malaysia’s largest.

A devoted family man, Datuk David’s Christian faith underpins both his personal life and leadership. He remains committed to developing sustainable, future-ready communities while creating lasting opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, and future generations.

Jarod Ho is the Head of Sustainability at Pos Malaysia, where he has spearheaded the transformation of a 200-year-old national institution into a modern leader in sustainable logistics. With more than a decade of expertise in sustainable development, risk management, and compliance, Jarod has redefined the role of a legacy postal operator in addressing today’s climate challenges by bridging heritage with innovation.

At the helm of Pos Malaysia’s sustainability agenda, Jarod leads the company’s ambitious pathway to Net Zero by 2050. Under his guidance, the company now has Malaysia’s largest fleet of electric vehicles, pioneered transparent carbon reporting to support customers in their sustainability disclosures, and introduced scalable initiatives that merge operational efficiency with environmental stewardship.

Jarod’s vision of sustainability goes beyond emissions reduction. By embedding economic scalability and advanced business analytics into every initiative, he ensures that green strategies are not only environmentally impactful but also commercially resilient, hence securing Pos Malaysia’s competitiveness in an increasingly climate-conscious marketplace.

His leadership has earned both national and global recognition. In 2025, Jarod won the prestigious Energy Asia Award by Petronas, rising above more than 150 entries from 20 countries, a milestone that underscored his role in redefining corporate sustainability in Southeast Asia.

Beyond accolades, his work has placed Pos Malaysia on the global stage, with its transformation documented as case study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU), solidifying Pos Malaysia’s reputation as a regional trailblazer in green logistics.

Jarod is also widely recognised as a thought leader in sustainability. He has represented Malaysia on some of the world’s most important stages, notably COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he was a driving voice on green transformation, and he is set to continue shaping the conversation at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. By engaging with UNEP, UPU, and international platforms, Jarod has amplified Malaysia’s role in the global sustainability dialogue, advocating for systemic solutions and shared commitments that accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future.

Under his leadership, Pos Malaysia continues to set new benchmarks. In conjunction with World EV Day 2025, the company launched 136 new electric vans, further strengthening its position as Malaysia’s greenest logistics company and expanding the nation’s largest EV fleet. (Media coverage as attached)

With a blend of strategic foresight and pragmatic execution, Jarod has turned Pos Malaysia into more than a courier service, it is now a symbol of transformation, proving that even the oldest institutions can reinvent themselves to lead in sustainability on the world stage.

Monir Azzouzi is the Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Cyberjaya Education Group and Managing Director at Futuresparx. He works with organisations to navigate the future of work, using AI, leadership, culture and people-centred strategy to enable sustainable transformation.

Over a career spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Monir has led HR, tech, marketing and transformation functions in large corporations, Startups and SMEs. At GoToko, as Board Director & Chief People Experience Officer, he led HR, IT and Corporate Services to support growth with agility. At Gojek, as VP & Global Head of HR for Tech, he helped shift HR from administrative support towards strategic partnership. At Maxis, he oversaw performance management, organisational development, learning (Maxis Academy), and broader people & organisational transformation initiatives.

He also served as a Board Director at Little Giantz, an award-winning animation company that amassed over a billion views globally and won several international accolades.

Monir is particularly strong in operating where people, technology and business intersect. He combines deep understanding of each domain to bridge gaps, anticipate opportunities and help organisations build sustainable, future-ready transformations. He believes leadership, culture and AI are fundamental levers in this era of change.

Author of ChatGPT Powered HR, Monir shares practical strategies to reinvent people & organisations with GenAI. He holds a Master’s in Management of Innovation & Business Development from Copenhagen Business School and completed an Executive Education programme with Harvard Business School on Competing on Business Analytics & Big Data.

Khim is a seasoned C-suite leader and culture transformation strategist with more than 30 years of executive experience across banking, insurance, FMCG, professional services, technology, stockbroking and retail credit. She has held senior leadership and Group HR roles in MNCs, local conglomerates, a GLC and public listed entities, impacting businesses across 14 countries in Asia-Pacific. Her work has focused on mergers and acquisitions and divestment people strategies, organisational and cultural transformation, succession and talent management, and HR digital and AI transformation, and she has worked closely with Boards and board committees on people, performance, risk and sustainability agendas, including organisation restructuring, culture change, executive succession, ESG-linked people initiatives and the governance of digitally enabled people practices.

Khim is a recognised voice in HR, culture and talent in Southeast Asia and a frequent speaker at business and HR conferences on AI, the future of work and human capital. She is the founder of a boutique consultancy, training and coaching company, recognised by HRDC, and the go-to trusted development partner for the future of work, delivering executive coaching, leadership, culture, human capital and AI applications and transformation programmes. She has practical experience with generative AI platforms and conducts training on them.

Her professional network spans senior corporate leaders, government officials, founders and start-up leaders, as well as communities of AI builders and entrepreneurs.

Lt. General Sharma is a leadership strategist and sustainability advocate with deep expertise in environment, renewable energy, and corporate governance. A decorated four-decade veteran of the Indian Army, he led the logistics and administration of its 1.3 million-strong force, one of the largest operational commands in the world. As India’s Defense Attaché in London, he played a pivotal role in global defense diplomacy.

A sought-after speaker and advisor, he writes on national strategy, security, and decision-making while mentoring business leaders on resilience, motivation, and transformation. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he has guided multiple startups to success, shaping the next generation of impact-driven enterprises.

With more than 25 years of finance leadership experience spanning CFO, Supply Chain, Project Finance, and FP&A functions, Paul has built a distinguished career across diverse global markets. Over the past 23 years, he has lived and worked in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the US, Taiwan, and South Africa, holding various global and regional finance leadership positions. He is also known for his high energy, strong self-motivation, and dynamic leadership style.

Reena Talla is Head of HR, Malaysia at Hilti, bringing over 20 years of HR and Employee Experience leadership across APMEA and Europe. Her career has spanned HR strategy, people transformation, and organisational effectiveness, including significant tenure as Regional Head of HR for Asia, Middle East, and Europe at Vale International, alongside cross-border advisory experience across multiple markets.

Reena is recognised for her practitioner-led approach – translating complex business challenges into scalable, people-centric solutions for high-growth and large-scale transformation environments. She is a strong advocate for evidence-based, AI-enabled HR strategy and has spoken extensively on topics ranging from total well-being and employee experience to the future of talent and workforce strategy across Asia.

At Hilti, Reena leads the Malaysia HR agenda with a focus on building strong, future-ready organisations – bringing together her regional expertise and deep understanding of the Malaysian market to help shape the next chapter of the business. She remains passionate about reimagining the future of work, from holistic employee well-being to building the talent ecosystems that will power Asia’s next economic chapter.

Shariza is the Head of Programme Management at Kolaxus, where she builds the onboarding and adoption model for a global innovation ecosystem connecting corporates, startups, universities, and a network of over 100,000 next-gen problem solvers. She brings seven years of experience in partner business development and customer success at Cisco, where she led AI-powered platform adoption for enterprises including PETRONAS, PUMA and Courts across Southeast Asia and managed a 50-plus partner portfolio spanning the wider APJC region. Shariza’s work sits at the intersection of enterprises, institutions, and independent talent, giving her a practical, ecosystem-level view of how public and private partners build the shared accountability that turns talent attraction into lasting local capability.

Siti Sabariah Ahmad Murtazam is a HR strategist at Kumpulan Wang Persaraan Diperbadankan (KWAP), specialising in learning and development and organisational culture. She began her career in Learning & Development and has since expanded her role to lead culture strategies that enhance organisational performance and align workforce capability with enterprise priorities.

Joining KWAP in 2016 as part of the Young Talent graduate programme, Siti launched the organisation’s first digital learning platform, The Learning Zone, laying the foundation for scalable, self-directed learning. Recognising the importance of inclusive career growth, she later introduced UPSKILL, a Mini-MBA programme for non-executive employees, equipping participants with business, leadership, and digital skills. Many graduates have progressed into expanded roles and new career pathways, gaining renewed motivation, a sense of achievement, and confidence that their contributions matter. The programme was recognised as a finalist for Best Organisational Upskilling and Reskilling Strategy at the Employee Experience Awards 2022.

In her current role, Siti designed and developed KWAP’s internal Culture Framework from the ground up. The framework prioritises pillars of change that shape how the organisation operates and foster a purpose-driven, progressive culture: Purpose, Trust, and Camaraderie. She translated these pillars into practical leadership and team practices, embedding culture into everyday management through leadership behaviours, team-level initiatives, and organisation-wide engagement platforms. These efforts helped KWAP exceed the global healthy workplace benchmark of 75% in both 2024 and 2025.

Beyond HR, Siti also leads a newly introduced enterprise-wide innovation platform, leveraging digital solutions to improve operational efficiency and identify new opportunities for organisational value creation.

Her contributions have been recognised through multiple industry awards, including being named among the Top 100 HR Leaders in Asia 2026 by Verve Management UAE presented in Singapore, Gold – Young HR Talent (MIHRM, 2022) and Silver – HR Manager of the Year (HR Excellence Awards, 2023).

While the journey is still in its early stages, current efforts are creating momentum toward a future-ready, agile workforce capable of delivering sustainable, national-scale impact. Her approach demonstrates that HR is not merely a support function but a strategic driver of organisational excellence.

This reflects Siti’s long-term aspiration to be a global HR leader and a national reference point in workforce transformation, contributing to Malaysia’s vision of a high-income, future-ready nation with citizens who are intellectually capable, economically empowered, and guided by strong values. She aims to advance workforce development and organisational excellence in Malaysia, supporting nation-building not only economically but also socially, with a vision to create lasting impact at the individual, organisational, and national levels.

Tarun Sukhani is a veteran technology leader with 30 years of industry experience and a proven track record at the intersection of enterprise software, AI, and education. As Founder of Abundent Academy — an HRDC- and MDEC-approved training powerhouse — he has spent years building real practitioners, not just educators, earning Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards for AI in Education (2022 & 2024).

Today, Tarun is channeling that deep operational expertise into building JClaw, a next-generation Dark Software Factory platform that democratizes autonomous software delivery across Personal, Business, and Enterprise tiers. JClaw brings the autonomous coding and self-healing capabilities that frontier AI companies enjoy to every organization — from solo developers to Fortune 500 divisions — with a strong emphasis on Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) privacy and multi-agent orchestration.

Parallel to JClaw, Tarun is actively advancing agentic frameworks and memory architectures — researching and contributing to the cutting edge of persistent memory systems for AI agents. His work explores temporal knowledge graphs, hierarchical memory with self-evolution, and cognitive-science-inspired architectures that enable agents to reason, learn, and improve across sessions.

Mission: Make autonomous, intent-driven software delivery accessible to every organization while pushing the boundaries of what agentic systems can remember, reason, and achieve.