MEET THE SPEAKERS

... Beverley Postma is the Executive Director of Grow Asia, a multi-stakeholder platform established by the World Economic Forum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to broker market-driven solutions for sustainable food systems in Southeast Asia. With 25 years in the global food system, Bev has held C-Suite roles in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas in both corporate and non-profit settings. Her previous roles include CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO); CEO of HarvestPlus; and Executive Director of Food Industry Asia (FIA). Prior to this, Bev held senior corporate affairs roles for Syngenta and Kellogg’s and is a strategic advisor to the Milken Institute on food and agri-investments. She holds a BSc in marine ecology and serves on the advisory boards of venture capital firms and impact funds in the biotech and agritech space. Bev has led high-performing teams across the full breadth of the global food system, is an angel investor, and is an active champion for diversity and inclusion.

... Patsian is AVPN's Chief of Markets and Deputy CEO. She will lead AVPN’s market-focused activities, including driving growth in membership, enhancing the value proposition for capital providers, cultivating new partnership opportunities, and supporting AVPN’s overall strategic direction. As a part of the management team, Patsian will help to guide AVPN's growth in the future, drawing from her diverse experience in impact and sustainable finance, purpose-driven businesses, philanthropy, CSR, sustainability, non-profit leadership, and commercial finance across the US and Asia. Patsian has spent 30 years across the continuum of capital, holding leadership positions in philanthropy, social impact, CSR and sustainability in organisations from public and private sectors. These include roles in Visa, DBS and DBS Foundation, Singapore's National Volunteer & Philanthropy Center, State Street Bank, Deutsche Bank and her own impact enterprise. She also advises organisations like Tri-Sector Associates, Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth, and other early-stage impact startups. She is also on several non-profit boards and committees. Patsian holds an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business, and is presently pursuing her 2nd Masters from University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership. As a mother of two, Patsian feels strongly about the empowerment of working women and their growth as holistic, well-rounded individuals. She spends her spare time working hard at Flamenco dance, fitness, travelling and foreign languages.

... Surita Sandosham was born and raised in Singapore and brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience in global nonprofit organizations. She became the President and CEO of Heifer International in 2022, where she is driving a bold transformation focused on equity, farmer-led innovation, and sustainable food systems. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Heartland Alliance International, a Chicago-based humanitarian and human rights organization, where she championed human rights by delivering lifesaving services and advocating for survivors of conflict and those at risk of abuse.

... Marie is a venture builder with experience in early stage startups and corporate innovation and has worked with over 20 entrepreneurs to help them build their businesses. In the last three years, Marie has focused exclusively on launching climate tech startups in Southeast Asia and is passionate about increasing the pipeline of women founders in the sector.Prior to founding Wavemaker Impact, Marie led the Venture Build program at ENGIE Factory, was the General Manager at a SAAS Startup and a senior member of KPMG's Digital + Innovation team. Her career also includes stints in management consulting and in a construction company where she specialized in operations strategy, business development, and process improvement.Marie has a MBA from the National University of Singapore, where she graduated as valedictorian and holder of the Panasonic Marketing Award.

... Mei-Ing leads engagement with businesses to grow Save the Children’s corporate partnership footprint in Asia. She focuses on building long-term strategic partnership with companies that seek to improve the lives of children in the region through better education, healthcare and economic opportunities. In particular, she focuses on child protection in supply chains, especially in food and agriculture.

... Anuj is a Managing Director at Temasek where he leads its investment activities in the global Agri-Food space. Over the last 2 decades, Anuj have led several investment strategies in emerging themes. He is deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and societal impact. Anuj joined Temasek in 2004 as a founding member of its India investment team where he covered Technology, Consumer Goods, Agri-Food and Power & Infrastructure sectors. In 2008, he co-led Temasek's foray into Africa and Middle East which he continues to oversee. In 2013, Anuj relocated to Singapore and started a team that helps innovative Agri-Food companies unlock their potential while making a difference in the world by offering sustainable solutions and delivering better diets. Anuj started his business career as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company in Mumbai where he advised companies and governments on strategic and operational matters. He has a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

... Jenny Davis-Peccoud is an impact-oriented advisor who brings players together to reinvent new ways of doing business sustainably. In her nearly 30 years at Bain, Jenny Davis-Peccoud founded Bain’s global Sustainability & Responsibility practice, Bain’s global Social Impact Practice and Bain’s UK Public Sector Practice Her experiences have included business transformation, sustainable growth and value creation, sustainable supply chains and multi-stakeholder collaborations Beyond her broad expertise, Jenny has a particular focus on food systems transformation, working across agriculture, packaged food companies, food retail and agri financing on the systemic solutions needed to drive impactful, lasting and sustainable change Jenny also manages Bain’s relationship with the World Economic Forum and has experience with the Forum on leading community development around initiatives such as the First Movers Coalition for Food, which is convening over 30 organisations to develop harmonized demand signals for high sustainable food commodities, Jenny writes and speaks extensively in her areas of expertise, featuring in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Le Monde, NRC Handelsblad and The Business Times of Singapore Originally from San Francisco, Jenny is now based in Amsterdam, after spending over 20 years in London.

... Managing Director, leading the Centre for Nature and Climate and the Forum’s Foundations (Global Shapers, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Young Global Leaders); previously Member of the Executive Committee and Co-Head of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, overseeing the Centre’s Global Network of Affiliated Centres, Innovator Communities, and Deep Tech units; earlier roles include Head of Programming and Deputy Head of the Global Programming Group, responsible for the Forum’s Annual Meetings in Davos and China, as well as programme officer positions at the International Labour Organization and UNDP; certified facilitator, public speaker, and regular commentator on the intersection of technology, society, and the economy; Professor of Practice at the University of Geneva.

... At the World Economic Forum, Tania is responsible for the Food and Water agenda which works to advance a sustainable and inclusive transition to healthy, resilient food and water systems, through finance, technology, policy and inclusion. Tania has over 20 years of experience in managing global initiatives in these areas across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Her expertise includes international development, public-private partnership facilitation, business strategy, and development economics in food security, sustainable agriculture, integrated value chains, climate resilience, inclusive growth, gender, and health systems. Prior to this role, Tania has extensive experience in development economics and inclusive growth, engaging employers such as USAID, World Bank, UNDP and the Government of Pakistan. Tania is the recipient of an Executive Master’s degree in Global Leadership with the World Economic Forum’s Global Leadership Fellows, a partnership with the Wharton School, Columbia University, INSEAD, the London Business School and CEIBS. “IDH and the World Economic Forum are strongly aligned on the role of stakeholder capitalism and that progress happens by bringing together diverse perspectives and multisectoral partners to make positive change. I’m excited to join the IDH Supervisory Board, and to support accelerating action through forward-looking dialogues and help find solutions through public-private cooperation.”

... Kanchana Wanichkorn has joined the ASEAN Secretariat as the Director of Sectoral Development, ASEAN Economic Community in June 2023. She is in charge of managing and providing strategic guidance for ASEAN cooperation in agriculture, food, forestry, tourism, energy & minerals, transport, science, technology & innovation, initiative for ASEAN integration and narrowing development gap. Prior to joining the ASEAN Secretariat, Kanchana was the vice president of NXPO, Thailand. She received her PhD in Engineering & Public Policy and MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, MA in Applied Economics from University of Michigan and BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota, USA.

... Kavita is a conservation and sustainability expert. As the Founder of Dragonfly Advisory she advises on climate solutions, nature conservation, sustainable agriculture and corporate sustainability. She is a Board Member of the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (IC-VCM), TARA Climate, The Circulate Initiative, and TRAFFIC. She is a strategic advisor to Wollemi Capital on impact of climate investment. Kavita was the Founder CEO for Mandai Nature, a conservation organisation based in Singapore and working in Southeast Asia. She catalysed the Southeast Asia Climate and Nature-Based Solutions (SCeNE) Coalition. Kavita was Global Conservation Director at WWF focusing on all aspects of conservation. As Executive Director of Grow Asia (a World Economic Forum initiative) and Global Head, Food Security Agenda at Syngenta, she led on sustainable and inclusive agriculture initiatives. She worked with SustainAbility and the World Resources Institute on corporate sustainability. She has been on numerous councils including the Tropical Forest Alliance, Global Commons Alliance, World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Food Security and Nutrition, Volans, and SustainAbility Inc.

... Stewart Maginnis has worked in sustainable development and biodiversity conservation for 35 years. He has lived for extensive periods in Tanzania, Sudan, Ghana and Costa Rica, undertaking conservation fieldwork. He led the development and promotion of “forest landscape restoration” (FLR) – one of the first “purpose-built” Nature-based Solutions - to which over 60 countries have committed more than 210 million hectares under the Bonn Challenge. He and his team at IUCN have worked over the last 12 years on defining and promoting the concept of Nature-based Solutions and supporting its application to climate change, food & water security and disaster risk reduction. He is currently the Deputy Director General of IUCN with responsibility for the IUCN programme of work. Stewart was educated at Oxford University and Queen’s University Belfast.

... Anita is the Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer (CSCO) at GAR, responsible for designing and delivering the company's overall sustainability and communications strategy. Ms Neville joined GAR nine years ago, initially heading corporate communications where she has overseen the company’s communications strategy. She was appointed Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer in November 2021. Anita is also a member of the board of governors at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RPSO), a non-profit organisation transforming sustainability standards in the palm oil industry. Anita has worked in sustainability and communications for almost 30 years, with senior roles primarily in non-governmental organisations. Anita joined GAR after ten years with the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to conserving tropical forests. During that period, she worked as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) auditor, specialising in the social aspects of the respected forestry standard. Prior to the Rainforest Alliance, Neville was the Director of Communications for E3G, an environmental politics think tank specialising in European climate diplomacy and energy policy. She began her career with civil service roles in her native Australia before moving to WWF UK, where she rose to Head of Advocacy. Here she worked to secure the HSBC Investing in Nature partnership, work that became the HSBC Water Programme. Anita is based in Singapore, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

... Børge Brende is President and CEO of the World Economic Forum. Previously he was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Climate and the Environment. He served as Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Conservative Party as well as MP. He was also full-time city counsellor in his hometown of Trondheim. He was Chairman of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and Secretary-General of the Norwegian Red Cross. He was Board Member of Statoil and the Norwegian School of Economics. He was the Chair of Mesta, Norway’s largest contracting group in the area of road and highway maintenance and is currently a Director of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. He is a Member of the Advisory Council, Harvard International Negotiation Program, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), the Strategic Committee of Sciences Po, and is currently on the Board of the Bilderberg Meetings.

... Franky Oesman Widjaja is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Sinar Mas Agribusiness & Food, Indonesia. He has been the Chief Executive Officer at Golden Agri-resources Ltd. since 1996. He serves as Vice President of GAR's Indonesian subsidiary, PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources & Technology Tbk. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Bund Center Investment Ltd. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Sinarmas Land Ltd. from 2000 to December 2006.