Executive Committee & Secretariat
The Executive Committee (EXCO) of UAESBC comprises the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and EXCO members.
PRESIDENT : Dr Brian Shegar
CEO & Founder, ME Asia Consultancy Pte Ltd
Dr Brian Shegar’s forty-year career covers leadership international banking experience with focus on South East and South Asia, Asia Pacific and Middle East as CEO of Midland Bank, NedBank and Emirates NBD. Upon his retirement from Emirates NBD in 2018, Dr Shegar established ME-Asia Consultancy Pte Ltd and is the Founding President of the UAE Singapore Business Council. He is a Member of the Global Advisory Board of CASS Business School and the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Gulf Economics, Trade and Finance. Dr Shegar holds a BSc, Hons (Banking and International Finance) and an MSc (Finance) from the CASS Business School of City, University of London. He was awarded a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Western Australia Business School. He has also presented papers and spoken at numerous seminars and conferences.
President’s message:
I am indeed honoured to be elected Founder President of the UAE Singapore Business Council which is a momentous development in the Singapore business community encompassing companies from UAE in Singapore and Singaporean companies involved in the UAE. It would serve as a platform for such companies to network and participate in activities that would promote stronger business linkages and profile of the UAE Singapore nexus.
VICE-PRESIDENT : Mr Lee Soon Kiat
Mr Lee Soon Kiat is currently Director of Government Relations, Legal Department of GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore. He has over 27 years of working experience in both the government and private sector. In the government sector, he has served in both Economic Development Board and IE Singapore. His areas of work included promotion of foreign direct investment into Singapore, facilitating business collaboration and development between local and foreign companies. In the private sector, he has served as Vice President for Corporate Strategic Development in local and multinational companies in the manufacturing, research and development of manufacturing equipment, electronic healthcare and image fiber products.
SECRETARY : Mr Ananth Ramachandran
First Abu Dhabi Bank (Singapore)
Ananth Ramachandran (Ananth) is a Singapore based senior Asian banker, having been in the industry for 28 years covering both developed and emerging markets. Ananth is Country CEO – Singapore at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), where he heads up the South-East Asia business for FAB. Previously he was Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB), Asia for Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac). Prior to this, he has been in meaningful roles with first-rate institutions such as Standard Chartered, JPMorgan and BNP Paribas.
His experience spans a range of sub-sectors of the banking industry: institutional banking (coverage, debt products, portfolio management, risk/credit management, transaction banking, trade finance), financial market products (hedging and liability management), capital markets (both debt and equity), structured financing (securitization, commodities, structured trade, asset financing), investment banking (advisory, capital management).
Ananth completed his MBA in 1993 from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. Ananth is a CFA Charter holder, a qualified Cost Accountant and a Company Secretary. He grew up in Calcutta and did his undergraduate studies in St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta.
TREASURER : Mr Musdalifa Abdullah
Mr Musdalifa is currently the CEO and Managing Director of Dnata Singapore. He has more than 20 years of working experience in both the aviation industry and government bodies. He is known to be an excellent collaborator in planning and delivering advisory services to the company’s businesses. He has earned himself a reputation as a strong, ‘hands on’ leader.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Simon Naga
Simon Naga joined the Singapore office as Managing Director, Inditex Brands, Al-Futtaim Group, in early July 2017. In January 2019, he was appointed Vice President of Al-Futtaim Group, Asia to oversee overall Group operations in Asia. In addition to spearheading the Inditex Brands, he is responsible for the other brands under the Group in Asia. These brands include Marks and Spencer and a host of other well-known retail brands such as Bebe, Ted Baker, Massimo Dutti, Nautica, Reebok, Zara, Mango, Pull&Bear, Lacoste and Royal Sporting House.
With more than 14 years of working experience in the retail industry, before joining the Al-Futtaim Group, his last vocation was a District Manager with the Azadea Group based in Egypt. He was responsible for leading and managing the country’s business operations as well as ensuring business profitability. He holds the 2014 record of achieving record double-digit revenue-growth for the business portfolio. In his earlier professional years, he gained important extensive retail operations and brand management experience with multi-label lifestyle brands retailer Dubai Group Holding.
Mr Naga is skilled in business development and holds a Bachelor’s Degree specialising in International Business, Trade and Commerce from Ain Shams University.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Vikram Malhotra
Mr Malhotra is the Global Market Head for Global South Asia and Middle-Asia for Bank of Singapore Centre, a subsidiary of OCBC Bank.
He has over 20 years of Financial markets, Corporate and Private banking experience gained at leading financial institutions across Asia.
Prior to joining BOSC, he was the Head of Sales for South Asia & South East Asia at the WM division of Barclays. Vikram is responsible for managing a team of Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai-based bankers providing wealth management and advisory solutions to the bank’s Private Banking clients at a global level.
Mr Malhotra holds a Post Graduate Diploma in International Management from International Management Institute, India, and a B.A. Honours in History from Delhi University, India.
EXCO MEMBER : Ms Asmaa Al Kindi
Borouge Pte Ltd
Ms Asmaa Alkindi is an engineer at heart and a management consultant by profession, with over thirteen years of experience focusing on people strategies, corporate excellence and digital transformation. Currently, Ms Alkindi is the Vice President for Human capital and Administration at Borouge, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Austria based Borealis. She leads the HR function in line with the corporate strategies across the region spanning Singapore, China, Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt. In her role, Ms Alkindi is accountable for developing and directing the implementation of strategies to determine plans and programs for the most effective utilisation of human resources to meet organisational needs, market competitiveness and financial targets.
Prior to her role with Borouge, Ms Alkindi was the Vice President of Talent Management function at ADNOC Gas Processing during which she leads the overall mission to find, develop and retain talent in support of the organization’s over-all business strategy. She pioneered the establishment of the corporate wide knowledge management framework and innovation management program to support organisation learning and continuous improvement.
Ms Alkindi was born and brought up in Abu Dhabi, UAE and currently lives in Singapore with her family of three kids. Her career was driven by the strong belief that disruptive thinking and change management works in tandem to driving a successful sustainable business.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Arun Kumar
Country Head & Senior Executive Officer - DBS (DIFC Branch)
Arun is a career banker with over 24 years of experience across multinational banks. In his current role as Country Head & Senior Executive Officer for DBS Dubai, he is responsible for the
Bank’s overall business in the GCC/ Middle East region.
Prior to DBS, he worked with HSBC in the Origination & Client Coverage business in the UAE and India. He brings several years of client coverage & deal structuring experience in the GCC region across a diverse client segment, from government owned/ related companies & family-owned conglomerates to banks and sovereign wealth funds across the region.
He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
EXCO MEMBER : Ms May Chan
Ms May Chan was based in Dubai working on The Dubai Mall from inception to completion and was largely responsible for running the Dubai, UAE and Middle East Operations for DPA while working on many retail, hospitality and residential projects in this region. She has been a key contributor to DPA’s success within the middle east whilst permanently stationed in Dubai for 10 years.
Today, Ms Chan is a director in DP Architects and has been based in Singapore for the last few years. She continues her role as the MENA Director; overseeing the Dubai branch office, which she played a key role in setting up in 2005 as well as managing and representing DPA in the Middle East.
Ms Chan has a Masters of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts (Architectural Studies) from the National University of Singapore and is a practising Architect registered under the Board of Architects, and a member of the Singapore Institute of Architects.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Wilson Vaz
Director, Emirates National Oil Company (Singapore) Pte Ltd, ENOC
Wilson Vaz is Senior Director of International Supply and Trading for Emirates National Oil
Company (Singapore) Private Limited. He is a member of the company’s executive
management team and also a Board Member of the Company.
With more than 30 years’ global trading and risk management experience, Wilson is
responsible for overall financial and strategic management of the company. This includes
running all facets of the business from overseeing the full operations which includes trading,
marketing, operations, finance and risk control.
EXCO MEMBER : Ms Vanessa Leung
Ms Vanessa Leung has over 25 years’ experience in the financial industry. Prior to joining Emirates NBD Bank, she spent 22 years in Standard Chartered Bank across multiple functions. Ms Leung is currently CEO of Emirates NBD Bank’s Singapore Branch where she is responsible for overall strategic direction and operations of the Singapore branch and the bank’s representative offices in China and Indonesia.
EXCO MEMBER : Ms Joanna Patterson
Vice President, APAC Sales, Etihad Airways
Joanna Patterson joined Etihad Airways in August 2021 as Vice President Sales for the APAC region. She is responsible for the overall commercial strategy of the region, further growing Etihad’s trade and corporate relationships and will play a critical role in navigating the growth and success of the region as it emerges from the pandemic. Joanna brings over 20 years’ rich experience in the airline and business travel industry, as well as a good understanding of Asia having lived in Shanghai for 3 years before moving to Singapore 6 years ago. Her career spans senior management and sales positions in China, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Singapore. Prior to joining Etihad, Joanna worked in Singapore for United Airlines where she was the Director of Sales for the Southeast Asia region and FCM Travel Solutions where she served as Director of Account Management for Asia. Before that, she was a key player in growing global sales for major Chinese and European airlines: China Eastern, Air France KLM, Lufthansa and BMI.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Atul Temurnikar
Global Schools Foundation (GSF)
Mr Atul Temurnikar is the founding Chairman of Global Schools Foundation (GSF), a Singapore-based not-for-profit entity which has two schools under its aegis – Global Indian International School (GIIS) and One World International School (OWIS). The foundation has 22 campuses across South East Asia, East Asia and Middle East (through presence in 7 countries) to provide high quality international education for students from kindergarten to High school.
Mr Temurnikar heads the executive management of GSF and oversees its worldwide operations. He is a strong advocate of high-quality yet moderate and affordable education that transcends socio-economic boundaries. He has also been advocate of new emerging education frontiers and his significant efforts in the education sector.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Thakore P R
Mr Thakore is the CEO of IFFCO Singapore Pte Ltd and has been with the IFFCO Group in various capacities since 2007. He is responsible for global procurement, trading, risk management and supply chain management for IFFCO’s Oils & Fats business. Prior to joining IFFCO, he was Senior Vice President (Marketing) with Pan Century Edible Oils Sdn. Bhd, Malaysia. He has over 30 years’ experience in the Edible Oils Industry and has been actively associated with various industries and trade bodies.
Mr Thakore hold an MBA from National University of Singapore, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from University of Calcutta and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Venkataramani Srivathsan
Mr Venkataramani Srivathsan (“Sri”) joined Olam International in 1994 and has more than 25 years of experience in the commodities industry. He has held various positions in the Olam group, including country head, Ghana; country head, Nigeria; and regional head, West and Central Africa. Currently, he is the managing director and CEO for Africa and the Middle East, with oversight responsibility for the fertiliser business.
Mr Srivathsan belongs to the 12-member executive committee that is Olam’s top policymaking body and is a member of its human resource and crisis committees. He is also the vice-chairman of the Singapore Business Federation, a member of the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies executive committee as well as on the advisory board of the Pan African University Lagos (Lagos Business School).
With over 20 years of pan-African experience, Mr Srivathsan has presented many papers on small holder farmer in the Pan African forums. He has also been part of the advisory committees for the ministry of agriculture and the ministry of trade and industry in Nigeria. He is also the Chairman of Organising Committee of the Bi-Annual African Singapore Business Forum organised by Enterprise Singapore. Under his leadership, Olam Nigeria won several international and national awards. He was awarded a prestigious World Business for Peace Award in 2010.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Robert Dompeling
Group Chief Executive Officer, PEC Ltd
Robert Dompeling is the Group Chief Executive Officer of PEC Ltd (PEC or the Group), a Public Company Limited by Shares and listed on the mainboard of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) since August 2009. He also sits on the board, having served in both capacities since joining PEC in July 2007. His responsibilities include managing the Group’s operational, commercial and financial divisions, as well as shaping its business development and expansion.
Mr Dompeling honed his skills as a petroleum engineer at the Royal Dutch Shell Group in the Netherlands. From July 1984, he served in various positions that saw him posted to countries such as the United Kingdom and Oman. Between 1988 to 2007, he held various key management roles at the Dutch-based Royal Vopak group, overseeing the growth and development of its Singapore business.
Mr Dompeling earned his master’s in naval architecture at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
EXCO MEMBER : Ms Grace Chia
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Eitan Konstantino
Eitan has made significant contributions to the field of MedTech, with more than two decades in R&D defined by numerous career highs and breakthrough inventions.
He is best known for inventing and developing stents, angioplasty balloons and vascular devices acquired or distributed by top-tier multinationals, including Medtronic, Teleflex, Philips, J&J Cordis, and Boston Scientific. His products are commercially available in majority US hospitals and have generated cumulative revenue approaching $1B globally.
Eitan founded and led multiple medical device companies in US and Asia from concept through sales, to international M&A, IPO and licensing transactions. He holds over 150 US and international patents and patent applications. He served as Co-Chairman of ASTM/FDA task force for endovascular standards and was recognized by the White House, Office of President Obama as a medical device expert.
Eitan holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. While at Technion he won the Rothschild Creativity Award and Schwartz Outstanding Achievement Award.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Wong Heang Fine
Surbana Jurong Private Limited
Mr Wong is Group CEO of Surbana Jurong Private Limited, Asia’s consultancy powerhouse for urban, infrastructure and engineering solutions that employs over 14,000 dedicated people working across a network of more than 120 offices in over 40 countries globally.
A luminary in the commercial world, Heang Fine has held key leadership positions across various industries over the last 35 years. Prior to joining Surbana Jurong, he was the CEO of CapitaLand Singapore Limited (Residential) and CapitaLand GCC Holdings, and the Country CEO in charge of developing CapitaLand’s business in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Mr Wong was also CEO of Capitala, a joint venture company between CapitaLand Singapore and Mubadala Development Company, UAE. Prior to this, he was President & CEO of SembCorp Engineers and Constructors Pte Ltd and President & CEO of Cathay Organisation Holdings. Mr Wong holds a 1st Class Honours in B.Sc (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Leeds, England and a M.Sc (Engineering Production and Management) from the University of Birmingham, England.
EXCO MEMBER : Mr Percival Goh
ST Engineering, Executive Vice President, Head Strategy & Defence Systems Office, Defence and Public Security / Covering Head International Defence Business
Mr Percival Goh is Executive Vice President, Head Strategy & Defence Systems Office, Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering Ltd. Appointed to this role on 1st Feb 2021, he oversees the development of the business strategy and capabilities as well as the strategic M & A for the ST Engineering’s Defence and Public Security business. Concurrently, Percival leads the International Defence Business Office that drives the growth of international defence businesses.
In addition, Percival sits on the Boards of Director for ST Engineering Geo-Insights Pte Ltd and ST Engineering Satellite Systems Pte Ltd, since 1 May 2021. Percival started his career with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) where he attained the rank of Brigadier-General. During his career in the SAF, he was awarded the State Medal, Public Administration Medal (Bronze), SAF Overseas Service Medal (Enhanced Bar), Afghanistan and the NATO (International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan) Medal. Percival graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1994 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He also attended the Senior Management Programme, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy – NUS in 2014.
Honorary Auditors
Mr Alagappan Perianan
CEO, ACME Corporate Services
Mr Steve Wiesner
Partner, Singapore MedTech Accelerator
Secretariat
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Ms Huda Aljunied
Director
Huda Aljunied is currently the Director of the UAE Singapore Business Council (UAESBC). As the Secretariat Lead for the Council, Huda is responsible for all aspects of running the Council including events planning and management, business development, public and stakeholder relations, regulatory compliance, media & publicity, finance & budget, manpower, training, etc.
Prior to joining UAESBC, she was leading the events team for the Middle East Institute of National University of Singapore from 2012 to 2018 and was key for the success of many local and international academic conferences, talks, film screenings, exhibitions and events featuring Middle East experts and dignitaries.
Huda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Print Media and an M.A. in Media Studies from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom.