Our 2026 Speakers

Rivesh is a seasoned marketing insights professional with extensive global and regional experience across various FMCG sectors, including foods, personal care, home care, and beverages. Currently, Rivesh leads insights for multiple global brands at The Coca-Cola Company, focusing on the Asia Pacific region. Driven by a passion for understanding human behaviour and psychology, Rivesh helps develop marketing insights that meet both consumer and business needs. As a South African professional based in, Rivesh always tries to bring a unique, culturally diverse perspective to any discussion. He has a keen interest in experimenting with new tech and methodologies which are driving and disrupting marketing insights as we know it today.

Prof Joseph Liow (Joseph Chinyong Liow) is Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Wang Gungwu Professor in East Asian Affairs, National University of Singapore and concurrently, Chairman of the Middle East Institute at the same university. He was previously Dean of College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he was also Tan Kah Kee Chair in Comparative and International Politics, and Professor and Dean at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He held the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, where he was also a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Program.

Joseph’s research interests encompass Muslim politics and social movements in Southeast Asia and the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the Asia-Pacific region.

Joseph is the author, co-author, or editor of 18 books, the most recent being Navigating Uncertainty: Our Region in an Age of Flux (World Scientific 2024), Islam and Political Power in Indonesia and Malaysia (Cambridge University Press 2022), and Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia, fifth edition (Routledge, 2022). A regular columnist for the Straits Times, his commentaries on international affairs have also appeared in New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, CNN, National Interest, Nikkei Asian Review, Wall Street Journal, and South China Morning Post. He has testified to the United States Congress, delivered a special closed door briefing to the ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting, and been invited to give briefings to global leaders including former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In addition to scholarship and policy analysis, Joseph has also consulted for a wide range of MNCs including Shell, BHP Billiton, Morgan Stanley, Canon, Chevron, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Temasek, Total, Global Dairy Platform, Evli, and Equinor. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Experts and Eminent Persons Group of the ASEAN Regional Forum, and sits on the board of several peer-reviewed academic and policy journals. Joseph is also on the boards of the Social Science Research Council (Singapore), ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and the National Arts Council.

He holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a MSc in Strategic Studies from the Nanyang Technological University, and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.

Sushil Katdare is a Chartered Marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Currently serving as CX Director for GCI Region at GlaxoSmithKline, he focuses on strategic planning, omnichannel engagement, and harnessing emerging technologies to enhance customer experiences. With a postgraduate degree in AI and Machine Learning from Caltech, Sushil combines practical expertise with a keen interest in how innovation can shape marketing’s future. His approach emphasizes customer-centric solutions and adaptability, reflecting his commitment to addressing the evolving needs of the industry.

Irene brings over a decade of experience shaping meaningful customer experiences across fintech, SaaS, and digital platforms, with a strong belief that great experiences start with understanding people and solving real problems. She is currently the Executive Director and Head of Customer Experience at OCBC Bank, where she leads customer experience transformation through human-centered design, data insights, and end-to-end journey enhancement.
Beyond her professional role, she actively supports the design and customer experience community in Malaysia through speaking and mentorship. She is committed to developing the next generation of experience leaders and advancing the maturity of customer experience and design practices in Malaysia.

Elaine Tam is the Head of Planning and Insights, APAC Innovation at Diageo covering a broad range of the company’s iconic brands from Guinness to Johnnie Walker and Don Julio and is a leader known for transforming inclusion and wellbeing in the workplace. In her six years at Diageo she also oversaw the planning function for Southeast Asia as well partnered with leadership teams across APAC to drive growth within a global revenue growth management remit. Elaine started her career in management consulting and prior to Diageo has had various strategy, business development and internationalization roles and she holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree from Nanyang Technological University.

Presently based out of Singapore and leading the Insights & Analytics for vital categories for South East Asia and Taiwan business unit within GSK Consumer Healthcare/Haleon. I have 17+ years of Consumer Insights & Analytics experience and my key area of interest lies in deep human understanding, Brand comms & strategy and NPD/ Innovation research.  I have gathered in-depth experience in consumer products & consumer health, baby care and other FMCG; I have been involved in many turn around stories of both local and global brands where consumer insights played a vital role in driving the change; being on the agency side for several years, I have served various blue-chip and local clients across the regions of South Asia and South East Asia & other APAC region and have acquired cross-category learning which comes very handy being on the client side now. I am also a regular keynote speaker and panelist in various seminars/conferences like FUTR, Forward Leading, ESOMAR, Asia Research Seminar, Qual 360 etc. and greatly believe in establishing thought leadership on insights & analytics.  I am a good mix of core Qualitative, Quantitative, Brand & Advertising planning and core Consumer Insights by the virtue of working with Market research firms, Advertising firms and client side. My core strength in terms of functional work lies in two key areas – the first being Brand Strategy & Behavioural Science related research work and it varies from brand planning to brand/communication concept development/positioning/repositioning work, core behaviour change work across categories, real time segmentation and contextual shopper pieces. Implementing Consumer Shopper Journey, BLS, Cross-media and AB Testing; and doing Digital Comms Eval, LINK testing, Brand health tracking etc.  The other area is that of New Product Development work & consumer trends e.g product concept evaluation,packaging innovation research and Innovation workshops to create the Brand/Product Arrow for an organization. At present setting up and implementing agile practices for efficient product development. Insights to Claims development work, Always On Consumer Closeness programs.

Dosik is a marketing and strategy expert with over 20 years of experience, recognized for his innovative approach and deep expertise in tech market research, client and industry insights, go-to-market strategy, field marketing, consulting and data science. He has been inducted into the IBM Distinguished Market Intelligence Professional Society, the highest honor awarded to master-level experts.

Bernadette Lopez is a seasoned insights leader driving strategic growth for beloved FMCG brands across Asia Pacific at Ferrero, and previously at Procter & Gamble. As the Head of Consumer & Shopper Understanding, she leads the region's consumer insights and business intelligence teams, translating deep local market understanding into actionable strategies that fuel brand relevance and growth. With nearly two decades of experience, Bernadette has helped shape award-winning campaigns and is passionate about building business impact and purposeful advertising founded on human-centered insights.

Justin See leads Gaming Insights at Hewlett-Packard (HP). He oversees worldwide research for HP’s gaming business, focusing on consumer behavior and market trends. Previously at Google, he managed multi‑country studies and wrote for Think with Google. Justin holds an MBA from Imperial College London and mentors with SMU and Advisory Singapore.

Fred is a seasoned design professional with over 15 years of experience across Product Design, Research, and Service Design. His work spans diverse industries and geographies, giving him a unique perspective on the cultural nuances between Western and Eastern contexts. Fred has led research in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam, helping global brands to create user-centered solutions.

Mohit is a strategic insights professional with 15 years of experience who believes in the power and impact of CX. In today's business, the customer's story is supreme, and as a CX leader, he knows how to effectively tell that story in a way that not only encourages empathy for customers but also presents CX as a vital business strategy.
He seeks out new experiences to build his CX arsenal and knowledge base. Mohit enjoys delivering presentations and leading workshops and looks forward to daily interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
Seeking the right data, using the right technology platform, conducting solid analysis, uncovering customer needs and frustrations, and transforming all of this into practical intelligence for better decision-making are his key responsibilities.
Apart from being a CX Leader, Mohit is also a certified Personal Trainer from the American Council on Exercise (ACE-CPT), committed to keeping people moving and serving different segments of the population with fitness-related fundamentals and behavioral changing techniques to help them become healthier individuals.

Lolitta Suffian is a creative force in the world of Customer Experience, with over 23 years of leadership across industries - from fintech to logistics, mobility to telecommunications, and now banking. She recently joined Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) as Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, where she champions financial inclusion by reshaping how underserved communities interact with banking.

Known for turning complex journeys into intuitive, human centered experiences that is anchored in empathy and powered by technology,  Lita brings a unique perspective shaped by her roots in the creative arts. Trained in visual storytelling and design, she has an instinct for spotting patterns where others see problems, and possibilities where others see limits.

At BSN, she is driving the transformation of customer touchpoints to ensure banking is not only efficient and secure, but also accessible, supportive, and emotionally resonant. She is a vocal advocate for using automation and AI responsibly while enhancing customer insights and service delivery, without losing the human connection.

Lita is a WeQual Award APAC winner in 2024 and is recognized for her executive leadership and impact. She continues to push the frontier of CX by blending data, design thinking, and empathy, proving that customer experience is not just about technology or process; it is about people and the belief that every interaction can build trust, dignity, and inclusion.

Sebastien is Regional Head of Digital Customer Engagement, Data and Analytics at Menarini Asia-Pacific, a member of the Menarini Group - a leading international pharmaceutical and diagnostic company with a heritage of over 135 years and over 17,000 employees in 140 countries.
Sebastien has over two decades of local, regional and global experience in analytics, market research, strategic planning, digital marketing, commercial operations, advertising, digital and data transformation for healthcare and business consulting companies across APAC.

Suryo Soekarno is a senior leader in Market Intelligence, Consumer Insights, and Strategic Marketing with over 20 years of experience driving growth across banking, technology, FMCG, and telecommunication industries. He is currently VP Market Intelligence at PT Maybank Indonesia, Tbk where he actively partners with senior leadership to translate complex data—macroeconomic trends, consumer behavior, and competitive intelligence—into actionable strategies that improve marketing effectiveness and unlock new growth opportunities. Known for combining analytical rigor with strategic storytelling, Suryo has led high-impact insights functions and built data-driven decision frameworks in dynamic, fast-evolving markets.

Dr Debjit Dutta is currently the NPD Brand Lead (R&D Director) of Wellness Category, Wider Asia region at Haleon, where he is driving product innovations of global brands like Centrum, Caltrate and Scotts in key Asian markets. Previously he was the R&D Lead for multiple local and global VMS brands at Opella (Sanofi Consumer Healthcare) and has 15 years of experience in life science industry in various innovation-specific roles. He has a PhD in Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill and MBA from IE Business School.

Roy Wee is a digital pioneer and has since become a seasoned expert in digital transformation across diverse industries including education, hospitality, eCommerce marketplaces, and healthcare. His proficiency in implementing robust digital platforms has garnered industry recognition, including accolades such as Best eCommerce Platform and the Health App of the Year award in 2023. Roy is also an ACLP certified trainer and runs digital training courses whenever time permits. He is deeply committed to future-proofing organizations through comprehensive digital strategies that drive innovation and operational efficiency.

Nico is passionate about the intersection of data, research and technology. With a background in economics and statistics, he set himself the mission to make brand marketing more effective and less wasteful. To do that, he founded Latana in 2019 with the goal of leveraging the latest technologies in mobile sampling, data analysis and insights visualisation to develop new ways to measure and understand how people perceive brands and how that changes over time. His vision for Latana is to make brand marketing just as measurable as performance marketing.

linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/njaspers/

Davita is a product, UX, and market researcher with experience across market research agencies and in-house roles at tech companies, covering markets across Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Specializing in merchant growth within online food delivery ecosystems, she focuses on understanding MSME behavior to dismantle barriers and support sustainable growth of small businesses, with an interest in women-owned enterprises.

Anggun is a Senior Product Researcher at GoTo Group with over 8 years of experience across market research agencies and in-house product organizations. With a background spanning market and UX research, she has led studies across multiple Asian markets and works closely with product, marketing, and business teams to ensure the insights are clearly understood and thoughtfully applied. Her approach emphasizes synthesis, context, and collaboration, which help teams connect user perspectives with practical next steps across product development and planning.

Elaine Tai is a brand leader with over 20 years of experience driving global‑to‑regional growth across prestige retail, lifestyle, and consumer technology. As Director, Brand & Market Integration, APAC & US Retail at VIVAIA, she aligns brand, market, and retail strategy to accelerate momentum and commercial performance across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and key US retail locations. She previously held regional leadership roles at GEOX, Furla, and Shanghai Tang, and guided the positioning of Brunello Cucinelli and Brioni—affiliate brands of The Swank—alongside premium contemporary brands including Paule Ka. Her work centers on insight‑led strategy, cultural relevance, and meaningful business impact.

Paro has a career spanning 23+ years in market research, working across a myriad range of sectors such as FMCG, Telecom, Personal Care, Aviation, Media, Fin-tech among others, across markets in APAC. Partnered with large global organizations such as PepsiCo, Nestle, Heineken, Reckitt Benckiser as well as SEA/APAC giants such as AirAsia, F&N, Tata Group, Axiata to name a few.  Honoured to be the President of the Market Research Society of Malaysia (MRSM).

From Wall Street to the world of consumer intelligence, my journey has been shaped by data and driven by curiosity. With 15+ years in the US financial sector across hedge funds and investment banks, I honed a deep analytical mindset. In 2016, I shifted focus to India’s consumer space, founding Baby Destination, a 1.3M+ strong parenting community. That led to Convosight, where I now serve as Co-founder. We are redefining consumer research by combining AI and video intelligence to decode millions of social conversations—helping global brands uncover trends, understand consumers deeply, and make faster, insight-led decisions.

Strategic Foresight team Serhiy leads is tasked with building Foresight capacity and fostering future-oriented long-term thinking culture globally in one of the largest snacking companies.
Serhiy has a wide range of work experiences built for the last 20 years of active career across Marketing, Analytics and Strategy functions both within Mondelez and in other companies, such as Reckitt and Beiersdorf.
He has a Masters Degree in History, Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing and Executive MBA Diploma from Stockholm School of Economics.

Head of Human-Centered AI and Innovation for Strategy and Talent and have been with Standard Chartered for 2.5 years. Previously been with Meta (short term), venture building/CVC with Silicon Valley venture building firm called Mach49, and I come from the academia. Today, I look after all the human factors surrounding AI and responsible AI for four departments. I sit on the Group RAI Council and Review Forums as a voting member where we review org-wide AI use cases on a weekly cadence, make decisions on responsible adoption of AI, review RAI standards in relation to the latest laws and regulations. I’m the co-product owner of the AI literacy program within and am a certified data ethics professional by Open Data Institute.

Edward is the Research Director of Nexus Link Pte Ltd, a market research consultancy specializing in Singapore government research work. He is also the current President of the Market Research Society of Singapore (MRSS). With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Edward began his career as a Statistician at the Singapore Department of Statistics before moving on to various roles in international market research agencies. He later co-founded Nexus Link Pte Ltd with two partners. His passion lies in SPSS, a tool he has used for 30 years to uncover insights from data, demonstrating the truth of scientia potentia est.

Dr. Nicha Tanskul is a seasoned consumer research expert with extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Her expertise spans ethnographic and projective techniques, in-depth interviews, focus groups, as well as advanced analytical approaches such as correspondence analysis and perceptual mapping. Based in Bangkok, Dr. Nicha brings strong cross-cultural management experience across Asia. She currently serves as Managing Director at Custom Asia, a research consultancy, and as President of the Thailand Market Research Society (TMRS). Dr. Nicha holds an MBA from Hult International Business School and a Ph.D. in Consumer Behavior from Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University.

With 15+ years across APAC and global markets, Dinesh now represents Bolt, focused on accelerating the next generation of the marketing research industry through AI-powered insights and business advisory.Having previously led Consumer Insights and Data & Analytics functions at Unilever Asia, he brings deep expertise in consumer insights, marketing effectiveness, measurement, and driving strategic growth at scale.His work goes beyond dashboards. He helps organizations translate complex data into clear strategic narratives — enabling smarter decisions, faster innovation, and modern research capabilities fit for today’s AI-driven world.

Amalia O Paera is the President of PERPI (Indonesian Market Research Association). With over 15 years of experience at NielsenIQ, including exposure to global roles, she brings perspectives that extend beyond Indonesia to Asia and the broader global market. With more than a decade of active involvement in PERPI, she has contributed extensively to the growth of Indonesia’s market research industry. She is known for fostering collaboration across agencies, brands, and partners, and for her commitment to strengthening the role of insights in driving better business decisions.

Dr. Martin Bém’s career sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, brand building, and hospitality innovation. Born to a Viennese father and Italian mother, his bicultural
and bi-lingual upbringing fostered an early appreciation for food, beverage, and European craft traditions—an influence that continues to shape his work today.
With a PhD in Economics and a Master’s degree in Trade Science and Marketing from the University of Vienna, Martin has over 20 years of experience in international sales, business development, and marketing with premium FMCG brands across 30 markets on three continents. He has founded and managed entrepreneurial hospitality ventures in Singapore, China, and Taiwan.
Martin has held leadership roles across Asia, including Director Asia for San Pellegrino / Nestlé, where he successfully opened and scaled key markets such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, and India.

As the Head of Pricing & Strategy in Lubricants Singapore–Malaysia, Zach is an end-to-end strategic integrator, value creator, and people leader. He co-drives bottom-line value impact by combining strategic pricing/ planning, insight-led marketing, and transformation roadmaps, with over 16 years end-to-end oil and gas industry value chain experience. One of his recent achievements is driving strong business growth by via structural pricing transformation and driving integrated short-term plays across cross-businesses. Whilst Zach engages with a strong customer Downstream focus, he has also delivered in Upstream business with international cross-geographical exposures. This enabled him to build a broad, integrated perspective on business models and value levers from market to molecule. He graduated with the INSEAD Executive MBA in Jan 2026

Heeyoung Hwang is the CEO of OpenSurvey, the Korean research technology company behind DataSpace, an AI-powered research intelligence platform. With a background as a marketing expert at McKinsey, she has spent nearly a decade combining 25 years of research expertise with a tech-native team, bringing that knowledge directly into Dataspace. A hands-on architect of AI prompting for research applications, she is on a mission to rewrite what rigorous research looks like in the age of AI.

Vijay Raj is a globally respected insights leader with 26 years of experience in the FMCG sector. He is recognised for driving the transformation of how insights inform business strategy, shaping more impactful, human-centred and commercially relevant decision-making across the industry.