ThinkSuite & Bloomberg: Navigating Geopolitical Turbulence and Exploring Philanthropy

Kishore Mahbubani is a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore (NUS).

Mr Mahbubani has been privileged to enjoy two distinct careers, in diplomacy (1971 to 2004) and in academia (2004 to 2019). He is a prolific writer who has spoken in many corners of the world.

In diplomacy, he was with the Singapore Foreign Service for 33 years (1971 to 2004). He had postings in Cambodia, Malaysia, Washington DC and New York, where he twice was Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN and served as President of the UN Security Council in January 2001 and May 2002. He was Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry from 1993 to 1998. As a result of his excellent performance in his diplomatic career, he was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Gold) by the Singapore Government in 1998.

Mr Mahbubani joined academia in 2004, when he was appointed the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), NUS. He was Dean from 2004 to 2017, and a Professor in the Practice of Public Policy from 2006 to 2019. In April 2019, he was elected as an honorary international member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which has honoured distinguished thinkers, including several of America’s founding fathers, since 1780.

Mr Mahbubani was awarded the President’s Scholarship in 1967. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Philosophy from the University of Singapore in 1971. From Dalhousie University, Canada, he received a Master’s degree in Philosophy in 1976 and an honorary doctorate in 1995. He spent a year as a fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University from 1991 to 1992.

He has achieved several “firsts” in his two careers. He was the Founding Dean of the LKY School, the founding Director of the Civil Service College, the first Singapore Ambassador to serve on the UN Security Council, the first Singaporean to publish articles in globally renowned journals and newspapers like Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the New York Times and the Financial Times and co-authored articles with distinguished global thought leaders like Kofi Annan, Klaus Schwab and Larry Summers. Mr Mahbubani has never shied away from taking on new challenges.

He is also a prolific author, having published nine books: Can Asians Think?; Beyond the Age of Innocence; The New Asian Hemisphere; The Great Convergence; Can Singapore Survive?; The ASEAN Miracle (co-authored with Jeffery Sng); Has the West Lost It?;  Has China Won?; and The Asian 21st Century, an open access book which has received over 3 million downloads. His memoir, Living the Asian Century, will be released in August 2024.

Mr Mahbubani has received significant international recognition for his many accomplishments. The Foreign Policy Association Medal was awarded to him in New York in June 2004 with the following opening words in the citation: “A gifted diplomat, a student of history and philosophy, a provocative writer and an intuitive thinker”. He was listed as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines in September 2005, and included in the March 2009 Financial Times list of Top 50 individuals who would shape the debate on the future of capitalism. He was selected as one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was described as “the muse of the Asian century”. He was selected by Prospect magazine as one of the top 50 world thinkers for 2014.

Teo Kai Xiang heads the Banking Development Division in the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Centre Development Department. The division supports the growth of Singapore as an international financial centre through nurturing an attractive and conducive business environment for financial institutions, and deepening Singapore’s position as a pan-Asian banking and wealth management hub. The division fosters key strategic activities and capabilities that contribute to these objectives.

Prior to his role in the Banking Development Division, Kai Xiang was a division head in the Capital Markets Intermediaries Department III, overseeing the supervision of brokers, corporate finance advisors and trust companies. Kai Xiang has been with MAS since 2007 and has held other roles in different functions in MAS, including as a Lead Policy Analyst in the Prudential Policy Department.

Kai Xiang graduated with first class hours from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, with a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering in 2007. He obtained his Masters of Business Administration from INSEAD in 2013.

Chan has over 40 years of experience in strategic business development and making investments. She invests in content creation, blockchain technology, and sustainable energy consumption. She founded ACE91 with a mission to create film and TV programs that inspire audiences to increase positive change. In October 2022, ACE91 released “2020: Chaos and Hope,” a feature documentary examining how the COVID-19 pandemic amplified systemic inequalities in the US. She co-invests with Dasym, an independent, research-driven investment company with a strong presence in telecoms, media, and technology (TMT). She co-leads the creation of a documentary based on Prof. Peter Frankopan’s critically acclaimed international best-seller, “The Silk Roads.” She supported PBS’ “Chautauqua at 150,” which feature’s Wynton Marsalis’ “All Rise” orchestral piece. She is a partner of Credence, a blockchain-focused company.

Chan is a member of the Leadership Council at Facing History and Ourselves, an organization she has supported since 1998. She is a Vice Chair on the Dean’s Council of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She seeded resources for the HKS Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film Research Initiative, which engages with scholars, filmmakers, journalists, and industry leaders on the new age of filmmaking. Additionally, she is an Executive Committee member of the USC Shoah Foundation, which was founded by Steven Spielberg 30 years ago. She spearheaded the Nanjing Project for the Shoah Foundation, and executive produced “Liberation Heroes,” “The Girl and The Picture,” and “Two Sides of Survival,” award-winning films that aim to reduce global conflicts. She enriches NYU’s African Grove Theater, which reopened in 2023, 200 years after it had been closed down. She advocates for prison reform and drives to increase civil and voting rights. Chan has worked to reduce racism, hatred, and violence since 1985.

Ms Chew Gek Hiang, an accountant by training, has been with the Tecity Group, the parent company of The Straits Trading Company Limited, since 1991. As Executive Director and Head of Finance, she is actively involved in investment activities of the Tecity Group and is responsible for its securities trading portfolio. Ms Chew also oversees the human resource and administrative functions of the Tecity Group. She is also a Director of Tecity Asset Management Pte Ltd.

Currently serving on the Advisory Board of the Academy of Chinese Medicine, Singapore, Ms Chew is also a Council Member of Tan Chin Tuan Foundation in Singapore. She is serving as President of the Breast Cancer Foundation and Noah’s Ark CARES (“Companion Animal Rescue and Education Society”), a non-profit animal welfare charity which champions responsible pet ownership and active sterilisation and microchipping of stray dogs and cats in Singapore.

After graduating from the National University of Singapore in 1986, Ms Chew worked with Ernst & Whinney in Singapore for a year. She then joined Ernst & Young (London) in 1987 to pursue chartered accountancy and was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in October 1990.

Kelvin is the Head of Southeast Asia at Bloomberg. He oversees 11 markets across the region, driving strategy and business development and strengthening the firm’s key client relationships in ASEAN. In his 13-year career with Bloomberg, Kelvin served in several leadership roles, including co-leading the APAC Corporations and Commodities business and, most recently, serving as the COO for Asia Pacific.

Based in Singapore, Kelvin is committed to bridging the financial community across the region. He leads a diverse Southeast Asian team and is passionate about nurturing talent and fostering an inclusive, forward-looking workplace. Kelvin is also a strong advocate for gender equality and giving access to underrepresented communities; he is one of the male allies in the Bloomberg Women’s Committee.

Kelvin holds a BA from Singapore Management University and enjoys visiting museums and indulging in culinary art in his spare time. He resides in Singapore with his wife and they are proud parents of two daughters.

Vandna Ramchandani is head of Corporate Philanthropy for Bloomberg in Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Ramchandani oversees corporate philanthropy across the region, focusing on addressing unmet needs in the communities, leveraging Bloomberg’s unique insights in data, news and innovation, to ultimately improve lives. The corporate philanthropy team under Ramchandani’s leadership is responsible for spearheading Bloomberg’s industry-leading employee volunteer programs and rallying regional financial leaders and the community through philanthropic initiatives such as promoting an inclusive global economy and increasing access to data and technology, while driving employee engagement, as well as an inclusive culture. Ramchandani has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, having held leadership roles across various departments in Bloomberg including human resources, data management, sales and customer support. In her previous role as Regional Head of Talent for Asia Pacific, she launched a number of flagship programs like the Bloomberg Academy, the Bloomberg Campus Experience and the Local Leadership Accelerator, focused on attracting, building and retaining diverse talent. Prior to her role in HR, Ramchandani was the manager for Data Operations for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, managing a cross-cultural team of over 250 people. Ramchandani is on Bloomberg’s Diversity & Inclusion Council for Asia Pacific. She is also a member of Bloomberg Singapore’s Office Committee. She is a frequent speaker at conferences on leadership and talent. Diversity, equity and inclusion are topics close to her heart.

Richard Mak joined the Mak family office in 1998. He has 30 years of investment and capital markets experience. On behalf of the Mak Family, he has invested in private equities, automotive manufacturing, real estate development, and hedge funds.
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Richard is currently the Chief Investment Officer for Highland Family Office and President of ThinkSuite.co’s Asia Operations, an ESG-focused platform for thought leadership and networking for Family Offices, Pension Funds, VCs, Private Equity, and Government entities.

Edmund Twohill is the Executive Director/ Co-Founder of ImpactSG. ImpactSG’s mission is to grow and nurture a community towards purposeful giving in both Singapore and Asia. He started his professional career working in a range of roles while in the Singapore Armed Forces, including Officer Cadet School, Guards Units and in Joint Intelligence. He then moved to the private sector to take on digital related roles in DBS Bank. He had the privilege of working in both the Consumer and Institutional Banking Groups. It was here that he also helped to co-found ImpactSG as a ground-up initiative during the ForwardSG conversations.

Outside his current professional role, he sits on the Boards of the ASEAN Business Youth Association, Halogen & is on the School Advisory Committee of Temasek Junior College. He is also the Battalion 2IC of a Guards National Service (NS) Battalion that was involved in National Day Parade 2024. He is also actively involved in Grassroot activities at Moulmein Cairnhill where he leads their Wellbeing Circle among other things.