Topic: Navigating Opportunities and Risks in Volatile Markets with Index Derivatives              

David Lo

Managing Director, Top Infinity Sdn. Bhd.

David Lo is the Managing Director of Top Infinity Sdn. Bhd., a proprietary trading firm that specializes in trading global commodities, currencies, equity indices, and financial derivatives markets.

David has over 25 years of experience in the listed derivatives industry and has helmed leadership positions in futures broking divisions of major investment banks in Malaysia. David was the past President of the Malaysian Futures Brokers Association from 2018 -2019.

Topic: Cultivating Wealth: Unlocking the Potential of Alternative Investments

Ms Lisa Lee

Executive Director, Phillip Securities Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Lisa is the Executive Director for Wealth Management and Talent Acquisition at Phillip Securities, a member of PhillipCapital. Prior to PhillipCapital, she joined UOB’s Management Trainee Programme for two years upon graduation. She has been a part of PhillipCapital for the last 25 years, having previously worked in roles in Financial Advisory and Consumer Services. In the rapidly evolving financial sector, Lisa’s motivation is career development, and ensuring that her staff are equipped with the right hard and soft skills to remain at the forefront of the industry.

In addition, Lisa is passionate about promoting the importance of financial planning, and serves on the Executive Council of the Financial Planning Association of Singapore, as the Chairperson of the Marketing and Communications Board.

Topic: Cultivating Wealth: Unlocking the Potential of Alternative Investments

Mr Phil Woods

Managing Director, Abele Asset Management Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Phil A. Woods is a seasoned financial services professional with 19 years of financial services experience. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Abele Asset Management, an alternative asset management firm that makes investments in private markets.  He is also the Founder and CEO of the Abele Group, a Singapore-based fintech firm focused on delivering advanced technological solutions in financial services specifically using AI and Blockchain technology.

Phil currently serves as a Teaching Fellow at the Advanced Computing for Executives school within the National University of Singapore School of Computing.  He previously served as an instructor at NUS Fintech Lab, where he advised students and executives on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology use cases.

Prior to founding the Abele Group, Phil spent 15 years working in financial services at UBS Investment Bank and Citigroup in Capital Markets businesses. In these roles, he was responsible for developing and executing MACRO trading strategies, managing FX & Interest Rate risk, and building relationships with institutional clients. Phil also has prior experience pitching and advising institutional clients on quantitative and systematic FX Risk premia strategies. 

Phil is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studied History and Civil Engineering. He served as a US Army Aviation Officer while on Active-Duty military service.”

Topic: Market Outlook For 2H 2024: Higher for Longer?

Christopher Kok Keng Fai

Head Of Equities, Investment, Kenanga Investors Berhad

Christopher joined Kenanga Investors Berhad in January 2014 as a Portfolio Manager, and currently has more than 14 years of experience in financial markets. His responsibilities include portfolio management, macro strategy, as well as research coverage on selected market & sectors.

Previously, he was with Meridian Asset Management where he was also involved in managing local and regional portfolios. He began his career with AmInvestment Bank in the Equity Capital Markets department where he worked on numerous deals including initial public offerings (IPOs), follow-on equity offerings, secondary placements and underwriting risk assessments.

He graduated from Monash University, Australia with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance). He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder and a holder of a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License.

Topic: Positioning For Asia’s Longer-Term Re-Rating

Forum Session: “Harnessing Opportunities Amidst New Global Geopolitics”

Tan Ming Han

Head Of Investments, Eastspring Al-Wara’ Investments Berhad 

Tan Ming Han is the Head of Investments of Eastspring Al-Wara’ Investments. Prior to this, Ming Han was an Associate Director attached to Amundi Malaysia Sdn Bhd where he managed regional and domestic equity portfolios for institutional clients from June 2012 to October 2018.

Ming Han has past investment experience in the industry including Meridian, HwangDBS Investment Management and Philip Capital Management, where he managed both local and regional unit trust funds including discretionary mandates. He has long/short equity experience from his working stint as a hedge fund manager in Singapore in 2010.

Ming Han started his career in corporate finance and brings with him more than 18 years of investment industry experience.

Ming Han holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Corporate Finance and International Business from the University of Adelaide, Australia.

Topic: The Bull Case for Investing in Japan

Yap Chee Ken

Head of Investment Services, Eastspring Investments Berhad

Yap Chee Ken joined Eastspring Investments Berhad (“EIB”) in July 2018. He is currently overseeing the investment services, investment marketing, investment operational risk, Insurance client’s relationship management, central dealing and front office administration.

Ken brings with him more than 24 years of experience in financial services and asset management industry. Prior to joining Eastspring, he was attached with CIMB Principal Asset Management Berhad and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida.

Topic: Navigating US Equities Landscape Opportunities

Ten Chee Seong

Director, Intermediary and Private Retirement Business, AHAM Asset Management Berhad

In January 2023, Ten joined the Intermediary and Private Retirement Business team of AHAM Capital as the Director for Institutional Unit Trust Advisers (“IUTA”) segment with addition role to grow Private Retirement Scheme (PRS) business. His current designation sees him actively involved in driving business development as well as managing relationships with the various distributors and business partners of the firm.

Prior to his current role, Ten was the Head of Personal Wealth Business, where he was pivotal in driving the growth of the Personal Wealth Business team as well as the expansion of the firm’s retail business segment since 2010.

Ten graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Business Administration from the University of Abertay Dundee, United Kingdom; and is also a Certified Financial Planner. Before joining AHAM Capital, he began his career in consumer financial services within the banking sector.

Topic: Charting the Course: Insights into Global Markets and Future Trends

Muhammad Azman Bin Mosli

Portfolio Manager, Global Equity, Nomura Asset Management Sdn Bhd in Partnership with RHB Asset Management Sdn Bhd

Azman Mosli joined the Nomura Asset Management Malaysia as Portfolio Manager since Jan 2024.  Prior to joining the company, he worked at Public Mutual Berhad where he was responsible for managing global equity portfolios and overseeing research of Europe and Indian equities. Azman Mosli held various roles within investment from his tenure at MBU Capital, Labuan Reinsurance and RHB Research. He started his career as an Analyst at Petronas.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with specialization in Mathematics and Economics from University of Alberta, Canada. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Topic: Trade or Invest? Which is Better?

Forum Session: “Harnessing Opportunities Amidst New Global Geopolitics”

Mr. Ang Kok Heng

Chief Investment Officer, Phillip Capital Management Sdn Bhd

Ang Kok Heng joined PhillipCapital Group in 2007 as the Chief Investment Officer. He brings along with him more than 20 years of experience in equity research and investment having worked in TA securities as the head of research for 7 years and thereafter as the head of investment in TA Asset Management Sdn Bhd for another 12 years.

Ang has very extensive experience in the capital market in Malaysia and is known in the industry for his ability to discover undervalued growth stocks. While in his previous employment, he led a team of fund managers to win several awards for the unit trust funds.

He graduated with a BE in Mechanical Engineering from University of Malaya in 1980 and holds a Master Degree in Business Administration from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He is also a Fellow Member of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Ang holds a Capital Markets Services Representative License (CMSRL/A3984/2007) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder since 1997.

Topic: Rising Above Financial Storms – Dealing with the volatile ASEAN & Asia Ex-Japan market

Dr. Tan Chong Koay, Founder, Executive Chairman & Chief Strategist

Lee Chung Cheng, Chief Executive Officer & Head of Investment

Pheim Asset Management Sdn Bhd

Dr Tan is the Founder/Chief Strategist & Executive Chairman of Pheim Asset Management Sdn Bhd. He has been in the fund management industry for over 47 years. He is a Chartered Fellow of Chartered Management Institute (UK) and Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants (UK). From 1976 to 1981, Dr. Tan was with South East Asia Development Corporation Berhad (SEACORP) (now known as Amanah Capital Partners Bhd), an investment holding company that owned the first unit trust company in Malaysia and Singapore. He was responsible for advising individuals and institutional clients.

After his tenure at SEACORP, Dr. Tan joined Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank (now known as AmInvestment Bank Berhad) in 1981 for 7.25 years as the first Head of the Investment Services division. During his time there, he built up the division from a two to a 65-man strong team with the capabilities to provide a full range of services. In 1987, as the first Executive Director of Arab – Malaysian Unit Trusts Berhad (now known as AmInvestment Bank Berhad), he designed, developed and launched Arab-Malaysia Gilts – the first unit trust in Malaysia to invest solely in Malaysian government and bank-backed securities. In the same year, Dr. Tan participated actively in organising and promoting the concept of raising funds from American investors to invest in Malaysian companies through Malaysia Fund Inc., the first Malaysia closed-ended country fund managed by Morgan Stanley and listed in NYSE in May 1987. During that year, Dr. Tan was rated by William Mercer Zainal Fraser as the top manager for retirement & pension funds in Malaysia.

Dr. Tan joined DG Bank-GZB (Asia) Ltd, a merchant bank in Singapore, in 1988 for 2 years and was the Head of Investment Management Division, servicing private and institutional clients. In 1990, Dr. Tan moved to John Govett (Asia) Pte Ltd (later known as AIB Govett) as the first Director of Portfolio Investments, for 3.5 years. In 1992, he managed The Malaysian Emerging Companies Fund (an original size of US$75m) and supervised the Singapore SESDAQ fund until November 1993.

Dr. Tan is the founder of Pheim Asset Management Sdn Bhd (Pheim Malaysia) and Pheim Asset Management (Asia) Pte Ltd (Pheim Singapore) which started operations in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Dr Tan is the Chief Strategist of Pheim Malaysia since 1994 and the Chief Strategist of Pheim Singapore since 1995 except for the period from 2011 to 2015. He is the Executive Chairman of Pheim Malaysia and the Chief Executive Officer of Pheim Singapore which specialises in investing in the ASEAN and Asia ex-Japan region.

Dr. Tan was a Chief Examiner in the Investment paper for Institute of Bankers in Malaysia (from January 1997 to December 2007). He was a committee representative on the Executive Committee of the Investment Management Association of Singapore (IMAS) from 2004 to 2009. Dr. Tan is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of Lee Kuan Yew Fund since 2004 and a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism Ltd for 3-year period, both ending March 1, 2015.

Reputed for his acute sense of market timing and stock selection, Dr. Tan was labelled as the “King of the Second Board” in Malaysia for his well-timed investments in small-cap companies in 1995/1996. He was named “Southeast Asia’s small-cap King” in a Bloomberg article in August 2006. In 2008 & 2010, he was awarded “Best of the Best Award, CEO of the year for Malaysia” by Asia Asset Management, a Hong Kong based publisher of the Journal of Investments and Pensions.

Dr Tan is recognized within the fund management industry for his wealth of experience and his long and excellent performance track record. Among his best records, Pheim SICAV-SIF – ASEAN Emerging Companies Fund which he launched in 1995 took the top position for all the 1- to 20-year periods among all Equity ASEAN of Lipper Global Classification under International Offshore Universe in terms of total returns in US Dollars on the Fund’s 20th anniversary, February 3, 2015. The fund returned 497.37% (in USD terms) which far outperformed the 2nd position fund which returned 94.52% (in USD terms) and FTSE AW ASEAN CR (in USD terms) which returned 44.56%. Additionally, Dana Makmur Pheim which he launched in 2002 was ranked number one by Lipper IM for the 10-year period for 11th consecutive year in the Islamic Mixed Asset MYR Balanced – Malaysia category ended from 31st December 2012 until 31st December 2022. Dana Makmur Pheim was also ranked number one by Lipper IM for the 15-year period for 6th consecutive year in the same category ended 31st December 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Pheim was also ranked number one by Lipper IM for the 20-year period for 2nd consecutive year in the same category ended 31st January 2022 and 2023. As of to date, Dana Makmur Pheim has won a total of 56 Refinitiv Lipper Fund Awards of which 35 awards are under the category of Malaysia Islamic & Malaysia Provident and 21 awards are from the category of Global Islamic. Also noteworthy is his largest Malaysian mandate belonging to the largest provident fund in Malaysia outperformed the benchmark by a large margin for the  26-year period ending March 2023.

In 2010, Dr. Tan was awarded “China Top 10 Financial Intelligent Persons Special Award 2010” by People’s Republic of China. Also in 2010, Dr. Tan was awarded the Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award by Enterprise Asia. In 2012, he was awarded “Most Respected Chinese Entrepreneurship Award in Asia Pacific” by China Economic Trading Promotion Agency, People’s Republic of China. In 2014, Dr. Tan was named one of the 80 Global Chinese Eminent Business Leaders by Beijing-based The China Daily. Dr Tan was named “Market Wizard of Malaysia” by the Beijing-based The China Daily on March 14 & 15, 2015. In 2016, Dr Tan was awarded the “Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2016” under the Financial Services industry category by Enterprise Asia. He was named “The Warren Buffett of Asia” by World Wealth Creation Conference in The Straits Times, Singapore (April 20, 2017) for being one of the best performing fund managers and for truly enhancing value-investing. Dr Tan was also awarded the “National Outstanding Entrepreneurs Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Kingsley Strategic Institute For Asia Pacific (KSI) in March 2021.

Dr. Tan Chong Koay was conferred the 2022 ASEAN Distinguished Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 ASEAN Leadership and Partnership Forum which was officiated by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, H.E. Samdech Decho Hunsen at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia in September 2022.

Dr Tan is the author of his bestselling book “Rising Above Financial Storms” published in late 2015.

Topic: Malaysia 2024 Outlook

Syhiful Zamri bin Abdul Azid

Chief Investment Officer, Maybank Asset Management Sdn Bhd

Syhiful Zamri was appointed as the Chief Investment Officer of Maybank Asset Management (MAM) since 17 May 2021. Prior to this, Syhiful served as the Chief Investment Officer of Maybank Islamic Asset Management (MIAM) since 2015. He was responsible for overseeing investments across asset classes together with a team of fund managers at MIAM with their respective responsibilities to manage and monitor investments, in particular managing pension and institutional funds. He also assisted the Head of Regional Investment in the development of short-term and long-term investment strategies and policies for Maybank Asset Management Group.

Syhiful has more than 18 years of experience in the fund management industry. He is well versed in debt restructuring, corporate turnarounds, and mergers and acquisitions. His strength lies in his insight to the power sector and toll roads where most debts for the sector were raised during his career as Senior Vice President of Research and Advisory in Kenanga Investors Bhd and Head of Fund Management Research RHB Investment Management.

He graduated with an Honours Degree from De Monfort University (UK) with Bachelor in Accounting and Finance. He is a holder of CMSRL license.

Topic: Investment Opportunity in Vietnam Market

Nguyen Hong Nhung

Portfolio Manager, Equity, UOB Asset Management (Vietnam)

13 years of investment analysis, equity trading, and banking experience in Vietnam. Master of Business Administration (European CFVG Program France). Bachelor of Banking and Finance ( HCMC Banking University Vietnam). CFA Charterholder and licensed fund manager in Vietnam.

Topic: Malaysia’s Bond Market: Outlook for 2H2024

Joy-Marina Choong Wai Kwin

Head of Fixed Income, Investment, Kenanga Investors Berhad

Joy-Marina joined Kenanga Investors Berhad in 2019, following the acquisition of Libra Invest Berhad by Kenanga Investors. Her responsibilities include managing fixed income funds and private fixed income client accounts. She is a holder of a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License for Fund Management.

She began her career as an executive trainee in a local financial institution, where she gained 12 years of working experience in the wholesale credit division, before joining Libra Invest as a fixed income fund manager in 2010.

She graduated from RMIT University, Australia with a Bachelor of Business (Economics and Finance).

Topic: Fixed Income: Doors are opening

Woo Mun Thye

Head of Investment Services, Principal Asset Management Berhad

Mun Thye joined Principal Asset Management as Head of Investment Services in June 2018. He was previously the Head of Investment Management and Products with AmPrivate Banking. Mun Thye brings with him nearly 30 years of experience in the financial industry. Since 2000 he has served as a portfolio manager for both international and domestic equities. Prior to that Mun Thye was an investment analyst having worked with a few global investment banks.

Topic: Exploring Opportunities in the Gold Market with Bursa Malaysia Gold Futures (FGLD)

Elaine Tan

Assistant Vice President, Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad

Elaine Tan is currently the Assistant Vice President Management at Bursa Malaysia Derivatives. She is responsible for improving and expanding the derivatives product offerings of the Exchange.

Elaine brings 19 years of experience in the derivatives market. Over the years, she has assumed different roles within the industry, including both derivatives and securities, prior to joining Bursa Malaysia Derivatives in 2022.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and was a licensed futures broker’s representative & equity representative with an investment bank for more than 15 years.

Topic: REITS: Poised for a recovery amid emerging positive signs

Loo Heng Wai

Head of Equities – Asia Pacific, AmFunds Management Berhad

Loo Heng Wai is the Head of Equities, Asia Pacific of AmFunds Management Berhad (AFM). He is responsible to oversee AFM’s foreign equities investments. He also assists in the formulation investment and trading strategies for the equity portfolios as well as managing key portfolios. Heng Wai has more than 17 years of work experience in investment research and fund management, spanning across asset management, insurance, family office and private banking sectors. Prior to joining AFM in year 2023, he was the Director, Investments at one of the major private banking groups in Asia, managing domestic and global equities mandates for Malaysian clients. Heng Wai graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science – Statistics (first-class honours) from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He holds a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License

Topic: The return on investment of ESG: Turning Sustainability into Business Growth

Tien Zhuen Lee

Global Equity Team, Nomura Asset Management Malaysia Sdn Bhd

Joined NAMM as an investment executive in Nov. 2020.  Prior to joining the company, he gained some investment research experience with the incorporation of ESG factors through summer internships at Riverwater Partners LLC in the United States.

Tien Zhuen graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Investment, and Banking at University of Wisconsin – Madison. Lastly, Tien Zhuen is a CFA level 3 candidate.

Forum Session: “Harnessing Opportunities Amidst New Global Geopolitics”

Mohd Saleem Kader Bakas

Director of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad

Director of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad, a subsidiary of Bursa Malaysia Berhad that provides, operates, and maintains a futures and options exchange. He joined the Exchange in 2019 and has since spearheaded various projects in his earlier roles, leading and overseeing the Malaysian exchange-traded derivatives. In March 2023, Saleem was officially appointed as Director of Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad, where he currently serves as a Principal Officer.

Forum Session: “Harnessing Opportunities Amidst New Global Geopolitics”

Khor Tze – Chao, Marvin

Portfolio Manager, Investment, Kenanga Investors Berhad

Marvin joined Kenanga Investors Berhad in February 2021 as a Portfolio Manager, and currently has more than 10 years of experience in the equity investments industry. His responsibilities include portfolio management as well as maintaining research coverage on select markets & sectors.

Previously, Marvin was an investment manager with BOS Wealth Management Malaysia (formerly known as Pacific Mutual Fund), managing local and regional equity mandates. Before joining BOS, he was a sell-side equity analyst in AllianceDBS Research (joint venture of Alliance Investment Bank and DBS Bank Singapore), covering local and regional equities spanning multiple industries.

Marvin holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics & Finance, having graduated from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is a holder of a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License for Fund Management.

Forum Session: “Harnessing Opportunities Amidst New Global Geopolitics”

Wong Kwek Yong

Deputy CIO (Investment Solutions), Phillip Securities Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Mr Wong Kwek Yong has over 17 years of experience in Financial Services. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, Financial Risk Manager and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Charter Holder along with Certified Financial Planner among other professional certifications. In his previous experiences, Mr Wong Kwek Yong was the Director of Wealth Management in Promiseland Independent Pte Ltd, the Head of Prestige and Corporate Banking in Co-Operative Bank PLC (Myanmar), Premier Relationship Manager in OCBC Bank, Treasure Relationship Manager in DBS Bank, Senior Personal Banker with UOB and Excel Relationship Manager in Standard Chartered Bank.

He has a deep understanding in both traditional and alternative Investments and can applied them in real-life scenarios.

He volunteers his time as Executive Committee member of Asia Estate Planning Association (AEPA) and Honorary Secretary of Mensa Singapore.