CHANDRAN NAIR
FOUNDER & CEO

For more than three decades, Chandran has advised governments and MNCs on strategic management, leadership issues and sustainability, and is often invited to facilitate for top corporate education providers including Duke CE, INSEAD and NUS. He was previously Chairman of ERM in Asia Pacific, helping establish it as the world’s leading environmental consultancy. Chandran is on the Executive Committee of the Club of Rome and is a member of WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Governance for Sustainability and Experts Forum, where his thought leadership is sought for its fresh insights and intellectual honesty. He is the author of the best-seller – Consumptionomics: Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet, and The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy and Society.

CAROLINE NGAI
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Caroline is the Office Administrator at GIFT. She supports daily office operations and also handles programme-related logistics. She has prior experience in merchandising, secretarial and administration work. Caroline obtained her degree in Business Administration from Jinan University in Guangzhou. She has an interest in environmental and social issues and is a professional cross country runner and a hiker. She is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

DICKY CHOW
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Dicky is a Programme Associate at GIFT. Prior to joining GIFT, he worked in the HKSAR Government to organising events including workshops, meetings and visits to the Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He also has experience working in the non-profit space and MNCs to managing marketing campaigns, conferences and ceremonies. Dicky holds two degrees, in Law and Business Administration, from the University of Hong Kong. He is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

ERIC STRYSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR – GLOBAL SERVICES

In addition to leading GIFT’s dynamic team and business, since 2008, Eric has facilitated more than 50 experiential leadership programmes in fifteen countries. He is well versed in introducing new ideas on governance, business and sustainability and coaching participants to think critically about their role as leaders. Before joining GIFT, Eric spent several years managing multi-stakeholder partnerships between global brands and civil society groups in the United States and China. He writes and speaks regularly on topics related to leadership development and the changing role of business in society. Eric is an alumnus of Stanford University and holds a Masters from Hong Kong University.

JAQUELINE P’NG
MARKETING MANAGER

Jaqueline is the Marketing Manager at GIFT. Before joining GIFT, she was a broadcast journalist at The Edge TV and a feature news writer at Sin Chew Daily. She holds a B.S.Sc in Journalism and Communication from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese and Hokkien.  For enquiries : jpng@global-inst.com

KARIM RUSHDY
FACILITATOR

Since joining GIFT in 2010 Karim has served in several roles, including as Head of Programmes in Hong Kong, and as Managing Director of GIFT’s Southeast Asia business. He has designed and facilitated dozens of classroom, field-based and virtual development programmes for leaders at Fortune 500s, MNCs, Government Agencies and NGOs.

After 22 years in Asia, Karim returned to Scotland in 2022 and now lives between Edinburgh and Kuala Lumpur. In addition to facilitating, he currently serves as strategic advisor to GIFT’s new EdTech venture GIFT.ed, and dedicates his spare time to studying, practising and teaching mindfulness-based approaches to living well with stress and chronic pain.

Prior to GIFT, Karim was a partner in a Shanghai-based food and beverage company which opened 50 stores across a dozen Chinese cities. Karim has an MBA from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing, and is pursuing a Masters in Teaching Mindfulness Based Courses at Bangor University in the UK.

MEI CHEUNG
HEAD OF OPERATIONS

Mei was a founding team member when GIFT was set-up in 2004 and instrumental in overseeing all administrative requirements. As Head of Operations, Mei oversees the operational management of the GIFT office and supports business development initiatives. Prior to joining GIFT Mei was a Manager of CSR and Systems Auditing, TUV Rheinland Hong Kong Ltd. and Greater China Regional Business Field Manager for TUV Rheinland STAR services. Mei graduated with a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from Westminster University, London and is fluent in English and Cantonese.

MYRA CHEUNG
CONSULTANT

Myra is a Consultant at GIFT and is responsible for managing advisory projects relating to sustainability and social impact and developing transformative leadership programmes. ​

Myra’s background is in strategy and evaluation for public health policy and interventions and is experienced in project management, capacity building and stakeholder engagement (NGOs, government and industry). She has had experience working in cross-cultural environments in Zambia, Cambodia, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong. Myra has an MSc in Public Health specialising in Health Promotion, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London. She also holds a BSc with a major in Cell Biology and Genetics and a minor in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

KUBEEHRAN PRASATH
DIRECTOR

Kubeehran helps manage all aspects of GIFT’s regional office including business development, advisory and programmes. Prior to GIFT he spent close to a decade at the Central Bank of Malaysia where he oversaw the supervision of foreign banks covering governance, risk management, culture, and ethics. He was also a Short Term Consultant at the World Bank, facilitating exchange of Malaysia’s financial sector experience with stakeholders across ASEAN.

He holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Multimedia University and is a Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He obtained his Master of Finance from Judge Business School, University of Cambridge in 2016. He is fluent in Malay and Tamil and enjoys Indian Carnatic music.

OLIVIA LAI
MANAGING DIRECTOR – HONG KONG

Olivia is the Managing Director of GIFT’s Hong Kong office. She manages all of GIFT’s programmes, including overseeing a team of experienced Programme Managers and the design and development of programmes and workshops for GIFT’s global clients. Prior to joining GIFT, she was a management executive at a multinational property developer based in Hong Kong. Olivia graduated with a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Master of Management from The University of British Columbia and holds an MSc in Real Estate from The University of Hong Kong. She is fluent in English and Cantonese.

PATRICIA PETER
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR – ASEAN

Patricia is the Office Administrator at GIFT ASEAN. She supports daily office operations and handles programme-related logistics. She has prior experience in the education line as an assistant teacher, working closely with special needs students to support in skill development through various strategies. She also worked in an advertising agency as a personal assistant and supported the PR and business development team. Patricia obtained her diploma in Mass Communication from TAR College. She is a passionate advocate against animal cruelty and has passion for singing.

PIAL KHADILLA
MANAGING DIRECTOR – MALAYSIA

Pial leads the GIFT Southeast Asia office in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia which she opened in 2016. She is responsible for expanding GIFT’s footprint and impact in the region through purposeful leadership learning, outcome driven facilitation and sustainability advisory. Pial’s professional experience spans banking, e-commerce, coaching and entrepreneurship. She is a passionate gender equity activist and regular speaker on elevating the role of women in society and mothers in the workplace in particular.

Pial is a mother of five, an ontological coach-in-training, and a fluent Malay speaker. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Bath, England and is a certified health-coach.

RAFIQAH ABDUL GHANY
PROGRAMME MANAGER – ASEAN

Rafiqah pursued her BA in International Relations with French from the University of Nottingham (Malaysia Campus) where her main area of studies were focused on the ASEAN region and global issues pertaining to global security. Throughout her years as student, she was actively involved in sports and student-led societies. Prior to joining GIFT, Rafiqah’s interest in language brought her to South Korea for an intensive Korean language program at Seoul National University. She is fluent in English, Malay, Indonesian and Korean.

ROHAN HAZELL
Content Manager

Rohan is a Content Manager at GIFT and is involved in the management of GIFT’s content for its Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur offices, including articles, podcasts and business reports. Prior to GIFT, Rohan worked at a London-based market research firm where he conducted quantitative and qualitative analysis for global brands to better link consumer mindsets to behaviours. Rohan holds a BA in Geography from the University of Oxford.

STEVEN YUEN
PROGRAMME MANAGER

Steven is a Programme Manager at GIFT. He has lived in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. Prior to joining GIFT Steven spent four years in Japan’s Kochi Prefecture teaching and organising grassroots internationalisation events, and another four years in Osaka managing student exchange programs and institutional partnerships for Kwansei Gakuin University. He received his professional degree in Architecture from the University of New South Wales, and holds a Master Education of Higher Education from the University of Hong Kong. Steven is fluent in Japanese, Cantonese and English, and is proficient in Mandarin.

VIDYAKARAN SUBRAMANIAM
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE – ASEAN

Vidyakaran is a Programme Associate at GIFT ASEAN where he coordinates programmes out of the Kuala Lumpur office. Prior to joining GIFT, he was at an international NGO working with underserved communities in Malaysia, coordinating, designing and implementing programmes for community upliftment. Vidya is a lawyer by training and has several years of experience working with government and non-governmental organizations in the non-profit sector. He obtained his LLB (Hons) from the University of London and is fluent in Malay and Tamil.

JUSTIN NG
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

Justin is an Associate Consultant at GIFT and is responsible for supporting advisory projects relating to sustainability, innovation and social impact. ​

Justin worked in New York and Hong Kong, including notable companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and most recently at Deloitte Digital in a consulting role. At PwC Hong Kong, he was in the Government and Public Sector Consulting practice and was involved in local projects related to Smart City, IoT infrastructure and start-up innovation. Justin has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a BSc in Media, Culture & Communication from New York University.

SACHIKO KHOR
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Sachiko is a Programme Associate at GIFT ASEAN. She is involved in activity planning, coordination, and communication with internal and external stakeholders. She pursued her Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Social Sciences, majoring in Writing and Psychology, from Monash University Malaysia. During her studies, she was a student volunteer at the Center for Asia Leadership and was also active in the student council.​ Before joining GIFT, Sachiko was working at health-tech start-ups in the Operations and Sales Operations function, where she built CRM workflows, reports and dashboards to improve processes within the organisation. ​

DEBBIE CHAN
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

Debbie is an Associate Consultant at GIFT and is responsible for supporting advisory projects relating to sustainability and social impact and the development of leadership programs. Prior to joining GIFT, she had worked in the U.S., Rwanda, and Burundi on environmental health research, public health policies, and global health equity executive education. She had also led a team to open a surgical hospital in rural Burundi where she was involved in overseeing partnership relations, supply chain logistics, renewable energy infrastructures, and sustainable development. She graduated from Harvard University with a BA in History of Science and a minor in Global Health and Health Policies. She is fluent in English and Cantonese and proficient in French.

MEGAT FIRDAUZ PURTA
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE

Firdauz is a Programme Associate at GIFT ASEAN. He is involved in activity planning, coordination, and communication with internal and external stakeholders, as well as the documentation of programme outcomes. He graduated with a (Hons) Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Public Policy from UNIRAZAK (University Tun Abdul Razak). Firdauz has also been Toastmasters since 2017, honing his public speaking skills. Prior to GIFT, Firdauz worked at the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department under Taylor’s Education Group, where he conducted and led educational and sustainable programmes for underprivileged communities in Malaysia. He is fluent in English and Malay.

LOH KHANG YEE
PROGRAMME MANAGER

Khang Yee is a Programme Manager at GIFT ASEAN. She is responsible for the end-to-end success of GIFT’s programmes, from curriculum design to participant experience and programme outcomes. Prior to GIFT, Khang Yee was an HR practitioner with experience in talent development, employer branding and culture transformation. Following this, she worked at an NGO as the Head of Programme to support vulnerable groups in Malaysia by improving access to education, resources, and career opportunities. ​She holds a BSc. Psychology with honours from the University of College London (UCL), UK. She is fluent in English, Malay and speaks several Chinese dialects.  ​

ANGAINDRANKUMAR GNANASAGARAN
PROGRAMME MANAGER

Angaindrankumar is a Programme Manager at GIFT Southeast Asia. He is responsible for developing and executing GIFT’s programmes as well as to monitor the risk and quality of the programmes — resolving issues and initiating appropriate corrective action where necessary. Prior to him joining the organisation, Angain was a journalist at a media start-up where he covered Southeast Asian geopolitics, technology, business and the environment. ​

He holds a First-Class Honours Degree in International Relations from the University of Nottingham (Malaysia campus) and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in International Relations at the Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya. His present research pertains to the use of 15th-century Javanese historical texts to enrich the understanding of power in International Relations. ​Angain is fluent in English, Malay and Tamil.

MURARI K.
CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER, UOB SINGAPORE

Murari is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for UOB Singapore. Prior to joining UOB, he worked in various leadership roles in several multinational corporations across the banking, consumer and consultancy industries.

On top of his role at UOB, Murari has taken on international and regional industry leadership and advisory roles. He currently serves on the Advisory Panel for Cyber Youth Singapore (CYS), is a Senior Industry Advisor for CIO Academy Asia and is a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID). He previously served on the International Board of Directors for the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (FS-ISAC) and was a member of the ISACA International Professional Standards Committee.

KELLY CHAO
HEAD OF CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT & ANALYTICS, PRUDENTIAL CORPORATION ASIA

Kelly is the Head of Customer Intelligence & Analytics of Prudential. She leads customer management across the region leveraging data insights and analytics to deepen engagement with customers, fill their protection gaps and enable seamless experience. Prior to joining Prudential, Kelly held numerous leadership roles for top financial institutions. She has over 20 years of delivering business results with analytic solutions in sales & marketing, operations, risk management and HR.

LEO CHAN
DIRECTOR OF HR, MICROSOFT

Leo is the director of human resources in Microsoft Hong Kong. He oversees the day-to-day operations of all people-related programs to support the growth of the Hong Kong subsidiary. Having worked at the technology and life insurance sectors in North America and Asia Pacific, he brings a diverse set of skillset specializing in talent management, people development, organizational learning and talent acquisition. Prior to Microsoft, Leo was most recently the Head of Talent Management & Development at AIA, in charge of developing customized career advancement and contemporary talent retention strategies. He also elevated the role of human capital management beyond conventional means to reverse mentoring programs, next-gen summit, innovative hacks, design thinking and career roadmap visualizations. Leo is a huge advocate in working with the businesses to drive bespoke, relevant and practical solutions for their people.

KK LING

STRATEGIC PLANNING ADVISOR

HONG KONG/SHENZHEN CORPORATION

VALERIE LIANG
PROGRAMME MANAGER

Valerie is Programme Manager at GIFT. Prior to joining GIFT, she spent several years in the Legal Industry, with a particular focus on corporate law, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Global Leadership and Development at the University of Hong Kong. She received her law degree from University College London and is a member of the New York Bar. She is fluent in Mandarin, English and Cantonese.

VINOBHA ANTHONY DOSS
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE-ASEAN

Vinobha Anthony Doss is a Programme Associate at GIFT ASEAN. Prior to joining GIFT he was in the practice of civil litigation and dispute resolution. He has been involved in various public policy shaping cases lodged in the Malaysian courts. His creative approach coupled with the depth in legal knowledge has resulted in effective legal reasoning and client management. Vino graduated from the University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 2017. He speaks fluent English, Malay, basic Cantonese and basic French.

VIJI NAIR
OPERATIONS MANAGER-ASEAN

Viji is the Operations Manager at GIFT Asean.  She oversees the operational management of the KL office.

Prior to joining GIFT, Viji worked in various organisations and has spent the last 15 years on NGO work mainly focusing on performance arts and cancer respectively.  Viji holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology from the Dublin Business School.  She speaks English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Malayalam.

BRENDA CHEAH
PROGRAMME MANAGER-ASEAN

Brenda oversees the programme design and implementation, as well as content development at GIFT. Prior to GIFT, Brenda was a Senior Economist at the Central Bank of Malaysia for almost 8 years, leading macroeconomic assessments and growth projections for monetary policy deliberation. Passionate about public policy, she also sought to diversify her research interests and expertise over the years – ranging from trade competitiveness and investment incentives to social protection. When COVID-19 hit, Brenda had a hand in crafting various stimulus measures to support the vulnerable groups in Malaysia.

She holds a degree in BSc. in Economics with honours from the University of Warwick, UK. She has also attended various professional courses by the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Korea at Washington D.C., Singapore and South Korea. She is fluent in Malay, speaks several Chinese dialects and knows basic Korean.

VENUS DULANI
PROGRAMME MANAGER

Venus joined GIFT in 2021 as a Programme Associate. She has extensive experience in programme management and supporting advisory projects related to sustainable development in Hong Kong and wider Asia. She was a key contributor to a feasibility study on establishing a global plastic recycling platform and circular plastic waste management. Venus’ other responsibilities include managing and creating content for GIFT’s PR.

Prior to joining GIFT, she worked at the United Nations, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a boutique sustainability consulting firm. She was involved in projects ranging from climate change and sustainability planning, public policy research and analysis, to stakeholder engagement, and community outreach. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies, with an additional concentration in Inequality Studies. She is fluent in English and Hindi.