VALERIE LIANG
PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE-HK

Valerie is Programme Associate 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 ASSOCIATE

Venus is Programme Associate at GIFT. Prior to joining GIFT, she worked at the United Nations, USL Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has experience in climate change and sustainability planning, 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, proficient in Spanish, and conversant in Cantonese.

KARIM RUSHDY
FACILITATOR

Karim joined GIFT in 2010 as Business Development Manager. Over the next decade he served as Head of Programmes in Hong Kong, and as Managing Director of GIFT ASEAN in Malaysia where he led the transformation of a small rep office into a fully-fledged regional business.

During this period Karim designed and facilitated dozens of public and custom development programmes for thousands of professionals from Fortune 500s, regional MNCs, Government Agencies and NGOs. Karim’s articles on insights gathered through his work in the classroom and in the field have appeared in a range of publications.

In 2021 Karim left his executive role at GIFT to pursue graduate studies in mindfulness – a practise he is deeply passionate about. He continues to contribute to programme design and facilitation, and is an advisor to GIFT’s new EdTech company GIFT.ed

Karim has lived in Asia for over 20 years. Prior to GIFT, he was a partner in a successful Shanghai-based food and beverage company which today operates almost 50 restaurants across a dozen major Chinese cities. Karim has an MBA from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in China, and is pursuing a Masters in Teaching Mindfulness Based Courses at Bangor University in the UK.

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 Standford University and holds a Masters from Hong Kong University.

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.