Speakers
Supaluck Umpujh
Chairwoman, The Mall Group
Umpujh joined The Mall Group in 1982. Under her supervision, the Thai retail operator founded by her father, Supachai Umpujh, has opened malls including Emporium, the country’s first world-class luxury retail complex. She is now the chairwoman of The Mall Group, The Emporium Group and Siam Paragon Retail Co Ltd.
Mark Cho
Co-founder, The Armoury
Cho is co-founder of The Armoury, a group of menswear shops in Hong Kong and New York, and the co-owner of British menswear brand Drake’s, which has outposts in London, New York and Seoul. He is also well known in the watch world as a collector, writer, researcher and collaborator.
Kevin Mark Low
Founder, Small Projects
After completing graduate and postgraduate degrees in architecture and art history, followed by 10 years of corporate experience in Malaysia, Low founded Small Projects in 2002. The studio focuses on small-scale architecture, including houses, and utility design. Low teaches and lectures internationally, and his writing has been published in Asia, the US and Europe.
Carlos Granon
CEO and co-founder, Topologie
Granon’s background in rock climbing and entrepreneurship led to his founding of accessory brand Topologie. Its products combine the functionality and technicality of outdoors into the world of fashion and are sold in Selfridges, Moma Store, Galeries Lafayette and Beams, among others.
Yuta Oka
Founder and CEO, Staple Inc
Staple is a neighbourhood developer focused on walkable towns. Under Oka’s guidance, the company worked with locals in Setoda, a town in Hiroshima prefecture, to make the area more liveable. As well as opening a waterfront hotel, restaurant, coffee roaster and deli, Staple has co-hosted marathons, marches and movie festivals. Oka is leading an expansion around Japan.
Jennifer Woo
Chairman and CEO, The Lane Crawford Joyce Group
Woo steers the strategy of Asia’s premier fashion-retail, brand-management and distribution group, which has more than 500 points of sale across 55 cities in China and the wider region. She oversees the operations of iconic luxury department store Lane Crawford, fashion boutique Joyce and brand-management company Imaginex Group, which operates in the lifestyle and beauty sectors.
Dian Sastrowardoyo
Actress
Award-winning actress Sastrowardoyo has been a household name in Indonesia since her debut role in 2000’s ‘Fallen Star’ and her recent performance in Netflix series ‘Cigarette Girl’ has garnered worldwide recognition. She has branched out into production and debuted as a writer and director in Netflix’s ‘Quarantine Tales’ anthology.
Noni Purnomo
Chairperson, Blue Bird Group Holding
Named as one of the “Most Powerful Women of 2023” by Forbes Indonesia, businesswoman and philanthropist Purnomo is the president commissioner of leading transportation corporation PT Bluebird Tbk, known for launching the country’s first e-taxi. She has spearheaded initiatives including Make Jakarta’s Sky Blue, One Ride One Seed and Blue Bird Peduli.
Vítor Sereno
Portuguese ambassador to Japan
A diplomat with 26 years’ experience, Sereno has been Portugal’s ambassador to Japan since March 2022, after a previous post in Senegal with jurisdiction over the Ivory Coast, the Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Between 2013 and 2018, he served as consul-general in Macao and Hong Kong, with the role of head of mission.
Thomas Morrison
Chief technology officer, Forth Vending (Tao Bin)
Morrison guides the software technology for the Bangkok-based company behind Tao Bin vending machines, which have sold more than 100 million drinks. Involved in the project since its inception, he is now contributing to the brand’s international expansion. Before moving to Thailand, he grew up in the UK and worked for Microsoft in the US.
Tran Quyet Thang
Chairman and founder, Refico
A founding member of SSI and TNA Law Group, Thang launched high-end property developer Refico and has been its chairman since 2003. He has been at the forefront of Vietnam’s economic advancement since the early 1990s, beginning with his first venture, Invest Consult Ltd – the country’s first investment advisory for foreign entities.
Tran Thi Hoai Anh
Founder and CEO, GlobalLink Co Ltd
With more than 20 years of experience in the fashion industry, Anh is credited with introducing European luxury brands to Vietnam. Her company, GlobalLink, is best known for operating boutiques for luxury design labels such as Balenciaga, Celine and Loewe, which can be found at premium addresses in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Angelle Siyang-Le
Director, Art Basel Hong Kong
Siyang-Le grew up between China and the UK before moving to the UAE, where she worked to support galleries, artists, curators and young art professionals and co-founded the Mobile Art Gallery. In 2012 she joined Art Basel and was appointed as the director of its Hong Kong iteration in 2022.
Joyce Wang
Founder and principal, Joyce Wang Studio
With a degree in materials science from MIT, Wang has a meticulous eye for detail. Her eponymous studio, which has offices in Hong Kong and London, has designed exceptional interiors for hotels such as Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, The Magistracy and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
Gerald Li
Co-founder, Leading Nation
Li is often credited with redefining Hong Kong’s gastronomic landscape, introducing much-loved restaurants such as Liberty Private Works and Elephant Grounds to the city. The entrepreneur’s Leading Nation hospitality group has also successfully expanded into Tokyo, Singapore, and Manila’s culinary markets.
