Speakers, The Chiefs 2025
Pete Phornprapha
president of Bangkok Motor Works and founder of Scratch First Co Ltd
Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha is the president of Bangkok Motor Works but is best known as the founder of Wonderfruit, a unique festival exploring music and culture. Since its inception in 2014, Wonderfruit has redefined the festival experience, fostering creativity, collaboration and regenerative practices, while inspiring a regional movement toward a more conscious future.
Najwa Shihab
founder of Narasi
Shihab is a seasoned news anchor and founder of Narasi, an omni-channel news and media company. Her programme, Mata Najwa, is an influential and award-winning talk show that takes a smart look at politics and current affairs. Shihab has received a number of national and international awards for her works.
Alexander Halim Kusuma
CEO, Asri
A prominent figure in Indonesia’s real estate sector, Alexander Halim Kusuma is the CEO of leading property development and management company Asri. Kusuma’s vision focuses on creating sustainable development that elevates the quality of life of the surrounding communities.
Michael Djuita
founder of 20WOL
Djuita is the founder and managing partner of 20WOL, an Indonesia-based venture fund specialising in F&B, lifestyle and creative industries. Focused on investing in visionary founders and disruptive brands, 20WOL goes beyond funding by actively collaborating with entrepreneurs to drive growth and innovation.
Wannaporn “Pui” Phornprapha
founder and managing director, P Landscape
Phornprapha founded Thai landscape architecture and design studio P Landscape (PLA) in 1997. Headquartered in Bangkok, with an office in Shanghai, PLA specialises in luxury resorts, hotels and residential projects across Southeast Asia, China, India and the Middle East. The team works with the biggest names in hospitality and its timeless designs emphasise nature, ecology and well-being.
Jaime Daez
CEO and founder of Fully Booked
Daez is the founder and managing director of Fully Booked, a leading bookshop chain in the Philippines. His commitment to fostering a robust reading culture has significantly influenced the country’s literary landscape. Fully Booked has 43 bookshops in the Philippines, with plans to reach 50 by the end of 2025.
Cynthia Wirjono
co-founder of The Goods Dept, Brightspot Market and Oaken Labs
Wirjono has helped to shape Indonesia’s retail scene for more than 20 years. As the co-founder of Brightspot Market, The Goods Dept and Oaken Lab, she has created platforms that blend fashion, design and independent brands. Wirjono continues to shape Indonesia’s creative landscape with a distinct vision for modern retail.
Philippe Delaisse
co-founder of Ethnicraft
Delaisse founded Ethnicraft in 1995. Residing in Asia, he oversees the brand’s factories, collaborating closely with local artisans to uphold Ethnicraft’s commitment to sustainable and high-quality production. Delaisse’s extensive knowledge of materials and keen eye for exceptional craftsmanship has transformed Ethnicraft into a renowned name in the global furniture industry.
An Chieh Chiang
owner and CEO of Lojel
An Chieh is the third-generation CEO of Lojel, which specialises in travel, bags and everyday accessories. Carrying on the legacy of his grandfather, who founded the company in 1989 in Toyama, Japan, An Chieh has expanded it into a global brand with an emphasis on sustainability and innovative designs.
Shanty Harmayn
partner and chief executive of Base Entertainment
Harmayn is an Indonesian film producer based in Jakarta. She has been in the film industry for more than 25 years and is currently the co-chief executive of Base Entertainment, a Jakarta and Singapore-based film studio with a focus on development, financing, production and distribution.
Gen Fukushima
CEO and co-founder of Sanu Inc
Fukushima is the CEO and co-founder of Sanu Inc, operator of Japan’s largest shared second-home service, Sanu 2nd Home. He is dedicated to redefining modern lifestyles by creating a sustainable connection between urban living and nature.
Vincent Mourou
co-founder of Marou
Mourou co-founded chocolate brand Marou in 2011 after seeing the untapped potential of Vietnam’s cacao. The company now has 19 shops in Vietnam and exports to 20-plus countries.
Daliana Suryawinata
co-founder of SHAU architects
Suryawinata co-founded SHAU, a multi-awarded architecture office in the Netherlands, Indonesia and Germany, with Florian Heinzelmann. The studio focuses on socio-climatic architecture and urban design and has designed and realised public parks, libraries, cultural centres and various commercial and housing projects.
Ken Isono
representative director of Shizen Energy Inc
As the founder and representative director of Shizen Energy Inc, Ken Isono has been working to advance renewable energy across Japan and Asia. Since its founding in 2011, Shizen Energy has expanded to support 30GW of green-energy projects in more than 10 countries.
Mark Landini
creative director and founder, Landini Associates
As the creative director of Sydney-based independent retail design and brand consultancy Landini Associates, Mark Landini has been “reinventing normal” for some of the world’s leading retailers since 1993.
Rebecca Ting
creative director and co-founder, Beyond the Vines
Ting co-founded Beyond the Vines with her husband, Daniel Chew. The Singapore-based multidisciplinary design studio and retail brand has shops across Southeast Asia, as well as pop-ups in Tokyo. Influenced by her artist father, Ting cultivated a creative streak from a young age and strives to make good design accessible to all.
Vorravit Siripark
founder of Pañpuri
Siripark is the founder and CEO of Pañpuri, a pioneering holistic wellness lifestyle brand that fuses Eastern wisdom with modern sensorial luxury. Driven by a vision to redefine well-being through Thai heritage and craftsmanship, he launched Pañpuri in 2003, establishing a brand that champions clean beauty, sustainability and artisanal excellence.
For enquiries about tickets, please email Hannah Grundy on hg@monocle.com
Monocle editors
Tyler Brûlé
editorial director
Brûlé has launched two groundbreaking print titles, Wallpaper* and Monocle, and is founder and chairman of the Winkreative agency. He has keen views on the subject of leading a business.
Andrew Tuck
editor in chief
Monocle’s editor since its launch and central to the development of all editorial projects, Tuck is also host of The Urbanist, Monocle Radio’s guide to making better cities.
Sophie Grove
executive editor
Grove’s work for Monocle has taken her from Istanbul to Paris and includes reports on everything from piracy in the Gulf of Aden to gardeners in France. She’s now heading up Konfekt in London.
Fiona Wilson
Tokyo bureau chief & senior Asia editor
Wilson has worked at Monocle since it was founded and has lived in Japan even longer. Her simple pleasures include riding an electric bike, visiting a good bookshop and always being close to a good coffee shop.
Nic Monisse
design editor
Monisse is Monocle’s design editor, covering everything from architecture to urbanism. He is also the host of Monocle Radio’s Monocle on Design, exploring the best in furniture, interiors, craft and fashion.
James Chambers
Asia editor
Chambers was Monocle’s Hong Kong bureau chief from 2015 to 2023. He currently resides in Bangkok and continues to report stories from around Asia.
