Advancing an inclusive digital future through the disruptive power of emerging technologies

Liew Chin Tong is the Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry. He is currently a Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri. He is also the State Assemblyperson for Perling, Johor.

He was a Senator in Dewan Negara from July 2018 to July 2021 and served as Deputy Defence Minister from July 2018 to February 2020. He was first elected Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera (2008-2013) and was subsequently a Member of Parliament for Kluang (2013-2018).

Chin Tong graduated with a degree in Political Science and an honours degree in Asian Studies from the Australian National University and holds an International Masters in Regional Integration from the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya.

Abid Adam, the Group Chief Risk & Compliance Officer (GCRCO) of the Axiata Group, is a luminary in the evolving realms of Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Enterprise Risk Management, and Compliance/Ethics.

He plays an active role in the World Economic Forum’s Digital Asean initiatives and the Pan ASEAN Data Policy and Cybersecurity Taskforce. With a passion for nation-building, Abid is deeply committed to constructing a fortified digital economy, ensuring that technology progresses in lockstep with security.

Abid is also an adjunct professor at Deakin University, shaping the cybersecurity leaders of tomorrow. Rooted in Computer Science and bolstered by prestigious accreditations like CISSP, CISM, CRISC, and MBCI, Abid is committed to fostering a safer, more secure digital world for everyone.

About Axiata:
As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of a vision to be the Next Generation Digital Champion by 2027, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a driven Triple Core Business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Shankar is an award-winning, thought leader and strategic information security executive with over 18 years of international leadership experience in various sectors across Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India. Shankar has worked closely with large-sized as well as startup companies in advising and transforming organisations technology and cybersecurity. In the past decade, Shankar has held various leadership roles with focus on Risk Management, Security Transformation, Consulting Delivery and Advisory roles. Shankar embraces a multi-altitude leadership approach, shifting between taking a holistic view of business, performance, and strategy, combined with getting into the grains of detail to broaden understanding and intimacy with opportunities and challenges. Most recently, he has been leading the Group Information Security for 5 entities across Malaysia and Indonesia for Malaysian based FinTech and part of the leadership team in building the first Digital Bank in Malaysia.

Shankar has been advising start-ups as pro bono from 2021. He is a start-up mentor under the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) National Co for Cybersecurity Development & Entrepreneurship. Also In 2022, he was empanelled as council member in APAC Cyber Defenders Council. He has been recognised as Top 5 CSOs in ASEAN & HK as part of CSO30 Awards from IDG(now Foundry) for 2 consecutive years (2021 & 2022).

About Boost:
Boost is the regional full spectrum fintech arm of Axiata that financially empowers millions of customers, both users and merchants, across 7 countries in Southeast Asia. Through its ever-expanding fintech ecosystem spanning its all-in-one fintech app, merchant solutions, AI-based lending business, and cross-border payment platform, Boost continuously paves the way for unstoppable growth and greater financial inclusion through the power of technology and artificial intelligence.

Suresh currently serving as Head of Cybersecurity for Axiata. At Axiata, he plays a pivotal role in Group Risk and Compliances in securing organizations information assets. In his career so far, Suresh has been instrumental in securing his organization’s information assets & certifying them against global best practices such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, BS 10012, PCI DSS etc.

With a background spanning of over 25 years, Suresh has cultivated a wealth of expertise in Cyber Defence, Information Security, Risk Management and Data Privacy. Suresh has experience leading global security practices with organisations such as Vodafone, EY and the Axiata Group.

Adelene is a professional with over twenty years of experience in operations, consulting, corporate planning, and regional and global roles. She is currently the Head of Sustainability at Axiata Group, and the Program Director of Axiata Foundation’s Environmental pillar.

She specializes in several technical areas related to sustainability. Her subject matter expertise covers developing GHG emission inventory, sustainability strategy, reporting and verification of non-financial data. Prior to joining Axiata, she was the Global Engineering Sustainability lead for an FMCG company, where she developed programs to strategically reduce energy, water, and waste.

With her experience, she works closely with senior leadership and Board members on ESG practices. She is dedicated to promoting sustainability and providing strategic guidance so organizations can navigate the complexities of sustainability.

About Axiata:
As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of a vision to be the Next Generation Digital Champion by 2027, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a driven Triple Core Business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Azzahra is currently is the Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance within the EDOTCO Group. With more than 15 years professional career, Azzahra specialises in governance, risk management, regulatory, sustainability, occupational health & safety as well as compliance matters with proven track records of delivering transformational changes. She was brought in early 2021 to set up the second line of defence capabilities at EDOTCO Group, including regional portfolios covering Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Azza holds a Legal Degree from King’s College London, and a Master of Business Administration from Asia School of Business in collaboration from MIT Sloan. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (“ICAEW”). She is a Certified Risk Professional and Compliance Officer. She also qualifies as Certified Integrity Officer by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (“MACC”).

About EDOTCO:
EDOTCO is the first regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company in Asia, providing end-to-end solutions in the tower services sector from tower leasing, co-locations, build-to-suit, energy and transmission to operations and maintenance (O&M). EDOTCO operates and manages a portfolio of over 58,000 towers across its core markets of Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, and Laos.

Johan is the Head of Sustainability at Telenor Asia. He is a sustainability professional with expertise in climate and environment, public policy, risk and project management, social impact, and human rights. He has a track record of driving sustainable change across South Asia and Southeast Asia, and in leading ESG strategy and decision making.

Johan holds a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, where he was the Valedictorian Lee Kuan Yew Awardee. He is a certified Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Professional by the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN).

About Telenor Asia:
Telenor in Singapore comprises of its Asia hub, which is responsible for governance, strategy and planning for the company's Asian operations, global procurement activities as well as regional sales for IoT solutions.

Tan Sri Shahril is the Chairman of the Axiata Group.

Previously, he led Khazanah Nasional Berhad as its Managing Director from August 2018 to August 2021. Tan Sri Shahril has also served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Employees Provident Fund of Malaysia (EPF) from 2013 to 2018. He joined EPF as Deputy CEO (Investments) in 2009. During his tenure at EPF, he also served as a Non-Executive Board Member of Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia Building Society Berhad, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd.

He holds a Masters in Arts (First Class) from Cambridge University and a Bachelor in Civil Law (First Class) from Oxford University.

About Axiata:
As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of a vision to be the Next Generation Digital Champion by 2027, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a driven Triple Core Business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure.

Ms. Shariffah Rashidah has been serving the Government of Malaysia as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer since 2004. She first focuses on Information Communication Technology (ICT) subject which later specialises in the area of national cyber security policies, strategies and implementations.

For the past 15 years, she has been actively involved in formulating, coordinating and monitoring the National Cyber Security Policies development and implementation that includes the development of the National Cyber Crisis Management Plan of Malaysia, the National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) and the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2020-2024 and actively participates in international conferences and conventions in the area of cybersecurity.

She has a Master in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London and Bachelors in Science (Computer) from University of Technology Malaysia.

About NACSA:
The National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) was officially established in February 2017 as the national lead agency for cyber security matters, with the objectives of securing and strengthening Malaysia's resilience in facing the threats of cyber attacks, by co-ordinating and consolidating the nation's best experts and resources in the field of cyber security.

Firdaus is currently the Head of Digital Security in EDOTCO Group, an operating company under Axiata that is listed as one of top global telco infrastructure tech companies. With over a decade of experience in cyber security field, Firdaus has created cyber security values for corporations across multiple industries including banking, investment, consulting and IT. Prior to joining EDOTCO Group, Firdaus has served major corporations in Malaysia including Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Maybank Group and Deloitte. He is passionate about building cyber-ready telco & OT infrastructure and creating next-gen cyber security workforce for Malaysia.

About EDOTCO:
EDOTCO is the first regional integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company in Asia, providing end-to-end solutions in the tower services sector from tower leasing, co-locations, build-to-suit, energy and transmission to operations and maintenance (O&M). EDOTCO operates and manages a portfolio of over 58,000 towers across its core markets of Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, and Laos.