SPEAKERS Confirmed Speakers and Moderators to date: (listed in alphabetical order)     Asma ABDULLAH Intercultural Consultant and Facilitator - Culturematters Dr Asma Abdullah spent more than 22 years in human resource development in an American company.  Her writings and research are on the influence of values in management, corporate culture and women in management.  She has authored 3 books on Understanding the Malaysian Workforce: Guidelines for Managers, Going Global and Understanding Multicultural Malaysia.  She has also co-written and co-directed cross cultural plays for local Malaysian theatre.  Currently,  Asma facilitates workshops on cross cultural issues and challenges in multinational organizations in Malaysia.   Pavan BHATIA VP Human Resources - PepsiCo Pavan joined Pepsi India in April 1994 and is currently the HRVP of India Beverages BU heading the HR function.  In his various stints in PepsiCo, Pavan has utilised his cross cultural experience to attract and retain high quality and diverse talent. While working as HR Director Thailand he was instrumental in selecting and onboarding 4 senior leaders to change the composition of the executive team. In his current assignment in India he and his team have inducted women in the manufacturing and sales area.   Carolyn BUCK LUCE Partner, Global Accounts Group - Ernst & Young Carolyn Buck Luce is a senior partner in the Global Accounts Group at Ernst & Young LLP, and the practice leader responsible for coordinating the E&Y worldwide relationships with global pharmaceutical corporations in the areas of risk, tax, human capital and transaction solutions.  She serves on various management and leadership committees at E&Y and also Chairs E&Y's Professional Women's Network for the Tri-State area.  Carolyn currently serves on the board and is the Treasurer of the New York Women's Foundation, the Center for Work-Life Policy and the Blair Academy.  She is the Chair of a multi- company task force exploring  'The Human Brain Drain - Women & Minorities as Underutilized Assets".  Carolyn is an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of International and Public Affairs teaching "Women and Power". She is the mother of four and a minister's wife on the weekends.  Carolyn is the co-author of the recently published article in the Harvard Business Review, "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success".   Avic CAPARAS Assistant Professor, University of Asia and the Pacific - School of Management Avic Caparas is a professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific- School of Management. She teaches People Management and Accounting courses. Her research area is Women in Management with focus on the glass ceiling. Another interest is the women-friendly human resource policies and in this regard, she is taking part in a global study on work-life reconciliation policies in family-responsible enterprises. Avic Caparas is currently finishing a research about top women executives in the Philippines and their experiences of the glass ceiling effects. She holds a PhD degree in Management from the IESE Business School in Spain, an MBA degree from Imperial College, University of London and a BSBA major in Accounting from University of the East, Manila.   Marcelo CARDOSO Strategic Communications Manager D&I - BP A lawyer and MBA in marketing by training, Marcelo joined BP 10 years ago.  He has been in the Diversity and Inclusion area for the past 3 years and during this time has focused his efforts towards communicating the understanding of the business case for Diversity and Inclusion.  He has produced a series of dialogue-format DVDs on the subjects of race, gender and cultural understanding in a global corporation.  He has also produced a web-based global toolkit and the D&I website.   Jan COMBOPIANO Senior Director, Information Center - Catalyst Jan leads the Catalyst Knowledge Management Team, where she leverages Catalyst research and other resources and expertise to serve all Catalyst stakeholders.  She also oversees all library functions, including secondary research requests from Catalyst staff, member organizations, the media, and outside researchers.  Jan holds a Bachelor's in American History and a Master's in Women's History from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She received a Master’s of Library Science from the State University of New York at Albany.   Nigel CUMBERLAND CEO - St George's Harvey Nash Nigel is the CEO and Founder of the St. George's Group, a Hong Kong headquartered regional HR services group of companies including an award-winning executive recruitment company. In addition Nigel is the Founding Chairman of the Getting Back to Work Foundation, a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit working to helping the professional unemployed re-enter the workforce. Nigel is also the author of the best-selling "Your Job-Hunt Ltd" book and is an active Executive Coach. He is also a global board member of the leading US headquartered outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray and Christmas.   Leonisa C DE LA LLANA First Vice President & Head Human Resources & Corporate Services - Manila Electric Company (Meralco) Leonisa C De La Llana serves as First Vice President and  Head of Human Resources and Corporate Services in the Philippines' biggest electric distribution company, the Manila Electric Company or MERALCO.  She is also Vice President and Trustee of the Meralco Millennium Foundation, Inc the social development arm of MERALCO.  She is a Director and Vice President of the Meralco Management Leadership Development Center Foundation, Inc and a Board member of the CEPSI Philippines, Inc among others.  She has a degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines and a Master of Arts in Economics from the Utah State University, USA. GOH Swee Chen VP, Information Technology Infrastructure - Shell Goh Swee Chen joined Shell Companies in Singapore in September 2003, after 12 years at Procter & Gamble and  before that 4 years with IBM Australia.  Swee Chen is an IT professional and gained her formal training in Information Technology from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.  She has also completed an MBA from the University of Chicago.  No stranger to working in a multi-cultural and diverse environment, Swee Chen has spent extensive periods working in Japan, Australia. Malaysia, Brunei and US.  Swee Chen has worked with more than 50 nationalities across the globe and has had the pleasure of managing individuals from more 26 nationalities.   Anne Marie FRANCESCO Professor Department of Management, School of Management - Hong Kong Baptist University Anne Marie Francesco is a Professor of Management, Associate Director of the BBA (Honors) Course and Human Resources Management Coordinator at Hong Kong Baptist University.  She is an industrial/organizational psychologist by training, and has worked as a faculty member and as the managing director of her own human resource management consulting firm.  Anne Marie co-authored the book International Organizational Behavior, and she has written numerous articles and conference papers on cross-cultural management, life balance and gender studies. Sylvia Ann HEWLETT President - Center for Work-Life Policy Sylvia Ann Hewlett is the President of the Center for Work-Life Policy, a non-profit organization which seeks to develop policies that enhance work-life balance. She is also Director of the Gender and Public Policy Program at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. The first woman to head up the Economic Policy Council - a "think tank" comprised of 125 business and labor leaders - Sylvia is known for her expertise on gender and workplace issues. Her books include When the Bough Breaks, Creating A Life and The War Against Parents. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the Harvard Business Review. She is the co-author of "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success" (Harvard Business Review, March 2005). Jane HYUN Managing Principal - Crossroads Associates Jane Hyun, Author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, specializes in executive coaching and diversity strategy for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and professional associations. Previously, she was a Vice President of HR at JP Morgan, and Director of Recruiting at Deloitte & Touche/Resources Connection. She serves as an Asian diversity advisor to Monster.com.   Jane has appeared on CNN, CNBC, Marketwatch, Fortune, and  Newsweek. A graduate of Cornell University, she is active with the Boards of the Johnnetta B. Cole Diversity and Inclusion Institute, Asian Women Leadership Network, and the Cornell Council.  Her first book, Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, was released by HarperCollins in May 2005.   Norma JARBOE Director, Opportunity Now - Business in the Community Since 1999, Norma has been the Director of Opportunity Now, the UK 's premiere employer-led organisation focusing on the recruitment, retention and the development of women in the workplace.  Norma has been actively involved in corporate social responsibility for many years and has a particular  interest in social inclusion.  She came to Britain from the USA to work as a secondee in Brixton following the 1981 riots.  She was a founding trustee of the Windsor Fellowship, a UK charity providing personal and management development for Black and Asian students that is supported by major corporate bodies and government departments.  Norma has over 25 years senior management experience and has worked in both the UK and the USA. Ashok JHAWAR Country Head, India - BP Group Companies Ashok Jhawar is the Country Head for BP in India.  In this capacity he is responsible for ensuring that BP Group's activities are well represented and aligned to the Group strategy for India. He has 30 years of experience in the Petrochemical industry in R&D, refinery operation and strategic planning in a variety of positions.  Ashok holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur and a Masters and Doctorate degrees in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana, USA.   Saroj KAUSHAL Freelance Consultant Saroj Kaushal is a postgraduate in Social Work and  Psychology from Delhi University in India. She was the first woman to join Indian Airlines as Personnel Officer in 1971. Saroj has worked in different areas of personnel management including interaction with trade unions and associations and has worked at regional and corporate levels before retiring as General Manager (HRD) in 2004.  She has trained about 400 women from diverse backgrounds in the Springboard Development Programme.  She was nominated on the Governing Body of a premier school for her positive contribution to girls’ education.  Saroj is interested in women empowerment, psychological counseling, career guidance and community service.   Mona LAU Global Head of Diversity - UBS Dr Mona Siu-Kan Lau is the Global Head of Diversity for UBS AG. Mona is a Managing Director, member of the UBS Group HR Committee and an ex-officio member of the internal UBS Investment Bank Board.  Her position as a global head establishes a global diversity initiative that links existing regional diversity initiatives and guidelines to benefit different UBS businesses and operations around the world.  Mona manages a team of Diversity specialists to identify and design new diversity initiatives and mandates, collaborating with HR management and UBS Corporate Responsibility colleagues in order to implement a cohesive diversity strategy.   Margaret LEUNG Global Co-Head Commercial Banking - HSBC Margaret Leung is Group General Manager and Global Co-Head Commercial Banking of the HSBC Group, with responsibility for the Group’s relationship with all small and middle market customers in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America. Margaret joined HSBC in 1978 and has held a number of positions in Hong Kong and Australia before being appointed to her current job in 2003.  Margaret holds a Bachelor Degree from the University of Hong Kong.  She is married with two daughters. Christine LOH CEO - Civic Exchange Christine Loh is well known for her wide-ranging intellect and ability to find practical solutions to problems. Her background in law, business, politics, media and the non-profit sector has given her considerable knowledge and insight about how they work and has helped her to become a leading voice in public policy in Hong Kong.  From 1991, Christine has anchored  public affairs radio programs at various times. She has also presented a variety of TV programs apart from being the  subject of many more. She is a much sought after public speaker.  With Lisa Hopkinson she founded Civic Exchange in September 2000.  Christine is responsible for charting the Civic Exchange's long-term course. Shalini Mahtani Founder and CEO - Community Business Shalini was born and raised in Hong Kong and is an accountant and banker by profession having worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas respectively.  Shalini has been actively involved in community groups in Hong Kong, mainly on those focused on gender, race, youth and education.  Click here for more details. Hamidah MARICAN Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Asia - BP Asia Pacific Hamidah Marican is currently BP's Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Asia. Her work involves engaging and coaching  senior leaders on BP's D&I journey in addition to running D&I related learning workshops. Recently she has worked closely with D&I teams in India, Malaysia and China, hosting D&I awareness courses to engage a wider employee base.  Her passion is effective gender communication and cross cultural understanding - both at work and socially.  Hamidah is a member of OD network, ASTD, Global Interfaith and Women's Institute of Management.  She has also presented papers at many international conferences including CSR Asia.  Hamidah is from a very diverse origin - paternal family from India and maternal from Pakistan.  She was born and bred in Malaysia and speaks English, Malay and Urdu fluently.  She has a 13 year old daughter from whom she continues to learn real-time generational diversity and inclusion!  Hamidah is also involved in youth related programs.   Jim McIlvenny President, Greater China - The Dow Chemical Company Jim McIlvenny is president of Dow Greater China. Jim joined Dow in Australia in 1982, where he held a number of positions in Chemical and Performance Products in the areas of technical service, sales, marketing, and business leadership. From 1989 to 1998, he was involved in the commercial and business operations for Liquid Separations, beginning in Tokyo as the business manager for Separation Systems in Dow Pacific. He moved to Midland, Michigan, to serve as the director of marketing, sales and service for Liquid Separations in Dow North America. In 1995, he became the global business director for Liquid Separations, and as part of that role, he was named President and CEO of FilmTec Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.  In 1998, Jim was named President and CEO of Hampshire Chemical Corp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, then based in Lexington, Massachusetts. Rajen MEHROTRA Sr Specialist on Employers' Activities for S Asia - International Labour Organisation (ILO) Dr Rajen Mehrotra is an Electrical and Mechanical Engineer  with a Masters and Ph.D. Degree in Management from the University of Mumbai.  He has been with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) since 2000 in the role of  'Senior Specialist on Employers' Activities for South Asia and is presently stationed in New Delhi.  He has taught, as a visiting faculty, the post graduate students of Management at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, University of Mumbai from 1972 to 1996 and has lectured on various management topics in India as well as in South East Asia.  He is the Ex-President (1989-91) of Bombay Productivity Council and the Executive Chairman (1996-98) of the National Institute of Personnel Management, Mumbai Chapter.   Jennifer MOYER Executive Director, Head of Diversity Asia Ex Japan; Head of Learning & Professional Development Asia - Goldman Sachs Jen Moyer is an Executive Director in the Human Capital Management Division of Goldman Sachs ( Asia ) LLC.  She graduated from Harvard College in 1992 and joined the firm as an Associate in the Fixed Income Division in New York.  She was in Fixed Income Sales for four years before she left the firm to attend business school at the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth.  She returned to the firm in 1998  to the Hong Kong office, where she joined Foreign Exchange Sales.  During her time in Foreign Exchange Sales, Jen also served as the head of the Asia Ex Japan Women's Network, and managed the division's recruiting efforts.  In 2002, she became the Business Unit Manager for the Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities Division, working on the division's financial and strategic objectives, and managing a broad range of people-related initiatives related to Recruiting, Training and Career Development.  In late 2003, Jen moved to the Human Capital Management division, where she became the Head of Diversity for Asia Ex Japan and the Client Service Manager for Global Investment Research.  In 2004, Jen became the Head of Learning & Professional Development for Asia, which she is performing in addition to her Diversity responsibilities.   Smitha MURTHY Senior Consultant Infosys Leadership Institute - Infosys Technologies Limited Smitha works in the space of management and leadership programs as part of the Infosys Leadership Institute. She drives e-learning and culture competency within the organization. One of her key areas of work is the design and deployment of cross cultural diversity handling programs and initiatives. She has jointly authored two international papers on cultural diversity. Her passions include meditation and growth of the self - she is a trained facilitator for the Art of Living courses (www.artofliving.org). Christine NG Business Area Executive, Wireless & Digital Media Solutions, Small & Medium Business - IBM Asia Pacific Christine has 29 years of industry experience in Information Technology including 10 years working with Greater China Group and Asia Pacific countries.  Over the past 4 years, Christine has been a member of IBM's Diversity Council representing her business unit.  In 2005, Christine became the leader of IBM Hong Kong’s Diversity Council which focuses on women diversity, work life balance, people with disability and cultural awareness and acceptance.  Christine is active in mentoring initiatives with mentees in IBM and outside students. Minh NGA Associate President - BP Vietnam Minh Nga has worked for BP Vietnam for 14 years.  She graduated from Hanoi University for Teachers of Foreign Languages in June 1982. She holds an MBA from Henley Management College.  Before joining BP she worked for the Vietnamese Government as a program officer of the UNDP/FAO/Vietnam project management team on Rehabilitation of the Veterinary Services & Vaccine Production. Minh Nga joined BP in September 1991 and has taken on various roles in business development, government relations and was appointed Associate President of BP Vietnam in May 2003.   Frank SAUCEDA Senior VP Human Resources - Luen Thai Holdings Ltd Frank has been with Luen Thai Holdings Ltd for ten years and is responsible for global human resources, corporate social responsibility and corporate communications of this leading apparel supply chain services provider.  With over 18,000 team members in various countries, he has been leading the corporate initiatives in building the company's organizational capability as the industry consolidates and moves into China, with successful programs in migration, recruitment, retention and localization, among a highly diverse and changing workforce.   Andrew SHEARD Director, Human Resources - British Council China Andrew is one of the British Council's global HR team.  He is based in Hong Kong and has responsibility for the Hong Kong office plus four offices in mainland China.  He has held a variety of roles both in the UK and China including General Management and Change Management roles in the private sector, as well as Human Resources.  In his current role Andrew has led a Diversity initiative which combines the British Council corporate approach with local Hong Kong context.   Jennifer SO Culture and Diversity Lead for Asia Pacific -  Hewlett Packard Company Jennifer So is the Culture and Diversity Lead for Hewlett- Packard Company in Asia Pacific.  In this function, Jennifer provides leadership, information and programs across the region, that cultivate and propagate HP's strong culture of inclusion, diversity awareness and engagement.  HP is a worldwide market leader in technology solutions and has a presence in 15 countries and territories in Asia Pacific.  HP's regional employee base is over 38,000, and that is rapidly increasing.  Jennifer has been with HP for 7 years in a variet of HR roles and, prior to that, was with Samsung Corporation for 5 years in both business analysis and HR. She has a degree in Economics, a Masters in Asian Studies (economics) and is currently pursuing a Masters in Adult Education.   Carol SURFACE Chief Personnel Officer, Asia - PepsiCo Carol is a PhD industrial/organizational psychologist by training who, after joining PepsiCo in 2000, made the transition to HR generalist work in 2003.  She is the CPO for PepsiCo International’s Asia Region where she and her team are defining what it takes to become an Asian Employer of Choice (EoC) in the hearts and minds of employees and the external market alike.  Diversity and Inclusion is a key plank of the EoC strategy, for which Carol has led targeted efforts to improve executive female representation and retention in Asia. Rory TAPNER Chairman and CEO of APAC - UBS Rory is UBS’s Chairman and CEO Asia Pacific assuming the role on 1 May 2004.  He is also the Chairman of Global Investment Banking Department.  In 1999, he was appointed Joint Global Head of Investment Banking, having been Global Head of Equity Capital Markets between 1995 and 1999.  Prior to his role in ECM, he was UK Head of Investment Banking of SG Warburg at the time of its merger with SBC.  Rory has  been a member of all UBS Investment Bank Diversity initiatives since their inception and is very committed to broadening the intellectual and commercial understanding of the case of a diverse workplace.   Cliff TAYLOR HR Director, Asian Operations - Eli Lilly and Company Cliff spent two years teaching in Kenya.  Since joining Lilly in 1989 he has worked in sales, marketing, sales management, in the UK and the US.  Since moving to HR he has worked in manufacturing in the UK , R&D in the US and sales and marketing in Central and Eastern Europe, and most recently in Asia since 2003, supporting Lilly’s business across 12 countries.  One company, many cultures!   Anna WU Advisor to the Law School - Shantou University Anna Wu, formerly a legislator and an intellectual property lawyer in Hong Kong; is responsible for development of legal education for Shantou University which is supported by the Li Ka Shing Foundation; is a member of the John F Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board of Harvard University; is Chair of the University of Hong Kong Academic Board for Postgraduate Certificate in Laws; and Chair of the Investor Compensation Company Limited of SFC.  She has served on numerous advisory and statutory bodies. Frila YAMAN Sr VP Exploration and Production, Diversity and Inclusion Regional Manager, Asia - BP China Frila Yaman has worked in China since August 2002.  In addition to her business role in Exploration & Production, she is also responsible for BP’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives  in the Asia Region.  She holds an Engineering Degree from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, and an MS Management from Stanford University, USA.  With over 23 years of experience in the energy industry, she has worked in Indonesia, the United States, and now China.  Her interests are in the promotion and development of National talent and leadership.