ECN SEA Regional Strategic Forecast

Simon Baptist is Editorial Director and Chief Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit. Prior to his current role, he has held a number of other senior management and editorial positions in the business, including Managing Director for Asia, Regional Director of our Asia editorial team, Director of Global Forecasting, and Consulting Director in both Europe and Asia

Simon’s focus is on the global economy, national and international political developments, and public policy. He engages with business, government and international organisations, helping them to understand the operational and strategic implications of the EIU’s forecasts.

He has a doctorate in economics from and was a lecturer at Oxford University, along with degrees in economics and science from the University of Tasmania. His academic research investigated technology and the determinants of productivity in manufacturing firms.

Kimsuka Narasimhan is Vice President and Asia Pacific CFO for Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a $18.5 Billion consumer goods multinational known for its iconic consumer brands Kleenex tissue, Huggies diapers and Kotex feminine napkins. Kimberly-Clark is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. The Asia Pacific region is Kimberly-Clark’s biggest international region with a footprint in over 30 countries including China, Korea, Australia, ASEAN member states and India.

Kim is a 30-year veteran of the consumer goods industry, having served in several leadership positions at Unilever, where she worked for close to twenty years, and at PepsiCo, where she was for over ten years, prior to joining Kimberly-Clark.

In addition to her operational roles, Kim serves as an Independent Director on the Boards of Bharti Airtel, a telecom major, and of Astra Zeneca India.

She is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and actively supports initiatives around it.

Kim is based in Singapore.

A Richemont veteran who joined the group since 2005 responsible for both commercial and marketing aspects, Matthieu was first based in United Kingdom and further expand his career in other regions which includes Middle East, India and the Indian sub-continents.

In 2017, Matthieu assumed the role as the President of Montblanc South East Asia Oceania overseeing all facets for the business.

Matthieu holds a degree from EDC Paris Business School, France and Master of Entrepreneurial Management from ISC Paris, France.

Kathy Park is a business leader with experience in building brands and managing P&L across Asia Pacific in Consumer Healthcare area. She is President of ASEAN and Korea at Essilor with a mission of improving people's vision to improve their lives.

Prior to that, She was with Johnson & Johnson, leading the Asia Pacific unit for ACUVUE contact lens business. Her experience covers B2C and B2B, and she enjoys unlocking growth by turning insights into actionable strategies, and developing talents to build a strong organization.

Justin Baird is the Head of DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center (APIC), where he is responsible for leading a team of innovators to explore emerging logistics-related technologies and showcase the latest innovations that has or will reinvent supply chains.

With over two decades of experience in management and emerging technology, Justin’s expertise ranges from research and development to interactive multimedia installation technologies. He previously held management roles in Imagination Australia, Mosaic and Accenture, and spent five years as an innovationist at Google where he played an instrumental role in launching the first Android devices in Asia Pacific.

Justin is highly motivated to collaborate with colleagues, industry and business partners to transform the future of logistics through sharing knowledge, stimulating dialogues and engaging joint projects. He leads a team of like-minded innovators to germinate ideas, inspire, connect and engage with relevant partners across the region.

30 years of MNC experience and 25 years of Asia Pacific regional business leadership experience. Career spans 4 industries: Pharma (ROCHE), Medical Devices (J&J), Specialty Chemicals (ICI) and Coatings (PPG), leading both organic growth business development initiatives as well as acquisitions.

12 years in PPG. Presently holding 2 roles:
1. General Manager of the Industrial Coatings SBU in Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) comprising 15 countries in the AP region (including ANZ)

2. Managing Director of the PPG businesses in the South East Asia/ASEAN region.
The Industrial Coatings SBU serves a spectrum of end markets ranging from automotive, consumer electronics, cookware, construction, heavy duty industrial equipment and a wide array of general industrial applications.

Holds a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry (Hons), a degree in Marketing and a MBA in General Management.

Janet Pau is the Director of The Economist Corporate Network in Hong Kong. She brings her experience working with top executives throughout Asia, coupled with economic knowledge and industry insight to help organisational leaders and their teams gain a holistic, practical appreciation of the opportunities and challenges in Greater China and across Asia.

Before joining The Economist Corporate Network, Janet was Program Director for the Asia Business Council, developing and delivering content for private forums for an all-CEO membership in Asia for more than a decade. Prior to that, she was Manager at the Global Business Policy Council at consulting firm A.T. Kearney in Washington D.C., where she led consulting projects and intellectual capital publications for senior executive clients in both business and government.

Janet’s publications include Through the Eyes of Tiger Cubs: Views of Asia’s Next Generation (Wiley, 2012) and Building Energy Efficiency (Encyclopaedia of China Publishing House, Chinese edition, 2008). She was an op-ed contributor and columnist for the South China Morning Post from 2011 to 2019. She has also contributed opinion pieces and book chapters, and spoken at various local and regional business conferences.

She serves on the leadership team of Hong Kong-based charity Beyond Foundation, which advocates for children with special needs and their families. She was a member on the Hong Kong Government’s Antiquities Advisory Board, Museum Advisory Board, and Central Policy Unit.

Janet received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies and psychology with honours from Yale University and a Master in Public Policy specializing in economic policy and competitiveness from Harvard University.