Sheyantha was appointed as Group Chief Executive Officer of Boost, the fintech holding company of Axiata in March 2021. Sheyantha first joined Axiata in 2013 and overlooking, Finance & Strategy for Dialog Digital Services. Subsequently, he assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of WOW.Ik, the ecommerce subsidiary of Dialog Axiata PLC leading the company to market leadership status in the country.

He was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of Axiata Digital Services in 2017. In addition to his CFO responsibilities, he has played a pivotal role in overseeing the expansion of the Digital Financial Services in ADS, spearheading the growth of micro-financing and micro insurance business in Malaysia and Indonesia and the venture into Digital Banking.

Prior to Axiata, Sheyantha spent over 13 years in the financial services industry in investment banking, financial advisory and portfolio management. He also holds an M.B.A from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and is a Chartered Management Accountant and a CFA Charter holder.

Sheyantha is currently a Board member of a number of Digital portfolio Companies under the Axiata Group.

Dr Nafis Alam is a Professor and Head of the School of Business, Monash University Malaysia. Nafis has been working in higher education for more than 20 years. Apart from Monash, he has worked at the Henley Business School Malaysia, at the University of Reading Malaysia, Nottingham University Business School at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and, most recently, at Asia Pacific University where he was the Head of the School of Accounting and Finance. He is also a research affiliate of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He has also held visiting positions at universities in the UK and Indonesia.

Nafis is a well-regarded scholar and commentator on FinTech, alternative finance and financial regulation. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed in leading journals including The World Economy, Emerging Markets Review, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Journal of Asset Management, Journal of Banking Regulation, RIBAF and Journal of Financial Services Marketing among others. He has also co-authored nine books and numerous book chapters on Fintech and Islamic Finance and contributed to a number of global reports. As a frequent traveller, he has given lectures on finance and Islamic finance throughout the world, including at Harvard Law School, University of Cambridge, Durham University, Seoul International Finance Conference, and the World Islamic Economic Forum.

He has an active profile in news media. He is an avid writer and contributes regularly to mainstream newspapers, economic forums, and professional outlets. He was featured as a Professor of the Month by the Financial Times in 2014 and received an award for Upcoming Personality in Islamic Finance in 2016 presented by the Global Islamic Finance Awards and hosted by the Indonesian government. Nafis works very closely with the financial services industry in Southeast Asia. He is among the world top 100 influencers in FinTech and top 5 amongst Regtech influencers.

Nafis is a passionate educator and brings about the combination of cognitive and practical aspects of learning in his classroom which help students to develop deep learning of the concepts. Nafis has been instrumental in developing market-driven programmes in his previous roles. Nafis is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), UK and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) from the University of Nottingham. His contribution to education has been recognized by the multiple awards and commendations granted by the Universities he worked at. He received a Vice-Chancellor Medal and Knowledge Exchange and Impact Award at the University of Nottingham. He also received a Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching and Research Excellence in 2008-10 at Monash University.

Nafis holds a PhD in Banking and Finance from Monash, an MBA from Multimedia University and a bachelor degree in Economics from Patna University.

William Thomas is the Director of the Economist Corporate Network in South-east Asia. An experienced advisor to senior business and government leaders, he helps organisations understand the strategic, operational, and talent implications of geopolitical changes.

William holds a PhD in public policy from George Mason University in the US, as well as a degree in economics from the University of Virginia and an MBA. His academic research has centered on managing change in large, multinational organisations, with an emphasis on organisational culture.

William is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, having spent much of his 21-year career as a strategic planner for complex operations such as humanitarian assistance and counterterrorism. He was Associate Professor of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy, and later taught at Georgetown University in Washington DC and as a Fulbright Scholar at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Having worked in Asia since 2012, William has focused on leadership development and organisational change as a consultant, leadership coach, and training facilitator.