Cailin Birch is the Global Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit. She is a frequent guest in national and international media, providing critical insight into global political and economic trends. She is also an experienced speaker and moderator at high-level events, who can deliver thoughtful insights and draw impactful conclusions from complex discussions.

Cailin leads The EIU’s economic and political forecasts for the United States, including in-depth analysis of the health of the US economy, market-moving political and election trends, and how the US and other developed economies affect emerging markets. She is also responsible for The EIU’s five-year oil market outlook, leveraging real-time data to forecast how oil supplies, global demand and geopolitical risk factors will influence oil prices.

Cailin joined The EIU in 2015, and has previously served as a regional expert for the Middle East and Africa and for global commodities. She has a BA in international studies from Georgetown University and a Masters in international security from Sciences-Po Paris.

David leads PwC’s Growth Markets Practice, a global team supporting companies with market expansion and manufacturing footprint realignment.

He has over 20 years of global experience in Strategy Consulting, Sales and Marketing in the UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India and Singapore.

Dr Maren Schweizer is a technology-industry leader with a wide range of experience, having played key roles in spearheading reorganization processes, leading strategic turnarounds, and building new ventures.

Although born in Germany, Dr Schweizer consider herself a member of the broader global community, having lived and worked outside Germany for more than ten years.

In her current role, she has been chartered to lead an organization that is building a portfolio of digital businesses in South East Asia with a focus on everyday everything digital ecosystems. in AdTech, HealthTech, FinTech, and Mobility.

Before, she led an automotive electronics company as CEO while building strategic partnerships and business with blue-chip companies in Germany and Southeast Asia, such as Infineon Technologies, and have served as a board member of JASDAQ listed Meiko Electronics in Japan.

Maren Schweizer serves on the advisory board of HDI Global SE, a leading insurer for industrial and commercial clients in 150 countries.

Sami leads Avaya’s business in the APJ region. As a cloud-based real-time communications provider, Avaya connects customers and organizations using customer experience solutions and collaboration tools, built on a foundation of cloud, AI, and digital transformation. These technologies intersect with pandemic to create an opportunity and challenge that Sami navigates, and his role is focused on customer adoption and success when using Avaya solutions, and ensuring growth and success internally.

Sami has had a long tenure in technology, with experience in markets in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In addition to sales leadership, he brings experience in technology trends, business strategy, and team building. Earlier in his career, he was also involved in several transformation projects in telecom providers, financial services organizations, and retail customers. Sami’s background allows him to hold enriching C-level conversations.

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.