Industrial leaders, technology experts and voices shaping transformation

Alex Capri has worked extensively in Asia for two decades, where he was a partner and the regional leader of KPMG's Asia Trade & Customs Practice, based in both Hong Kong and Singapore. Prior to his consulting career, he was a trade specialist in the U.S. Treasury Department, and the U.S. Customs Service. He teaches in the Business School at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and in the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Alex’s writing has appeared in Forbes Asia and Nikkei Asia, and he is quoted frequently in The Economist, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, CNN Business, the South China Morning Post and other mainstream global news establishments. Alex is a regular panellist for the World Economic Forum (WEF). He is a frequent guest on global television and radio networks including Bloomberg, BBC, CNBC, CNN, Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle News and others. Known for his expertise in supply chains, global trade, technology and geopolitics, he is the author of the best-selling book, Techno-Nationalism: How it’s Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics and Society (Wiley). Alex is the Managing Director of CAPA INT’L, a Singapore-based firm that conducts training and research and advises multinational companies and governments on geo-economics and trade. He provides guidance to clients on cross-border projects throughout Asia and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Alex holds an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, in International Political Economy and a B.Sc. in International Relations, from the University of Southern California.

CS Tan graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 1991 with a First Class Honours degree in Applied Physics and was awarded the Faculty Gold Medal. He also holds an MBA from USM. He began his career at National Semiconductor Penang and has since built an illustrious 35-year career across Semiconductor, Hard Disk Storage, and Electronics Manufacturing Services industries. Over the past 20 years, he has served as Vice President and General Manager of major multinational manufacturing operations, including Flextronics, ONSemi, and STMicroelectronics Muar, where he retired in October 2025. He now serves as an industry consultant and advisor, actively promoting Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and responsible business practices in alignment with RBA principles. CS Tan has led key initiatives such as Lean Manufacturing, Total Quality Management, and Industry 4.0 transformation. He is an Adjunct Professor at UTEM, an Honorary Doctor of Engineering recipient, and continues contributing through advisory roles.

Datuk Ts. Mahadhir Aziz is a strategic leader at the forefront of Southeast Asia's digital and infrastructure development, currently serving as the Director of the Patient Capital Division at Johor Corporation and Group Managing Director of Johor Capital Group. With close to 30 years of experience across both private and public sector, his expertise spans IT, strategy consulting and verticals such as financial services, real estate and energy (oil & gas). He is a prominent advocate for digital transformation and social digital inclusion. As the former CEO of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), he drove the launch of the strategic national initiative, Malaysia Digital (MD), to attract new digital investments into Malaysia amounting to around RM170 billion over three years while generating more than RM4 billion of annualised digital services export. He previously co-founded Futurise and developed the National Regulatory Sandbox (NRS) initiative under the Ministry of Finance. Datuk Ts. Mahadhir is presently the Chairman of the Data Centre Industry Association of Malaysia (DCIA), which includes all major digital infrastructure investors and industry players in key areas like the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

Dr Michael Lucas is a Chartered Professional Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia with three decades of leadership in applying process design, robotics and automation to manufacturing and intralogistics optimisation across four continents and a diverse array of industries. Michael is the Founder and CEO of Manufacturing Catalyst, helping Australian manufacturing businesses scale to make the right amount of the right product at the right place and time in the most efficient way possible. Prior to founding Manufacturing Catalyst, Michael headed up the Industrialisation team at maverick solar startup 5B; he lead teams in manufacturing engineering, material flow and supply chain optimisation at Tesla through the roll out of their Gigafactories; at CHEP he led the team responsible for developing the world’s first automated pallet inspection and repair system; and as design manager for Woolworths landmark MSRDC automated distribution centre he contributed to ensuring the right products went from supplier to each store shelf through algorithmic automation. With several patents arising from his work, Michael has been at the forefront of advancing sustainable manufacturing and material flow technologies with robotics, AI, and automation. Michael started Manufacturing Catalyst with one goal: to help people who make things, make things better.

Dr. Jesmond Hong is an accomplished executive known for his operational excellence and strategic leadership. As Chief Operating Officer, Jesmond leads INCIT’s day-to-day operations, driving strategic initiatives to enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation. He plays a key role in executing INCIT’s mission to advance global manufacturing transformation through data-driven tools and frameworks. Prior to joining INCIT, Jesmond served as manager for business development and operations at the Technical University of Munich Asia (TUM Asia) and the Competence Centre for Digitalisation, Technology and Innovation, playing a pivotal role in the development of Industry 4.0 training taxonomy for the purpose of upskilling and reskilling the workforce in Singapore.

Kevin is currently the Head of Strategic Engagement in APAC for GSMA. He has over 23 years of experience in the telecommunications sector working with various mobile operators regionally in APAC, like Maxis, Celcom, Indosat Ooredoo (Indonesia), Robi (Bangladesh) as well as smaller startups like UMobile, P1 and Seatel (Cambodia). Kevin has held various senior positions with the last being the Chief Operations Officer of Tune Talk. He has both commercial and technical experience in the various roles he has held during his tenure.

Jacob Lee Chor Kok is a veteran leader in Malaysia’s manufacturing and HVAC industries, with over three decades of experience spanning heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, architectural sunshades, and industrial product innovation. As the Founder of ASLI Mechanical Sdn Bhd, he built one of Malaysia’s leading manufacturers of HVAC components, supplying major developments nationwide and expanding into regional markets through ASLI Pte Ltd, Tiger IoT Pte Ltd, Aslimy Sdn Bhd, and Vertex Control Sdn Bhd. His technical expertise and industry insight also earned him an academic appointment as Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), where he contributes to strengthening industry–academia collaboration. Jacob has been a central figure in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) for more than a decade. Beginning as Vice President in 2014, he rose to Deputy President in May 2025 and was elected President on December 5, 2025, representing over 13,000 manufacturers nationwide. He has played a key role in shaping national industrial policies, advancing Malaysia’s digitalisation and Industry 4.0 agenda, and strengthening the competitiveness of the manufacturing ecosystem. His leadership extends across various FMM committees, the Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Branch, and national councils, including the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, the Malaysia Standards and Accreditation Council, NCCIM, and the Malaysia–China Business Council. Beyond his corporate and policy contributions, Jacob is deeply involved in humanitarian and philanthropic work. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of World Vision Malaysia and Founder of Methodist Crisis Relief & Development (MCRD), he has led disaster relief and poverty alleviation missions across Malaysia and Asia, including in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Pakistan. His long-standing commitment to public service, industry development, and community upliftment continues to define his leadership and impact across sectors.

Tindaro Danze is the President and CEO of Siemens Malaysia. He is concurrently the Head of Digital Industries (DI) in Malaysia. Prior to these appointments in January 2023, Tindaro was the Head of Global Sales for DI’s Digital Enterprise and Vertical Management, where he managed the company’s regional industrial digitalization units, enabled global digitalization projects, and managed Siemens’ industrial teams in 15 key industries. His first assignment in Southeast Asia was with Siemens Indonesia from 2012 - 2016, where he was the Managing Director of the Medium and Low Voltage Drives Business. Under his leadership, Siemens became a leader in the Minerals and Fiber industry. From 2016 to 2020, he served as Head of Digital Industries at Siemens Vietnam, where he successfully positioned Siemens as a thought leader in Industry 4.0 within the Vietnamese market.