TRANSFORM 2021
Wednesday, 8 December 2021
| 10:30am – 12:00pm |
Opening Remarks YAM Pengiran Muda Dr. Abdul Fattaah Chairman, Baiduri Bank Followed by an Open Forum Discussion on Led by:
Moderated by Dato Timothy Ong, Chairman, Asia Inc Forum |
Watch the video here
TRANSFORM 2021 is a program for Brunei business owners, entrepreneurs and managers developed by Asia Inc Forum in partnership with Baiduri Bank.
What the Business Clinic is about:
A Forum for business owners, entrepreneurs and managers to exchange ideas on surviving, managing and prospering during the New Normal. Format will be interactive with opportunity for Q&A.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON PREPARING FOR RE-OPENING
11th November 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
We are approaching the time when we need to prepare for re-opening of business. The process will be phased, with new rules and standards put in place for operating in a post-pandemic world.
What actions can businesses take to effectively prepare for re-opening? How can changes in customer preferences and re-opening concerns be addressed? Should entrepreneurs eventually anticipate a return to the pre-pandemic way of running businesses?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Mirshal Lourdusamy is the Founder of Brew 9, located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Brew 9 opened in January 2020 and specialises in cold brews with coffee and non-coffee flavours. Mirshal started the business with the simple aspiration to connect with more people in the community through coffee as a medium for people to gather and bond in a casual and comfortable space. Since opening, Brew 9 sold over 30,000 bottles of cold brew and was recognized for the “Best Bottled Coffee in Klang Valley” by Tatler Asia.
Lily Chiam is a Brunei based composer, educator and entrepreneur who brings passion, energy and excitement to all her projects. An accomplished pianist, Lily has composed four albums and is the author of the highly effective EM Genius & Fun Fast-Track Toddlers Development programs available now in the USA, Philippines, China and Brunei. She is a representative of the South East Asia Directors of Music (SEADOM), a music consultant to many music institutions. Lily is the Founder and Director of Expression Music Academy in Brunei and the Philippines.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW MY BUSINESS SURVIVED COVID
4th November 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
In this webinar, we continue sharing real-life entrepreneurial lessons from the trenches. Since the start of the pandemic, businesses have had to confront uncertainty, innovate and pivot to survive. The way businesses have responded to these difficulties provide powerful insights about grit, hope and survival.
What are the biggest lessons from the pandemic for small businesses? How did the founders meet the challenges arising from public health directives, well-being of its people and profitability?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Nicky Wong is a Dream Creator of “Vision fast forward”. A Brunei-born serial entrepreneur, he holds an Engineering Diploma from the UK and a Computer Science Degree from Vancouver. He was featured in the Top 10 Brunei entrepreneurs publication and is a recipient of the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards APEA 2012 and 2014. He has grown a significant portfolio of F&B brands including Gong Cha and Bake Culture and gives back to society by actively mentoring new startups and interns. His latest venture, CO3 Social Office, is a new generation co-working space in Kuala Lumpur.
Pg Hartini Pg Hj Tahir is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with 20 years of experience. In 2016, Pg Hartini left her psychologist job at the Ministry of Health Brunei to pursue her passion of helping children and individuals with autism and set up Little Bosses IQdemy in 2017 which specializes in psychological assessment and intervention for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as coaching and training services for parents. In July 2021 amidst the pandemic she launched her second company, B BOLD Co providing psychology services and training for individuals who want to be bold and daring, and the best version of themselves.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW MY BUSINESS SURVIVED COVID
Thursday, 28th October 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
The pandemic has been harsh for small businesses. Many have had to shut down – some permanently – as a result of drastic changes caused by movement restrictions. However, those who made it through the darkest days have powerful lessons on adaptation and resilience to share as the world begins the journey to re-opening.
What are the biggest lessons from the pandemic for small businesses? What key changes have become permanently part of day-to-day business? How can we prepare for re-opening?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Randy Borromeo is the Founder of Nerd House, a co-working space in Quezon City, Philippines established in 2019. He is an event architect and founder and President of Highwire Multimedia, an event services and production company, and founder of Feast Media Inc, a new media creator. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, he is also Executive Director of Shepherd’s Voice Radio and TV Foundation and President of Shepherd’s Voice Publishing Inc.
Mari Gonzalez is the Co-Founder of Ricardo’s Catering and Managing Director of Melito’s Agua Frescas. She began her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 just a few years after moving to Brunei from the United States. Since then, she and her husband, Chef Hakeem Rahim, have opened 5 restaurants in Brunei, catered for diplomats and have given talks about business and their experience in the food and beverage industry to aspiring entrepreneurs as well as young students. Her main goals are to build businesses that revolve around community and help future generations lead their lives by tapping into their true potential.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO RUN VIRTUAL MEETINGS EFFECTIVELY
Thursday, 21st October 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
Since the start of the pandemic, virtual meetings have become part of the norm. Yet for many of us, virtual meetings are not easy as “normal” rules are complicated by the lack of “physical” presence. How do we conduct effective virtual meetings? How do we deal with the lack of a face-to-face interaction? What are best practices we can learn from?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Sunita Martin is the Managing Director of Findlay Brunei, a leading education consultancy established 2014. Having worked for several years as an International Student Adviser for universities in the UK, she is very familiar with the world of overseas education including visa applications and international student support from pre-arrival all the way through to graduation. Being a representative for universities and colleges in the UK is a natural extension of her experience, providing advice and guidance to students leaving the comfort and familiarity of their homes to help them adjust to their new lives overseas.
Delwin Keasberry is a keynote speaker and professional trainer based in Melbourne, Australia. He offers five programs: Ideas and Innovation, Strategic Planning, Cross-Cultural Training, Communication and Social Media Influence. His focus is helping people and organizations foster positive, inclusive and innovative workplace cultures. He was identified as an Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leader in 2014, and is known by his online moniker, @heydelwin.
About Our Guest Moderator:
Yvonne Kuan is the Managing Owner of Cedar Management Services, a locally owned financial and insurance service provider. She was Special Advisor to the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Brunei (YEAB) and was YEAB President in 2010-2011. She was the Chair of the Brunei British Business Forum (BBBF) until March 2021.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO GROW YOUR NETWORK
Thursday, 14th October 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
Many successful entrepreneurs and professionals attribute their success in part to their network. Effective networking can open up opportunities and pay back tremendously in many ways over time. What are the principles of effective networking? How can we build relationships effectively in the virtual world? What are the do’s and don’ts?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Sheikh Rashid Salam is the Director and Co-Founder of Jubilee Consulting Services Sdn Bhd, a locally registered company that provides Engineering, System Integration and Maintenance solutions for various industries predominantly through targeted affiliation and partnership with industry experts across the globe. His 20+ years of experience both in the public and the private sectors, coupled with the knowledge and capacity to navigate the local environment have enabled the company to offer partnership arrangements with foreign companies and investors wishing to establish a presence or do business in Brunei. He is no stranger to networking with professionals and entrepreneurs at all levels and is a Board member of several companies in the country.
Sylvia Saw McKaige is the Founder of Salween Group, a media communications and marketing company that specialises in working with Asian companies to build their brand through creating smart content. She is also the co-founder of weekly English language magazine Frontier Myanmar, and the Group Communications Consultant for Yoma Strategic Holdings. Sylvia’s expertise is rooted in over 25 years’ experience in the media and communications industry. Prior to setting up the Salween Group, she worked with CNBC Asia, BBC World, and the Bangkok Post, and managed media relations for Fitch Ratings in the Asia-Pacific region.
About Our Guest Moderator:
Fadli M Zaini is the Executive Officer at the International Relations and Cooperation division at Darussalam Enterprise (DARe), a statutory body that looks at the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Brunei Darussalam. Beyond his work commitments, he is a young professional who is actively engaged with youth and the community in developing better problem solvers beyond dialogue by taking meaningful action.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE
Thursday, 7th October 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
In business and in life, an important ingredient to perseverance and resilience is knowing our purpose. Understanding why we do what we do is even more crucial as we face the challenges arising from the pandemic. How do we find purpose? What can we do to instill a sense of purpose in the organizations we lead?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Mohamad Hasbolah Bobby is the Co-Founder and the Lead Coach of Effortless Swim and an active member of The Beach Bunch. As a swim coach, Bobby deploys his skills and experience in developing swimmers. His students find him approachable, knowledgeable and motivational and appreciate his patience, dedication and encouragement. In addition to his role as a swim coach and trainer, Bobby is an endurance athlete. He is an Ironman, a marathon open water swimmer, and a triathlete. He has participated in more than 20 triathlons since 2012 and completed a 10km Brunei Marathon Swim clocking in at 2 hrs and 48 mins. He describes himself as someone who started as a student of science, became disillusioned as a maths and science teacher, and landed in business and entrepreneurship while enjoying endurance sports.
Didi Malai Abdullah was a single mother to two children with autism and a sister to a younger brother with autism. She has spent most of her life living with autism and has now dedicated her life’s work towards being an active youth advocate for persons with disabilities. Didi is currently the CEO and Vice President of SMARTER Brunei. She is trained in Rights and Legislation Protection and is active in promoting training and employment opportunities for individuals with autism. Most recently, SMARTER launched a social enterprise dedicated to tackling unemployment for individuals with autism.
About Our Moderator:
Andrew Dy is General Manager of Regional Programs at Asia Inc Forum (AIF), based in Brunei. He has extensive experience in convening some of the most influential business conferences in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. In his current role, he collaborates with global and regional corporations to help them achieve their branding and outreach goals through AIF’s event platforms virtually as well as in-person.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO REMAIN PRODUCTIVE WHILE WORKING FROM HOME
Thursday, 30th September 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
Working from home is becoming part of the new normal. If you are not used to working from home, this transition to your personal space may impact your productivity. How can we remain productive while working from home? What are helpful tips to know?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Pg Khairi Pg Metussin is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Mindtrex Academy and Mindplus Education, Brunei, a company that develops digital tools and platforms to help learners learn better and retain information effectively. His mission is to provide equal access to high-quality and affordable educational material through Mindtrex digital platform. As the biggest tech-enabler in this industry, he wants to break the status quo and show the importance of big data, personalized outcome analysis, and mobile-based learning as the future of modern education across all market segments in Brunei and the region.
Lizzy D. Velasco is an Executive & Developmental Coach with BetterManager and a Change Management Consultant with Delaware North America working from anywhere she desires. In addition, she is the CEO and founder of LizzyDV & Co. Prior to her recently reinvented self, Lizzy spent 25 years with a global strategy, technology, consulting and operations organization, Accenture, where she started as an analyst out of university to achieving one of her ambitions to be a Managing Director and a Leader making an impact on 10,000+ lives globally. Lizzy’s personal mission is to be the GPS for young men and women in their journey towards their best authentic selves and to (re) discover and embrace the Perfectly Imperfect “I Am”.
About Our Guest Moderator:
Reuben Chin is a Startup Development Manager in Darussalam Enterprise (DARe) where he helps early-stage entrepreneurs grow their business ideas into profitable and investable ventures. Outside of his career, Reuben has had the opportunity to lead over 3,000 members across Brunei, East Malaysia and Indonesia as District Director for Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a network of clubs.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO STAY CALM AND THINK POSITIVELY DURING COVID-19
Thursday, 9th September 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
For many of us, this is an anxious time. The pandemic seems unending, the future is uncertain, business is disrupted. Anxiety has become the new normal.
How do we cope with uncertainty and the constant stream of bad news? How do we deal with anxiety, stay calm and think positively in these turbulent times? How do we turn crisis into opportunity?
Join our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Todd McPherson is Counselling Psychologist & Managing Director, Clarity Brunei. He has a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. In 2012, he established Clarity Sdn Bhd in Brunei to offer a range of psychotherapy/counselling and assessments for clients struggling with anxiety, depression, self-harm, relationship difficulties and other issues. He also facilitates workshops for organisations on Team Development, Effective Communication, Customer Service and Conflict Management.
Dato’ ‘Aliyah Karen is a qualified trainer who specializes in Essential and Life Skills, Branding & Publicity, and SWOT Analysis. She holds an MBA in Human Resources Management. During the pandemic year of 2020, she co-founded the Health on World Foundation (YHOW) of which she is Chair. In 2019, she was awarded the Woman’s Icon Malaysia (Berg Singapore), Inspiring Woman of Malaysia (Malaysian Business and World leader businessperson (Biz Awards) and in 2020 she was named the Global Goodwill Ambassador for Malaysia (GGA Foundation) and Malaysia’s Woman Leader (CMO Asia & World Woman Leadership Congress).
ASK ME ANYTHING ON ONLINE SELLING IN A PANDEMIC
Thursday, 2nd September 2021 at 11:00am via Zoom Webinar
Learn more by joining our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Hadi Wahab is the Co-Founder and CEO of GoMamam, Brunei, an online food delivery company based in Brunei. His desire to launch an online food delivery company started when he saw a gap in the market and realized that the demand for online food ordering and delivery service in Brunei was rapidly increasing, Hadi began to approach local restaurants to pitch his idea in 2019 and launched GoMamam in February 2020.
Julian Tanoto is the Founder and CEO of Cloth Inc, Indonesia. She started her entrepreneurship journey making a profit in her bedroom with her laptop dropshipping t-shirt when she was still in high school. Julian has been recognized as the ‘Most Talented Entrepreneur’ by Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry through its Creative Business Incubator Program in 2018. She is also a recipient of Australia’s Awards Start-Up Ecosystem scholarship.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO MANAGE GROWTH IN CHALLENGING TIMES
Thursday, 26th August 2021 at 11:00am GMT+8 via Zoom Webinar
Achieving sustainable growth is a fundamental goal for all businesses. How do we manage growth in challenging times? Do we need to rethink how we operate? What important things should we bear in mind?
Learn more by joining our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Sean Yapp is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the Archipelago Group, an established logistics business group in Brunei. His role includes overseeing the daily operations of the Group and he is a part of the executive team responsible for the implementation of the Group’s business planning and continuity. Sean began his career in Australia before returning to Brunei to join Archipelago Group.
Vanessa Hutchinson is a Startup Advisor and the Founder of Fodbods. She started her career as a corporate lawyer before moving to a finance role at Goldman Sachs. She then spent two years in venture capital before joining a global tech startup as their Head of Operations. In 2019, Vanessa launched Fodbods – a food manufacturing company focusing on healthy, gut-friendly snacks. Whilst running her business, she sits on the advisory board of a number of software companies.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON DOING BUSINESS IN TIMES OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY
Thursday, 19th August 2021 at 11:00am GMT+8 via Zoom Webinar
Our biggest challenge today is dealing with uncertainty. We are facing unprecedented uncertainty from the pandemic, technological disruption and economic volatility. How do we manage the present and plan for the future? How do we make decisions when so much is uncertain? How do we develop business continuity plans?
Learn more by joining our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Douglas Dean is the Head of Consulting at OSR Consulting, Malaysia. He is a business development, strategy and organizational development specialist with over 25 years’ experience in the industry. In this capacity, he is coaching leaders and is assisting organizations to undergo cultural alignments and implement change management in order to improve competitiveness within increasingly complex markets.
Hazizah Osman is the General Manager of Brunei Press, a Brunei media company and publisher of the English daily, The Borneo Bulletin. She started her career in media and communications at a publishing house in Singapore where she was a writer then editor. In the course of her 28-year career, Hazizah has managed communications, public relations, and leadership roles.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON WORK SKILLS FOR FUTURE SUCCESS
Thursday, 12th August 2021 at 11:00am GMT+8 via Zoom Webinar
Our world is being rapidly reshaped by technology, innovation and the digital economy. How will these trends change the work force of the future and the skills required? How will business and job opportunities be impacted? What do these trends mean for entrepreneurs, the workforce and students of today?
Learn more by joining our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
Dr. Chito Salazar is the President and CEO of PHINMA Education Holdings, Philippines, a fast-growing network of tertiary institutions in ASEAN that serves students in the low- and mid-income markets. PHINMA Education owns and manages nine colleges in the Philippines guided by its mission of making lives better through education. Concurrently, he is Chief Operations Officer of PHINMA a leading Philippines conglomerate; and President and Co-Founder of Philippine Business for Education, a non-profit organization founded by the country’s top business leaders that works for education policy reform.
Dr. Diana Cheong is the Chief Researcher at the Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS) and heads research and other core activities at CSPS. She specialises in Sociology, Public Policy and Economic Development. As a leading Policy Researcher and Consultant in Brunei, she has led several projects on Brunei including a number of studies on Brunei Futures and Strategic Foresight, Unemployment & Job Futures Studies, Social Problems Among Young People, Financial Literacy and National Strategy and the Formulation of the Brunei National Youth Policy and Strategy 2020-2035.
ASK ME ANYTHING ON HOW TO ACHIEVE CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Thursday, 5th August 2021 at 11:00am GMT+8 via Zoom Webinar
Customer loyalty drives repeat purchases and motivates existing customers to keep choosing their preferred business over a competitor. As such, it is an emotional and trusting relationship, and a product of a customer’s positive experience.
How do we create a memorable customer experience? How do we keep them loyal? What are the best practices and mistakes to avoid?
Learn more by joining our conversation with:
About Our Guest Panellists:
A. Santhakumaran ACXS is an Accredited Customer Experience Transformation Specialist, thought leader, keynote speaker and leader for customer experience training and consulting events in South East Asia. He loves to speak, write and broadcast his deep belief in the value of a positive CX Culture and the magic it can make for and organization.
Christina Goh, a Brunei entrepreneur, is the Founder and Owner of Ximply Chriz Café & Top Nosh Café, well known for their cakes, high-quality meals and friendly staff. From humble beginnings as a simple home bakery in Brunei, Chris’ cafes offer pleasant and casual dining experiences in their outlets. Before opening her first cafe, Chris was in her family business for 29 years. In 2013, she decided to follow her passion and make a bold career change. With totally no experience in F&B, Chris set out to start her own café to serve wholesome and hearty food to the local community in a quiet, cozy atmosphere and warm hospitality.
