Future of Hospitality Seminar

Ailynn Seah

CEO - The Lumiere Consultancy

Ailynn, an accomplished professional boasts a remarkable 20-year leadership journey in the hospitality & meetings industry across diverse global landscapes. She has a successful track record in hospitality leadership role within 5-star hotels and convention centres, managing several geographical and multi-cultural environments.

With an unwavering commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR), she has been a driving force behind the implementation of green innovation and practices. Her efforts have earned prestigious accreditations for the hotels she has worked with, including GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) Hotel Certification, Green Globe, ISO 20121—the leading Sustainable Events Management System and the Sustainable Event Standards Platinum by Events Industry Council. She is also a trained GSTC auditor.

A trailblazer in the field, Ailynn holds a Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism from GSTC and is an Advanced Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner by the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence. She is also among the first in Southeast Asia to attain the Sustainable Event Professional Certification (SEPC). She is actively engaged with organisations like the United Nations Global Compact Singapore, GSTC, and the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence.

In her role as a Commercial Advisory Board member at HSMAI (Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International), she passionately spearheads and moderates’ discussions centred around sustainability, harnessing her exceptional commercial acumen to weave compelling narratives through strategic storytelling to enhance brand values, cultivates customer loyalty while simultaneously contributing to talent attraction and retention.

In her quest to give back to the industry, Ailynn frequently serves as a moderator, panellist, speaker, and guest lecturer at both local and international events and universities. She shares her expertise on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topics. In 2023, Ailynn is a judge for the prestigious Prism Award in the Sustainability and Impact category, organised by the International Institute of Public Relations. Additionally, she actively mentor startups and judges pitch events.

Currently, Ailynn serves as the CEO & principal consultant for The Lumiere Consultancy, a boutique Hospitality Sustainability Consulting firm dedicated to leading the hospitality & travel industry in its green transition towards sustainability certification, as well as fostering responsible and eco-tourism initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint, and enhance their social and environmental impact.

Ben Gregoire

Principal, LEVELS Studio

Blake Walker

Senior Director Food & Beverage Operations, Hilton SE Asia

Blake Walker is a passionate leader in the hospitality industry, bringing years of hands-on experience in food & beverage operations, especially within luxury and lifestyle sectors. Known for crafting innovative dining concepts, Blake has a knack for balancing creativity with operational efficiency. Whether launching new restaurants or improving existing spaces, his goal is always to enhance the guest experience. With a career spanning multiple regions, Blake is driven by a love for food, travel, and creating memorable moments for guests.

Christina Toh

President - Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)

Began her sales career in the hospitality industry with the Holiday Inn Penang before moving on to the then Regent Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Datin Christina Toh has been in the hospitality industry for the past 30 years. Known as a strategic leader with a crisp management and dynamic leadership style, Datin Christina who is highly regarded in the hospitality world, joined Dorsett Kuala Lumpur in September 2001 as the General Manager and was promoted to be the Area General Manager in 2017 based at Dorsett Grand Subang.

Datin Christina strives to foster meaningful relationships with everyone that she comes in contact within the course of her work which can be extremely demanding. She has been actively serving on the Board of Malaysian Association of Hotels since 2002 starting at Chapter level to the National Board holding various positions. In May 2022, Datin Christina was inaugurated as MAH newly elected President given firm support from the Board. She also made history as MAH first ever lady President of the association marking a new chapter for MAH leadership.

Datin Christina has always been committed and contributed much to the association and also the hotel and tourism industry. A very passionate hotelier, Datin Christina is a member of Board of Directors in Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia), a federal statutory body under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). In her various capacities, Datin has also served as the official representative of Malaysia in tourism associations at ASEAN level. Currently Datin Christina is on the Board of ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) as Treasurer, and has been elected as 2nd Vice President of ASEAN Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHRA) for the term 2023-2025.

Apart from various awards under her belt; Datin Christina possessed the Certified Hospitality Administrator (CHA) designation, issued by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), which is a highly respected professional credential that validates one’s advanced knowledge in the hospitality industry and holds an MBA in Hospitality Management.

Christopher Leow

Founder - The Freestyle Farmer

Christopher Leow has spent the last decade transforming underutilised urban areas in cities such as rooftops schools, malls, hospitals and homes into inspiring and productive urban farms and reconnects city dwellers to food through educational programmes. He is also the host of Growing Wild 1, and 2, a documentary on sustainable food systems on Channel News Asia, author of the memoir, 'The Freestyle Farmer', and lecturer at Republic Polytechnic's Urban Agricultural Technology Diploma. He brings his past experiences in different aspects of the food system, including F&B in HORECA, food supply chain, and alternative protein to his advocacy efforts.

Dawn Teo

2nd Vice-President, Singapore Hotel Association (SHA)

Dawn Teo is the Chief Operating Officer of Amara Holdings Limited, and the Senior Vice President of Amara Hotels and Resorts. Amara Holdings is a Singapore-based integrated lifestyle group with businesses in Hotel Investment and Management, Property Investment and Development, and Specialty Restaurants. Amara is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Dawn is the Co-Founder and Director of Objectifs - Centre for Photography and Filmmaking, a visual arts space in Singapore that focuses on film and photography and their value to society. Prior to joining Amara, Dawn held senior positions in several multinational banks, and has spent over a decade with UBS AG and Credit Suisse AG. She is a graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Dawn is the Second Vice President of the Singapore Hotel Association. She is a Council Member of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council, a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower that is supported by Tripartite Alliance Limited, and the Chairperson of the WSH Council (Hospitality and Entertainment Industries Committee). She serves on the board of SHATEC Institutes, a hospitality and tourism school in Singapore, the School Advisory Council for Republic Polytechnic School of Hospitality, and the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence (ACCORD).

Debbie Yong

Founder, Signals Asia

Debbie Yong is an insights and communications strategist and former journalist with more than 15 years of experience leading content and marketing campaigns for major global publishers and luxury brands. Born in Singapore and educated globally with a Bachelors from the University of Pennsylvania and a double Masters from the London School of Economics and Fudan University, Debbie enjoys drawing from her cross-cultural experiences to help Asian SMEs achieve global visibility, as well as leading localisation efforts for regional teams in highly matrixed MNCs. She was most recently the Asia and the Middle East editorial director for the Michelin Guide, and is regularly featured on industry panels and in the media, including two Netflix documentaries.

Eric Neo

Director of Culinary - Capella Singapore

Chef Eric Neo oversees the culinary operations of Capella Singapore, the 30-acre heritage property, situated in the heart of Sentosa island.

Chef Eric is no stranger to the hospitality and F&B industry. He has worked across various luxury properties, including Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore (now known as Park royal Collection Marina Bay), Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, InterContinental Singapore and most recently Capella Singapore, as their Executive Chef.

Among his extensive list of awards and accolades, Chef Eric currently resides as President of Singapore Chefs' Association and the Chairperson of the Asian Culinary Institute Panel of Chefs.

The celebrated chef is also a household name in Singapore’s sizzling culinary scene. Over the years, Chef Eric has amassed a humble following, having frequently starred on various television programmes in his capacity as a guest judge and celebrity chef. Guests would recognise him from his appearance as a guest chef on local televised broadcast programmes such as Channel 8’s King Of Culinary.

Eugene Yap

Chairman & President - Hotel & Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP)

Mission driven hotelier for more than 2 decades with his expertise and dedication that has break down the barriers and acted as an agent of change of the Hospitality Industry defines the current President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Mr Eugene T. Yap . Known to be an emphatic communicator & a passionate advocate for the Industry- he has been known to deliver meaningful and relevant collaborations from different sectors with the Hospitality sector.

A graduate of General Managers programme of Cornell University and also holding a Bachelor Degree in Commerce, Business Administration from UST and a Bachelors Degree from School of Law from Manuel L. Quezon University.

Mr Yap has been the past president of ASEAN Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHRA) for a 2-yr term and currently serving as the honourary Treasurer. Mr Yap is also the Deputy President of ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA).

Mr Yap is a lifetime member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, member of the Corner Hotel Society, General Manager of Bayview Park Hotel.

Govinda Singh

Executive Director - Colliers

Govinda has extensive experience in real estate consulting and valuation, which includes 17 years of specialist experience in the urban regeneration, mixed-use, concept place-making, gaming, tourism, and hospitality and leisure sectors in particular. He is also one of Colliers’ dedicated specialist portfolio advisors and valuers in the region, and globally. His clients include operators, developers, sovereign wealth funds, private equity, REITS, banks, high net worth individuals, governments and institutional investors.

Hariyadi Sukamdani

Chairman - Indonesia Hotel Association

Mr Hariyadi Sukamdani has led several organisations and companies.

Presently he is Chairman of Gabungan Industri Pariwisata Indonesia (Confederation of Indonesia Tourism Association), Chairman of Perhimpunan Hotel & Restoran Indonesia (Indonesia Hotel & Restaurant Indonesia), Vice Chairman of APINDO (Indonesia Employer Association) Advisory Board, Member of KADIN (Indonesia Chamber of Commerce) Advisory Board.

He is currently in charge as the President Director of PT Hotel Sahid Jaya International Tbk, President Commissioner of PT Maharaksa Biru Energy Tbk and Vice President of Sahid Group.

His educational background is a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Sebelas Maret University, a master's degree in accounting management at University of Indonesia, and PhD in strategic management at University of Indonesia.

James Robertson

Managing Director, VUCA VUCA Design

Johnny Gao

Assistant Vice President, Sustainability, The Ascott Limited

Johnny is Assistant Vice President, Sustainability, at The Ascott Limited, a wholly owned business unit of CapitaLand Investment Limited. Headquartered in Singapore, Ascott is a hospitality company with more than 950 properties globally, extending across more than 230 cities in over 40 countries. An architect by training, Johnny held stints in Strategic Planning and Innovation prior to his current role assisting Ascott’s Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer in driving the group’s day to day sustainability functions. He helped set up the Corporate Sustainability team and launched Ascott’s first sustainability program, Ascott CARES, in 2022. Ascott has also since achieved GSTC-Committed status. The role sees him working closely with Ascott’s country and corporate function leaders to derive practical solutions and drive positive outcomes.

Kelvin Ng

Managing Partner - Green Bridge Partners

Kelvin is a business professional with over 25 year’s experience working in multinational blue-chip companies and world-renowned think tanks. Kelvin has experience in key strategic management positions and has held various senior management roles in Green Monday, SATS (Singapore Airlines Terminal Services), Yum! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell), DHL and Hewlett Packard.

Kelvin is currently the Managing Partner at Green Bridge Partners and is a consultant to the Barila Group. He also serves as the Strategic Venture Partner at Optimal Investments. He is the business Partner at The Live Green Company and serves on the Asia Advisory Board of the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council). Kelvin is a Senior Sustainability Advisor to The Purpose Business and is a Consultant at Focus Insights Asia Pacific. He also serves as an F&B expert on Gourmet Pro’s panel of international advisers.

Kezia Natama

Sustainability Senior Analyst - Greenview

Kezia Natama is a Senior Analyst at Greenview in which she provides advisory consultation to clients on sustainability strategy, programmes and reporting. She primarily serves hotel chains, hospitality REITs and other stakeholders in the hospitality industry.

Kezia has extensive experience in guiding hotels through their carbon accounting journey, from understanding their emission-generating activities, to gathering and analysing data, and developing a roadmap to net zero. She is an expert in processing, manipulating, and interpreting large data sets to identify trends and patterns, shaping clients’ sustainability strategy and driving transformation across their operations.

Kim Ong

Regional Director SEA - STR

Kim is a digital marketing professional with over 20 years’ experience within the hospitality industry, whose work focuses on assisting hotel chains grow their revenue through their website development, traffic and revenue generation, channel distribution and reputation management combined with market intelligence and analytics. Some of the brands in Kim’s portfolio include the Shangri-La, Frasers Hospitality, Ascott and Taj. Kim holds a Master of Science degree in Marketing as well as a Certificate in Hotel Industry Analytics. Kim is also a WSQ-certified ACTA trainer.

Lucia Loposova

Founder & Executive Director - GREEN Hospitality

Mario Sequeira

Former FCSI Worldwide President, Director at Hospitality Total Services

Mario Sequeira, an experienced Management and Design consultant, is a Professional Member of the global Foodservice Consultants Society International (F.C.S.I.) and a member of the Worldwide Board as the immediate Past President of FCSI Worldwide. Beginning his career as a qualified chef, he also holds a diploma in hotel management and food technology; a post graduate qualification in corporate management and is a certified Six Sigma Leader in Lean Manufacturing. While our world is focused on AI, Mario also combines EI to bring the best outcomes for his clients. Mario heads a niche consultancy practice in Australia offering management and design advisory services to various market segments, including Hotels, Taverns, Nightclubs, Healthcare, Mining, Centralised production and Lifestyle living. Mario’s strength is his ability to collaborate and forge meaningful professional and personal relationships with his clients and consultants across many cultures having travelled extensively to all continents around the world. His is passionate about social sustainability and mental wellbeing to make our world a better place for all.

Michael Kruesi

Associate Professor - Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

Dr Michael A. Kruesi is an Associate Professor in the Hospitality Business programme at Singapore Institute of Technology. Dr Kruesi started his career in hospitality and tourism in 2003, working in several hotels in New Zealand, Switzerland, and Peru. He received his PhD from Auckland University of Technology in 2015, after which he worked in universities in New Zealand, Taiwan, and now, Singapore. Dr Kruesi’s academic focus is best summarised by the three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, economic viability, and social wellbeing. Specifically, he researches and teaches about; non-equity governance structures, leadership practices that promote employee welfare, the measurement and benchmarking of the environmental impacts of hotels, attractions, and events as well as technology enhanced environmental sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. Additionally, Dr Kruesi is the Founder of Xterra Tech, a research driven, technology-based company, providing innovative sustainability software solutions for the hospitality and tourism industry.

Nicholas Cocks

Partner, Velocity Ventures

Nick is an entrepreneur turned professional investor. Nick started his career in 1985 as an accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co’s Corporate Recovery practice in Sydney, Australia. He left the profession in December 1989 to join his fathers’ concrete business in Adelaide, Australia and assisted with the sale of the company to Adelaide Brighton Cement. Six months later he turned his attention to Southeast Asia and has lived and worked in the region since, firstly building Readymix – a concrete, quarrying and cement manufacturing business spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Singapore and, more latterly, leading Ready Ventures – a family office that has invested in a portfolio of early stage companies and is a partner of Velocity Ventures – Southeast Asia’s leading travel and hospitality focused VC. Nick is a Partner of Velocity Ventures and sits on the Investment Committee. He is also a Director of portfolio companies CarbonClick and Lumitics. He is a Director of Readymix Brunei and Butra Heidelberg Cement Brunei. He is also the Lead Non-executive Director of SGX listed MTQ Corporation and chairs the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. He is a past Singapore Chairman and regional board member of the Young Presidents Organization and was Chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce, Singapore. Nick holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Australian National University and resides in Singapore. He is married to Stephanie and has 3 adult children.

Patrick Chan

CEO, Kitchen Haus Group, President, Association of Catering Professionals Singapore

Patrick serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Kitchen Haus Group, a second-generation business owner who assumed leadership of Team Catering in 2011. Under his visionary stewardship, the company has experienced significant growth and diversification, expanding into patisserie, food manufacturing and Aquaponics urban farming. Today, Kitchen Haus Group boasts a diverse portfolio of seven distinctive brands, each offering unique culinary concepts: Team Catering, Le Rainbow Catering, Levender Gourmet, Le Essen, Frux Earth, CS Kitchen and Sugared Bakes. Patrick is also passionate about giving back to society, by inspiring the youths and aspiring F&B entrepreneurs through mentorship and workshops. This has benefited over 2000 recipients over the years.

Rhyannon Browne

Sales Manager, Marrone Custom Cooking and Phoenix Prime Focus

Rhyannon has worked in the international foodservice equipment industry for 19 years. As the Australian brand manager for the Marrone Group, and the International Sales Director for Phoenix Prime Focus her specialty is front of house custom cooking equipment. She is driven by a keen desire to work collaboratively with design teams and clients to achieve outstanding results on every project. Her experience extends to projects in Australia, Southeast Asia, Greater China, the Middle East and Europe.

Rita Kuan

Market Development Manager - Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Rita has a passion for working on cross-cutting solutions aimed at promoting sustainable tourism. Rita held various positions across tourism to sustainability consultancy, from guest relations, marketing, business development to ESG risk advisory. Rita holds a master’s degree in Global Hospitality Business from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, and a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Fu Jen University in Taiwan. In her role with GSTC, she is responsible for developing market access benefits to Certified Businesses, liaising with Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs), advise and support key stakeholders, and more.

Sam Sheldon

Director of F+B Strategy, Social F+B by Design

Although Sam started his career working in kitchens at the age of 16, his career evolved to include hotel operations, financial feasibility consulting, valuation, tourism master planning, and brand creation. In his role at Social F+B, he leverages his unique combination of operational, financial, and creative experiences to develop targeted strategies and compelling F&B solutions.

Stuart Wee

Co-Founding Director - ANDSOFORTH

Stuart has spent the last 10 years establishing an immersive culture in Singapore, bringing over 65 innovative concepts to life. As a visionary in the field of immersive dining, Stuart has continually pushed the boundaries of the genre. As the co-founder of ANDSOFORTH, he and his wife, Emily Png, transformed the company from hosting pop-up events to launching Restaurant Absurdities, the world’s first multi-sensory, anti-fine dining, fun-dining immersive Omakase.

In 2021, Stuart was the creative force behind Absurdities Vol. 1, an immersive dining experience that garnered international acclaim by winning the prestigious THEA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Immersive Dining Experience (Limited Budget). The THEA Awards, presented by the Themed Entertainment Association, are among the most prestigious accolades in the themed entertainment industry, recognising exceptional projects worldwide. This award placed Absurdities alongside other notable winners such as Universal Beijing and Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, further solidifying Stuart’s impact on the global immersive dining scene.

Stuart also produced and directed the Around The World in 80 Days Book Analysis Workshop, hailed as possibly the most immersive, interactive workshop in the world. This sold-out experience has been running since the start of the pandemic and currently boasts a three-month-long waitlist. Set in an 8,000-square-foot venue with two custom-built kitchens, the workshop has hosted over 10,000 participants.

In 2019, Stuart and Emily founded Andsoforth Junior and conceptualised 22 Stories, Asia’s first theatrical interactive museum, which was housed in a 20,000-square-foot warehouse for three months and attracted an estimated attendance of 35,000 visitors. Stuart is also behind the specialty Asylum Coffeehouse, known for its minimalist chic design by day and as the opening scene for Restaurant Absurdities by night, as well as the immensely popular Around the World in 80 Days - Immersive Dining Experience.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun

President - Thai Hotels Association (THA)

Mr Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun Currently - President of The Thai Hotels Association - Managing Director of Grand Diamond Suites Hotel and The Patra Hotel - Rama9 - Graduated from high school from Assumption College Bangrak - Bachelor of Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University - MBA, Western Michigan University - Graduated from The National Defence College of Thailand

Tim Hill

Key Accounts Director - GlobalData

In his work with GlobalData, Tim provides economic forecasts, consumer insights, brand share, channel assessments and business trends to F&B companies looking to expand in Asia. Tim has worked in research in Asia since 1992 with organisations such as the Economist Intelligence Unit, Ipsos Business Consulting and Eco-Business.

Recent opinion pieces include “Losing taste for plan-based meats?”, “Will Gen Z disrupt the ASEAN corporate landscape?”, “The market for plant-based milk in Asia”, “Covid 19, a chance for F&B to finally go green”, “The rise of food delivery in ASEAN” and “Winners and losers in post-pandemic Asia Pacific”.

Tim’s work has been published in ASEAN Post, Channel News Asia, Eco-Business, The Business Times and The Straits Times as well as other regional newspapers. He is a regular speaker and conference moderator for industry and client events. Tim has an MBA from Henley Business School in UK.

Tulsi Grover

Managing Principal, Hassell Studio