About The Event
Thu 13 Nov 2025 | 9.00am to 12.00pm
National Library Building, #13-01 (Singapore) & Online (Hong Kong and Malaysia)
Note: the venue for this event has changed and is now just a short 10-minute walk from the original location.
As Bennet and Lemoine wrote in the Harvard Business Review (2014) “It’s become a trendy managerial acronym: VUCA, short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, and a catchall for “Hey, it’s crazy out there!”. Many of us may believe that eleven years later it is even “crazier now”! VUCA environments require fresh approaches to leading and managing. Join us at this hybrid symposium, facilitated by Professor Julia Connell from the University of Newcastle Australia, to hear how others are surviving and thriving in challenging environments—and gain actionable insights while connecting with thought leaders shaping the future of work.
The event is free to attend and a light lunch will be provided for in-person attendees in Singapore.
Program:
Program:
| 09:00am – 09.10am | Singapore commences with session aims and agenda Welcome Address by the University of Newcastle’s Chancellor, The Hon. Patricia Forsythe AM |
| 09.10am – 10.10am | Singapore Hosts |
| 10.10am – 10.25am | Coffee Break |
| 10.25am – 11.00am | Malaysia Hosts |
| 11.00am – 11.50am | Hong Kong Hosts |
| 11.50am – 12.00pm | Summary, Thank You and Closing |
| 12.00pm – 01.00pm | Networking Lunch for In-Person Attendees |
Meet Our Speakers:
Singapore
Amy Bell has over a decade of experience in building and scaling consumer brands in Singapore She currently holds integral roles with both The Meat Club and, more recently with Yo-Chi frozen yoghurt – an Australian brand she co-founded which has been taking Singapore by storm since its introduction at Orchard Central in August 2025.
Arup Raha is an Economist/Strategist with almost 25 years experience. He was most recently the Chief Economist (Asia-Pacific) at Oxford Economics. Arup commenced his career as an economist with the World Bank in Washington DC before moving to the financial sector, where he held roles as the Chief Economist for Asia for three global banks: Citi, UBS, and HSBC.
Jacqueline Wong is Founder and Managing Director of the Sequoia Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in leadership development, strategic planning, and organisational transformation. She has advised Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and public institutions, and is a pioneer in strengths-based leadership. Jacqueline serves on international boards and holds a Master’s in Positive Organization Development from Case Western Reserve University. Passionate about cultivating meaningful leadership, Jacqueline’s work continues to inspire individuals and organisations to lead with vision, resilience, and a deep commitment to creating a better future.
James Wong is an accomplished, versatile executive with over 25 years progressive leadership experience in the military and civilian sectors, with a strong focus on aviation ground services and logistics. He is an alumnus of the University of Newcastle, where he earned an Executive Master of Business Administration with Distinction. Currently, James serves as the Senior VP of Southeast Asia & China for Menzies Aviation where he is responsible for managing over 4,000 employees across 7 countries in the ASEAN region. His expertise includes strategic planning, business development, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Malaysia
Dr Faiz Kamaludin brings 33 years of experience in the aviation industry and was one of the final four candidates in Malaysia’s National Astronaut Programme for the 2007 Soyuz TMA-11 mission with Roscosmos in Moscow. He is the founder of AstroX, a social enterprise dedicated to inspiring schoolchildren through science education. Holding a PhD in social entrepreneurship and sustainability, Dr Kamaludin leads the Malaysian chapter of Catalyst Now, working to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across industries and borders.
Dr Timothy Law, fondly known as Coach Tim, is a seasoned executive coach and learning strategist with over 36 years’ experience in coaching, training and organisational development. He holds an MBA and PhD from the University of Newcastle, Australia, and specialises in business strategisation, stakeholder engagement and leadership development across corporate and government sectors.
Dr Tim has held senior roles including with Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade, advising national leaders. He is a Master Trainer with the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia and a Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. His work spans 15 countries, delivering more than 5,000 workshops and consulting for global firms such as INSEAD, Deloitte and Persona Consulting.
Founder of Transformational Innovative Maverick Sdn. Bhd., Dr Tim continues to shape leadership and learning ecosystems across Asia, integrating innovative coaching methods in multiple languages. His motto: “Impact lives through coaching and training.”
Hong Kong
Mr. Paul Fraley is a seasoned digital leader with 20+ years in telecom and IT, specializing in Big Data, BI, and AI. He applies these technologies across industries, with a strong focus on healthcare’s unique demands for safety, privacy, and resilience. Based in Hong Kong since the early 2000s, he has led transformative digital health projects across Asia and contributed to academia. His current work embeds AI into secure, business-ready frameworks that reduce complexity and risk. By ensuring data is AI-ready, and cybersecure, Paul helps enterprises and hospitals build AI resilience and mitigate volatility from technological disruptions. Paul Fraley is also an adjunct lecturer at HKU Space.
Dr. William Yu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of World Green Organisation. He is an energy economist and climate professional by training completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge. Accredited by UNDP as a trainer on the United Nations SDG Impact Standards Dr. Yu is also an ESBN Task Force Member, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Vice-Chair of Asia Pacific Business Forum (APBF) of the United Nations ESBN 2022. He is also a member in Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE), Environment and Ecology Bureau and member in the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, HKSAR Government.
Hong Kong Supporting Partner:
