Keynotes from someone who has taken AI to production.

Singapore

Human Resources Online

AI in HR: From Hype to Practical Deployment | Panel Discussion on the Future of Talent, Leadership and Organisational Design

Moderated the AI-in-HR seminar for an audience of HR directors and people leaders. A consistent theme emerged across the room: organisations are not struggling with AI technology. They are struggling with AI organisation. Key threads: governance and documentation becoming make-or-break; uneven pace of adoption at leadership level; the case for a central AI and HR function; and measurement as the gap that turns pilots into permanent programmes.

Pan Pacific Singapore

CDOTrends

The Hunt for Resiliency: Attaining Digital Sovereignty in a Fast-Changing World

Panel alongside executives from Keppel, Danone, and Kenvue, moderated by Tiger Analytics. The central argument: digital sovereignty is no longer just about where data sits. It now spans infrastructure, platforms, applications, and the dependencies embedded in AI models and services. Resiliency must be designed upfront, not retrofitted. AI introduces a new layer of supply chain risk that most governance frameworks have not yet addressed.

Singapore

ConfX Global

From Pilot to Production: Scaling Generative AI with RAG, Graph RAG, and Return on Employee

Keynote on the practical transition from standard Vector RAG to Graph RAG, arguing that standard RAG processes documents in isolated chunks and fails on complex multi-document reasoning, while Graph RAG maps entity relationships to achieve above 97% accuracy. Introduced Return on Employee as the correct unit of measurement for AI value in knowledge work, with a production example: six weeks of heavy document review reduced to days.

Singapore

CDOTrends

From Eight Dimensions to Five: Adapting Enterprise AI Readiness for SME Deployment

Presented the adaptation of an enterprise eight-dimension AI readiness framework into five dimensions practical for SME deployment, covering data readiness, process definition, governance structure, team capability, and measurement architecture. The argument: most readiness frameworks are built for organisations with dedicated AI teams; this session gives leaders without that infrastructure a sequenced path from zero to production.

United Nations ESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand

AIFOD · UN ESCAP

AI Governance Frameworks for Developing Nations: Lessons from Smart City and Critical Infrastructure Deployments

Main plenary moderator at the 150-nation summit hosted at the United Nations Conference Centre. Framed AI governance as a "plumbing effort," requiring data observability, traceability, and auditability before any model is deployed. Advocated for sovereign knowledge bases built on RAG so developing nations can create domain-specific AI that reflects their own culture, language, and institutional context rather than importing foreign models. The forum's key warning: a 12 to 18 month window exists to establish foundational governance standards before path dependency sets in.

Bangkok, Thailand

AIFOD

AI Governance Frameworks for Resource-Constrained Organisations

Earlier forum in the AIFOD series, preceding the February 2026 UN summit. Focused on governance implementation for organisations without enterprise-scale IT infrastructure, with practical frameworks for governments and businesses in emerging markets deploying AI under significant data, budget, and talent constraints.

Singapore

Urban Land Institute (ULI) Singapore

Bits to Bricks | Tech is Not the Future: It's the Now | Panel on AI, digital twins, and smart infrastructure transforming the built environment

Panel at the 2025 ULI Singapore Annual Conference addressing how the digital revolution is meeting the built environment head-on. The session examined the cultural, regulatory, and operational shifts needed for a risk-averse industry to move from experimentation to adoption, covering AI and digital twins, smart infrastructure, and what is at stake for real estate and urban development if the sector does not act. Co-panellists: Dennis Huang (Managing Director, MytePro Technology), Su Min Ling (COO & Chief Transformation Officer, SJ Group), David Tan (Assistant Chief Executive Officer, JTC). Moderated by Ian Loe, Managing Director, Group Digital and Technology, Frasers Property.

Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore

Cxociety · C-Engage

The Reality Check of GenAI Adoption | Panel Discussion on closing the gap between proof-of-concept and measurable enterprise value

Panel of 400+ senior IT leaders addressing why at least 30% of GenAI projects are abandoned after proof of concept. Co-panellists: Deepak Sarda (CTO, Endowus), IBM Advisory, Siemens Healthineers; moderated by Allan Tan, Group Editor-in-Chief, Cxociety. The session examined expectations versus reality, how to assess GenAI model maturity, and what measurement infrastructure must be in place before claiming business value.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

Advancing SDGs through Digital Twin Innovation | Innovative approaches in the application of digital twins for deep sustainability

Speaker at the ERIA training session held alongside the ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum (AGMF) and the Meeting of Governors and Mayors of ASEAN Capitals (MGMAC). Presented Singapore's case studies on the deployment of digital twin technologies in an integrated multidisciplinary environment, examining the role of digital twins in accelerating progress towards SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Key discussion themes: trust and transparency in data governance frameworks, system interoperability for long-term scalability, citizen engagement in co-designed urban solutions, and building inclusive innovation ecosystems for peer learning among ASEAN cities.

Singapore

Delta Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania

Integrated Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow | Panel Discussion on digitalisation, automation, and energy efficiency reshaping infrastructure for a low-carbon future

Panel at Delta Electronics' flagship Southeast Asia forum exploring how smart infrastructure, industrial automation, and energy efficiency converge in the path to net zero. Co-panellists included leaders from across the built environment and energy sectors. The discussion centred on bridging the gap between sustainability ambition and operational deployment, and the role AI plays in making energy systems measurable, governable, and continuously optimising.

Devan Nair Institute, Singapore

ST Logistics (SkillsFuture Queen Bee)

Implementing Singapore's Green Plan 2030 and Managing Scope 1-3 Emissions | Sustainability transformation roadmap for SMEs

Speaker at the ST Logistics Supply Chain SFQB Masterclass Series, bringing together some 40 SME professionals at the Devan Nair Institute. As part of ST Logistics' SkillsFuture Queen Bee initiative, the session equipped supply chain businesses with a practical sustainability roadmap, covering Singapore's Green Plan 2030, Scope 1-3 emissions management, solar adoption, ESG reporting, and strategies for embedding sustainability across operations. NTUC LearningHub contributed an end-to-end sustainability training framework for businesses ready to take the next step.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

Digital Twin Technologies for Smart Cities | Case Studies from Singapore, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Chicago

Presenter at the ERIA inception meeting for the study on Digital Twins for Deep Sustainability, a hybrid session bringing together 18 international experts, senior researchers, and high-level executives from ASEAN, East Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States. Presented case studies on how digital twin technologies in Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Chicago demonstrate the ability to optimise city operations and predict human behaviour, paving the way for more resilient urban systems. The study explores opportunities and challenges in leveraging digital twins for advancing Smart Cities and achieving the UN SDGs, with a focus on infrastructure planning, disaster management, and climate resilience.

Salalah, Oman

Oman Society of Engineers · Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning

Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities: AI-Enabled Urban Innovation and Infrastructure

International keynote at the conference organised by Dhofar Municipality and the Oman Society of Engineers, addressing government officials, engineers, and urban planners on AI-enabled infrastructure development for Oman and the wider Gulf region. Covered smart city architecture, sustainable transportation integration, and the design principles for infrastructure that remains governable and auditable as AI is embedded into operational systems.

Singapore

IMDA (Infocomm Media Development Authority)

Unleash the Power of GenAI: Transform Your Enterprise Today | Panel Discussion on building in-house AI capabilities at scale

Panel at Singapore's national digital transformation forum, organised by IMDA, the government body responsible for Singapore's digital economy. Addressed the strategic case for building in-house AI capabilities rather than full vendor dependency, and the governance practices required when deploying GenAI across enterprise functions at scale.

InterContinental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

AISC · International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

The Vision of Asian Inclusive Smart Cities in the Post-COVID World | Keynote on smart and sustainable urban infrastructure transformation

Keynote speaker at the 3rd Conference of AISC, an international forum open to universities, research institutions, government agencies, practitioners and others shaping smart cities and urban-rural development across Asia. Presented Meinhardt's portfolio of smart city projects spanning Saudi Arabia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore, examining how inclusive urban design, smart infrastructure, and sustainable development frameworks converge in the post-COVID city-building agenda.