Asian Banking & Finance and Insurance Asia Summit - Thailand - February 18, 2025

Education  
• Doctor of Economics and Social Science, University of Innsbruck, Austria (Austrian government’s 
scholarship) 
• M.A. (Economics), University of Memphis, U.S.A. 
• B.A. in Economics (Monetary Policy and Public Finance), Chulalongkorn University 

Work Experience  
• Executive Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB)  
• Chair of the Development Effectiveness Committee, former Chair of the Audit Committee, the Vice-Chair 
of the Human Resources Committee, Asian Development Bank (ADB) 
• Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee, Asian Development Bank (ADB)   
• International Economic Advisor, the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance  
• Deputy Director General the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance  
• Director of Bureau of Tax Policy, the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance 
• Director of Bureau of Financial Inclusion Policy and Development, the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance 
• Senior Expert on Macroeconomic Policy, Bureau of Macroeconomic Policy the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance 
• Senior Advisor to Executive Director, World Bank Group, based in Washington, D.C., USA 
• Board of Director the Expressway Authority of Thailand and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Expressway Authority of Thailand 
• Board of Director, Board of Management and Board of Risk Management and Chairman of the 
Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee of the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM) 
• Board of Director the Government Pension Fund, Chairman of Investment Subcommittee 
• Board of Director the National Savings Fund, Chairman of Investment Subcommittee, Chairman of 
Strategic Subcommittee, Chairman of Performance Appraisal Subcommittee and Chairman of 
Performance Appraisal Subcommittee of Investment 
• Board of Director PTT International Trading PTE. Ltd. 
• Board of Director, NEP Realty and Industry Public Company Limited and Chairman of Corporate 
Governance Committee  
• Director of the National Audio-Visual Committee 
• Director of the Petroleum Committee, Ministry of Energy 
• Director of Committee on Energy Policy Administration (CEPA), Energy Policy and Planning Office, Ministry of Energy 
• Advisor to the Subcommittee on Promotional and Policy Problem Solving Measures relating to Thailand’s 
Merchant Marine Business, the National Legislative Assembly 

Notable Contributions   
• Leader of the State Welfare Card Scheme providing financial support to 14.6 million vulnerable people 
• Chair of Thailand Future Funds (TTF) Issuing Committee  
• Participated as secretary to Tax Reform, Ministry of Finance 
• Head of working group of reform land and building tax B.E. ….  
• Participated in several international levels as Representative of Ministry of Finance Thailand to present 
key academic findings such as APEC Finance Minister Meetings, ASEAN Finance Minister Meetings, IMF 
High-level Tax Conference (Tokyo), ASEAN Committee on Capital Market Development and Transforming 
Capital Inflows into Real Investment through Sound Fiscal Policy (Bali, Indonesia), etc. 
• Participated as working members to study the National Savings Fund Act B.E. 2554 and Profounder of 
elaboration National Savings Fund  
• Head of working group of study of tax incentives and laws for green businesses B.E. …. 
• Head of working study to tax reform B.E. 2553 – present 
• Constructive and study to vehicle excise reform B.E. 2548 
• Debt structural reform of TPI Polene (Public) Co., Ltd. 

Christopher is the Head of Advisory for KPMG in Thailand and represents the country in our Global Financial Services Sector team.  He has over 25 years of experience with the Big 4 leading a broad range of front, middle and back office transformation initiatives for financial services institutions, from fintechs to top tier banks and insurance firms across EMEA and ASPAC.  He has a passion for transformative change and is excited about the opportunity AI presents to the industry, in particular how AI can drive value beyond the hype.  Beyond his professional endeavours he is an avid mentor, passionate about sharing his knowledge and insights with the next generation of finance leaders.  In his free time you can find Chris exploring Bangkok’s food markets fueling his biggest passion, cooking! 

Naris Sathapholdeja is the Chief Data and Analytic Group at TMBThanachart Bank in Bangkok, Thailand. He leads ttb analytics, driving strategic and management decisions with advanced analytics. He has over 15 years of experience in banking, central treasury and financial market and data analytics, including roles at TMB Bank and as a visiting lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.

Pitiporn champions digital inclusion and equal access to financial services, leveraging technology to improve socioeconomic well-being. As Head of Digital Businesses at SCB, she leads digital products and platforms development, as well as representing SCB as board of NDID. Joining SCB in 2016, she spearheaded strategic partnerships and investments. She later oversaw the Credit Card Division and served on the boards of SCB-Julius Baer and Digital Ventures. She was CFO at SCB 10X, driving strategic investments and serving on portfolio company boards like Monix and OPN. Previously, she was CEO of Tesco Financial Services and worked at Boston Consulting Group and JP Morgan. She holds an MBA from Harvard & Economics and Management Science degrees from MIT.

Mr. Arapat Sangkharat has more than 24 years’ experience in financial services and management consulting in Asia and the United States. He joined the Company in August 2020 as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and as Regional Head of Transformation, Maybank Kim Eng Group and was subsequently appointed as Chief Executive Officer effective from 31 August 2021.

He is an executional strategist with expertise in business strategy, digital transformation, merger & integration and execution of innovation blueprints.  He worked with more than 20 financial services institutions including Siam Commercial Bank, Bank of NY Mellon, American Express and Citigroup over the span of his career with Deloitte and PwC.

He holds a Master of Business Administration in Financial Investments from the University of Southern California.

• Country Head of Product Management in HSBC
• Over 20 years of extensive experience in cash management, driving innovation in digital payments and liquidity solutions
• Expert in the digital payment landscape and led the successful launch of multiple digital payments solutions
• Driven digital transformation with passionate for innovation and deep understanding of market dynamics

KASIKORN RESEARCH CENTER COMPANY LIMITED (KResearch) has appointed Mr. 
Burin Adulwattana as Managing Director and Chief Economist of the company, effective July 1st , 
2023. 
Mr. Burin Adulwattana holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics and 
economics from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He has prior experiences in the 
financial sector with Credit Agricole Hong Kong, Bank of Thailand, and Bangkok Bank. He 
joined KASIKORNBANK in 2022 as Managing Director and Private Banking Business Head 
before being appointed Managing Director and Chief Economist at KResearch.

With over a decade of experience in the marketing industry, Rauhan is a dedicated Product Evangelist known for driving organizational success through innovative solutions. Currently representing CleverTap, he excels in enhancing online conversion rates and fostering sustainable brand loyalty.

Throughout his career, Rauhan has partnered with various companies to identify and implement effective strategies that not only boost performance but also align with overarching business goals. His expertise spans product development, market positioning, and customer engagement, making him a key advocate for impactful marketing initiatives.

Passionate about leveraging technology to create meaningful customer experiences, Rauhan is committed to staying ahead of industry trends and sharing insights that empower teams to thrive in a competitive landscape.

David Uhlenbrock is a Partner at Kearney, based in Bangkok, with over a decade of experience in strategy, transformation, and digital innovation across Southeast Asia. He has led numerous high-impact projects across industries, including the development of digital strategies, digital product market entries, CX improvement, and AI-driven transformation programs. Previously, David served as Senior Vice President at dtac, where he was responsible for transformation and business development projects, including e.g. dtac’s digital service strategy and the company’s 5G strategy.

Ben Assanasen joins TSI (Thai Setakij Insurance Plc.) as its Managing Director (Non-Motor Business). With Ben’s broad experience and versatility, he will play a key role in supporting various initiatives benefiting the company. He will focus on expanding the Accident & Health portfolio and infrastructure.

Ben brings with him a wealth of industry experience spanning over two decades, encompassing general management as well as hands-on operational roles covering a broad range of functions. 
He has worked for Tune Protect Thailand, an associate company of Tune Protect Group, as the Chief Executive Officer and Group Health Leader, responsible for providing overall management oversight and responsibility across the organization, including profitability and strategic direction.

Ben began his career in the United States, where he subsequently joined American International Group (AIG) for several senior management roles, initially in Thailand as the Head of Accident & Health Insurance and subsequently in Hong Kong as the Regional Vice President of Accident & Health for the Asia Region.

Ben is passionate about growing businesses and developing people. His impressive track record in managing businesses in Southeast Asia and his deep knowledge of the Thai market make him well-equipped to take the business to the next level.

Ben is qualified with Honors, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Operational Research & Industrial Engineering and a Master’s in Engineering and Business Administration from Cornell University, New York.
 

Vikas Jain is the Country Head at Funding Societies Thailand. Additionally, he also drives Fundraise
at the Regional Group level. His career spans more than 20 years across multiple geographies
including India, Singapore and Thailand. Prior to Funding Societies, Vikas has worked with ING, Citi
and HDFC Bank managing large consumer and SME loan product portfolios. He also had a stint with
Singtel developing mobile based nancial products for the underbanked segment. He has a
graduate degree in Commerce (Honours) and is also an MBA in Finance.

Vikas has participated in multiple industry and ntech events as a speaker or panelist, including
Finovate Asia (Hong Kong), Innovfest Unbound, Singapore Business Review’s 20 Hottest Startups
Panel, Financial Inclusion Summit Asia, NUS Entrepreneurship Conference, CX Asia Summit, The
Digital Banker's South East Asia Tour 2024 (Thailand), iFX EXPO Asia 2024 (Thailand),WIKI Finance
Expo Bangkok 2024 ,Private Banking Asia and CXFS Asia Summit amongst many others. He has also
been featured by TVB (Hong Kong), Business Times Singapore and Digital News Asia amongst many
others. He was also on the Aspioneer Cover Magazine as top 10 Fintech Innovators to watch out for
in 2020.

Gidon Jerome Kessel has 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, having held a variety of roles across multiple markets.

He is currently the Head of Deposit and Wealth Management at UOB Thailand, where he oversees the investments, advisory, insurance, and deposit functions. Prior to this, he served as the Head of Wealth Management for Citi UK and Citi Korea.

Gidon commenced his career as a management associate at Citi in 1998 and has since held senior country and regional positions across diverse markets in Asia and EMEA. He has worked with leading global and regional financial institutions, including UOB, Citi, and ANZ, with postings in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, London, and Athens.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, a Master of Finance from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney.

Add's journey in financial risk management is a blend of global expertise and local innovation. Now leading Consumer Credit Risk Model Development and Technology at Krungsri, he's infusing Thailand's banking sector with insights gained from a decade in the US financial industry.

His career has spanned from hedge fund analytics at SS&C GlobeOp to fintech innovation at Mnementh Analytics, where he developed CECL software and advised major financial institutions. Add's experience across community, regional, and global banks gives him a unique, multi-faceted perspective on risk management.

Complementing his professional role, Add is a co-cultivator of the Credit Risk Model Community in Thailand. This passion project allows him to foster knowledge-sharing and innovation in the local risk modeling landscape, creating a vibrant network of professionals and thought leaders.

Add's academic foundation - dual master's degrees from Georgia Tech's ISyE program and an economics degree from Thammasat University - underpins his practical expertise. Today, he's dedicated to driving innovation in Thai banking and nurturing the next generation of risk modelers, always embracing new challenges in the dynamic world of finance.

Dalad is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief International Business Officer at SCBX - the leading financial group in Thailand that invests in and supports future and high-potential businesses in various sectors. SCBX is the Mothership Holding Company with extensive portfolio of businesses comprising Siam Commercial Bank, various financial technology and digital platform businesses.

In her role as Chief Operating and International Business Officer – Dalad oversees strategic operations, strategic investments and strategic partnerships for the Group. Dalad is responsible for identifying and executing on strategic growth opportunities across financial inclusion solutions, financial technology and climate investing. Dalad is also currently leading the Group’s Thailand virtual bank mandate as part of SCBX’s ambition to be a key actor in solving the country’s financial inclusion problem. Prior to SCBX, Dalad has over 18 years of combined experience in private equity investment, M&A, and management consulting. She is both a former Partner at McKinsey where she was a key member of the private equity and consumer and retail practices; and former Head of M&A at Walmart Asia where she led the origination and commercial due diligence of the US$16B Flipkart transaction. Dalad started her career at Bain & Company and has also held several roles in investment management - working across Singapore, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, China, the UAE, and Los Angeles. 

Dalad is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese and Thai.

Dr. Chalee is the President of the Lightnet Group, and the Senior Advisor of the Lightnet and WeLab Consortium. He leads the consortium formed by Lightnet, a Thai-homegrown global fintech leader offering global payment solutions across 150 countries and WeLab, a leading pan-Asian fintech platform, in securing the virtual banking license from the Bank of Thailand. 

Driven by his vision to empower customers in managing their financial needs, Dr. Chalee is dedicated to revolutionizing financial services through technological innovation. With a wealth of experience spanning 25 years in finance, digital business, and data analytics, Dr. Chalee brings a unique perspective to the fintech landscape. Prior to his role at Lightnet, he was the Chief Digital Banking Officer at Siam Commercial Bank in Thailand, where he oversaw big data and AI solutions development that advanced the bank’s digital banking capabilities. 

Dr. Chalee's journey through leadership roles at prominent global entities like WorldQuant, Merrill Lynch, Sun Trading, and McKinsey & Company has honed his expertise in corporate strategy, digital transformation, quantitative trading, and predictive algorithm development.

An alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Chalee holds undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Shin Thant is a Director at YCP's office in Thailand with more than 10 years of experiences in SEA across a range of sectors, including automotive, banking and construction, consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare, insurance and technology sectors. His expertise lies in market analysis, strategy formulation, financial modeling, valuation, and due diligence. Shin has supported numerous international companies and conglomerates with market entry, expansion strategies, and business transformation projects across the ASEAN region. Prior to joining YCP, Shin began his career at a leading professional services firm, where he provided financial advisory services to multinational corporations, international institutions, and local clients. Shin holds double degrees of Mechatronics Engineering from Yangon Technology University and Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University.