From the industry

His Excellency Mr Allaster Cox (Patron of JCUS Advisory Board)
Australian High Commissioner to Singapore

Mr Allaster Cox is the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore.

Prior to this, he was the First Assistant Secretary Strategy & Development in the Office of Southeast Asia (2022-23), following his posting to Jakarta (2017-21) as Deputy Head of Mission.

Allaster has had a long career in Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) working mainly on Southeast Asia, including in Canberra as Division Head for Southeast Asia (2013-17), and overseas as Ambassador to Vietnam (2008-12) and Brunei Darussalam (2001-03).

He has previously worked on the US relationship including as Branch Head for Asia, Americas and Trade (International Division) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2004-06) and later at US Branch in DFAT (2006-07).

He was the Head of Policy Planning at DFAT in 2007-08 and has had earlier postings in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Brunei.

Educated at Sydney University in Economics, Government and Law, he is married with two adult children.

Dr Bill Foo (Co-Chair, JCUS Advisory Board)
Professional Director and Advisor to various organisations

Dr. Bill Foo has over 30 years’ experience in financial services in Asia (1983-2015).  He was CEO ANZ Singapore for 12 years, running the bank with about 2,100 staff as one of the largest banks based in Singapore.  He was Vice Chairman ANZ South Asia for 4 years, Southeast Asia Head of Investment Banking and President of Schroders Indonesia for 7 years and was with Citibank/Citicorp (Director) & Bank of America (AVP) for 10 years.

Bill is currently Chairman of Tung Lok Group and Salvation Army Singapore and a Senior Advisor at BDA Partners Advisory. He is a Director of Kenon Holdings (NYSE listed) and Tower Capital PE (with ownership of companies including Eu Yan Sang, Poh Tiong Choon Logistics et al), Lead Director City Development Hospitality, Mewah Intl and Trustee of the Strategic Studies Fund of the International Institute of Strategic Studies Asia.

His education includes the following: B. Admin (Concordia University), MBA (McGill University) and an Honorary Doctor of Commerce from James Cook University (JCU) where he also serves as advisor to the JCU Chancellor.

Dr Andrea Della Mattea
President, Microsoft Asia Pacific and JCU Alumna

Andrea leads Microsoft’s commercial and public sector business across nine markets in Asia Pacific. She has more than 25 years of experience in the technology sector. Before joining Microsoft in 2017, she served in a series of senior leadership roles at Insight Enterprises in North America and APAC.

Andrea is passionate about helping customers and partners with their digital transformation journeys and believes that when we are inclusive, everyone wins. She holds a Class 1 Honors Degree in Engineering and advocates a culture of learning. She is committed to encouraging women and girls to take up STEM education and build careers as entrepreneurs and developers.

Andrea currently serves on the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels in New South Wales, Australia, and is on the Advisory Board for James Cook University. She resides in Singapore with her husband and two teenage sons.

Mr Chandra Mohan K Nair
Partner, Tan Rajah and Cheah

Chandra practises civil and criminal litigation, arbitration, mediation, family and matrimonial, probate, employment and commercial related matters with law firm Tan Rajah & Cheah.  He joined them in 1977 and became a partner in 1980.

He was a Member of the Board of Governors of Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Board of Legal Education, Vice President Singapore Academy of Law and Management Committee member of NUSS (held position of President 2005 to 2008).

He was a Nominated Member of Parliament of Singapore from 2002 to 2004, Member of the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore from 2000 to 2011, President of the Law Society of Singapore from 1995 to 1997 and Chairman International Relations Committee from 1998 to 2007.  In addition, he is a Member of the Board of Governors of NUS High School of Maths and Science since its inception.

He has also served in various Government Ministry committees like Home Affairs, Ministry of Health, Registry of Marriages, Films Appeals Committee (IMDA), Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

He has served as legal advisor to the Singapore Athletic Association, Football Association of Singapore and Singapore Hockey Federation and their Disciplinary Committees, Sree Narayana Mission and Singapore Malayalee Association, and also the Disciplinary Committees of NUSS and Singapore Cricket Club.

Mr Christopher Warren
Chief of Staff and Business Strategy APAC, Red Hat

Christopher is a Technology and Business Executive with experience advising fellow executives and boards on shaping digitally enabled business transformation leveraging emerging technology. He is most frequently engaged to determine the impact of rapid technology innovation; the value to be delivered; expanding of eco-systems; and generating long term business growth. Christopher has also successfully driven global and regional transformation programs for Fortune 500 companies, and frequently speaks at industry events and bespoke sessions for clients embarking on digital transformation.

An experienced and trusted advisor with deep expertise in Transformation leveraging technology and defining the subsequent value levers for businesses, Christopher leads teams to deliver complex transformation projects enabling digital enterprises and Industry 4.0 solutions.

He has a passion for people development and has demonstrated the ability to build high performing teams for successful global delivery.

He was previously Managing Director Accenture (2017 to 2022); Director PwC (2010 to 2017) and Consultant IBM (2007 to 2010).

Christopher is currently based in Singapore with wife and two daughters.

Mr Jonathan Glickfeld
General Manager, Visy Trading Singapore

Jonathan Glickfeld is Director and Procurement General Manager of Visy Singapore. He has worked for Unilever and Visy companies since 2004 before assuming his current role and establishing its Asian Head Office. He was a founding member of the Australian Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and is on the Advisory Board for the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jonathan's areas of industry knowledge include and is not limited to manufacturing, Supply Chain, Supply Management, Lean Manufacturing, Procurement, ERP, Kaizen, Quality Management, Inventory Management, Production Planning, Supply Chain Optimization, Product Development, Materials Management, Manufacturing Operations, Logistics, Forecasting, and Operations Management.

Mr Kenneth Aruldoss
Managing Director, Harvey Norman Asia

Kenneth Aruldoss’s personal motto is to get the best of people by fostering their intrinsic motivation and connecting their work to a shared purpose. He believes that individuals should be empowered to take responsibility for their results and supported with the resources to achieve them.

Kenneth has over 30 years of retail experience, ranging from sales, management to marketing and business ownership. The wide spectrum gives him a unique perspective to drive organizational success.

He was with Vodafone Australia during the early days of his career, followed by Domayne Australia (part of Harvey Norman). He was asked to head Harvey Norman Singapore/Malaysia from June 2014.

Mr Lawrence Leow
Chairman and CEO of Crescendas Group

Lawrence Leow is the Chairman and CEO of Crescendas Group, a diversified and dynamic group of businesses spanning property, hospitality, manufacturing, distribution and technology. The Group currently operates in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Sri Lanka, Maldives and the United States.

Lawrence has been active in both social and business community work. He is Patron to Yew Tee Citizens' Consultative Committee, a board director of Singapore Sports School, President of Singapore Badminton Association, an executive member of the Singapore National Olympic Council and had served in various capacities in the Singapore Business Federation and ASME, as well as on the panels and boards of government agencies and statutory boards.

A former Nominated Member of the Parliament of Singapore, Lawrence has been a grassroots leader for close to 30 years and had been awarded a Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2015 and the People’s Association Grand Award for Community Service in 2017. For his business achievements, Lawrence won the WorldPay ASME Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2000 and Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Diversified Industries) in 2016.

Ms Lilian Tan
Group Chief Human Resources Officer of City Developments Limited

Ms Lilian Tan joined CDL as Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) in March 2023. She is a member of the Key Management team and is responsible for the development and execution of Human Resources strategies to support the Group’s overall business objectives and strategic direction, including that of our subsidiaries. The Group CHRO also champions the desired culture and values of the organisation. Additionally, she oversees other Group functions such as the Corporate Secretariat Services (CSS), Corporate Services and Procurement, and Group Innovation. The CSS function is responsible for providing corporate governance and secretariat services to the Group and some of its listed entities.

She has more than 20 years of experience in human capital management and organisational change and has held various leadership roles across the professional services, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and services industries.

Prior to joining CDL, Ms Tan was the Chief Human Capital Officer of SATS for over a decade. She has also held various senior appointments at KPMG Consulting Asia Pacific, Singapore Computer Systems Limited and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

Ms Tan is currently a Tripartite Mediation Advisor appointed by the Ministry of Manpower and Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and a board committee member of the HR and Remuneration Committee of SPD. She was conferred the Institute for Human Resource Professionals Master Professional in December 2021 and was a recipient of the Singapore Human Resource Institute Leading HR Leader Award in 2015 and 2019.

She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Finance.

Ms Michelle Cheo Hui Ning
Deputy Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of Mewah International Inc.

Ms Michelle Cheo is the Deputy Chairperson, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of Mewah International Inc. She joined the Group in 2003 and is responsible for the formulation and execution of overall strategy of the Group, business development, project execution, corporate risk and factory operations. Since joining the Group, Ms Cheo has been instrumental in expanding the supply chain of the Group, including acquiring and building additional refineries in multiple locations, expanding the premium speciality oils business, entering the biodiesel business and dairy sector. Prior to this, she was at Exxon Mobil from 1997 to 2003 in the US and Singapore.

Ms Cheo joined the Council of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industries in 2019, Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra since 2016 and as of Dec 2020 sits on the Advisory Board of James Cook University Singapore. Ms Cheo was the 2019 Her Times Women Empowerment Award Winner for Entrepreneurship and has recently been awarded Outstanding Chief Executive of The Year in the 36th Singapore Business Awards 2020/2021.

Ms Cheo graduated with a First Class Honours in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, University of London. She obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD in 2004.

Mr Neil Parekh
Partner and Head of Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Tikehau Capital
CEO, Pegasus Asia

Neil is a Partner and Head of Asia, Australia & New Zealand at Tikehau Capital. He is also concurrently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Pegasus Asia – one of the first SPACs listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Besides having deep knowledge of traditional players in banking, asset and wealth management, insurance and non-bank finance companies, Mr. Parekh takes an active interest in Fintech and currently serves as a director of Elevandi (established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to expand its current fintech ecosystem) and as a Board Advisor to AFIN-ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (formed by the International Finance Corporation and the MAS).

Ms Patricia Quek
IBF Fellow
Business Sector Head, Singapore and Malaysia, UBS Global Wealth Management

Patricia Quek heads up UBS WM Singapore & Malaysia business. She is a member of the senior management committee that overseas business strategy, risk management and governance for UBS Singapore. She is responsible for the strategy and alignment of policies for Singapore and Malaysia globally.

Patricia is a client focused, solutions-oriented banker with over 25 years of experience, having depth and breadth of experience working with complex multi-shored families, UHNW clients, global family offices, private and public listed companies on diverse financial and family transition topics. She advises UBS key clients and business owners across SEA, drawing on her deep experience and knowledge across Wealth Management, Investment Bank and Asset Management.

Externally, Patricia is a member of the WMI Global-Asia Family Office Partners Committee, supporting efforts in competency and community building. She sits as a board member of Community Chest, member of the Singapore Institute of Directors and Financial Women Association.

Mr Peter Koh
Group CEO, Oceanus Group Limited

Peter has been instrumental in driving the strategic direction & development of the Group’s business since his appointment in 2014, including the diversification & expansion of the Group’s business model beyond farming. He was also pivotal in the Group’s successful turnaround efforts, from having a secured debt of S$94 million and negative asset position of S$66 million, to the completion of a successful debt restructuring exercise in December 2017, which reversed the Group’s balance sheet into the black.

In recognition of his efforts & pivotal role in the Group’s successful restructuring, Peter was conferred the 2018 Outstanding CEO Award by Influential Brands, and ASEAN Business Awards 2019 in recognition of “SME Excellence (Growth)” by ASEAN business advisory council.

Within the aquaculture industry, Mr Koh has taken up various positions with aquaculture innovation and research bodies, such as member of Advisory Board of James Cook University, the Vice Chairman of China Aquatic Products Alliance & member of Advisory Council of the Singapore Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

Peter’s past & present directorships include PT. Kertas Blabak, Indonesia’s fourth largest recycle paper mill; Eagle Coin, a joint venture with China’s largest food manufacturer & State Owned Enterprise; Biolidics Limited, an SGX-listed company in the development of medical devices; as well as being appointed Investment Advisor to the Sino-Indian Conglomerate Ramky-Revo for their overseas investments.

Peter also actively champions social causes & was conferred the Public Service Medal in 2014. He currently sits on the council of the North West Community Development Council

Mr Phil Forrest AM
Independent Company Director

Philip Forrest has lived in South East Asia for over 38 years. After a career in banking (including as Citibank’s Country Head in Thailand and ANZ’s Head of Asia) he is now a Singapore-based independent company director focused on the Australia/ASEAN commercial relationship. He has been presented with the President’s Medal by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, Singapore for his contribution to the Asia/Australia business relationship.

Phil is a non-executive director of several Singapore companies, and was Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of an ASX-listed company for five years. (He continues to be an independent director of its international subsidiaries.) He is a Fellow, life member and Governing Councillor of the Singapore Institute of Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of CPA Australia and of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute for Business and Economics.

For six years he was a council member of the Singapore Business Federation, the country’s apex business organisation. He was a Board member of AustCham Singapore from 1998 to 2018 (and president from 2000 to 2004), and is a past president of the Australia Thai Chamber of Commerce. He was also a Director of AustCham ASEAN for five years. He is Emeritus Ambassador (former chairman) of the Singapore BEL Alumni Council of the University of Queensland, and a member of the advisory council of James Cook University Singapore, and of Australian Alumni Singapore.

In June 2022, Phil was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Mr Robert Rosen
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director | Kenon Holdings Ltd

Mr. Rosen has served as CEO of Kenon since September 2017 and also serves on the board of Kenon as an executive director and on the board of OPC Energy Ltd as a director. Prior to becoming CEO, Mr. Rosen served as General Counsel of Kenon upon joining Kenon in 2014. Prior to joining Kenon, Mr. Rosen spent 15 years in private practice focusing on cross-border complex transactions with top tier law firms, including Linklaters LLP and Milbank LLP. Mr. Rosen is admitted to the Bar in the State of New York, holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors from Boston University and a JD and MBA, both from the University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated with high honors.

Mr Sreeram Iyer
Chief Operating Officer, Institutional | ANZ Banking Group

Sreeram Iyer is the Chief Operating Officer for ANZ Bank’s Institutional Banking business where he supports the organisation’s Institutional business strategies in over 20 countries.

Sreeram is a TEDx speaker. He often speaks and writes about AI, Machine Learning and the future of work in the banking and fintech environment.  In addition to his professional endeavours, Sreeram has made a lasting difference to several communities through social impact and fundraising projects where he offered education and literacy programs for the underprivileged.

Sreeram has earned his learning experiences from MIT (Boston), London Business School, Henley Management College (MBA), and from INSEAD. He is also a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, and a Company Secretary from India.

Dr T. Chandroo
CEO, Modern Montessori International Group

Dr T Chandroo is the Chairman and CEO of the Modern Montessori International Group, the largest Montessori franchise in the world.

He holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Southern Cross University, Australia. in addition to a Master in Business Administration degree from the University of East London (UK) and Fellow of Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). He is also a Master Trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Dr T Chandroo has received several awards including the Singapore’s Leading Indian Entrepreneurs for the Year (Large Enterprise) 2009 by SICCI-DBS, Outstanding Entrepreneur Award for the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) 2010, Alumnus of the Year for the Southern Cross Business School, Southern Cross University Australia 2013, “Asia Most Promising Business Leader” Award 2013 in Dubai, Times Now-ICICI Bank NRI of the Year Award 2014 (Philanthropy) etc.

He is also an avid philanthropist, often contributing generously to the community to aid the less fortunate as well as to support education and lifelong learning.   He also holds certain voluntary key appointments in various government, industry and community based organisations. Dr T Chandroo is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr WONG Heang Fine
Board Member
Surbana Jurong

Mr Wong retired from Surbana Jurong in 2022 as its Group Chief Executive Officer and Board Director. He led the firm to grow five folds into one of the largest urban, infrastructure and management services consulting firms in Asia with a global talent pool of over 16,500 employees based in more than 120 offices in over 40 countries worldwide. Mr Wong also sits on the boards of three of Surbana Jurong’s member companies – SMEC, AETOS and Sino-Sun. He is Chairman of Sino-Sun.

Mr Wong is a Board Member of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), an agency under Singapore’s Ministry of National Development that regulates Singapore’s building and construction industry. He is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. He is also a member of the Corporate Advisory Board of the World Green Building Council.

Mr Wong has held many key leadership positions across a number of industries over the last 40 years. Before Surbana Jurong, he was with CapitaLand as the CEO of CapitaLand Residential Singapore Limited and CapitaLand GCC Holdings, and also the Country CEO in charge of developing CapitaLand’s business in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Mr Wong was CEO of Capitala, a joint venture company between CapitaLand Singapore and Mubadala Development Company in United Arab Emirates.

Prior to that, from 2001 to 2006, Mr Wong was President & CEO of SembCorp Engineers and Constructors Pte Ltd (now known as Sembawang Engineers and Constructors) and was instrumental in advancing the company’s engineering and construction business in South Asia.

Mr Wong joined Cathay Organisation in 1998 and helped realised the company’s ambition of going public via a reverse takeover strategy through IMM Multi-Enterprise which was listed on SESDAQ. In 1999, he was appointed President & CEO of Cathay Organisation Holdings.

Between 1996 and 1998, Mr Wong was Director (Infrastructure), L&M Group Investments Ltd. During his tenure, he restructured the company by spearheading diversification into the infrastructure and property sectors.

Between 1991 and 1996, Mr Wong was at Singapore Technologies Industrial Corporation. There he pioneered the infrastructure development of the Bintan Industrial Eestate and a 24,000-hectare international resort belt on Bintan Island, Indonesia. He was instrumental in developing and managing the Bintan Lagoon Resort, the first 400 room golf resort on the island.

Mr Wong was the President of the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore from 2011 to 2012. He served as a Senior Industry Officer with the Economic Development Board where his responsibilities included the promotion and development of investments in Singapore.

Mr Wong graduated with First Class Honours in B.Sc (Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Leeds, England and a M.Sc (Engineering Production and Management) from the University of Birmingham, England. He was conferred a Medal of Commendation during the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Awards 2020 for advancing HR best practices and employees’ interests. He is recently conferred a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

From James Cook University

Professor Ngiare Brown
Chancellor, James Cook University

Professor Ngiare Brown is a senior Aboriginal medical practitioner and the first female and first Indigenous Chancellor of James Cook University. She is a proud Yuin nation woman from the south coast of NSW, with a passion for Aboriginal and Indigenous health, child safety, and adolescent development. She has made extensive contributions to research process, bioethics, policy, translation, and practice within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and worked over the past two decades to develop an extensive international network in Indigenous health and research.

Professor Brown was one of the first Aboriginal medical graduates in Australia, completing her medical degree at the University of Newcastle in 1991, and later obtaining a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from JCU in 2000, named an Outstanding Alumna in 2012. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Professor Brown has held a variety of positions in education, mentoring, clinical practice, research, and advocacy. She is a founding member and foundation Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, a founding member of the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors’ Congress, and Associate Professor and Foundation Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney. She is the Founding Director of Ngaoara, a not-for-profit committed to child and adolescent wellbeing, and a Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.

Professor Simon Biggs (Chair, JCUS Advisory Board)
Vice Chancellor and President, James Cook University

Professor Simon Biggs commenced his appointment as Vice Chancellor and President of James Cook University Australia in February 2022. He is responsible for ensuring clear and effective leadership and management of the University across all operating sites, including campuses in Cairns, Townsville and Singapore.

Professor Biggs’ former appointments include: Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Western Australia, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at the University of Queensland and Royal Academy of Engineering/National Nuclear Laboratory Chair in Particle Science and Engineering at the University of Leeds in the UK. His first academic appointment was at the University of Newcastle (Australia).

Educated at the University of Bristol in the UK, Professor Biggs holds a PhD in Colloid Science. He developed his research through post-doctoral positions at the Institute Charles Sadron in Strasbourg, France and the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Professor Biggs’ main research interests are in the field of colloid and interface engineering. He has a strong interest in the measurement, control, and manipulation of inter-particle forces to allow more efficient process engineering of particulate systems. Professor Biggs was the chief investigator on numerous research projects and has authored more than 270 refereed publications as well as being named on over 20 patents.

Professor Biggs received the 2005 SCI/RSC/IMMM Beilby Medal awarded for “a substantial contribution towards fundamental research of practical significance”. His work has led to a substantial number of research partnerships with a wide cross-section of industrial partners covering diverse sectors such as pharmaceuticals, personal care, foods, minerals processing and water treatment. Whilst at Leeds, his group developed a strong partnership with the UK nuclear industry working on legacy waste clean-up problems.

Professor Biggs is a Council Member of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and Director, Advance Cairns. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and in 2016, as a Fellow of the Australian Academy for Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Professor Stephen Boyle (Executive Chair, JCUS Advisory Board) 
Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of Campus, Singapore

Professor Stephen Boyle trained originally as a musician completing an Honours degree in Music Performance at the University of Adelaide and worked with many national and international artists during his career. He undertook his MBA at the University of South Australia and then completed his PhD in cultural economics at Macquarie University. He studied with cultural economist, Professor David Throsby examining the economics of symphony orchestras in Australia. Professor Stephen Boyle won best paper in the Economic Papers journal in 2012 for his work on productivity analysis of symphony orchestras.

Professor Boyle has been in leadership and senior management positions in the tertiary sector for over 15 years including most recently as Dean of the College of Business, Law and Governance (CBLG) at James Cook University (JCU). Professor Boyle has significant experience in international markets and has participated in a number of Trade Delegations to Asia with State Governments and Austrade. He has worked with major transnational partners including running business programs at Hong Kong Baptist University, The Hong Kong Management Association and Taylors College in Malaysia.

In 2013 Professor Boyle was appointed as an Adjunct Researcher at the Culture and Leisure Industry Research Centre at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing, China, where he is also a Visiting Professor. Professor Boyle is also a Director of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce (Queensland) and President of the North Queensland Ensembles Inc and the Barrier Reef Orchestra in Townsville.

Dr Cam Charlton
Managing Director of Kleinhardt Pty Ltd

Cam Charlton is Managing Director of Kleinhardt Pty Ltd, a corporate advisory firm, specialising in strategic and business planning for business and industry, and in regional economic development.

His current JCU appointments include: Deputy Chancellor; Chairman of Audit Risk and Compliance Committee; Chairman JCU Enterprises Pty Ltd; Member of Chancellors Committee; Member of the Board of Directors of James Cook University Singapore Pte Ltd and Member of JCU Singapore Finance and Risk Management Committee.

His former JCU appointments include: Chairman James Cook Holdings Pte Ltd; Chairman Futures Committee; Team Leader in acquisition of minority shareholder equity in James Cook University Singapore; Chairman of Faculty of Law Business and Creative Arts Review Committee (2009) (inaugural faculty review); Member of Appeals Panel Committee; Member of Strategy Committee; Member of Finance Committee; Member Vice Chancellors Cairns Advisory Committee (mid 2000’s) and Chair Centre for East and South East Asian Studies (circa late 1990’s).

Cam has extensive commercial experience throughout Australia, South East Asia, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea and Russia. Cam is also a Director of the Cowboys Rugby League Club and a former Director of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland.

Cam graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1977 and with a Bachelor of Laws in 1980. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an accredited consultant with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Cam is a retired fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Management Consultants in Australia, and the Australian Institute of Management.

Professor Maree Dinan-Thompson
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Education

Over a period of more than 20 years at James Cook University Maree has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of innovative, contemporary, and authentic curriculum, assessment and course design which has drawn both her students and colleagues into a heightened level of engagement and transformation in teaching and learning.

Maree's curriculum expertise forms a strong part of her research focus on health and physical education curriculum, curriculum change, and assessment literacy. In more recent times Maree has engaged in research on Indigenous games and their cultural significance to stakeholders.

Maree's learning and teaching expertise has led to senior management roles at James Cook University. From 2017-2020 Maree undertook the Dean, Learning, Teaching and Student Engagement, and followed to the DVC Students role in 2020, and then DVC Education in 2022.  Maree's research interests on curriculum, assessment, student success, and health promotion provides foundation to valuing students, valuing educators, and enabling capability building.

Ms Patricia Claire Brand
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Services and Resources

Ms Patricia Claire Brand (Tricia) is the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Services and Resources Division at James Cook University and a member of the University Executive and the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Committee.

Tricia heads a Division that is responsible for the University’s Financial and Business Services, Planning, Performance and Analytics, Estate, Human Resources, Technology Solutions, the Discovery Rise Development, retail and commercial developments, Work Health and Safety and Student Accommodation.

Tricia is a Director of a number of companies, including Director, Tropical Queensland Centre of Oral Health Pty Ltd; Director, CPB Pty Ltd ATF The CPB Trust; Director, JCU Health Pty Ltd; Director, James Cook Holdings Pte Ltd (Singapore);  Director, James Cook University Pte Ltd (Singapore); Chair, Finance Committee – a sub-committee of James Cook University Pte Ltd (Singapore); Director, Finance Committee, a sub-committee of the Townsville Health & Hospitals Board; Director, Foundation for Australian Literary Studies; and Trustee, Roderick Trust.

Tricia has over 30 years’ experience in the higher education sector, the majority of which has been operating at senior executive and management levels. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and postgraduate qualification of CPA and is a Fellow of CPA Australia, Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.

Professor Stephen Naylor
Chair of Academic Board

Professor Stephen Naylor is currently the Chair of Academic Board for James Cook University and has been an active participant in education, teaching & learning and the creative arts for more than 35 years. He has worked in high schools, TAFE and for the last 20 years he has worked in the University sector including four years in Singapore as the Campus Dean for JCU Singapore. He has fulfilled roles of leadership in each sector - driving curriculum, quality assurance, policy development, staff management, professional development and research agendas.

His creative arts background drove his professional practice for more than 20 years where he worked in the area of furniture design, alternative building mediums, painting and contemporary sculpture. Since that time he has focused on research into Australian contemporary creative arts and international exhibition platforms. This research culminated in his Ph.D. project, Australian Contemporary Arts from the Outside in - A spatial analysis of Australia’s representation at the Venice Biennale 1954-2003 and has seen him as an active arts reviewer for a variety of Australian journals. His Routledge monograph entitled The Venice Biennale and the Asia-Pacific in the Global Art World, will be published in July 2020.

More recently his research has focused upon an understanding of a sense of place within the tropical region, especially in the area of tropical architecture. He has received funding grants from the Queensland government to stage research into architecture in North Queensland which resulted in major exhibition held at Pinnacles Gallery (Townsville) in 2009 and a symposium probing the issues of appropriate domestic housing design in North Queensland.

In parallel to his work in the creative arts he has maintained a strong link with pedagogy in higher education. He has presented numerous papers at conferences reviewing curriculum design and more recently the use of the study tour as an alternative pedagogy. He has worked on a number of boards, has been a curriculum adviser for the Queensland Government in higher education and currently serves on the Review Board for TEQSA Panel of Experts Australia.

Whilst undertaking roles in senior management Professor Naylor supervises post graduate candidates in the broad area of the creative arts and the intersection between business and teaching & learning.

Professor Abhishek Singh Bhati
Campus Dean and Head (Singapore), Learning, Teaching and Student Engagement

Professor Abhishek Singh Bhati is the Campus Dean of JCU Singapore. As Campus Dean JCU Singapore, he contributes to JCU’s Tropical Asian initiatives. His efforts guide the learning and teaching and academic governance of programs offered in JCU Singapore. In support of JCU’s strategic intent to create a brighter future for life in the tropics world-wide, Abhishek is responsible for delivering graduates and building strategic partnerships that make a difference.

Prior to coming to JCU Singapore, Professor Abhishek was Course Director of TMC Business School Singapore (2001 – 2008) and was responsible for Monash University and Deakin University programs offered in Singapore. His professional career started in 1997, in a public listed organization where he was responsible for sales & marketing and business development of 9 branch offices. His extensive work experience provides a rich exposure to higher education and business issues in domestic and international context. Professor Abhishek obtained his PhD in Tourism Management from James Cook University (2014), MBA in Marketing Management from Maastricht School of Management (1996) and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Bombay (1994). In addition, he obtained post graduate learning and teaching qualifications, Graduate Certificate in Education (Tertiary teaching) and Advance Certificate in Training and Assessment, to develop expertise in learning and teaching in higher education. Professor Abhishek sits on the management committee of Australian Alumni Singapore (AAS). He serves as a member of the WIL SIG under Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) and is a member of the JCU Teaching and Learning Academy.

Professor Abhishek is an active researcher and his research has been published in a wide variety of reputable publications in the field of tourism and scholarship of learning and teaching. He has been successful in securing collaborative grant with Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT), Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), external industry grants and several internal research grants. His current research interest is tourist behaviour management, resilience planning and scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Mr. Andrew Chew
Chief Commercial Officer
Chairman, James Cook Institute

Andrew is Chief Commercial Officer and a member of Executive Management at James Cook University (JCU), Singapore.  Concurrently he is Chairman of the board of directors of its wholly-owned subsidiary, James Cook Institute.  As Chief Commercial Officer of JCU Singapore, he is responsible for commercial strategy, marketing, external relations and growth of the organisation.  He spearheaded JCU’s entry into Continuing Professional Development (CPD) via the set-up of James Cook Academy and its acquisition of Eagle Infotech in 2021.  Subsequently he led the transformation and rebrand of Eagle Infotech to James Cook Institute, and the consolidation of James Cook Academy’s activities under this Institute.  James Cook Institute is a Registered Training Provider (RTP) with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).  Offering a suite of technology and soft skill courses, James Cook Institute helps to equip around 7,000 learners per year with the capability to navigate a rapidly-evolving workplace.

Initially Andrew started his career in Melbourne in management consulting and auditing with BDO Chartered Accountants and Consultants.  Since then Andrew has worked in a variety of roles in hotel revenue management, property development, and education and training.  He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with double major in Accounting and Management from Monash University, and Master of International Tourism and Hospitality Management from James Cook University with Academic Medal.

Andrew is Chair of the Sustainability Interest Group, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC).  He represents JCU on the Management Committee of Singapore Association for Private Education (SAPE) and serves on the Council of Advisors to Australian Alumni Singapore (AAS).  Andrew is also a member of Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) and Australian Chamber of Commerce, Singapore (AustCham).

Professor May Tan-Mullins
Dean International and Chief Sustainability Officer

Professor May Tan-Mullins is Dean International and Chief Sustainability Officer at James Cook University (JCU), Singapore. She was the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning with the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Director of multiple CEEC think tanks in China. She also worked in Durham University, UK and National University of Singapore. In addition, she is a recipient of the esteemed Camellia Friendship Award from the Ningbo government, China, in 2018 and Westlake Friendship Award from Zhejiang provincial government, China, in 2020.

May Tan-Mullins’s research interests are political ecology of rising China, environmental and energy justice, poverty alleviation and building resilience for the poorest and most vulnerable in the Tropics. Based on her expertise in various international development and human security issues, she was a consultant for the UNDP, National Bureau of Asian Research (US), Revenue Watch Institute (US) and the Chinese government. Professor May Tan-Mullins was also awarded the prestigious global Rockefeller Bellagio writing residency in Bellagio Centre, Lake Como in Italy. Some of her most current research projects is with the University of Nottingham UK and University of Philippines on ‘Poverty Alleviation in Post Typhoon Yolanda’ awarded by ESRC-DFID (2015-2018) and another project by the Research Council of Norway on the topic of ‘Roads to Power? The Political Effects of Infrastructure Projects in Asia (2021-2024).