12th LKYGBPC Category Judges

Dr. Lee Shiang Long is the Group Chief Technology & Digital Officer at ST Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses. Earlier, he had roles as President, Land Systems at ST Engineering with US$1B turnover; Executive Director for A*STAR-Institute for Infocomms Research; and SAF Chief Information Officer. 

He is currently an Adjunct Research Professor in NUS and a member of NUS College of Design and Engineering Advisory Board. He had held memberships at the NTU Board of Trustees, National Library Board, Singapore Polytechnic Board and Civil Service College Board. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from NTU, MBA from Cambridge University, and a Master of IT from NUS. 

Dr LEE Shiang Long
Group Chief Technology & Digital Officer Chief Technology Officer, Defence & Public Security
ST Engineering

Mr Jonathan Cheng is the Chief Technology Officer at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Jonathan has accumulated over 15 years of experience across roles in policy development and research & innovation, including a stint at the National Research Foundation (NRF). He organises various programmes and forges meaningful partnerships on the Innovation & Technology (I&T) front that can raise safety, productivity and sustainability outcomes in Singapore's Built Environment sector.

Jonathan CHENG
Chief Technology Officer
Building and COnstruction Authority (BCA)

Mario is a senior energy transition executive with significant experience developing and investing in energy infrastructure projects.

Prior to Breakthrough Energy, Mario was with Chicora Energy, an energy transition investment platform he co-founded focused on Latin America. Before Chicora, Mario was with Macquarie Capital serving as a Managing Director and Head of Latin America Energy Principal Investments Origination. Prior to Macquarie, Mario was the CFO for Trafigura’s US$1 billion Colombia fluvial logistics project. Mario also worked for several international financial firms, including ING Capital and Syncora Guarantee.

Mario was a management consultant before obtaining his Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College. Over the course of his career, Mario has worked in different cities across the world, including New York, Geneva, Amsterdam and Bogotá.

Mario Fernandez
Vice President, Head of Catalyst
Breakthrough Energy

Cyril is a General Partner at SOSV and the founder/MD of HAX.

He is an experienced investor in deep tech (250+) and has invested globally. 

Board member/advisor to a few startups including Formlabs, AngelList, Adoreme (ACQ: VSCO), Collaborate (ACQ: CISCO), Hackster (ACQ: AVNET), Dispatch Robotics (ACQ: AMZN), Makeblock, Yeelight, Particle, Opentrons, Bartesian, Avidbots and Simbe Robotics.

Popular speaker at international events (TC Disrupt, Collision, Pioneers, MIT Forum, etc...) and Universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley, etc...) and author of dozens of articles on topics such as technology, robotics, health and crowdfunding. Featured in The Economist, Popular Mechanics, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, Wired, BBC and more.

Cyril EBERSWEILER
General Partner at SOSV and the Founder/MD of HAX

A visionary leader and entrepreneur with a unique ability to connect the dots across diverse industries—construction, finance, and agriculture. As the Founder and CEO of BECO Ventures, Ben is pioneering the integration of cutting-edge technology and data analytics to optimise resource use and production efficiency. His journey includes co-founding and leading Sustenir, Asia's first high-tech vertical farm, which marked a significant leap in sustainable agriculture. Ben's expertise also extends to finance, where he led groundbreaking digital banking transformations at Citibank. With a solid foundation in construction, exemplified by his role in the iconic Marina Bay Sands project, Ben brings a comprehensive perspective to sustainable growth and innovation, consistently delivering transformative solutions across ecosystems.

Benjamin SWAN
Founder / CEO
BECO Ventures

Daniel Tay is VP of the Emerging Technology group at Temasek, where he focuses on deep tech investments in Materials and Energy Transition Technologies. His investment portfolio covers critical areas such as next-generation batteries, green steel production, next-gen solar photovoltaics, plastic recycling, AI for Materials Discovery and carbon capture technologies. Daniel earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the National University of Singapore and furthered his academic journey with a post-doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences at A*STAR. He later completed an MBA at Nanyang Business School (NTU), equipping him with a blend of scientific expertise and business acumen. Prior to joining Temasek, Daniel was Director at A*STAR where he led efforts to translate A*STAR-developed technologies into new ventures.

Daniel TAY
Vice President, Emerging Technology
Temasek

Dr. Claus Rettig is the regional president of Evonik Asia Pacific since July 1 st , 2022. As a member of the extended executive board of Evonik Industries AG with general power of attorney, Dr. Rettig is responsible for driving the company's growth plan in Asia and making sure that Evonik is present on the ground with modern production and a strong research and development footprint. 

With extensive experience in the international chemical markets and deep knowledge about the chemical industry in Asia, Dr. Rettig has played a pivotal role in realizing several strategic investments in the region. 

Dr. Rettig, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, began his career in Huls AG, one of Evonik's predecessor companies in 1987. He worked in South Africa and Japan respectively to oversee business strategies and operations for the company. In 2003, he returned to Germany as the President of the former Degussa Care Specialties Business Unit, and continued with various executive roles. In 2015, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Management Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, before moving to his role in 2020 as the President of Smart Materials division of Evonik. Dr. Rettig is also appointed as a Board Member to the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) since February 2024.

Dr. Claus RETTIG
President Asia Pacific, Associate Member of the Executive Board
Evonik Industries AG

Karen Ng is an experienced energy and sustainability leader with over 15 years of experience across startups, government-linked organisation and multi-national companies. She brings a strong blend of business and technical expertise, having led innovation consulting projects focused on emerging technologies and new business models. Karen has mentored numerous startups and is passionate about supporting founders driving the region’s energy transition and low-carbon future.

Karen NG
Chief of Staff
ENGIE Southeast Asia

Catia Cesari is the Managing Partner of Volta Circle, the early-stage investment platform of the single-family office of the Lohia Family, who are the largest shareholders of Indorama Venture Ltd. Volta Circle is focused on technologies enabling the circular economy and regenerative systems. 

 Additionally, she is a non-executive board member of companies operating in the consumer industry.   

 Previously, Catia was SVP Corporate Development of Coty, a NYSE listed company, belonging to JAB Holding, where Catia held multiple executive roles.  

Instrumental in the creation of Gucci Group (renamed Kering), Catia co-lead the acquisitions of multiple iconic brands such as Boucheron, Bottega Veneta, and  Balenciaga.   

Catia started off at General Electric, where she was involved in structuring complex transactions and in integrating newly acquired businesses as part of the GE Corporate M&A team in the US.  

 An art lover originally from Florence, she currently resides in Geneva.  

Catia CESARI
Managing Partner
Volta Circle

As Chief Sustainability Officer of A*STAR, Prof Yeoh is responsible for the strategic positioning of A*STAR’s capabilities and curation of A*STAR’s contributions to address national demands and opportunities in sustainability. He represents and promotes A*STAR as a leading organisation for sustainable solutions and technology development globally. He led the design and development of a modular decarbonisation translational testbed that will transform the manufacturing processes of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. 

Prior to that, Prof Yeoh worked in National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, as Senior Director, Urban Solutions and Sustainability where he was responsible for developing R&D strategy and managing Singapore’s national R&D programmes in urban systems to meet national needs in areas such as energy, water, and land & liveability. Prof Yeoh also initiated our national decarbonisation R&D strategy to support the energy transition towards a low-carbon future and achieve Singapore’s decarbonisation goals. 

Prof Yeoh spent 30 years in DSTA where he worked on large scale systems engineering projects in command and control systems, and as a systems architect in integrated defence systems. He developed the systems architecting methodology framework that guided programme managers frame systems solutions. As an active systems architect, he continues to develop case studies in architecting communications system, education system, water system, energy system, as well as urban system. 

 As an adjunct professor in NUS, he conducted systems thinking and architecting for the Young Engineers Leadership Programme since 2015 and had trained more than 800 young engineers. 

 Prof Yeoh has been active in the Singapore engineering professional and academic circles. He served as the President of the Institution of Engineers (IES) from 2018 to 2020 and is currently a Chartered Engineer, Chairman of Awards Committee and Emeritus President of the Institution. Prof Yeoh served also as the President of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), Singapore Chapter from 2009 to 2011, and in 2009, he was conferred a Fellow of INCOSE, the first such Fellow in Singapore, for his contributions and achievements through technology, leadership, and teaching systems engineering. 

Prof Yeoh received his Bachelor of Science (with Honours) and Master of Science degrees from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1983 and 1987 respectively. He further obtained two Masters (with distinction) in 1990 and a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 1997 from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). He attended the Program for Management Development at Harvard University in 2003. 

Prof Yeoh is a recipient of the Singapore Public Administration Medal in 2001 (Bronze) and 2008 (Silver). He was conferred the Defence Technology Prize in 1992, 2004 and 2007, the last of which was an individual award for C4I development, large scale systems engineering and technology leadership. 

Prof Yeoh recently received the prestigious IES/IEEE Joint Medal of Excellence Award on 15 Oct 2024 from Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). 

Prof. YEOH Lean Weng
Chief Sustainability Officer
Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR)

As Chief Impact Officer, Sugandhi leads the firm’s approach towards assessing, measuring, consolidating and driving impact outcomes across its portfolio companies, in order to deliver measurable, positive impact alongside compelling financial returns. She also invests for the firm in South and South East Asia. 

With over 20 years of investing experience in South and Southeast Asia, Sugandhi was previously Director of Investment at LeapFrog Investments, a billion-dollar impact fund focused on financial inclusion. In her previous role, Sugandhi led and oversaw investments in financial services businesses in Indonesia and India. Prior to impact investing, she focused on Southeast Asia mid-market private equity at emerging markets investor Actis. Sugandhi began her investing journey as a member of the Financial Services team in Temasek Holdings. 

An experienced board member, Sugandhi has held board directorships in companies operating across different countries, including India, Thailand, and Indonesia. She currently sits on the board of Cropin, a global artificial intelligence and data-led agri-tech organization based in India; HCAH India, a leading rehab & recovery care provider in India and the Enterprise Board of the Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Singapore Management University. Beyond her board roles, Sugandhi is also actively involved in several investment communities where she holds leadership roles. As Co-Chair of the Impact Principles’ Regional Committee, Sugandhi promotes impact investing in Asia through roundtables, webinars, thought leadership, and engagement with key ecosystem stakeholders. Her role helps foster alignment in impact methodologies and facilitates the adoption of best practices across the region, where she actively shapes impact measurement and management standards. 

Sugandhi is an advocate of gender equality and actively commits time to mentor women entrepreneurs as well as women-led ventures. She believes that access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship is the key to elevating lives and livelihoods. 

Sugandhi holds a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (India), and a Bachelor of Engineering from Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Baroda (India). 

Sugandhi Matta
Chief Impact Officer
abc IMPACT

Professional Career

• 1982-1990 Project leader of a B-meson factory at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
• 1989-2014 Professor of physics at ETH Zürich
• 1995-1997 Spokesman of the international collaboration H1 at DESY, Hamburg
• 1998-2002 Deputy Director and Head of Department Particles and Matter at PSI
• 2002-2007 Director of PSI (national lab)
• 2007-2014 President of ETH Zürich
• 2008-2018 Vice President of the Venture Foundation
• 2015-2025 President of the Foundation Swiss Youth in Science (science competition) Memberships (shortlist)
• 2007-2019 Member of the Governing Board of Belenos Clean Power Holding AG
• 2014- Member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences
• 2015- Member of the Board of Councillors of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan

Prof. Ralph EICHLER
Professor Emeritus
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

As Global Chief Technology Officer, Senior Vice President, Technology Services, Rowena Yeo is responsible for delivering technology solutions and operational excellence for Johnson & Johnson globally. Rowena, Johnson & Johnson’s first woman and Asian CTO, leads Technology Services, an organization that directly enables J&J’s growth, innovation, and agility, enabling the technology foundation and capabilities required to improve healthcare outcomes. Rowena has been instrumental in the transformation of the Technology Services organization. She has extensive experience leading the strategic direction for technologies, driving innovation and business priorities, as well as creating value for the employees, patients, and customers we serve. 

Rowena serves on J&J’s Global Technology Leadership Team, helping translate business priorities and challenges into technology solutions. She is also a founding member of J&J’s Global Data Science Council and continues to serve on the council representing the Technology function. 

Rowena joined J&J in 2016 as Vice President, CIO Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Asia Pacific. In that role, she led the strategic direction of technology to support business objectives in the region. By fostering collaboration among J&J business partners and the broader technology organization, Rowena and her team established digital and technology platforms that enabled next-generation digital capabilities in the region. 

Rowena offers a wealth of experience, having spent more than 21 years at Cargill, Inc., which she joined in 1994. During that time, she held various regional and global leadership roles with increasing responsibilities before serving concurrently as the Global Group CIO for Cargill Agricultural Trading and Processing Sector and Asia Pacific Regional CIO. At Cargill, Rowena built and developed both the Global and Regional IT teams, established technology strategies and capabilities, and led Cargill through various transformations that enabled Cargill’s growth. Before Cargill, Inc., Rowena had a successful career with IBM Singapore. 

Rowena’s experience in technology and business spans more than three decades in various global, regional, and business roles. She has lived abroad in North America and has travelled extensively across the globe. This has empowered her to successfully lead and collaborate with diverse global teams and business partners. Rowena has received various industry recognition and awards for her leadership and contributions throughout her career. 

A native Singaporean, Rowena earned her Bachelor of Engineering Honors Degree from the National University of Singapore. Rowena actively champions diversity, equity and inclusion and women’s leadership. Rowena is a member of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and serves on J&J’s Winning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design (WiSTEM2D) Global Steering Committee and actively sponsors the Asia Pacific WiSTEM2D Committee. She is also a board member of the Singapore Central Provident Fund Board. 

Rowena is married with three daughters and enjoys music, reading, building LEGO, and searching for otters in her free time. 

Rowena Yeo
Global Chief Technology Officer and SVP, Technology Services
Johnson & Johnson

Dr. Yiran Lu, Vice President of Investment at Granite Asia, has over 10 years of experience in investment and R&D in the fields of technology and sustainability. He entered the venture capital industry in 2019 and has worked as an investor at Granite Asia and SummitView Capital. To date, he has invested in nearly 20 companies.  

Prior to his investment career, he had 6 years of experience in materials research and development, working at companies including Philips North America.  

Dr. Lu holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Brown University and a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Tsinghua University. 

Yiran LU
Vice President of Investment
Granite Asia