Boonyarit Kalayanamit, Secretary-General Office of Trade Competition Commission
Mr. Kalayanamit is the Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce who is required by the newly amended Thai Trade Competition Act to act as Secretary-General of the Trade Competition Commission until a new SG is appointed by the new Commission. In 2014-2015, he undertook the post of DG for Internal Trade and had experience in undertaking his responsibilities as the SG under the old competition law.
He has a rich background in international trade with his previous positions as Director-General of the Trade Negotiations Department, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the World Trade Organization, and Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Trade Department. He has contributed his expertise and well-roundedness in international trade in his work at the Internal Trade Department as well as the Office of Trade Competition Commission. |
Mrs. Surangkana Wayuparb Executive Director and CEO, Electronic Transactions Development Agency (EDTA)
Mrs. Surangkana Wayuparb is currently the Executive Director and CEO of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (Public Organization) or ETDA, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, a primary government agency responsible for promoting electronic transactions while ensuring a secure environment for conducting online business. In addition to leading the ETDA since its establishment in 2011, Mrs. Wayuparb has been an active member of the National Legislative Assembly since September 2014. Her background as a lawyer in the private sector and past experience as the Director of the Law Department at the National Science and Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Science and Technology and advisory role at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology on electronic transactions policy development and at the Electronic Transactions Commission on legal and information and security issues provides unique insights and strengthens her leadership of ETDA. During her 2-term administration spanning a 6-year period, ETDA has proposed a number of important legislative bills to the government to support digitization in Thailand, published e-transaction standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability within industries, and provided a range of critical security services through the ETDA Security Office and ThaiCERT. Currently, she is leading the e-Tax invoice and e-ID initiatives to support the government’s Digital Thailand 4.0 transformation. In the international arena, she is currently Chairperson of the Asia PKI Consortium and presides over the Thailand PKI Association. |
Jean Chong, Vice President, General Counsel, Asia Pacific and Assistant Compliance & Ethics Officer ON Semiconductor Jean Chong has more than 20 years of solid APAC in-house experience. A seasoned in-house practitioner, she is currently the Vice President, General Counsel, Asia Pacific and Assistant Compliance and Ethics Officer, for ON Semiconductor – a 2016, 2017 and 2018 recipient of World’s Most Ethical Company®. In her current role, she is responsible for managing a wide spectrum of regular contracts review and drafting, law suits, strategizing and executing corporate policies and initiatives as well as bridging government relations and government affairs activities for the region. In her Compliance and ethics role, she works closely with the company’s network of Compliance and Ethics Liaisons across the region and she has conducted significant amounts of C&E investigations including some highly complex and sensitive matters where forensic investigators are engaged. Jean is energetic and has broad management experience. Her prior experience includes retail, banking, engineering and consultancy sectors. |
Dr. Oliver Massmann, Partner Duane Morris LLP Dr. Oliver Massmannis an International Attorney at Law and a Financial Accountant and Auditor. He received his PhD with Major in International Business Law from the European Global School in Paris. Heis the General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC and has more than 20 years of experience working as a commercial lawyer in Vietnam and 5 years in Myanmar. He is registered Arbitrator of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (The VIAC). He is the only foreign lawyer in Vietnam who is presenting to the National Assembly of Vietnam in Vietnamese language and teaching International law in Vietnamese language at the Ministry of Justice in Hanoi. Dr. Massmann is Board Member of German Business Association (GBA), Adjunct Professor at the FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY of Vietnam and the only foreign lawyer as Member to the Supervisory Board of PetroVietnam Insurance Corporation, Vietnam's largest industrial insurer. Hehas been awarded "Leading Lawyer" in Mergers and Acquisitions in Vietnam by LEGAL 500 for the last four years in a row. He practices in the area of corporate international taxation and on power/water projects, matters related to oil and gas companies and telecoms, privatization and equitisation, mergers and acquisitions, and general commercial matters for multinational clients in relation to investment and doing business in Vietnam and Myanmar. He is currently working on several investment projects as well as taxation matters and advising the Ministry of Electrical Power on building the power generation infrastructure in Myanmar. He is holding a German Judge Degree and has worked as arbitrator in International Arbitration and Mediation centers in Asia and Europe during the last 20 years. He is a 1994 graduate of Bochum Law University, first state exam and Ministry of Justice, Duesseldorf Germany, second state exam 1997. He is holding a LLM degree in international taxation from St. Thomas University Florida- United State of America. He is certified as International Financial Accountant and Auditor by College of Birmingham. He is admitted to the Bar Association in Berlin and a licensed foreign lawyer in Vietnam. |
Athistha Chitranukroh, Partner Tilleke & Gibbins Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh is a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group. She is a highly regarded insurance specialist with expertise across a broad range of corporate and commercial matters. She leads the firm’s non-contentious insurance practice and counsels domestic and multinational clients on corporate, commercial, and regulatory issues within the insurance sector. As part of Tilleke & Gibbins’ insurance group in the Indochina region, she provides advice on regulatory compliance, policy wording and drafting, and underwriting risk assessment. She advises on the insurance and commercial aspects of market entry, regional operations, distribution and commercial agreements, strategic transactions, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and employment, among other areas. Prior to joining Tilleke & Gibbins, she served as Senior Vice President – General Counsel at American International Group (AIG), where she oversaw all operations within the legal department in Thailand. She was responsible for a wide range of legal and regulatory issues in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia and led significant restructuring, business expansion, and shared service projects. Before joining AIG Thailand, she was a Counsel Member of the AIG Asia-Pacific – Regional Legal Team based in Singapore. She previously worked in private practice for a number of years at one of the world's largest law firms based in Bangkok. She is ranked as a leading insurance lawyer in Chambers Asia-Pacific 2018. She is a legal advisor to the Thai General Insurance Association – Legal & Compliance Committee, and a member of the advisory board of Insurtech Asia. |
Alongkorn Tongmee, Attorney-at-Law Tilleke & Gibbins Alongkorn Tongmee is an Attorney-at-Law in the Tilleke & Gibbins dispute resolution department. He provides pre-litigation advice concerning various legal issues and represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil and criminal cases related to contracts, wrongful acts, family disputes, business reorganisation and bankruptcy, and immigration and work permit matters. He is a well-rounded attorney, having previously practiced with the firm’s corporate and commercial team. In this capacity, he handled corporate matters and advised on business establishment, commercial agreements, family matters, and applications for visas, permanent residence permits, and work permits. He has completed the Barrister-at-Law requirements of the Institute of Legal Education, Thai Bar Association. |
Amrish Ritoe, Senior Legal Counsel Engie Asia Pacific Co., Ltd Amrish holds a Masters degree in Law from the University of Leiden (the Netherlands) with a major in Law and a minor in Economics. After working as a legal consultant at Price Waterhouse Coopers’ Legal Advisory department, he joined the Tata Steel Nederland (“TSN”) where he held a combined role of legal advisor and secretary to the board of the TSN’s pension fund for three years. Aspiring a career in the energy industry, he joined ENGIE’s Exploration & Production international business unit (“ENGIE EPI”) in the Netherlands in 2009 where he provided legal advice on all types of agreements required to bring gas produced from the North Sea to the Dutch market. In 2012 he moved to Paris (France) to work for ENGIE EPI at ENGIE’s global HQ where he spent four years mostly working on M&A projects. Since his arrival in Bangkok in 2016, Amrish has contributed by bringing a 55 MW wind park project in Mongolia to a financial close, has conducted a feasibility study on the legal and regulatory requirements to bring electrical vehicles to Bangkok and has closed the acquisition of a stake in UNABIZ (Singapore’s first licensed Internet of Things network operator). He is currently the legal advisor in a project to develop a 75 MW biomass plant in Japan. |
David Lawrence Senior Legal Counsel, Sri Trang Agro-Industry David is Senior Legal Counsel for Sri Trang Agro-Industry, a global leader in the natural rubber business. Prior to joining Sri Trang, he was a Senior Consultant in the Dispute Resolution Department of Tilleke & Gibbins, a leading Southeast Asian law firm. He studied Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and worked as a researcher at the U.S.E.P.A. and a toxic gas research chemist for Matheson Tri-Gas, a subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Sanso, prior to attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently in the final term of earning his MBA at Sasin Graduate Institute of Management in Bangkok.
He moved to Thailand in 2010 from Illinois, where he maintains his licensure, and practiced civil litigation at a boutique firm in suburban Chicago. Since moving to Thailand, he has primarily focused on resolving disputes for MNCs doing business regionally as well as growing a substantial regional hospitality practice. |
Dr. Tanit Follett, Head of Legal & Compliance Ascend Group Dr.Tanit has been Group Head of Legal & Compliance of Ascend Group, a parent company of True Money, Thailand’s leading provider of e-money since 2015. In his position, he oversees group’s legal and compliance issues ranging from e-lending, e-commerce, logistics & warehouse, telecommunications, broadcasting, merger and acquisitions, business and ICT laws. He has extensive professional experience in structuring and drafting fintech agreements, telecom agreements and commercial agreements, and advising on telecom litigation. He currently represents Thailand e-Payment Association consisting of non-bank providers in drafting fintech law and participating in national digital ID platform, a public and private joint project to support ease of doing business. His academic background is law. He holds an LL.M (Master of Laws) in business and cyberspace law from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a J.S.D. (Juridical Science Doctor) in telecommunications law and policy from University of California Berkeley. |
Joe Tomkiewicz, General Counsel Chevron Asia South, Ltd. Joe Tomkiewicz is the General Counsel for Chevron Asia South, Ltd. and his career in the oil and gas industry has taken him to various locations around the world including Washington D.C., New York City, Miami, Houston, Riyadh, Doha, Dhaka, Lagos and Bangkok. He is currently overseeing lawyers and staff throughout countries in Asia. In addition, he is also a director at CUEL, a topside fabrication company, headquartered and operated in Thailand. He holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Masters in Law from Georgetown University and is admitted to practice law in the United States in Virginia and Louisiana. |
Sythan Prou, AVP, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Manulife, Cambodia Sythan Prou has more than 10 years of professional experience in the private sector, government and academia. He has joined Manulife Cambodia in April 2012 and established Legal & Compliance function for the Company. He plays a vital role in maintaining good relationship with the regulators and insurance association and shaping regulations in Cambodia. A part from regulatory affairs and industry lobbying, he is the Company Secretary and in charge of all legal affairs and compliance function. Prior to that, he worked in the Office of the Council of Ministers of the Cambodian Government in the areas of public administrative reform. He is a frequent speaker in international conferences, lecturer in universities and has written articles in international publication. In 2015, he was awarded a prestigious Star of Excellence of Manulife Asia. In 2017, he graduated from Manulife’s well-crafted executive leadership program called IGNITE. In 2017, he also won Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyer of the Year - Cambodia from global publishing company, Finance Monthly. He holds a Master of International and Business Law from Yokohama National University, Bachelor of Law from Norton University and Diploma in Public Administration from Royal School of Administration. In 2011, he was selected as the Principal Debater representing Yokohama National University in International Moot Court Competition on WTO Law held in Taiwan. He is the member of the Bar Association of Cambodia. He is the Vice President of JICA Alumni of Cambodia (JICA-AC). He is also a member of International Bar Association (IBA) and the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA). |
Stephen Chojnacki, Chief Commerical Officer & General Counsel Minor International Public Company Limited Stephen Chojnackiis the Chief Commercial Officer and General Counsel of Minor International PCL. Prior to joining Minor International, he worked for the London-based law firm Linklaters in New York, Hong Kong and Bangkok for 9 years. He holds a Juries Doctor degree from University of Virginia and also Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Affairs, Economies and Law from University of Virginia. |
Joshua Parker, Senior Director and AGC, Ethics and Compliance –APAC Western Digital After spending most of his career practicing IP law (litigation, patent prosecution, and transactional IP) and handling commercial transactions, Josh accepted responsibility for Western Digital’s Ethics and Compliance program in Asia-Pacific in early 2017. In his current role, he leads an APAC-based team of attorneys and professionals who help Western Digital mitigate risk, promote long-term financial success and enhance Western Digital’s strong ethical culture. He thoroughly enjoys living in Thailand, where Western Digital employs nearly 30,000 employees, and which has proven to be an excellent base for his work throughout Asia. He studied Electrical Engineering at Brigham Young University and law at New York University, and he is a registered U.S. patent attorney. |
Florence Lomaglio, Director Group Legal Healthcare DKSH Florence is a dual-qualified lawyer from Switzerland and England and Wales. She has been practicing in Asia for 10 years. She worked 4 years in Tokyo, Japan and another 4 years in HCMC, Vietnam for established law firms, advising foreign investors. She conducted lobbying activities in Vietnam as vice-chairwoman of the European Chamber of Commerce Green Sector Committee. She relocated to Bangkok end of 2016 to join DKSH as Group legal head for the healthcare division. DKSH is a leading market expansion services provider for companies willing to grow their business in Asia. |
Bob Fox, Chairman, Digital Economy / ICT Group, Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce Thailand (JFCCT) and European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) Mr. Robert C. Fox (“Bob”) is the Chairman, Digital Economy / ICT group JFCCT (www.jfcct.org ) and EABC (www.eabc-thailand.eu). He is also the Regional Director Asia Pacific and in-house counsel for SPBTV Asia, a media services technology group. He was group CEO of one of Malaysia’s largest listed companies (a multi-service telecoms operator), regional director Asia Pac for business strategy and development for BT (British Telecom), regional director Asia Pac for a NASDAQ listed broadband services company and later a similar role for a US/Israeli consumer analytics company. He was one of the founders of Starhub Singapore, a member of the senior executive team to launch the UAE’s second telecoms operator (du), project director and main board (Council) member for Australia’s first and only full scale private university (now in its 29th year) and CEO of Australia’s first high end mail order company. He has been on the judging panel for several years for the prestigious Telecom Asia awards. He was with Baker & McKenzie as an attorney for some years in foreign investment, joint ventures and various cross-border issues. Formal qualifications include BA LLB (University of NSW), Masters from Stanford University Graduate School of Business; telecoms and IT management certifications; MSID. He is a THAC Mediator. |
Punnapat Luengtharthong, Head of Legal & Compliance BASF Punnapat takes charge of In-house counsel & Compliance Officer of BASF Group in Thailand. She joined BASF in June 2012 serving the company across legal, compliance and regulatory matters. She’s also responsible for legal and compliance in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. She started her career as a qualified lawyer in a law firm where she gained extensive experience in intellectual property and international trade laws. She spent her time as a legal practitioner for 8 years thereafter she decided to move to be an in-house counsel. Besides her current role in BASF, she is a member in European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) where she can contribute to the improvement of trade and investment for European companies in Thailand. |
Pajaree Thongvanit, Head of Legal CIMB Thai Bank Public Company Limited Pajaree is currently the Head of Legal at CIMB Thai Bank. She manages a team of counsels, litigation cases for CIMB Thai Bank. Prior before joining CIMB, she was the Head Corporate and Institutional and Commercial Banking Legal at Standard Chartered and an Associate with Clifford Chance Bangkok where she was in the Banking and Finance Practice Group. She primarily advises on financing transactions and derivatives. She advises on the ISDA Scheduling, CSA and structure products including structured notes and debentures. She also advises on financial market products including rates, FX, credit and structured funding.
She graduated from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand and holds an L.L.M/ ( Master of Laws) in International Finance from University of Warwick. |
Agatha Low, Legal Solutions Sales Specialist Thomson Reuters Agatha is a Legal Solutions Sales Specialist with Thomson Reuters, working with law firms and legal teams across the ASEAN market. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree from the National University of Singapore and is qualified as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, she was in practice and a litigation lawyer at one of Singapore’s Big Four law firms. |
