Executive Leadership

Cultivate a network that is built on mutual professional aspirations and personal ventures with other senior executives.

This confidential peer group brings together Executive leaders across different industries to form a collective network, to discuss and define best practices towards both daily challenges as well as strategic directions.The members of this group possess global and regional perspectives as they oversee most of their company activities within the areas of sales, business development, strategy, and innovation. The group shares their experience in areas ranging from strategy development to effective execution with a view to identifying “best practice” and creating “next practice”. See the interest list here.

From strategy development to effective execution, this is a peer group that will exchange ideas to identify the best practices for tomorrow.
The chair of the group is Jeffrey Ong. Jeff is a former Malaysian national swimmer who competed at two Olympics. Over the course of his 25-year professional career, he has worked in the media and events industries, sports marketing and human capital development.

Meet the group’s chair
and co-chair

More about Azlan Ismail

Azlan Ismail is the Director of the Strategic Change Management Office (SCMO) at MyDIGITAL. SCMO drives the change management and ensures the successful delivery of the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) and the National Fourth Industrial Revolution Policy (N4IRP). He was previously involved in startups, government linked companies and international consultancies with a key focus on talent management, strategic cultural change management and talent development across all levels. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Purdue University, Indiana, USA.

More about Dato’ Anusha Santhirasthipam

Dato’ Anusha Santhirasthipam is a globally recognized corporate strategist and pioneer of investor relations in Malaysia, with over 30 years of expertise in corporate governance, leadership resilience, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement. She advises government-linked corporations and high-net-worth family investment companies across Europe, Asia, and North America, focusing on strategic investments, sustainability, and global reputation management. She has guided governments and industry leaders on ESG initiatives, facilitated over 300 company listings across major stock exchanges, and coached 1,000+ boards on governance and sustainability. A global advocate for policy reforms and SDGs, she has worked with the UN and The World Bank on economic development and climate resilience.

From strategy development to effective execution, this is a peer group that will exchange ideas to identify the best practices for tomorrow.
The Chair of the Group is Tessie Lim. She is known for her work in coaching and training personal power and professional communication and is a self-actualisation coach. Her company World Center of Personal Excellence puts the subject of personal power front and centre of all the professional development work she does. At the core, is building a sense of ownership, responsibility, and inner authority. Her clients are mainly GLCs and multinational corporations.

Meet the group’s chair
and co-chair

More about Adam Wee Abdullah

Adam is an experienced veteran marketer and business leader with almost 35 years working in multi sectors including the Financial Services Industry, Property Development, Broadcast Subscription TV, Automotive as well as Media and Advertising. He has been in Senior Leadership Roles for 3 decades with the last 15 years in C-Suite positions in public-listed MNCs and GLCs. More recently, he served as the Group Chief Marketing Officer and double-hat as the Group Chief Customer Experience Officer of CIMB and Maybank Group with oversight responsibilities across all its operating market in ASEAN countries. His experience in regional marketing management with BMW Group covered responsibilities in 17 countries across India, China, South-East Asia and the South Pacific Island Nations. He is an advocate of Martech and modernizing marketing and is active as a speaker and thought leadership content contributor on the topic. Adam also serves as an Industry Advisory Board Member with Sunway University Business School and previously as APAC Advisory Board Member with Insider Global. Adam was previously a council member of Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) and an Executive Committee member of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). He is currently venturing in his own start-up, ExplorAR in the Tourism Tech vertical leveraging on AI, Multi Language Audio and Extended Reality.

More about Steve Abbiss

At TrickleStar, we make products that help people and businesses save money, optimise energy and protect their valuable electronics. My focus is on steering our global sales and marketing teams to surpass our strategic objectives and revenue targets. Our products have reached over 6.5 million households in North America, a testament to our trusted brand in energy efficiency. My role encompasses developing sales plans, penetrating new markets, and nurturing key client relationships to understand and meet their needs.

Previously, as VP at TechnipFMC, we secured headline projects totalling $60M worth of revenue of their life and captured key accounts worth over $20M for single project awards, demonstrating my proficiency in commercial negotiation and new business development. My commitment to diversity in leadership led to the development of graduate programs nurturing female talent, aligning with my dedication to fostering inclusive growth and safe, profitable operations.

From strategy development to effective execution, this is a peer group that will exchange ideas to identify the best practices for tomorrow.
This group is chaired by Dr. Rashad Yazdanifard . As an experienced academician and professional trainer cum consultant with undergraduate and postgraduate experience as well as soft skills and hard skills training

Meet the group’s chair
and co-chair

More about Dr. Pakea Nathan Chelliah

Dr. Pakea Nathan Chelliah, an esteemed CEO, Training Consultant, and Educator with over 30 years of expertise in education, training, and corporate management. He is renowned for his pioneering work in bancassurance and wealth management at Maybank Group, where he spearheaded innovative initiatives and achieved numerous industry firsts. Throughout his career, Dr. Pakea has demonstrated exceptional leadership, successfully leading business channels and training academies across various organizations, driving strategic planning, and fostering business innovation. As a visionary CEO of a private college, he expanded education and corporate certification programs, earning global recognition as a top training leader.

Dr. Pakea holds a diverse range of certifications and degrees, including expertise in e-Learning, Bancassurance, Wealth Management, and Strategic Leadership. He is widely respected as an international speaker and subject matter expert, captivating audiences with his insights and expertise. In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Pakea is deeply committed to community service, actively contributing to organizations such as the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and serving on committees and boards to promote social responsibility. His dedication to excellence, innovation, and social impact exemplifies his commitment to advancing education and uplifting communities.

More about Khaw Teik Thye

Khaw Teik Thye is an accomplished accounting professional with over 30 years of experience across diverse industries, including BPO firms, manufacturing, architecture, and plantations. He earned his ACCA associateship in 1996 and has been a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants since 1997. Khaw's expertise includes financial management and reporting, group consolidation, tax advisory, tax audit handling, HR and payroll advisory, and Business Continuity Management (BCM). He is an MIA Chartered Accountant (MIA 11616) and an SSM licensed company secretary (PC 202208000728).

He excels in process improvement and client sales interaction. Throughout his career, Khaw has been a key contact for BPO support and tax advisory for multinational corporations in Malaysia. He has stabilized a Malaysian manufacturing subsidiary after a senior staff loss, managed ERP systems, prepared multi-country reports, driven revenue and profit growth, overseen HR and administrative divisions, implemented IT projects, and supported strategic initiatives. He has also established managed shared service centres for large MNCs and public listed companies, enhancing organizational efficiency.

Peer Group Details

Confidential peer group with 30-35 members
6 Meetings per year
Multidisciplinary events and networking seminars
Access to a virtual global network with more than 16,000 members in 15 countries

To give you a feel of EGN, listen to how our members have benefited from their membership:

Frederic Maury

Executive Vice President Asia at Trigo Group

Horst Wasel

VP at Atlas Copco Holding SE-Asia & Oceania

Anand Sundaresan

Vice President APAC at DSM

Tony Khoo

CEO at EM Services Pte Ltd

Our networks operate within the following frameworks:

Join a group of six (6) peer group meetings each year for a half-day at a central Kuala Lumpur location (in-person and virtual options available) with dates set a year in advance.
You get access to weekly Cross-Functional events (interactive knowledge-sharing sessions that are held virtually), including focus groups on digital transformation, innovation, human capital, the future of works, developing markets, personal development, and networking evenings.
EGN provides an experienced and certified facilitator to run all aspects of the group and meetings.
The group has its own website with contact data, calendars, documents, presentations, and mail.

Frequently Asked Questions

An EGN membership varies in price, depending on your locality, seniority and the specific benefits applied to the EGN Group.
Our Network Advisors can help you find the right group based on your managerial level and professional needs.
Enter your contact info here and one of our Network Advisors will get back to you.
With the support of a professional network, you get the opportunity to exchange experience on a high professional level, strengthen and develop your own skills within management and specialised areas.
As a member of EGN, you get direct access to Top Executives, Business Leaders and Specialists in most parts of the world via our online Members’ Universe where you can ask questions, join debates and network with more than 15,000 other members.
Your personal EGN group represents a confidential forum where all ideas and challenges can be discussed with peers at your own, professional level. To ensure confidentiality, no competitors or significant customer relationships are allowed in the same group.
All our peer groups are managed by a professional and experienced EGN Chair, who facilitates and mentors the peer groups, ensures output both at and between meetings and focuses on your professional and managerial development.
We also offer events and seminars, networking tours, an Between Jobs Scheme, mentoring programmes, CEO coaching and much more.
Contact us for more information
You can apply for membership by filling out this form
When we have received your application, you will be contacted by a Network Advisor for a more in-depth interview to find the right peer group for your managerial level and/or professional need.
All candidates must be approved by both the Chair and specific peer group members before joining a group. This is done both to match relevant peers and also to avoid private friends, customer relationships and competitors being placed together in the same network group and to help facilitate honest and fruitful discussions.