[In-Person] Tricks of the Government Relations Trade

The regulatory environment in Asia-Pacific is becoming more and more complex. In order to help companies navigate this changing landscape, more and more companies are developing government relations teams. The typical requirements listed by recruiters are “understand government policies and how they will impact organizational operations”, “have a keen grasp on regional dynamics” and “maintain a good working relationship with the government”. The question remains – what does this mean, what do government relations professionals actually do, how can they effectively carry out these tasks and be seen more than just a cost centre?

Meet the Speakers

Daphne Au

SENIOR DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ASIA OF MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC. AND AMCHAM GOVERNOR

Daphne currently leads Micron’s Public Affairs function for the Asia region (based in Singapore), devoting her attention on strengthening ties with governments across Micron’s Asia operations, promoting public-private partnerships and supporting Micron’s broad agenda in the region including shaping policy framework in the region. She is passionate about furthering public policies that promote sustainability initiates and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Daphne held directorships in various AIG entities in the Middle East region and was appointed as director on the board of US-ASEAN Business Council in 2016. She is currently an elected Governor on the board of American Chamber of Commerce Singapore since 2018.

Prior to joining Micron, Daphne worked for AIG insurance for 11 years spanning across two regions and two key roles. Served as regional general counsel for Middle East & Africa and established the Government Affairs function for AIG in Asia Pacific upon returning to Asia.

Daphne is called to the High Court of Malaya as an advocate and solicitor and began her professional career in Malaysia as a practicing lawyer. She subsequently moved to Dubai to join a law firm as Senior Legal Consultant and lived in Dubai for about 7 years.

Daphne holds a Bachelors of Law degree (LL.B) with the University of London, certified Financial Accounting (Harvard Business School) and certificate in Artificial Intelligence: Business (MIT Sloan).

Jeth Lee

DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AT MICROSOFT

Jeth Lee is Microsoft Singapore’s Director of Legal and Government Affairs, and a member of its senior leadership team. He provides overall public policy, legal and compliance counsel for the organisation.

Jeth is passionate about democratising new technologies and empowering the way we interact in a trusted ecosystem. In his role, he is responsible for navigating complex legislative and regulatory environments across a wide range of critical issues, spanning artificial intelligence, cloud, privacy, sustainability and cybersecurity.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Jeth spent a decade in leadership and management roles at the Singapore Exchange (SGX), including as Head of Compliance and Lead Counsel. He carries extensive experience in the financial markets and specialises in cross-border regulatory reform.

Earlier in his career, Jeth practised securities law at Allen & Gledhill, a leading Singapore law firm. He engaged in capital market transactions and advisory work for the firm’s key clients.

Jeth read law at the National University of Singapore, where he was chief editor of the law review. He holds a master’s degree in corporate law from New York University, and is qualified as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore.

Chu Kee Lim

PUBLIC AFFAIRS LEAD FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND AT UPS

Chu Kee Lim is the UPS Public Affairs Lead for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand since June 2020. As a public policy and government affairs professional, Chu Kee engages with governments and other stakeholders in the region to advance trade facilitation, cross-border e-commerce, and MSME growth. He also oversees the development of UPS’s capacity building programs for small businesses across Southeast Asia to better unlock growth opportunities through trade and e-commerce.

Prior to joining UPS, Chu Kee was an Associate at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where he oversaw financial exchanges and financial market operators in Singapore and led policy reviews of regulatory requirements for local financial institutions. Chu Kee has also had previous experience as a Public Policy Consulting Analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, where he formulated evidence-based and data-driven solutions to drive socio-economic development.

Chu Kee graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Yinghui Tng

HEAD OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & PUBLIC POLICY, COMPUTE+ AT GOOGLE AND GOVERNMENT & REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Yinghui Tng is Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Southeast Asia at Google. She covers the product areas of Android, Chrome, Play, and hardware. In this role, she manages relationships with the government, develops engagement strategies to help resolve challenges and grow the business, and represents these product areas externally. Yinghui has been in the Government Affairs field for eight years. Prior to Google, she spent four years at FedEx leading the company’s efforts on policy and regulatory issues in Asia Pacific. She started her career in broadcast journalism at CNBC. Yinghui graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Political Science and holds a Masters of Arts in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at University of Denver.

Dheeman Vaidya

DIRECTOR FOR APAC COMMUNICATIONS OF MEDTRONIC

Dheeman has more than two decades of experience with award-winning track-record with expertise in Communications, Public Affairs, Market Access, Regulatory & Government Affairs, Marketing & Strategy across wide range of therapeutic areas in the fields of Medical Devices, Diagnostics & Pharmaceuticals. Dheeman is driving the APAC regional initiatives centered around Open Innovation & Digital Transformation, Public Affairs and Industry advocacy, in addition to the regional communications. Prior to the current role, he has worked with Stryker, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Bayer. Dheeman is a life science graduate with dual MBA in Marketing and International Business.

Join us as we learn from experienced government relation experts on the evolution and trends of government relations, regional affairs and public policy, the tricks of the trade, and how the role is becoming even more critical for organizations. There will also be networking with drinks afterwards, so please come to learn and connect!