As Deputy Dean at ESSEC Asia-Pacific, heading the campus in Singapore, Dr. Aarti Ramaswami co-creates and drives strategy implementation for academic and corporate initiatives in line with group strategy. She works with a fantastic diverse team across their 5 campuses in France, Morocco, and Singapore to provide exceptionally international and transformative leadership and educational experiences for our participants from around the world.

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As an academic, Aarti’s research focuses on systems used to identify, select, and develop managerial and executive talent, with a particular interest in career success, D&I, expatriation and international assignments, and cross-cultural management. Her research has appeared in top international peer-reviewed journals; she teaches and communicates evidence from research on various leadership and management topics to MBA, Executive Education, and Doctoral program participants.

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Aarti graduated with a PhD in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington. She has a highly international profile, having lived, and worked in India, USA, France, UAE, and now in Singapore.

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At Equity In Action, Aarti will deliver the invited keynote: Towards An Equitable Future.

Abam Mambo is an attorney, speaker and writer, and is Microsoft's new regional legal director for workplace investigations for Asia. For over 12 years, Abam has advised Fortune 500 executives on workplace issues, corporate compliance, and Inclusion & Diversity.

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Abam is a gifted storyteller and podcast host who brings passion, dynamism and a unique perspective to the stage. A prize-winning writer, Abam’s fiction, poetry and essays focus on voice, cultural silencing and identity. She is the founder and creative mind behind Mamatoktok - a media platform whose mission is to spark needed dialogues in workplaces and communities by inviting diverse perspectives.

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A prolific speaker, her talk on “Creating Your Seat at the Table” has nabbed almost 100,000 YouTube views. She also delivered a keynote address to Transparency International Asia, presented to the World Health Organization’s Africa Forum, and received a 2015 Rising Star Award from the National Employment Law Council. Her short stories and poetry have been published or are upcoming in Farafina, Awakened Voices, Wards, etc.

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Abam holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and is a mother of one fast-growing boy.

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At Equity in Action, Abam’s keynote is Some Women are More Equal Than Others.

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In assessing progress made so far in the fight against gender inequality, we must be aware of and discuss the fact that these gains disproportionately go to Caucasian and fair-skinned women. This begs the question – can we attain equity for all women when minority and darker-skinned women are not starting on an uneven playing field? And as men are called upon to be allies in the fight against gender inequality, what is the role of Caucasian and light-skinned women in ensuring a level playing field and that no woman is left behind.

Cindy Tien is a passionate speaker, trainer, and coach in building personal brand presence, emotional quotient, and social intelligence. 

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She believes that every individual should be an authentic personal brand of their own, and she takes pride in helping individuals elevate their ability to connect and influence others through their appearance, behaviour, and communication skills.

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Cindy’s motivation comes from her immense interest and study in human behaviour.  Having worked in corporate client-facing roles within various organizational structures in the last 20 years, she strongly believes that a well-lived life is one that is filled with true inner strength and confidence, and personal connections with others – resulting in success and lasting happiness.

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A lifelong learner, Cindy is certified in Image Management, Behavioural Consulting, and Emotional Intelligence. She is sought after as an authentic, fun and edgy influencer who brings results to the table. Besides being a member of Keynote Women Speakers, Cindy is also a Senior Consultant & Corporate Trainer at Imageworks, and an Executive Committee member of the Asia Professional Speakers Singapore (APSS).

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At Equity In Action, Cindy’s topic is Fight The Good Fight

How do we fight for a cause we believe in, in an increasingly noisy world? Instead of championing worthy causes or speaking up for the truth; we are caught up in the noise - lost and misguided, and we end up fighting for the wrong reasons. So when we fight, whose voice do we need to follow? Or more importantly, how do we “fight a good fight?” In this keynote, Cindy shares her personal story and practical ideas for us to step up as role models in championing worthy causes.

Dalia Feldheim is a passionate champion for people aspiring to maximise their potential. She draws on her extensive experience spanning 20 years in global roles in the US, Europe and Asia and across 4 different countries (Israel, Geneva, Moscow and Singapore), in Corporate Marketing , brand building, coaching and mindfulness to help people and organisations create a sustainable change.

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Dalia’s 20 year corporate career includes 17 years at P&G where she led some of the world’s most successful brand-building campaigns including the iconic ‘Always Like a Girl,’ and most recently as Chief Marketing Officer for Electrolux Asia. She has always been passionate about women empowerment and founded a women’s network for P&G in Moscow and Singapore. Her book ‘Dare to lead like a Girl’ is due out early next year sharing her insight on thriving as a woman in the corporate world.

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In 2018, Dalia decided to leave her corporate marketing career to establish her own Leadership Consultancy (Flow Leadership Consultancy) and focus full time on her passion for supporting leaders to impact change with greater Purpose, Joy and Mindful flow. On top of her consultancy, she has been invited to speak internationally (including TedX Israel) and is an adjunct professor at SMU on happiness and suffering. 

 

At Equity In Action, Dalia’s topic is Dare to Lead Like a Girl .

The world is undergoing a leadership crisis. It's no surprise that empathy and employee engagement in the workplace is down, and stress and burnout is up. We know empathy and compassion can help reverse this trend, but too often these are seen as weak or feminine traits in our traditional, masculine notions of leadership. Dalia flips the phrase “like a girl" on its head, this time provocatively challenging us
all to lead, like a girl.

Kamil Haque is the founder and Artistic Director of Haque Centre of Acting & Creativity (HCAC), Singapore's first professional acting school.

 

Kamil is the first Singaporean and the only Asian at that time to be given the privilege to train and coach at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute (LSTFI). He is the only coach in Asia experienced in teaching the Lee Strasberg Method of Acting. Kamil graduated at the top of his class from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy (AMDA) with a BA Hons in Acting, the first student in half a century to be awarded Latin Honours for this subject.

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As an award-winning actor and storyteller, Kamil has first-hand experience of the demanding industry standards of Hollywood and he possesses the knowledge and skills needed to succeed internationally.

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To date, Kamil has coached well over 2000 students, many of whom have appeared in major Hollywood films, stage productions, television shows and national commercials around the world. He has also produced, directed, and acted in several award-winning and critically acclaimed productions in the USA, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. Kamil's client list also includes training for leaders and employees in MNCs and statutory boards including Google, BBC, OCBC, Temasek Holdings, MCCY, MINDEF and many others.

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HCAC is the culmination of 23 years of working towards fulfilling a childhood dream. More information about HCAC is available here.

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Kamil is a long-standing ally and supporter of KeyNote’s mission.

 

At Equity in Action, Kamil will be our Master of Ceremonies.

Kaumudi Goda (KG) is the Co-Chair of KeyNote and the Chief Operating Officer at MetaMind Training.

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KG is an experienced professional who has helped transform Fortune 500 companies in Asia, Europe, and North America as a talent strategist, culture builder and program manager. She is a trusted business advisor and has extensive global experience in client leadership, business development and P&L responsibilities.

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With 14 years of client and project management experience, KG moved into human capital management after an MBA. Prior to that, she was an attorney for seven years in the U.S. with an LLM from the University of Virginia. She is an award-winning public speaker and a published author who enjoys training, coaching and mentoring.

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At Equity In Action, KG’s topic is The Human Conversation (Bias, Inclusion, Technology & Global Leadership).

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The world we live in is increasingly diverse. As individuals, we all have blind spots and biases. Technology accelerates and amplifies the impact of our decisions. Understanding and managing bias is critical not only to becoming stronger, more effective and inclusive individuals & leaders, but also a critical first step towards embedding embedding EQUITY in organisations in meaningful and sustainable ways to create an inclusive, empowering and inspiring work environment.

Liana is a Partner at Mercer, where she is the Multinational Client Group Leader for Asia based in Singapore. She has 19 years of experience working in the insurance, broking, and consulting industry both in Asia and Australia with a focus on international HR consulting, wellbeing and employee benefits.

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Liana is also an ambassador of diversity and inclusion in the workplace across Asia driving thought leadership and related solutions on mental wellbeing, aging workforce, and structuring inclusive rewards programs. Outside of her day job - Liana is the Lead Chair for our Women@Mercer BRG for Asia, is a member of the women in business group at Britcham and the MMC Asia Pacific Risk Committee looking at issues impacting Asia and organisations from a risk, workforce, aging & automation and climate change/reliance.

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In her career, Liana has worked with clients across various industries advising them on aligning their HR and health strategies to business and people growth objectives. The Asia consulting team led by Liana has worked with some of Mercer’s largest global clients identifying emerging client needs, co-creating solutions with our clients and driving innovation and thought leadership. Prior to joining Mercer in 2006 as the Australian Consulting Lead, Liana worked for various life insurance offices in roles ranging from business development to product management.

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At Equity In Action, Lianna’s keynote is When Women Thrive.

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Today, with years' worth of concerted efforts to develop and embed policies, practices, and programs, the future of gender equality looks considerably brighter. Senior leaders are passionate about making gender equality a business priority and companies are adopting more disciplined methods of analyzing pay equity.

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While talent flows across organizations are now at comparable or at even better levels for women, organizations are still not in a position to achieve parity in the near future. Identifying and understanding areas of improvement will give us the road map to keep moving forward. During this session, Lianna will share where there is the room for growth to move to a brighter future for gender equality and how you can play a role!

Mette Johansson worked in leadership roles across Asia and Europe for multinational corporations for over 15 years before she founded MetaMind Training, a training consultancy, which provides learning programmes in leadership, people, and communication skills.

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As a highly purpose-driven and authentic leader herself, Mette speaks internationally on how to become a purpose-driven and authentic leader: the leader who we follow not because of their position, wealth or title – but because we are inspired to follow them. She has delivered her signature KeyNote talk "Authentic Leadership – Unmask The Leader Within" at conferences, corporations and business schools alike.

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As the founder and relentless driver of KeyNote – Women Speakers’ Directory, she is on a mission to bring diversity to speaking stages around the world. This has led Mette to be a sought-after consultant and facilitator for Diversity and Inclusion programmes. She is one of six co-founders of the global social enterprise the Inclusive Leaders Institute, which wants to make organisations equitable, and ensure that all employees feel like they belong.

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Mette is a recipient of the Asia Women Icon Award, Golden Door – REX Karmaveer Medal, and Insight Magazine’s “50 Most Promising Women in Business” award. She has been featured in a range of media – both representing her business, as well as in her capacity as the founder of KeyNote. Having lived, studied, and worked in 11 countries, Mette is a global citizen who speaks fluently in four languages and now calls Singapore home.

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At Equity In Action, Mette will deliver the Opening Address.

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She will share the motivation behind choosing #Equity as the theme of the event, and how KeyNote has been instrumental in moving the needle to bring diversity to stages and screens.

In her work as a speaker, facilitator and ICF credentialed coach, Dr. Sarah focuses on practical strategies to positively impact people's personal and emotional skills.  Sarah draws upon her years of experience in education and her academic credentials to support people and organisations in developing emotional intelligence.

 

Following on from her degree in Psychology and Masters in Education, Sarah’s doctoral thesis focused on connecting emotional intelligence solutions to support children in global transition.

 

At Equity In Action, Dr Sarah Whyte will share her keynote: Emotional Equity at Work.

Her talk highlights the imbalance in how we expect men and women to express their emotions at work, and the clear disparity in the consequences for each gender when they display the same emotion.

 

Her actionable insights demonstrate how emotional equity can help both genders to succeed professionally in stressful situations.

Dr. Tanvi Gautam, a regular visitor to the C-suite, is a multi-award winning keynote speaker, bestselling author and consultant on transformational leadership in the age of disruption.

 

Noted internationally as a top 10 HR influencer on social media for five years in a row, she was named by the Workforce magazine (USA) to the 'Game Changer' awards list. In 2019 she was recognised by the Asian Women and leadership Congress with the Asia's Women Leaders award.

She is also a corporate storytelling & narrative coach helping leaders use the power of narrative for digital transformation, employer branding, culture change and sales. Her case studies on HR transformation are used internationally by Business Schools for teaching MBA students. She was a faculty at University of Richmond in the Master of HRM (for executives) in the area of Technology and HR, as well as taught in the PhD program at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Dr. Tanvi is also on the board of the Asian region Training & Development organisation. She often serves as jury on prestigious HR awards such as the LinkedIn Conscious Business Leader awards and BritCham Diversity and Inclusion awards.Her insights on the Future of Work have been quoted and published in forums such as:  Forbes.com, Wall Street Journal Mint, The Business Times & Economic Times.

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Dr. Tanvi earned her PhD from the Business School at the University of Pittsburgh in the area of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources and Information Systems.

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At Equity In Action, Dr. Tanvi’s will present the opening keynote: The Trouble with Women 

The talk looks at the way in which equality for women has been dumbed down to its lowest common denominator without acknowledging the diversity within the experience of being a woman. Bringing in the conversation of intersectionality and her work with women across the globe, Dr. Tanvi highlights how ultimately equality needs to be dropped in favour of equity.

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Uma Rudd Chia is an award-winning Creative Director who currently heads up the creative department at Weber Shandwick. Uma has held regional and global roles at leading advertising agencies in Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore.

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With over 60 keynotes on innovation, women empowerment and creativity under her belt, she has graced the stages of 9 countries and engaged over 100,000 people. She has spoken at Google Women’s Day Celebration and Facebook Girl’s Can Code Week: Mindful Lives, to name a few. Uma has emceed and facilitated events such as the Global Leadership Summit 2018.

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Uma has been interviewed in magazines, radio shows, CNA, podcasts and live social media broadcasts. A LinkedIn Influencer, Uma blogs on future technology and her ideas to make the world better.

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Uma is the founder of The Female Idea movement, a platform to advocate inclusivity, gender equality, women empowerment and the need for more women leaders in the creative arena. She has an M.A. in Digital Media Management & Technology from Hyper Island.

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Uma is happily married to one husband and has two inquisitive children. She has created her own phonics programme, Reading PANTS™, sung in two best-selling acapella albums, and authored two books.

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At Equity in Action, Uma’s keynote is Who Am I?

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Stories of war, being held at gunpoint, the moral consequence of lying to her parents and having her children cheer her on, as she breaks the rules to become a global creative director in one of the world’s leading ad agencies. Join best-selling author, Uma Rudd Chia on a 7-minute journey through her life and discover how knowing her self-worth became the key to negotiating her equity.