Online Panel Discussion: How Boards Have Evolved in Myanmar

May 28, 2024

In collaboration with the British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar (BCCM)

📅 Tuesday, 28 May 2024

🕗 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Myanmar Time)

🏨 Zoom Online

🌐 Myanmar Language

 

ABOUT THE PANEL DISCUSSION

Join us for an insightful webinar titled “How Boards Have Evolved in Myanmar,” where we will explore the transformation of boards in Myanmar. Beginning with a presentation on board structure, board effectiveness, and board dynamics from a corporate governance perspective, we will delve into firsthand experiences of three board directors.

In the past, Myanmar’s corporate landscape was characterised by family-owned or state-owned enterprises with boards functioning more like management bodies or advisory bodies. Since the country’s opening to the global economy, a significant shift has occurred. Local conglomerates and family-owned businesses have embraced improved corporate governance practices, in some cases spurred by foreign investment and development finance.

Our panelists will engage in a candid discussion on the ongoing evolution, highlighting the varying experiences across different company types, positive advances as well as challenges and gaps.

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Business leaders, board directors, corporate governance professionals, investors, and anyone interested in the evolving business landscape of Myanmar

 

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

  • Evolution of boards in Myanmar from family-owned or state-owned entities to modern governance structures.
  • Diverse experiences across different company types, including local conglomerates and family-owned firms and foreign-invested companies.
  • Strategies for addressing resistance to change, particularly from first generation company owners and founders.
  • Impact of globalisation and foreign investment on corporate governance practices
  • Challenges, opportunities, and diverse experiences across different company types.

 

AGENDA
2:00 pm – 2:05 pm Opening Remarks

Mr. Ian Fox, CEO of British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar

2:05 pm – 2:15 pm Brief presentation on board structure, effectiveness, and dynamics

Daw Thiri Thant Mon, Executive Director of Myanmar Institute of Directors

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm Candid panel discussion with three experienced board directors sharing their observations and experiences

  • Daw Sandra Min, Founder of Digital Health Impact Venture
  • Daw Thazin Aung @ Jasmine, Chief Executive Officer of AYA Bank PLC
  • U Thura Ko Ko, Managing Director of YGA Capital Limited
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Interactive Q&A session allowing participants to engage directly with the panelists

 

SPEAKERS & PANELLISTS

IAN FOX

CEO OF BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MYANMAR

Ian Fox is the Chief Executive Officer of the British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar, appointed by the Board of Directors to the role in December 2023.

With a background in His Majesty’s Diplomatic Service, Ian has international trade and economic experience from postings to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, where he was the UK’s Charge d’Affaires and Deputy Ambassador to Belarus from 2016-2018. He is a qualified Senior Executive Coach accredited to the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, with +250 hours of coaching experience on issues such as change management, conflict resolution, critical conversations and relationship management.

Ian’s role at the Chamber is to support British businesses interested in trade opportunities and investment in Myanmar. The role also supports foreign and local businesses interested in finding trading and business links to the UK. The main priority for Ian is to actively encourage and facilitate business between the UK and Myanmar and he does this by focusing on developing initiatives, leading events, supporting training programmes, encouraging Working Groups, showcasing thematic workshops, and building a membership base through the Chamber team, who are dedicated to the advancement of UK/Myanmar business relations.

 

THIRI THANT MON

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MYANMAR INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

Thiri Thant Mon is an investor and entrepreneur focused on Myanmar. She is the founding Managing Partner of Pegu Partners, a capital and strategy advisory firm, and runs City Invest, an investment platform in conjunction with City Mart, Myanmar’s largest supermarket operator. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Myanmar Institute of Directors.

She brings over 20 years of experience with top international and Myanmar institutions. Thiri started her career in 2000 in the US and the UK with Capital One, after which she was a capital markets investment banker with Morgan Stanley in London helping institutional clients raise multi-billion dollar financings. Upon her return to Myanmar in 2013, she was a member of the senior management team at Yoma Strategic Holdings and founded Sandanila, the predecessor to Pegu Partners, in 2015.

Thiri has served on a number of corporate and non-profit boards for over 10 years and is currently a trustee for Turquoise Mountain Foundation and a board member at the Myanmar Institute of Directors.

Thiri holds a BA in Economics from William & Mary, USA and an MBA from the London Business School, UK.

 

SANDRA MIN

FOUNDER OF DIGITAL HEALTH IMPACT VENTURE

Sandra Min is an experienced senior executive, bringing years of innovative leadership within financial services, strategic development, business development, and client management in the United States, Singapore and Myanmar. She has spent her career developing responsible and well-sounded strategies and solutions for both affluent corporate and high-net-worth stakeholders. Prior to co-founding a digital health impact venture, Sandra founded Agri-food venture, advised KBZ Bank, worked for Yoma Bank in Myanmar and Yoma Strategic Holdings in Singapore. Before her career in Asia, she also worked for Fortune 500 Financial Institutions such as Wells Fargo and US Bank in the U.S.

Sandra is a certified board director of the Myanmar Institute of Directors, an appointed co-chairperson of the Myanmar Chapter of the Women Corporate Directors, and a member of International Finance Corporation’s independent directors, for advancing visionary corporate governance. She also serves on the board of Microfinance Institution and digital health impact venture in Myanmar.

 

THAZIN AUNG @ JASMINE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT AYA BANK PCL

Daw Thazin Aung @ Jasmine presently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer of AYA Bank PCL and she is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Bank. In her capacity with AYA Bank PCL, she takes charge of business development management and making strategic decisions to ensure the Institution’s sustainable and profitable growth. Formerly, she was the Deputy CEO and Managing Director of Corporate Business and led Corporate Banking Business and Financial Institutions establishment.

In addition to her Chief Executive Officer role, she also co-heads and takes several roles with AYA Financial Group (“AFG”). With AFG, she takes charge of AYA Trust Securities Co., Ltd as the Managing Director for Capital Market Activities including securities brokerage and Corporate Finance transactions. From her capacity with Corporate Finance activities, she oversees and monitors diversified investment portfolios that includes existing, on-going, and new business ventures of Chairman’s investment office as well new Mergers and Acquisitions [“M&A”], Joint Ventures with Potential Partners for AYA Financial Group’s entities and/or investment in new ventures. She served as non-independent member of the Board of Directors of AYA SOMPO Insurance Co. Ltd. from September 2019 to February 2024.

She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (Corporate Finance) from Nottingham Trent University. Before joining AYA Financial Group, she was a PwC Advisory Partner and local Lead Director/Partner for PwC Myanmar. She has over 16 years of professional experiences including 11.5 years with PwC Singapore and PwC Myanmar for audit, financial advisory and consulting and 5 years in the Maritime service industry in Myanmar.

 

THURA KO KO

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF YGA CAPITAL LIMITED

Thura Ko Ko is the founding partner of YGA Capital, a Myanmar-­registered advisory company focused on identifying and investing in attractive growth opportunities in Myanmar for TPG Capital, the global private equity fund and a TPG associated Indonesia-­focused fund, Northstar Pacific. He is formally a Senior Advisor to TPG.

Prior to returning to Myanmar in 2010, Mr. Ko worked for over 12 years in global investment banking and private equity firms covering Asia out of Hong Kong. He was most recently a Vice President at Providence Equity, the global telecom and media fund. Prior to this, he worked for Goldman Sachs, the global investment bank, and N.M. Rothshchild, the U.K.-­based privatization and M&A house.

Transactions completed included the privatization of Philippines national electricity grid, Transco, and advising on strategic investments into Vietnam’s water distribution and treatment plants.
In Myanmar, he is a member of the board of directors for Apollo Towers Myanmar Limited, a telecom tower operator with over 1,500 towers installed; Pacific Star Finance Limited, a trial micro­‐finance company; and Myanmar Distillery Company Limited, a leading local beverage company.
In addition, Mr. Ko is also an advisor to the Ayala Group and in particular, Manila Water Company on their ambitions in delivering public water distribution and waste water management services in Myanmar.

Mr. Ko holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics, University of London and was elected as a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum in 2013.