Walter de Oude is a fintech entrepreneur and insurance innovator best known for founding Chocolate Finance and Singlife. As Founder and CEO of Chocolate Finance, he is reimagining how people grow their spare cash by offering a simpler, more accessible alternative to traditional savings products, built around the idea that better returns can help people live richer lives.
Previously, Walter founded Singlife in 2014 and led its growth into one of Singapore’s most significant financial services success stories, scaling the business to a valuation of S$3.2 billion by 2020 through organic and inorganic expansion. Before Singlife, he held senior leadership roles at HSBC Insurance Singapore, including CEO, and also served as a Director of HSBC Asset Management. His earlier career included actuarial and consulting roles with Swiss Re and Willis Towers Watson.
Walter is also the founder of Chocolate Ventures, investing in early-stage companies where he can add strategic value.
Aseem Goyal is a senior business leader, strategist, and advisor with over 30 years of experience in financial services, insurance, and digital transformation across Asia. Based in Bangkok, he has led large-scale transformation projects and business expansions across Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Singapore, and Canada. As an advisor to fintech, insurance, and SME-focused startups, Aseem helps organizations navigate regulatory landscapes, drive innovation, and implement sustainable growth models. His leadership spans commercial excellence, risk management, and organizational strategy, enabling both established corporations and emerging ventures to thrive in competitive markets. With a deep understanding of ASEAN’s financial ecosystem, Aseem bridges global best practices with local business realities. A seasoned speaker and mentor, he is passionate about building resilient, digitally enabled businesses and empowering the next generation of leaders in the evolving financial and startup ecosystem.
Paul Marks is a renowned expert in emotional intelligence, team building, change management, and motivation, with over 25 years of experience transforming leaders and organizations across 55+ countries. With a foundation in psychology and applied neuroscience, he translates complex research into actionable leadership strategies that build resilient, high-performing cultures.
Paul specializes in developing self-aware, compassionate leaders who lead with both head and heart. His evidence-based programs empower leaders and teams to master emotional regulation, empathy, decision-making under pressure, and effective change management. Organizations including Hitachi and Danone have benefited from his guidance in creating collaborative, adaptive, and high-performing teams.
Co-author of The Enlightened Leader and the Transformational Leadership Survey, Paul’s work is widely incorporated into leadership development frameworks.
David R. Landes is an esteemed business consultant, cross-cultural trainer, and executive coach with a rich background in launching business ventures, including a Laos-based consultancy aiding foreign investors in establishing socially conscious SME's in developing countries.
Specializing in coaching and training leaders of cross-cultural teams globally, David employs positive psychology to foster active listening, exploration of new options, and building of trust among team members. His coaching ethos emphasizes the importance of trust-based leadership and inspiring collective progress.
As an executive, David has leveraged his coaching skills to propel employees to notable achievements. His expertise is backed by a rigorous 18-month coach training program with over 200 hours of ICF accredited coach training, and an ICF Professional Coach certification, underscoring his commitment to professional growth and team development.
Charlie Lang is a pioneering executive coach, top management facilitator, author, and speaker, widely recognized for advancing executive coaching and corporate culture transformation across Asia. With over 20 years of experience, he has built and led a leading regional leadership development organization with offices across Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, and Tokyo. Charlie works exclusively with C-level executives and senior leadership teams, enabling sustainable culture change, emotionally intelligent leadership, and high-performing teams. A Master Certified Coach (ICF) and Certified Business Coach™ (WABC), he is a prolific thought leader who has authored over 250 articles and two acclaimed books, The Groupness Factor and The Coach Factor, with a third book, The Mental Mastery Factor, currently in progress. Prior to coaching, Charlie held senior executive roles across Asia Pacific and global markets in the technology sector. A true global citizen, he brings deep cross-cultural insight to leadership transformation.
Ruth believes that leading oneself well is the foundation for leading others effectively. Her work focuses on helping leaders build personal leadership, enabling them to navigate the world authentically and with integrity. She aims to transform insecure overachievers into solid, secure achievers by emphasizing self-awareness. Knowing their story, strengths, values, wants, and vision helps leaders develop strong personal leadership. With over a decade in management consulting in various roles and leadership positions, Ruth is a Co-Active Certified Coach from Copenhagen, Denmark, currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand. She believes investing in personal leadership is investing in building a lasting legacy
Peter is the Managing Director of Unlocked Potential, bringing over two decades of HR leadership experience with global organizations such as Citibank, Gartner, WarnerMedia, and Northern Trust, where he served as APAC Head of HR overseeing 5,000+ employees across 11 countries and was part of the regional CxO team. Since 2021, Peter has worked with clients across professional services, banking, insurance, technology, media, telecom, and oil & gas. With more than 2,000 hours of coaching practice, he supports leaders at every level—from emerging talent to board members of publicly listed firms. His expertise also extends to advising investors on organizational culture and people dynamics within portfolio companies. A faculty member of a global coach certification programme, Peter is deeply committed to leadership development, cultural diversity, and organizational effectiveness. He holds an MBA and is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Claudia Scheffler-Perrone is a bestselling author, international keynote speaker, and leadership communication coach advising CEOs, executives, professional athletes, and public figures worldwide. With over 25 years of experience across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East, Claudia Scheffler-Perrone brings a sharp multicultural lens to crisis communication, personal branding, and strategic messaging.
A BAFA-certified expert, TV journalist, and university lecturer in Germany, she is regularly invited to international media to decode communication, presence, and human behavior under pressure. Claudia Scheffler-Perrone specializes in crisis communication, reputation management, employer branding, AI communication strategy, and media training for high-performance teams.
Known for her ability to quickly read people and identify communication blind spots, she helps leaders express their message with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Her mission is simple: elevate leadership presence and transform communication into measurable influence, trust, and global impact.
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