Speaking Engagements: Here is a summary of my past speaking engagements. You can always contact me if you are interested in engaging me to give a talk, moderate, or be part of a discussion panel or formal interview on a personal or corporate basis.
Speaking Engagements
2025
- Speaker, "What Generative AI can and cannot do", DSO National Laboratories Learning Day with NUS, 25 July 2025.
- Podcast Guest, How AI Is Reshaping Development, Business Models, and Startup Growth, BRAVE Southeast Asia Technology Podcast.
- Panellist, Risks and resilience in AI and digital trade, organized by Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) in partnership with UNIDO and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, 18 July 2025, 12-1 pm, Innovation 4.0 NUS.
- Podcast Guest, Building Dorje AI and what VCs get wrong about AI in emerging markets, The Upside Podcast, 29 May 2025.
- Speaker on Digital Transformation, CIO Milestone Program: CIO Leadership in the Digital Age, 25 March 2025 organized by GovTech & Digital Academy, GovTech Singapore.
- Speaker on "How to build an AI-first Startup" in the "Technopreneurship: Enabling Innovation and a Start-up Ecosystem", 6 March 2025 organized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Singapore's Singapore Cooperation Programme.
2024
- Moderator, Momentum AI Reuters Conference in Dec 2024.
- Moderator, XA Network, Tech Titans Series: Interview with Henry Chan, CEO of Shopback, 14 Nov 2024.
- Speaker, Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hong Kong, "AI, Real Estate and Beyond: What the paradigms shift in Gen AI and why real estate industry should know about.", Virtual Talk, 7 Nov 2024.
- Panellist, AI: Game Changer or Costing Us The Earth, GreenTech Festival Singapore, 22 Oct 2024.
- Podcast Guest, AI GTM and change management for enterprises, Fractional Podcast by Swarm AI.
- Podcast Guest, Demystifying AI: Simplifying Complex Terms for Everyday Use, Techburst Talks with Charles Reed Anderson, 24 Sep 2024.
- Moderator, "Generative AI: Governance, Innovation and Education", 30 August 2024, NUS-ISS Learning Day 2024.
- Keynote Speaker, An Executive's Guide to Generative AI in Real Estate for Urban Land Institute HK and Undivided Ventures on 4 June 2024, Hong Kong.
- Moderator, Forget Killer Robots: Is AI already destroying our planet? on Solutions Stage, 16 May 2024, 3.00-3.55 pm, GreenTech Festival Berlin 2024, Germany.
- Panellist, AI for the Common Good on Main Stage, 16 May 2024, 1.30-2.00 pm, GreenTech Festival Berlin 2024, Germany.
- Panellist Speaker, AI for All: Harmonizing AI for Equitable Impact, EEI 8th Global Electrification Forum (GEF), 18 April 2024, 1.20-2.00 pm US Eastern Time.
- Podcast Guest, How this physicist became Fortune 500 - words of wisdom about business and life in Yana TV SG, 5 April 2024
- Speaker, Simplify Your Business with AI for Institute of Systems Science - NUS, 26 March 2024.
- Podcast Guest, Bernard Leong: Disrupting ERP Systems - E393, BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast with Jeremy Au, 13 March 2024.
2023
- Moderator for Panel "The Future of Southeast Asia's Startup Ecosystem", XA Network AGM 2023, 11 Dec 2023.
- Founders & Investors Connect in XA Network and Stashaway Event, Judge, 16 Nov 2023.
- "Decoding AI: Understanding its Potential and Limitations. Are we in the age where Androids dream of electric sheep?", Panellist, Corenet Global [Singapore Chapter], 2 Nov 2023.
- "Simplifying Your WorkLife with AI", Speaker, Young Entrepreneur Network (Y.E.N), "Innovate and Elevate" event, 28 Oct 2023.
- "Visioning 2030 Technologies and their Impact", Moderator, Institute of Systems Science Learning Festival, 20 Oct 2023.
- Tom Verrilli in conversation with Bernard Leong of Analyse Asia in SXSW Sydney 2023, Podcast Stage, 18 Oct 2023 (YouTube Video, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Podcasts coming soon)
2022
- "What is Legacy Technology and how to manage them?" Learn, Unlearn and Relearn, Corenet Global Singapore Chapter, 22 July 2022.
- "How to think about Investing in Web3 & Crypto", Insignia Partners Academy, 4 May 2022.
- "Managing and Sustaining Innovation", Institute of System Science, Digital Transformation Leadership Class, 16 April 2022.
- "An Investor's Guide on Investing in Web3 & Crypto", 18 March 2022, Master Class for XA network.
2021
- Fireside Chat for "Leadership in the Digital Age", CIO Milestone Program for CIOs for Singapore government by Institute of Systems Science, 1 Oct 2021.
- AI x Gov Webinar, “The Future of AI” panel, 27 July 2021.
- AWS Webinar with Northbay in Pakistan, “AWS in retail and ecommerce with AI/ML”, 25 May 2021.
- AWS ASEAN Summit 2021, “Machine Learning in FSI: Hyperpersonalization” with DBS, 18 May 2021. (Youtube Video)
- AWS Startup Chats on Clubhouse, ASEAN Startups: AI, Machine Learning and AWS, 7 April 2021.
- AWS AI/ML ASEAN Week, “Enhancing Customer Experience with Personalization“, 23 March 2021.
- AWS Innovate: The AI/ML Edition, 24 Feb 2021, “Strategies to accelerate AIML at scale From idea to POC and achieve business outcomes“.
2020
- APAC AI Conclave 2020 Webinar: Opening Remarks and Moderator: “How to build great AI/ML products”, 26 Nov 2020.
- AWS Tech in Fashion Week ASEAN: Create Real Time Personalized Experiences for Customers and 2021 Revealed AI Driven Fashion Predictions.
- AWS ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Webinar: Applications of Computer Vision from Safety to Security, 20 Oct 2020, ASEAN.
- AWS AI/ML – The Technology Disruptor in Financial Services and Institutions (FSI), 25 Sep 2020, ASEAN.
- AWS ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Webinar: Leverage AI to detect Fraud, Building Scalable Personalized Experiences with Amazon Personalize and Digital Transformation with Document Digitization, 13 August 2020, ASEAN
2019
- Podcast Guest on Techburst Asia Episode 1: Future of Drones.
2018
- Speaker and Panellist, “Future of Cargo Delivery with Drones”, Supply Chain Logistics Digital Trasnformation Forum 2018, 28-29 Nov Singapore.
- Speaker and Panellist, NUS Engineering Industry Day, 21 Nov 2018.
- Speaker, “Completing the Picture: How Aerial Intelligence transform disaster recovery and infrastructure inspections”, 15 Nov 2018, CoreNet Global Singapore Chapter Symposium, Singapore.
- Panellist, “Developing a strategy to scale IoT from R&D, Proofs of Concept to wide scale applications”, 19 Sep 2018, IoT World Asia, Singapore.
- Panellist, “How can startups and corporates partner together to bring new innovation to new markets”, Origin by Technode, 17 Sep 2018, Singapore.
- Speaker, “Technologies of Tomorrow: Drones”, 12 Sep 2018, World Economic Forum ASEAN 2018, Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Speaker, “Simplifying the Sky: Civilian applications of drones in critical infrastructure inspections and cargo delivery”, Taiwan Drone Forum, 14 June 2018.
- Speaker, “Airbus Commercial Drones: Evolution from Platform OEM to Digital Service Providers”, EU-China Drones Workshop, 6 June 2018, Shenzhen, China.
- Panellist, “The Future of Mobility”, InnovFest Unbound 2018, Main Stage, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on 5 June 2018.
- Panellist, “Co-innovation and Collaboration to create New Revenue Streams”, FutureNow Stage, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 5 June 2018
- Speaker, “Simplifying the sky: Transforming Disaster Recover and Insurance with UAVs” at Startup Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand on 18 May 2018.
- Speaker, “Simplifying the Sky: Transforming Disaster Recover and Insurance with UAVs” Civil Security Congress & Exposition, CIVSEC 2018, Melbourne, Australia, 3 May 2018.
- Speaker, “Understanding from the World Above”, Drones Workshop: Getting the Future Ready organised by Singapore Insurance Institute, Singapore, 27 April 2018.
- Panellist, “Live Better in Smart Cities empowered by AI”, School of Computing, National University of Singapore organised by Live with AI, 12 April 2018.
- Speaker, “Autonomous Transportation and its implications”, IEEE 4th World Forum on Internet of Things, 6 Feb 2018.
2017
- Panellist, “Book Night: Discussion on Ray Dalio’s Principles“. 22 Nov 2017 organized by Great Owls.
- Panellist, “Drones: The future of AirFreight”, Payload Asia 2017, 11 Oct 2017.
- Speaker, “Lessons from SingPost Innovation & Transformation Journey” in National Environment Agency (NEA) Innovation & Learning Fiesta conference, Singapore, 6 Sep 2017.
- Panellist, “Future-Proofing your Tech Investments: Developing Right Infrastructure towards a Smart Nation”, Reimagine Yes Summit 2017 by HP Enterprise & Intel, 29 August 2017.
- Speaker & Panellist, “Being in the forefront of Digital Transformation”, SMEICC & SME Expo 2017 by Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI), 17 August 2017.
- Panellist, “Innovate to Survive”, ConnectGov 2017 Conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 6 July 2017.
- Panellist, “Digital Transformation in the spotlight“, Business Times and NCS Business Roundtable, May 2017.
- Speaker, “Bringing drones into the mix”, World Mail & Express Europe Conference 2017, 7 June 2017.
- Speaker, “Enterprise Leaders: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go.”, Digital Talent Analytics at CommunicAsia 2017, 24 May 2017.
- Panellist, “Singularity University – A Global Impact Challenge”, LEVEL 3, 14 March 2017.
- Panellist, “E-commerce & big data – Innovation & the impact on competition”, GCR Live Singapore – 6th Annual Asia-Pacific Law Leaders Forum 2017, 3 March 2017
2016
- Speaker, “Transformation of the Post Office & Mail Delivery”, Rotary Club Singapore West, 8 Dec 2016.
- Speaker, “Re-Imagining the Post Office & Mail Delivery”, Pecha Kucha Rojak Digital, National Art Gallery Singapore, 2 Dec 2016.
- Speaker, “How to execute Digital Transformation”, Daimier Financial Services Leadership Conference, 8 Nov 2016.
- Panellist, “IP & Competition Issues in Flow & Transfer of Data” in “Navigating IP & Competition Laws in the Digital Economy” conference organised by IPOS, Maxwell Chambers, 18 Oct 2016.
- Speaker, “Transforming the Post Office and Mail Delivery: The SingPost Story”, CIO Academy Digital Transformation Event, 5 October 2016.
- Speaker and Panellist, “Last Mile Distribution”, BopHub World Convention, Singapore, 22 Sep 2016.
- Speaker, “SingPost Alpha & the future of Drone Delivery”, Post Expo 2016, Hong Kong, 25 May 2016.
- Speaker, “Transforming into a Smarter Customer-Centric Enterprise”, 5th Annual Enterprise Innovation CXO Forum 2016, 14 April 2016
- Panellist, “The Future of Personalization: Delivering the Right Experience in the Right Context”, 5th Annual Enterprise Innovation CXO Forum 2016, 13 April 2016.
- Panellist, “Pathways to Value for IoT – Tests and Challenges for Innovation”, IOT Asia, 31 March 2016.
- Panellist, “Understanding what makes SEA users unique”, Google Think Publishing 2016 Singapore, 22 March 2016.
- Speaker, “Rethinking Drone Delivery with Open Source”, FOSS Asia 2016, 18 March 2016.
- Speaker, “Driving Successful Digitisation: From Traditional to Postal Digital Mail,” The Journey to Digital Transformation Event organised by SingPost, 17 March 2016.
- Panellist, ‘Economics of Happiness: Bosses, Productivity and Job Satisfaction’ the British Council Singapore, 14 March 2016.
- Speaker, “SingPost Digital Transformation: From Post Office to Traditional Mail”, IDC Asia Financial Services Congress 2016, 4 March 2016.
- Panelist, “Technology and Innovations Panel Discussion: Staying Ahead of The Curve”, Last Mile Fulfilment Asia Conference, 3 March 2016.
- Speaker, “SingPost Alpha and the future of drone delivery”, ASCENT Series by Supply Chain Special Interest Group in Singapore Computer Society, 27 Jan 2016.
2015
- Speaker, “Defining digital transformation for your business to enable you to make the right changes into a customer-centric organisation”, Digital Disruption Asia Summit 2015, 2 Dec 2015.
- Panellist, Internet of Things, France-Singapore Innovation Summit, 13 Nov 2015.
- Speaker, “SingPost Alpha and the Future of Drone Delivery”, IDC’s Asia Pacific Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics Conference 2015, 22 Oct 2015.
- Moderator, “Singapore as Asia’s Startup Node” Panel, Asia Recon in muru-D Singapore, 5 Sep 2015.
- “Thinking Big Data in a Digital Transformation Age”, Paypal Fintech XChange, 2 Sep 2015.
- “Focus on the customer: The SingPost journey”, the Customer Experience Imperative hosted by Olswang and Forrester, 16 July 2015.
- “How to build the RIGHT product & not the NEW product”, JFDI.Asia, 29 May 2015.
- Speaker, “Fireside Chat: Building a Mobility Strategy for SingPost’s customers”, Enterprise Mobility conference 2015 organised by IDC, 16 April 2015.
- Panellist, “Alumni Advocates: 2020 Productivity Grand Challenge”, organized by The British High Commission and British Council, 9 March 2015.
2014
- Panellist, “Building tech companies in Singapore – what’s the way forward?”, TechVenture Conference 2014, 24 Sep 2014.
- Judge, BattleHack 2014 Singapore organized by Paypal and Braintree, 14 Sep 2014.
- Speaker, “Living Digitally“, Who’s Looking? Surf & Turf Exhibition Panel Discussion “Connecting People in the Post-Internet World: How are technologies and networks changing social behaviour?”, 13 Sep 2014.
2013
- Keynote speaker, You are a startup, then what?, Nanyang Polytechnic, 19 Nov 2013.
- Speaker, New is Easy but Right is Hard: Hacking Product Management, Hackers & Painters, Blk 71, 15 Nov 2013.
- Speaker, Minimum Viable Product, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), 27 Sep 2013
- Speaker, The Signal and the Noise, JFDI Asia, 19 Sep 2013
- Speaker, A Modern Approach to Customer Development, Nanyang Technopreneurship Centre for summer school between Nanyang Technological University & Chonnam University, Korea, 18 June 2013
- Moderator, Fireside chat with Jason Sew Hoy (99Designs.com), Startup Grind Singapore, 7 June 2013.
- Moderator, “Business Models Design for Digital Platforms & Marketplaces“, Echelon 2013 Conference, 4 June 2013.
- Speaker, “Lies, Damned Lies & Vanity Metrics“, JFDI Asia, 8 May 2013
- Keynote Speaker for Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) 2013 Design Awards, Start From the User, 23 March 2013.
2012
- Speaker, Startup Grind Singapore, 6 Dec 2012.
- Speaker, “Mobile or Web First?“, Singapore Computer Society, IDM Chapter, 7 Nov 2012.
- Panelist, “How to be a Kick Ass CTO”, FailCon Singapore 2012, 15 Oct 2012.
- Speaker, That Thing You Forget to Do: Lessons in Product Development, Management & Marketing, JFDI.Asia. 1 March 2012. The presentation has been broken into a three-part series in SGEntrepreneurs: Part 1: Product Development, Part 2: Product Marketing & Part 3: Product Management.
- Speaker, Internet Trends & Entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia, TechInAsia (Penn-Olson) Startup Asia Entrepreneurs-Investors Meetup, 4 Feb 2012.
- Panellist, “Starting Up in Singapore: The Good & The Bad“, Penn-Olson Startup Asia conference, 2 Feb 2012.
2011
- Panellist, “Tech Strategies: How to Cross the Chasm”, The ideas.inc. Start-Up Conference, 15 Oct 2011.
- Speaker, INSEAD Business Plan Class, 14 Sep 2011.
- Speaker, “A Ring to Bind Them All?” (A Guide on searching for an engagement diamond ring) & “Building and Managing Tech Teams in Asia: The Tech Conundrum”, Barcamp Singapore 7, 10 Sep 2011.
- Panelist, “Mobile Social Commerce & Location Based Services”, Social Media World Forum Asia, 2 Sep 2011, Singapore.
- Speaker, Rotary Youth Social Entrepreneurship Challenge (RYSEC), 6 August 2011, Singapore.
- Speaker, “The Future of Location-Based Advertising Technology”, Smart Mobility @ CommunicaAsia 2011, 23 June 2011, Singapore.
- Panelist, How does new tech affect payments at brick and mortar businesses?, 17 June 2011, Echelon 2011, Singapore.
- Speaker, Linkedin Media Lunch and Influencer Engagement Session, 31 May 2011, Singapore.
- Speaker, The New Media Asia Conference 2011, 11-13 May 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Speaker, Start-up Weekend 2, Microsoft Auditorium, “3 Things about Product Development”, 30 April 2011.
- Speaker, Rotary Club Tanglin Club, “Building a Mobile-Web startup: The 2011 Way”, 25 April 2011.
- Speaker, Rotary Club Suntec City, “Why Mobile Matters & How to Take Advantage of It”, 21 Jan 2011.
- Speaker, HDB ICT Seminar 2011, “Why Mobile Matters & How to Take Advantage of It”, 20 Jan 2011.
- Panellist, BizAsia 2010/2011 Opening Ceremony, “Global Trends – Emerging Markets & Their relevance to Youth Entrepreneurship”, 19 Jan 2011.
2010
- Judge, 21st INSEAD Business Venture Competition Finals, 8 Dec 2010.
- Delegate, Asia 21 Summit, “Unity in Diversity: Responsible Leadership in the Asia Pacific”, 3-5 Dec 2010.
- Panellist, “Ensuring the Future of the Internet”, INET Singapore 2010: The Internet – Past, Present & Future, 18 Nov 2010.
- Panellist, “Digital Marketing: Ad Networks”, Accelerate Conference, 22-23 Sep 2010
- Speaker, BlinkBl-nk, “A Universe Less Ordinary”, 15 Sep 2010
- Speaker, GeekCamp 2010, “A Poor Man’s Guide to Biocomputing”, 4 Sep 2010.
- Speaker, Ascendas Lunch Time Talk Series: Emerging Trends of the Mobile Ecosystem, Ascendas Singapore, 24 August 2010.
- Speaker, Open Web Asia – Southeast Asia, Kuala Lumpur, 13-14 July 2010.
- Chair, International Communication Association (ICA) Conference 2010, Singapore, “States of Play: Social Media & Interpersonal Communication in Southeast Asia”, 26 June 2010.
- Panelist, “Mobile Applications: The State of Play”, Echelon 2010, 1-2 June 2010.
- Panelist, “Can ASEAN be the next Silicon Valley?”, ASEANpreneurs Day 2010, 26 May 2010
- Panelist, “Location Based Services, Face Recognition and Augmented Reality”, Samsung Bada Developer Event, 21 May 2010.
- Speaker, “A Brave New World” on web/tech innovations, Republic Polytechnic, 20 May 2010
- Speaker, “Up-and-Coming New Infocomm Innovations”, in Parenting in New Infocomm Age seminar, organized by IDA, NTUC, NLB and Tampines Community Club, 20 March 2010.
- Guest on FM938 Live “The Living Room” with Pamela Ho on “Latest Trends in Social Media”, 15 March 2010
- Panellist on FM938 Live “Campus” on Social Networking Trends, 12 March 2010
- Panellist, “Considerations for Applying Social Media Marketing in Asia”, Social Media Marketing Conference by Pacific Conferences, 2 Feb 2010.
- Guest Speaker, “Three Tales for Social Networks”, #comm215 class “Digital Media Across Asia” by Professor Netzley, 27 Jan 2010.
2009
- “Building Online Communities for Non-Profit Organizations: Kiva and Oxfam”, Barcamp Singapore 4, 21 Nov 2009
- Speaker on “The Chronicles of a Mobile-Web Economy” and Panellist, 16th Infocomm and Media Horizons Conference, Institute of Infocomm Research, A-STAR, 7 Oct 2009
- Panelist, Social Networking Forum Asia, Panellist on “Monetising and developing the strategic relationship with operator and publisher”, 22-23 Sep 2009.
- Speaker, Executive Summary Workshop, NTU Ideas Inc Business Competition, Sep – Nov 2009
- Lecturer, “Building Online Communities: Marketing, Business Strategies and Trends” (in Chinese), NTU Nanyang University for MSc TIP (Chinese) Programme, 4 Sep.
- Speaker, “Thoughts on Social Networking from Offline to Online”, TEDx Sentosa, 11 July.
- Moderator on Panel “Budgeting for Innovation/Experimental Marketing”, Ad-Tech Singapore, 9-10 June.
- Invited by Nokia to attend Nokia N97 and Ovi Store Launch, Kuala Lumpur.
- Speaker, “Self-Organization, Economics and Football Managers”, TEDx Kuala Lumpur, 3 June.
- “Much Ado about Social Networks in Asia”, a talk and breakout session in Unconference 2009, Biopolis, Singapore.
- Invited by Nokia to attend Nokia Developer Summit 2009 in Monte Carlo.
- “The Importance of Being Social – a talk about social networks”, Barcamp Kuala Lumpur 2009, Inti College, Subang Jaya 3-5 April.
- “The Undercover Technologist – new ideas in social networks and voice recognition”, Barcamp Singapore, 28 Feb.
2008
- Guest Lecture for CS4260: E-Commerce Business Models, NUS School of Computing 19 Feb 2008, “From the Lab to the Web: Web 2.0, Online Social Networks and Virtual Worlds”.
- Challenges & Opportunities in Interactive & Digital Media Investments, organized by Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, April 2008.
- Singapore Facebook Developers’ Garage: Marketing and Monetization of FB Apps: Hype or Gold Mine?, Microsoft Singapore, March 2008.