Virtual event: Live and available on replay
For the past three decades, IR Magazine has honored excellence in investor relations around the world. For 2021, we will continue to recognize and help further IR best practice in a virtual setting. We expect to attract over 150 senior IR professionals from across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – this internationally renowned event will look at the very best the IR community has to offer through our forum and awards.
The event kicks off with a forum where investors, analysts and heads of IR from small, mid and large cap companies come together to discuss key issues relating to investor relations, corporate governance, shareholder needs and the role of senior management in IR.
Using the latest cutting edge technology available, our virtual event platform closely replicates being there in person with the chance to interact with speakers and have one-to-one networking in-between panel talks. A far cry from a traditional webinar format, the event features live chat with attendees as you watch sessions together and access to resource libraries to help publicly listed companies better respond to investor and analyst expectations. The forum sessions will be followed by our awards ceremony.
We present two types of awards categories – researched and nominated – both celebrating the success of those individuals and companies that are leading the way in IR in South East Asia. For our researched categories, companies do not submit nominations. Instead, hundreds of analysts and investors cast their votes and give their opinions on which companies do the best IR in the region.
In our nominated categories, companies have the opportunity to submit a written entry, free of charge, for aspects of IR that complement our researched categories. The nomination form will be open for entries in May. In the meantime, you can register your interest to nominate by clicking here. More information about both types of categories can be found below.
Due to current restrictions, the event will take place as a virtual experience using our bespoke, cutting-edge technology.
Our virtual event platform closely replicates attending in-person by facilitating interaction with speakers, one-to-one networking with fellow IR professionals, and group roundtable discussions. Going virtual helps you connect with a wider network from the comfort of your desk.
The 2021 agenda will be announced shortly.
In the meantime, you can view what was discussed in 2020 below or by clicking here.
08:30 AM
Welcome to IR Magazine's South East Asia Forum and 1:1 networking
Take some time to meet your fellow attendees and partake in a speed-dating-style video chat. You will automatically be matched with another attendee so it’s a great way of making new connections.
08:50 AM
Opening remarks from the chair
Ben Ashwell editor, IR Magazine
09:00 AM
Big picture trends during the pandemic: What to focus on for IROs
To start the day, this session considers the wider impact of the pandemic on companies and IROs. We will discuss how investor interest is shifting, how people can adapt, and how best to think about your company’s workforce going forward.
Carol Fong, head of investor relations and chief capital markets strategist, Manulife
09:30 AM
A shift in communication strategy: Increasing engagement in a virtual world
Digitalizing the IR offering has created a number of new practical challenges, and new technologies have entered the IRO’s daily remit at an accelerated rate. This session will give practical advice on the dos and don’ts for better virtual meetings, and discover creative ways to share your equity story digitally.
•How are IR teams successfully emulating in-person engagement during lockdown?
•What strategies are IR teams implementing to attract new international investors in a virtual world?
•Which digital tools can help IROs improve their online offering?
Moderator: Ben Ashwell editor, IR Magazine
Mike Garcia, head of investor relations and compliance, Ayala Land and AREIT
Panporn Sasananan, vice president, investor relations, PTT Public Company
Ponpinit Upathamp, head of investor relations, Central Pattana
Gregory Yap, vice president of investor relations, Sunpower
10:30 AM
Meet the attendees!
Take some time to connect with another attendee via the networking feature where you will be matched at random with a fellow attendee for a 5-minute chat.
10:45 AM
How to adapt your equity story and get buy-in for the long-term vision of your company
During times of market volatility, public companies need to communicate the impact of short-term challenges, and can benefit from reinforcing their long-term value proposition. This session will discuss how IROs across different sectors can successfully communicate with analysts and investors during difficult times.
•How can IR learn from peers across sectors to adapt their business and message to new norms?
•In what ways can IR react to the entrance of new investors?
•How to communicate your adaptability and short-term successes during times of change.
Moderator: Ben Ashwell, editor, IR Magazine
Elena Arabadjieva, chief operating officer & head of investor relations, Cromwell EREIT Management
Joshua Lee, senior portfolio manager, Bank of Singapore
Giovanna Vera, assistant vice president, corporate finance, IR, treasury and M&A, Century Pacific Group
11:45 AM
ESG: Shaping the company to be resilient and sustainable
As the pandemic has brought many social issues to light, companies and investors are increasingly considering the integration of ESG in companies. This session will discuss the evolving investor expectations on environmental, social and governance issues, and how companies in South East Asia can react to investor needs.
•How are investor attitudes toward ESG issues changing in South East Asia?
•How can companies integrate non-financial disclosures to improve ratings on social governance?
•What does the buy-side want to hear from investors with respect to ESG?
Moderator: Ben Ashwell, editor, IR Magazine
Esther An, chief sustainability officer, City Developments
Christine Lau, head of investor relations, Digi
Natalia Rajewska, sustainable finance/ ESG associate, ING
12:45 PM
Closing remarks and 1:1 networking
13:00 PM
IR Magazine Awards South East Asia Ceremony
Celebrate IR excellence with your peers and tune in for our virtual IR Awards ceremony
14:30 PM
End of event
To inquire about speaking at the forum, please contact [email protected] or call +44 20 8004 4818
Esther An
Chief sustainability officer
City Developments
Esther joined City Developments Limited (CDL) in 1995 to set up the Company’s Corporate Communications department and subsequently established the company’s CSR/Sustainability portfolio. A pioneer CSR practitioner for over 20 years and a committee member of the Global Compact Network Singapore, which is the local network of UN Global Compact, she is instrumental in building up the company’s leadership in Sustainability.
CDL is the first Singapore company to be included on 3 leading global sustainability listings, namely the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2002, the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World since 2010 and Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2011.In the 2016 Global100 Listing, CDL is ranked 10thoverall and top amongst real estate companies globally. The company has also been ranked top Asian developer in the Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking for three consecutive years since 2014.
It was also conferred the Business Leadership in Sustainability Award by the World Green Building Council and the top honours for the Sustainable Business Awards by Singapore Business Federation, amongst many other accolades. The first Singapore-listed company to publish a GRI-checked Sustainability Report in 2008, CDL has adopted the Integrated Reporting approach since 2015.
A signatory of the UN Caring for Climate initiative and a champion in green building and sustainability, Esther is a member of the World Green Building Council’s Corporate Advisory Board and the Urban Land Institute Women’s Leadership Initiative Singapore Steering Committee.
Elena Arabadjieva
Chief operating officer & head of investor relations
Cromwell EREIT Management
Ms Arabadjieva joined the Manager in September 2017 as the Head of Investor Relations and was
promoted to COO and Head of Investor Relations in September 2018. As COO, Ms Arabadjieva is responsible for sustainability, business continuity and general business operations. As Head of Investor Relations, Ms Arabadjieva is responsible for overall investor and stakeholder engagement, marketing and communications as well as continuous disclosure and transparent communications with the unitholders and the market.
Ms Arabadjieva is an experienced investor relations and communications professional with over 20
years of experience in Asia and held a number of senior marketing, sales and communications positions in Singapore. Prior to joining the Manager, Ms Arabadjieva was the Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications of Cambridge Industrial Trust Management Limited (now known as ESR Funds Management (S) Limited). Prior to ESR-REIT, Ms Arabadjieva was the Director of Investor Relations of Genting Singapore PLC (listed on the SGX-ST).
Ms Arabadjieva holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Architecture, Civil
Engineering and Geodesy (Bulgaria) and a Masters of Business Administration from INSEAD (France and Singapore).
Mike Garcia
Head of investor relations and compliance
Ayala Land
Mike Garcia is the head of Investor Relations and Compliance of Ayala Land since 2014. Just this year, he was appointed to concurrently head Investor Relations of AREIT, the first REIT company in the Philippines.
Mike has driven strategic improvements in the IR process which benefitted the analysts, investors, stakeholders, and regulators. He spearheaded new initiatives to increase the reach and information access for analysts and investors through various channels, and developed reporting mechanisms to bridge buy-side and sell-side analysts with Senior Management of Ayala Land, enabling them to have a senior management perspective.
Under his leadership, Ayala Land has been recognized in many prestigious awards, foreign and local, including the honor accorded by IR Magazine: Best IR in the Southeast Asia Real Estate Sector in 2016 and 2018; Best IR in the Philippines, Financial Reporting and IR website in 2018; and the Best Annual Report in the ASEAN Large Cap category in 2019. All these awards led to Ayala Land’s citation as one of the Global Top 50 Companies for Investor Relations and Global Top 5 in the Finance and Real Estate category in 2019, making it the only Philippine company to be in the exclusive lists.
In compliance, Mike introduced enhancements to proactively organize and streamline the company’s governance practices in all its communication channels which improved progressively the access for information and ease of use by rating agencies and peer reviewers. As a result, Ayala Land ranks top in the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard and in Top 50 publicly-listed companies in the ASEAN for Corporate Governance.
Prior to his career at Ayala Land, Mike was head of Investor Relations at Manila Water, Rockwell Land and Atlas Mining. He has an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and attended the Executive Development Program at Columbia Business School.
Caroline Fong
Head of investor relations and chief capital market strategist
Manulife US REIT
Ms Caroline Fong is the Head of Investor Relations and part of the C-Suite for Manulife US REIT. She is responsible for investor relations, communication and helps to steer the strategy and capital markets requirements for the REIT.
Ms Fong has over 14 years of experience in investor relations, capital markets and research. Prior to joining MUST, Ms Fong was Associate Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Finance in Temasek Holdings and Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications in ESR-REIT. At ESR-REIT, Ms Fong was instrumental in profiling the REIT to be the best performing industrial REIT and second best performing SREIT in 2013.
In addition, Ms Fong was formerly Head of Investor Relations for CapitaLand Mall Asia, where she was responsible for creating the narrative for the company’s retail businesses in Singapore and four other countries. Early in her career, Ms Fong was Associate Director, Listings at the Singapore Exchange, where she advised companies on corporate governance and the regulatory framework for public-listed companies in Singapore.
Ms Fong holds a Masters in Finance and Investment from the University of Nottingham, UK and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Banking and Finance from the University of London, UK.
Christine Lau
Head of Investor Relations
Digi
Christine Lau is the Head of Investor Relations for Digi.Com Berhad, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Malaysia and overseeing the complete investor relations program. Prior to this, she was the Head of Investor Relations for Sime Darby Property Berhad for two years and have also served in various roles relating to Financial Analysis, Budgeting and Value Management for Sime Darby Group. Christine is a young and agile leader who specializes in integrated corporate reporting, financial analysis and communication, stakeholder management and crisis communication.
Joshua Lee
Senior portfolio manager
Bank of Singapore
Joshua Lee is currently a Senior Portfolio Manager with Bank of Singapore. He has more than a decade of multi-asset investment experience in both sell-side and buy-side roles.
Prior to joining Bank of Singapore, he worked as an equity research analyst for Deutsche Bank covering multiple sectors in Singapore and Malaysia. He was also a portfolio manager at Magenta Advisors and Blue Rice Investment Management, two hedge funds with a focus on fixed income investments.
Joshua holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree with a major in Law from Singapore Management University. He is also a CFA charterholder and Chartered Accountant of Singapore.
Natalia Rajewska
Sustainable finance analyst
ING
Natalia has joined the ING Sustainable Finance APAC team in 2019, where she is working on structuring sustainable finance products, enhanced by deep responsible investors knowledge. Prior to ING, Natalia was ESG Analyst at Aviva Investors, a global leader in responsible investment. At Aviva, she supported the investment team with ESG analysis and engaged with boards on pertinent ESG issues. Natalia has also worked at Corporate Citizenship, a sustainability consultancy and an impact investment foundation in Singapore.
Natalia holds a BBA from The Hague University and an MSc in Economic History from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Panporn Sasananan
vice president of investor relations
PTT
Ponpinit Upathamp
Head of Investor Relations
Central Pattana
Mr. Ponpinit Upathamp currently serves as the Head of Investor Relations at Central Pattana Public Company Limited, the largest listed property development company in Thailand and the sole development arm of the Central Group, one of the largest and most successful conglomerates in Thailand. Prior to the current role, he was part of the award-winning investor relations team at PTT Exploration and Production Public Limited Company.
With more than 8 years of investor relations experience, Mr. Upathamp has been instrumental in promoting best investor relations practices at organizations during his incumbency: spearheading communication and engagement with the investment community, pioneering new products (e.g. IR news bulletin, company and project factsheet, analyst orientation kit, quarterly earnings transcript) and processes (e.g., investor targeting, ownership structure optimization and market intelligence support to management), and exploring new technologies and innovative solutions to enhance IR services to the stakeholders.
Mr. Upathamp holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Chulalongkorn University.
Giovanna Vera
Assistant vice president, corporate finance, IR, treasury and M&A
Century Pacific Group
Giovanna Vera is currently AVP-Investor Relations, Treasury and Corporate Finance for the Century Pacific Group. The Group includes listed companies Century Pacific Food (CNPF), which is the Philippines’ largest shelf-stable food company, and Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures (PIZZA), the country’s number 1 full-service restaurant operator.
Upon joining the Group in 2014, she established a comprehensive and effective investor relations program which has since won several awards internationally. This includes, most recently, the Philippines’ Best IR Team, Best IR Program, and Best IR Professional for 2020 c/o Institutional Investor.
In addition, she has played a leadership role in the Group’s major M&A and capital-raising initiatives, foremost of which are the acquisition and subsequent IPO of PIZZA, and the IPO and follow-on offering for CNPF.
Over the last few years, she has also been at the forefront of establishing an Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy for the two listed companies in the group – evolving from a simple reporting mechanism to investors, to an actual corporate roadmap towards becoming more responsible and sustainable businesses.
She graduated honourable mention from the Ateneo de Manila University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering. She has been a CFA Charterholder since 2015 and is currently taking her MBA from a joint program between Columbia Business School, London Business School, and University of Hong Kong.
Gregory Yap
Vice president, investor relations
Sunpower Group
Mr Gregory Yap is the VP of Investor Relations for Sunpower Group in Singapore. He previously held Regional Sector Head, Head of Research and Senior Analyst roles with Maybank Kim Eng. Asia Money ranked him among the top Singapore Small Cap analysts in 2014, and Starmine rated him Top Stock Picker and Earnings Estimator for the Infrastructure sector in 2012.
VIEW OUR AWARDS BEST PRACTICE GUIDE FOR INSIGHTS FROM OUR PAST WINNERS AND PARTNERSAccess the guide
Our awards-by-research nominees are determined by the input of hundreds of analysts and portfolio managers, who give their opinions on which companies provide them with the best IR service in the South East Asia region. Every year we invite any publicly listed company to submit their list of buy and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers, so that they have the opportunity to vote via our survey.
Please click on the tabs below to view the research timeline. If you have any questions on this process or wish to access our data sharing agreement, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. For any further queries about the research, please contact [email protected].
Please note that categories are subject to change based on the final research results. Some categories may be split by market cap size.
Our awards by research are different from most others and also from our awards by nomination: for our awards by research, companies do not submit nominations. The winners are identified by in-depth research and any publicly traded company is eligible to be considered. This survey is the only one of its kind to go directly to the investment community, canvassing the opinions of the people who matter to you most.
May-July: Online survey
IR Magazine has been building investment community databases over the past 30 years. As part of the updating process, listed companies are contacted every year for details of the professionals who currently cover their stock. IR Magazine then conducts an electronic survey of buy-side and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers. Each survey respondent is asked to nominate and rank up to five companies in a host of different research categories, from best IRO to best reporting.
September-October: Results analysis & short lists announced
Analysis of the results begins once the survey stage of the research is complete. Points are allocated to each company depending on how frequently it is nominated. The companies with the highest point scores in each individual awards category make the short list for that award. The top company will go on to win the award. Best-in-sector awards are determined by the highest aggregate scores across all research categories.
The IR Magazine awards team receives the results and contacts all short listed companies to give them the good news. The short lists are then published to the entire IR community a month before the event.
December: Winners announced
This year’s winners will be announced at our virtual awards ceremony, attended by the leading lights of the Asian investor relations community.
January: Report published
After the event the Investor Perception Study – Asia report will be made available to professional subscribers to IR Magazine. This report will profile the top ranked companies and reveal information on how they conduct their IR activities and why investors voted for them.
For more information around the investor survey, please contact re[email protected]
For our awards-by-nomination categories, individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.
The nomination form will be open for entries in May. In the meantime, you can register your interest to nominate by clicking here.
Please note that categories are subject to change based on the final number of submissions received. Some categories may be split by market cap size.
The awards-by-nomination categories differ from our traditional researched awards, as individuals and companies are given the opportunity to submit written entries, free of charge, to be put forward to a panel of expert judges made up of investment professionals and IR Magazine editorial team members.
The judging process consists of three simple phases:
Phase one: Once the entry deadline has passed, the IR Magazine editorial team reviews all submissions and produces the short list
Phase two: The short-listed entries are shared with an independent judging panel made up of industry experts. The judges review each short-listed entry and select their top two picks per category
Phase three: The judges come together to discuss, debate and select the final list of winners who will go on to win an award
The judges’ votes are not made public, but their comments may be published in articles or reports after the event. Judges are not required to make comments against every submission.
The majority of our attendees are heads of IR from across South East Asia who are being recognized for their fantastic contribution to IR. Each participant is someone with an established track record and a strategic IR role within their company.
Below is a sample of our past attendees:
Job title | Company | Job title | Company | |
Corporate secretary and investor relations division head | Adaro Energy | VP of strategic planning and investor relations | Indorama Ventures | |
CFO | AEM Holdings | Sustainable finance & ESG associate | ING | |
Investor relations officer | Air Asia | VP, portfolio management and investor relations | Intouch Holdings | |
Head of investor relations and compliance | Ayala Land and AREIT | CFO | Keppel Pacific Oak US REIT | |
Head of investor relations | B Grimm Power | Head, investor relations & business development | KLCCP Stapled Group | |
AVP, IR | Bangkok Dusit Medical Services | Head of investor relations | Major Cineplex Group | |
Senior portfolio manager | Bank of Singapore | Head of investor relations and chief capital market strategist | Manulife US REIT | |
VP of investor relations | Berli Jucker | VP of investor relations | Minor International | |
Investor relations manager | CapitaLand | Group head of public relations | Olam International | |
Head of investor relations | Central Pattana | Head of investor relations | PETRONAS Dagangan | |
AVP, corporate finance, IR, treasury and M&A | Century Pacific Group | CFO | Pilipinas Shell Petroleum | |
Chief sustainability officer | City Developments | Head of investor relations | Prime US REIT | |
Investor relations specialist | CK Power Public Company | VP corporate finance & IR | PTT Global Chemical Public Company | |
Head of investor relations | CP ALL | Investor relations officer | PTTEP | |
COO & head of IR | Cromwell EREIT Management | CEO | Sasseur Asset Management | |
Investor relations manager | D&L Industries | VP of investor relations | Singtel | |
Head of investor relations | Digi | VP of investor relations | SM Prime Holdings | |
VP of investor relations | Frasers Centrepoint Trust | CFO | StarHub | |
CEO & executive director | Geo Energy Resources | Chief – corporate development & investor relations | Tune Protect Group | |
Investor relations officer | Global Power Synergy Public Company | Director of finance, human capital, & risk management | Wijaya Karya Beton |
Why partner with us?
The IR Magazine Forum & Awards – South East Asia brings together some of the most influential people in the IR community.
The event offers an effective approach to targeting clients when they are exploring how they can improve their IR practice. Through our unrivalled knowledge of the subject matter and commitment to in-depth agenda research, our events are guaranteed to attract a qualified audience.
The unique buzz we create at our virtual forums – a far cry from a webinar – makes them multi-faceted and highly interactive with great engagement in particular from heads of IR. This allows our partners to have meaningful conversations with corporates who are deciding which parts of their IR program to invest in, which service providers to engage and consultants to retain. By partnering with us on an event, you can generate leads, showcase your thought leadership and position yourselves as the partner of choice to the IR community.
Not forgetting the unique buzz we create at our virtual awards, becoming a partner will enable you to:
We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can get in front of a truly engaged and motivated audience at the IR Magazine Forum & Awards – South East Asia. Get in touch with Ross Ingram or call on +44 78265 38072.
In the last 12 months, IR Magazine’s virtual events have attracted the highest, most diverse and senior attendees and experts in investor relations
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
The super early bird rate expires on November 12, 2021.
After this date the price will increase to the early bird rate of US$95. The standard price booking price is US$145.
If you have any questions, please contact Chloë Rutter at [email protected] or +44 20 3002 0396.
For partnership inquiries
+44 78 2653 8072
For agenda inquiries
+44 20 8004 4818
For awards inquiries
+44 20 8004 5339
For all other inquiries
+44 20 3002 0396