Siew Hoon has been covering the travel industry beat in Asia Pacific for decades, starting off as a rookie reporter and going on to lead and launch the region’s key industry media titles. In 2005, she founded WiT (Web in Travel) to tackle how technology was changing travel in Asia Pacific and created a new space in the fast-growing, dynamic region with a dedicated media and events platform.

Over the years, she took WiT to new places, launching editions in Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Middle East, Europe, Africa and most recently New Zealand to keep the world’s attention focused on the three pillars of travel, technology and Asia.

Following the acquisition by Northstar Travel Group in 2014, she led the launch of Travel Weekly Asia and M&C Asia and formed the editorial team to execute the entry of Northstar Travel Group to Asia.

Her work has been recognised by numerous institutions including the Singapore Tourism Board which recognised her as Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014. The WiT Singapore conference, which remains its tentpole event, has won several awards including Most Innovative Marketing Initiative and Trade Conference Of The Year.

In 2020, WiT Singapore became the first travel conference to go fully hybrid, paving the way for a new model in events.

Other than writing about travel, Siew Hoon is also a published author of titles such as “Around Asia In One Hour: Tales of Condoms, Chillies & Curries”, children’s books such as “Adventures of Habibie The Turtle” and “The Story of Baitong and Boon” and host of “A Life In Travel” podcast.

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, male, 62, is a co-founder of AirAsia. He was appointed as a Non-Independent Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Capital A Berhad (formerly known as AirAsia Group Berhad) on 30 March 2018.

Tan Sri Tony is one of Asia’s most recognisable entrepreneurs, best known for co-founding low-cost carrier AirAsia and democratising air travel in the region.

In December 2001, Tan Sri Tony, together with Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Dato’ Pahamin Ab Rajab and Dato’ Abdel Aziz @ Abdul Aziz bin Abu Bakar, acquired struggling domestic airline, AirAsia, and with the help of Conor McCarthy, relaunched it as a pioneer of budget travel in Asia, building AirAsia into the world’s best low-cost carrier.

He studied in the UK and qualified as an Associate Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in 1991, then as a Fellow Member in 1996. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). An accountant by training, he began his career in Virgin Group before returning to Malaysia as Warner Music Group’s Vice President for Southeast Asia before venturing into the airline business.

Tan Sri Tony has received numerous honours and awards over the course of his career. These include the Honour of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, conferred by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, and the Commander of the Legion d’Honneur, awarded by the French Government for outstanding contributions to the economy of France through the aviation industry. He also received the Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) award conferred by Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, which carries the title Tan Sri.

A Mauritius native, educated in the U.S., Eric is an avid explorer with a multicultural upbringing that taught him to speak seven languages. Before co-founding Klook in 2014, Eric worked in finance at a global investment bank in Hong Kong, traveling extensively worldwide.

As Chief Operating Officer of Klook, Eric spearheads the company’s global expansion and oversees various business units. He is instrumental in establishing partnerships with key travel players such as Universal Studios, Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR), Japan National Tourism Organization, Hong Kong Tourism Board, and many more. Eric’s leadership contributed significantly to Klook’s diverse offerings and the brand’s rising popularity across in the globe. Today, as one of the world’s leading travel activities and services booking platforms, Klook offers its services in eight different languages, supporting 36 currencies with localized payment methods.

Eric was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 List and China’s Yicai (CBN) Brilliant 20 List, recognizing his entrepreneurial spirit and game-changing attitude. Eric has been invited to speak in various world-class tech and travel conferences including TechCrunch, RISE, WIT (Web In Travel), Phocuswright, Arival and ITB.

Rajesh Magow is the Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

He has been associated with the Company since June 12, 2006 and has been a Director of MakeMyTrip (India) Ltd. since June 19, 2026. He is responsible for overseeing strategic direction, spearheading growth and shaping long term vision across the group’s portfolio.

He is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has been the chair of the FICCI Committee on Tourism for 2025-2026 and is an independent director on the board of Info Edge (India) Limited.

Prior to joining the Company, he was associated with Aptech Computer Education, Technovate Data and Services Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of eBookers.com, and Voltas Limited (formerly known as Voltas Switchgear Limited).

He has also been elected as governing council member of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) for the term 2025–2027.

He has been awarded the Ernst & Young ‘Entrepreneur of the Year – Services’ in 2024, ‘Times Now India’s Impactful CEO’ in 2024, ‘People-Focused CEO of the Year’ at the Economic Times Human Capital Awards in 2023, and the ‘E-commerce Leader of the Year’ in the individual category, by ET Retail, in 2023.

He has experience in information technology and e-commerce industries.

Hannah Yulo-Luccini has served as Director of HBNB since 2024 and Chief Executive Officer of HBNB since March 3, 2025. In addition, Ms. Yulo-Luccini has served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel101 Global from 2022 to present, Chief Investment Officer of DoubleDragon Corporation, a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and the indirect parent company of HBNB, from 2015 to present and Director of Chief Financial Officer of MerryMart Consumer Corp., a company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and an affiliate of HBNB, from 2009 to present. Ms. Yulo-Luccini has also served as Chairman and Director of Mbox Smart Lockers Corp., an affiliate of HBNB, from 2021 to present, Director of M Supplies Corp., an affiliate of HBNB, from 2009 to present, Director of Carlos Drugs-Lucena Inc., an affiliate of HBNB, from 2002 to present, Director of Z.C. Ramthel Corporation, an affiliate of HBNB, from 2009 to present, Chief Financial Officer of Beedragon Global Corp., an affiliate of HBNB, from 2021 to present, Director and Treasurer of Mevorechet Corporation from 2012 to present, Director of CanopyProperties, Inc. from 2020 to present and Director and Chief Financial Officer of Young Focus for Education and Development Foundation, a non-profit organization, from 2018 to present. Ms. Yulo-Luccini holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Palawan State University and a masters in business administration from University of St. La Salle.

Tan Bee Leng is Chief Commercial Officer at The Ascott Limited (Ascott), with a dual role as Managing Director, Digital Ventures, CapitaLand Investment (CLI).

As Chief Commercial Officer for Ascott, Bee Leng spearheads the company’s commercial strategy, leading a team comprising Global Sales, Revenue & Distribution Management, Brand & Marketing, Loyalty & Partnerships, Digital Experience and Communications.

Responsible for shaping Ascott’s portfolio of 17 hospitality brands, Bee Leng’s track record in brand innovation and leadership can be seen in a global Brand360 exercise that strengthened Ascott’s portfolio with a multi-typology brand strategy.

In 2024, she led Ascott to secure the partnership deal with Chelsea Football Club as its Official Global Hotels Partner, positioning Ascott well to capitalise on the growing convergence of sports, entertainment and hospitality.

In her dual portfolio role as Managing Director, Digital Ventures for CLI, Bee Leng oversees the group’s corporate venture arm, to drive innovation through new digital business opportunities with the potential to be incubated and nurtured into impactful start-up businesses for CLI.

Prior to her current role, Bee Leng was the Head of Group Communications for CapitaLand Group, where she was responsible for its corporate and executive communications, brand strategy and reputation management. Between 2009 and 2018, she was also overseeing the philanthropic arm of CapitaLand as the General Manager of CapitaLand Hope Foundation.

Bee Leng is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience in developing and implementing effective communication and branding strategies. She was named a winner of Women To Watch Asia Pacific 2024 by Campaign Asia-Pacific for her contributions to marketing, media and communications.

In 2005 Frederick “Fritz” Demopoulos co-founded and was the CEO of Qunar. Qunar was acquired by Baidu in 2011.

Fritz also co-founded and was the CEO of Shawei. Shawei was acquired by Tom.com in 2000.

Fritz held senior management positions at various online and traditional media companies in China including Netease, Hai Run Media Group and News Corporation.

Fritz currently coordinates his personal investment and entrepreneurial activities through Queen’s Road Capital.

A native of Los Angeles, Fritz was educated at UCLA, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Karls-Ruprecht University in Heidelberg. He has lectured on entrepreneurship and the Chinese Internet at Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, Tsinghua, Beijing University, Singapore Management University and the Communist Party College in Nanjing.

Rod is a pioneer of the global online travel industry. He was the founder, CEO & Chairman of Viator, the leading global marketplace for tour and experience products. He was subsequently the CEO & Chairman of Rome2rio, the multi-modal search engine; and is currently a non-executive director of Veltra Corporation, the Tokyo Stock Exchange listed seller of tour and experience products, and Jayride, the Sydney-based global marketplace for airport transfers. He is also a member of the board of directors of Tourism Tasmania.

Golan Shakéd leads global partnerships across hotels and airlines for Expedia Group. In this role, he works closely with partners to strengthen strategic relationships, unlock growth opportunities, and drive commercial performance across a fast-evolving travel landscape. A seasoned commercial and growth leader, he brings over 25 years of experience scaling digital businesses and driving high‑impact transformation across corporate, private equity, and high‑growth technology environments.

Before joining Expedia Group, Golan held senior leadership roles across travel technology, media, and gaming. At Kiwi.com, he helped steer the company through the COVID‑19 crisis, led a shift toward a more customer‑centric, direct‑to‑consumer strategy, and strengthened airline partnerships through closer collaboration. Prior to that, he served as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Deezer, reshaping its global commercial strategy and accelerating its move to direct‑to‑consumer across EMEA, the Americas, and APAC. He also played key roles in major fundraising and transaction milestones, including private‑equity raises, Deezer’s management roadshow, and the bwin–PartyGaming merger and subsequent acquisition by GVC Holdings. Earlier in his career, he led global campaigns for Fortune 500 brands and helped scale Celltick’s mobile business while moving the company into profitability.

Golan holds a BA in Marketing and Communications and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. He advises early‑ and mid‑stage start‑ups and has served on the Advisory Board of the International School of London.

Gemma Timmons is Director of Operations and Chief of Staff at OAG, a 96-year-old aviation data company undergoing significant technological transformation. She brings a rare blend of strategic, investment, and operational experience in travel tech and B2B software.

At OAG, Gemma leads operational and AI transformation efforts, with a focus on modernising data infrastructure for an increasingly agentic world. She holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford.

As Managing Director & Vice President of Asia Pacific, Laura Houldsworth leads and oversees business growth, operations and strategy for one of Booking.com’s most vibrant and diverse regions globally.

Laura joined Booking.com in June 2021, following 10 successful years at SAP Concur where she last served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China. Laura has previously held regional roles in BCD Travel and ABN Amro Private Banking; and is a commercial leader with more than 20 years of experience managing successful, multi-cultural teams.

As a people-first leader, Laura is a keen advocate for causes such as gender equality in the workplace and sustainability. She serves as an executive sponsor for multiple employee resource groups, such as B.Equal and B.Sustainable, supporting grassroots initiatives to make Booking.com APAC a great place to work.

Laura has lived and worked in Singapore for more than 20 years and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Marketing Management from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.

Mr. Comeau is responsible for overall strategic and operational leadership at Phocuswright. Pete oversees all aspects of Phocuswright’s commercial activities including product, sales and service, and marketing. He also plays a key role in product development and business development strategy for Phocuswright research, events and media businesses globally. Pete is a frequent speaker at industry events and heads Phocuswright’s coverage of startups and innovation.

Mr. Comeau’s travel industry career spans over two decades. Previously, he managed strategic partnerships at Orbitz in Chicago, where he assisted in growing and managing accounts for the Orbitz Partner Network. Prior to Orbitz, Pete was the sales leader at Moguls Mountain Travel, a ski tour wholesaler in Boulder, CO. He helped design, implement and maintain four reservation systems during his tenure and managed and mentored a team of successful sales agents.

Based in the Denver, Colorado area, Pete holds an M.B.A. from Daniels College of Business and graduated magna cum laude from Bowdoin College with a degree in government and economics.

Richard Valtr is an entrepreneur and ex-hotelier with an extensive background in hotel investment and management. Richard was educated at UCL in London before returning to his native Czech Republic where he project managed a number of property developments, culminating in the creation of the Emblem Hotel. While he was working at the property, he realized that hotel management systems had failed to keep pace with hotels or their guests, and he founded Mews to bring modern, seamless hospitality to hoteliers and guests alike. In his time at Mews, Richard has pushed hoteliers to think differently, from operations and payments to optimizing every square inch of their properties. From his Brooklyn home, he continues to provide inspirational leadership not only at Mews but for the hospitality industry.

Jay has spent over five years at Visa, holding roles across the Commercial Solutions organisation. During this time, he managed a range of Visa’s European commercial issuers before playing a key role in establishing the Global B2B Travel team. He went on to assume global responsibility for Visa’s key strategic partner within the travel vertical, helping to drive partnership strategy and commercial payments innovation across the global travel ecosystem.

Prior to Visa, Jay spent seven years at AirPlus International as Head of Sales and Partnerships, and two years at Barclaycard Commercial, building deep expertise in commercial payments and their application across the travel industry. Jay resides in North London with his wife, eleven-year-old son, and dog. He enjoys participating in sports, cooking, listening to music, and traveling.

Tania is the Global Head of B2B Travel for Visa Commercial Solutions, where she responsible for the creation and execution of the business strategy for this rapidly evolving, high growth vertical segment. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the payments, financial services and telecommunications sectors, Tania has led successful businesses around the world. Prior to joining Visa in early 2024, she managed the Commercial team at Outpayce from Amadeus, serving the global travel ecosystem with new advances in payments. Tania has also previously held senior business development roles at American Express, MasterCard Payment Gateway Services, Vodafone and IDT.

Nazim Ali is Chief Revenue Officer at Xendit, leading Xendit’s global Go-To-Market (GTM) organization across commercial strategy, sales, account management, revenue operations, marketing and partnerships. Previously, he was CEO of Airwallex Singapore, APAC Head of Sales at Adyen, and held several Managing Director roles at J.P. Morgan.

“We want to make Southeast Asia ‘solvable’ in the minds of new and established companies worldwide, attracted by the region’s rapidly digitizing populations – and at the same time cautious due to the highly fragmented nature of payments here.”

Yao Xiang is Head of Commercial, for Greater China and Southeast Asia, at Checkout.com, where he leads business development, market expansion, and merchant performance across the region. He joined Checkout.com in 2022 as the General Manager for Greater China.

With over 10 years of payment industry experience, Yao works alongside enterprise merchants across Ecommerce, Gaming, Digital, Online Travel Agency, and Mobility. His deep operational expertise helps businesses elevate payment performance, refine risk strategies, and scale sustainably across international markets.

Prior to Checkout.com, Yao served as Head of Account Management at Adyen China. He also held key payments and risk management positions at LightInTheBox and Booking.com.

Yao holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Renmin University of China and a Master’s degree in Financial Management from TIAS Business School in the Netherlands.

Bryan leads Skyscanner in its mission to become the world’s number one travel ally. He’s held senior international roles at Booking.com and Tesla. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer for Skyscanner, implementing the company’s long-term strategic vision across the company, which sees Skyscanner search 100 billion prices every day to help travellers plan and book their trip with ease and confidence.

Stephen has been a founder and entrepreneur in tech since 1995, currently serving as Global Strategy Lead – Travel & Tours at Protect Group. He has previously served as VP of Content at Arival in the experiences industry and as Executive Director for OCTO. He co-founded Rezgo, a pioneering SaaS booking platform for the experiences industry, and worked as VP of Solutions at Holibob. Stephen is passionate about the travel industry and has served as a board member and Chair of several travel industry associations including the Open Travel Alliance and OCTO. He is an avid speaker and industry analyst, and he co-hosts the Arival – Best Part of Travel Podcast where he enjoys speaking with industry experts about the current and future state of the experiences industry.

Rajnish Kumar is the Co-founder and Group Co-CEO of ixigo (Le Travenues Technology Ltd., listed on NSE & BSE). An IIT Kanpur alumnus in Computer Science, Kumar began his career as a software engineer at Amadeus before co-founding ixigo in 2007.

He has led the company’s product, technology, growth and AI strategy across its journey from a bootstrapped travel search engine to India’s leading OTA for the ‘next billion users’, serving over 570 million annual active users in FY26. He was honoured with the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Kanpur and recognised under the ‘Comeback Kid’ category at the Economic Times Startup Awards 2021.

He is an active mentor and investor in India’s startup ecosystem and the author of ‘Made in Fire’, a book on entrepreneurship, resilience and the journey of building enduring companies.

A senior travel industry executive with unparalleled experience of developing and leading global technology platforms, Mike’s ambition is for Meili to become the market leader in travel tech. As the former CEO of CarTrawler, Mike used his superior perspective on the mobility marketplace to oversee continual growth over a decade, the successful completion of two major private equity investments and multiple acquisitions. Mike’s commercial expertise and stellar track record make him uniquely qualified to guide Meili on its path to growth.

Lisa is a seasoned professional with 15+ years in strategy, corporate development, and M&A. As SVP of Corporate Development at Etraveli Group, she leads strategy, M&A, and partnerships for the global flight platform backed by CVC Capital Partners. She is also an angel investor, startup mentor, and member of the Hellenic Business Angel Network. Boards include the upcoming role at Nezasa.

Ross is CEO & Co-Founder at Wego, which is online travel marketplace that provides top ranked mobile apps and websites for users living in the APAC and MENA regions. Wego harnesses powerful technology that simplifies the process of searching, comparing and booking flights and hotels across hundreds of airlines, hotels and online travel agency websites. Wego is has dual-HQs in Singpaore and Dubai and is backed by top-tier investors including Tiger Global, Crescent Group, Square Peg Capital and the MBC Group.

Ross is a veteran of the Asian internet industry having established Yahoo!s Southeast Asian operations in Singapore back in 1998 and leading product development efforts across the region for 6+ years. He is also Singapore Co-Chair of H2, the premier global leadership network for the digital industry. Ross has been an active angel investor in the technology sector for a decade and enjoys working with other passionate entrepreneurs. He has worked in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Kuala Lumpur and is now splits his time between Singapore and Dubai. He travels frequently for business but not nearly enough for leisure.

Kelvin Fu is a tech-driven entrepreneur with a strong IT background. Since 2014, he has been deeply engaged in the travel industry’s airline and hotel supply chain, helping OTAs efficiently connect with global direct airline and hotel resources. Through a series of solutions, he has supported clients in navigating opportunities and challenges as they scale.As the Co-Founder of Letsfly, Kelvin launched the AeroHub Solution in 2023 and currently serves as its President. Kelvin is also a strategic advisor to several companies and a member of EO Beijing. He is passionate about simplifying travel through technology.

Mary Li has built her entrepreneurship career in solving flight problems and is back with a new start-up. Atlas is a global airfare aggregator, offering unique content from low-cost carriers and domestic airlines. Before Atlas, she was co-CEO of Mystifly where she managed its product, technology, operations, human resource, and APAC sales from Bangalore, India. Her first flight start-up was ASLAN, which she ran for eight years, building it from a 40-person offline travel agency into the largest B2B air ticket platform in China. In 2014, Aslan was acquired by Alitrip (Fliggy), Alibaba’s online travel platform.

Morris Sim is the CEO and Co-Founder of Circos Brand Karma, the leading full-service solution provider that protects the value and cultivates the potential of brands. Hoteliers around the world use the Brand Karma Analytic tool to improve brand favorability, increase awareness, and enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty. Circos’s consultancy services help hoteliers sell more rooms and F&B covers directly, while its training services teach hoteliers how to utilize digital marketing to maximize revenue. Clients include Shangri-La, Starwood, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Jin Jiang, Hyatt, IHG, and Accor.

Passionate about technology and marketing, Morris has been identifying and applying innovative trends to improve business performance for the last 20 years. As Senior Director of Marketing at Marriott from 2002-2005, he developed communities and social networks to improve Microsoft’s brand perceptions and market share worldwide. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Technology Officer of PoloRalphLauren.com, the first e-commerce site from a major design/retail shop, now a thriving and profitable business with millions of customers per year. In addition to running his company, Morris also serves as the Executive Director for Montara Hospitality Group.

Morris is a graduate of Stanford University.

Kittisak “Kitt” Pattamasaevi is the Chief Executive Officer of Montara Hospitality Group, where he leads the company’s vision of creating exceptional hospitality experiences that enrich people’s lives while generating lasting value for communities and the environment.

Under his leadership, Trisara, Phuket’s iconic luxury resort and private residential community, has earned international recognition for its service, culinary excellence, and commitment to responsible hospitality. He is also leading the development of Tri Vananda, an integrated wellness community that brings together luxury residences, regenerative agriculture, hospitality, and preventive healthcare. At its heart is the Clinique La Prairie Health Resort Phuket, opening in 2026 as the first destination of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Beyond hospitality, Kitt is passionate about creating places with long-term social and cultural impact. His work focuses on fostering wellbeing, strengthening local communities, supporting Thai craftsmanship and agriculture, and developing destinations that celebrate Thailand’s natural and cultural heritage.

Kitt holds a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also serves as a director of the Niyom Pattamasaevi Foundation, which supports education, arts, and cultural initiatives in Lampang, Thailand.

The JTB Group traces its roots back to 1912 when “Japan Tourist Bureau” was formed to attract international travelers to Japan and assist with their travel needs. While our activities and clientele have expanded greatly since then, the JTB Group remains aligned around a core purpose: bringing people, places and possibilities together.

Eijiro “Eddie” Yamakita has held key leadership positions throughout his career, with a focus on the group’s international business. Early on, he led the development of the company’s global strategy before moving to Europe, where he served as European Head of the JTB Group and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kuoni Travel Investment Ltd.

Following his return to Japan, he served as President and CEO from 2020. In this role, he led a comprehensive strategic transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing a solid foundation for the group’s global expansion and long-term growth. He also leads global advocacy to the tourism industry through international organizations such as UN Tourism and the WTTC.
In 2026, he assumed his current role as Chairperson Representative Director and Executive Officer of JTB Corp.

Barathan Pasupathi (Bara), Chief Executive Officer of Jazeera Airways is Singaporean and has more than 30 years of global aviation experience spanning finance, commercial strategy, operations, and aircraft procurement and leasing. A seasoned airline leader, he has built a strong reputation for leading organizations with purpose, turning around businesses, driving transformation, delivering performance, and sustainable growth in competitive markets.

Since assuming the role of CEO in March 2024, Bara has led Jazeera Airways through a period of strategic expansion and operational discipline, culminating in the airline achieving record profitability in 2025, its strongest financial performance to date. Under his leadership, the airline has advanced its growth agenda through network expansion, fleet optimization, digital innovation, and a continued focus on safety, efficiency, and customer value.

He joined Jazeera from Jetstar Asia where he was the CEO for 12 years in Asia growing Asian markets as well as founding executive and CFO between 2004 to 2007 guiding the airline through multiple phases of growth and industry change. From 2007 to 2010, he served as CFO at Jazeera Airways and listed the airline on the Kuwait stock Market and set up Sahaab Aircraft leasing.

A prominent industry leader shaping the future of aviation, Bara has been featured by Forbes for his leadership influence and contributions to the sector. He is also an acclaimed speaker on aviation strategy, airline economics, and industry transformation, frequently addressing regional and global aviation audiences.

Bara holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Murdoch University and a Master of Business Administration from Deakin University in Australia. He is a Fellow of CPA Australia and a distinguished alumnus. He was also ranked among the Middle East region’s top 100 leaders by CNBC Arabia in 2026.

Mathias joined Etraveli Group as CEO 2014 and has since then together with the team created the leading flight centric OTA in Europe with an increasing footprint globally. In recent years the company has pivoted to become a global flight tech platform with fulfillment capabilities supporting the evolution of Booking.com Flights, leading to Booking Holdings acquiring Etraveli Group for 1,63 billion Euro. The transaction is pending competition clearance.

Mathias has for the last 25 years been leading online businesses in many different sectors in public and private settings. From Executive Management or Board positions he has been part of developing international companies within financial services (Klarna), gambling (Netent, Betsson, Svenska Spel), e-commerce (Euroflorist, LMKG) and search (Eniro) before joining Etraveli.

Mathias has attended Executive Management Programs at Harvard and at the Stockholm School of Economics. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Stockholm.

Yoshiyuki Takano is Group Senior Managing Executive Officer, Senior Vice President of Commerce & Marketing Company, Rakuten Group Inc. since Jan 2017.

He started his career at Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. and joined Rakuten, Inc. in 2002. Firstly, he worked for Rakuten Ichiba e-commerce business and then for Rakuten Travel since 2004. He became Business Manager after serving as Manager of Advertisement Department, Manager of Marketing & Web Design Department and Vice Manager of Travel Business. His digital marketing expertise and management experience in contributes to Rakuten Travel’s rapid business growth.

Yoshiyuki earned Master’s degree from Waseda University

As the Assistant Vice President of International Markets, Ms Ru Yi formulates strategic goals and drives organisational growth of Trip.com’s hotel business units across Asia, including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand, among others. Ms Ru oversees the International Hotel Business Units’ operations in these markets – with the objectives of strengthening brand equity, identifying new growth opportunities and partnerships, and fostering strategic relationships with stakeholders. A founding member of Trip.com Singapore, Ms Ru was the Regional General Manager and the Country Head of the International Hotel Business Unit (Singapore) before being promoted to her current position. Ms Ru has a wealth of experience and expertise in the hospitality sector. Prior to joining Trip.com Group in 2013, she had assumed key appointments at Resorts World Sentosa, Sentosa Leisure Group and Far East Organization. A forward-thinking strategic leader with a strong business acumen, Ms Ru is frequently invited to speak at industry and trade events. Ms Ru graduated with a Bachelor in Business Management from Singapore Management University, and also holds an Executive MBA from SMU. A proud mum of two girls, Ms Ru enjoys reading and jogging.

Nadia Omer joined AirAsia MOVE (formerly airasia Superapp) as its Chief Executive Officer effective 26 October 2023. Her key priority will be to drive airasia MOVE’s vision to be the best-value one-stop travel platform in Asean.

Nadia comes with deep experience within Asia and ASEAN in category conversion, habit change and building new categories that create shared value for the full ecosystem.

She began her career at P&G and subsequently moved to bigger roles at Nestle and PepsiCo and served as the Chief Business Officer of Cars24, Southeast Asia before AirAsia MOVE.

Innovation and building talent is something very close to Nadia’s heart. She has built her career as a working mum, and feels passionately about energizing and engaging other young female talents to unleash their potential. She is also a mentor at Antler focusing on helping young founders in tech and e-commerce.

Nadia holds a Master of Business Administration from the Lahore University of Management, and is a Bachelor of Science (Maths, Stats & Econ) graduate.

Vikram Malhi is the Co-founder of ZUZU Hospitality Solutions, a Singapore based start-up that manages sales and online distribution for independent budget hotels across Asia. Before starting his entrepreneurial journey, Vikram was Managing Director for Expedia Asia and was instrumental in growing Expedia brand across 11 countries in Asia.

He spent a total of 8 years at Expedia, taking on multiple senior level roles including marketing, customer loyalty, operations and general management. In addition to his deep expertise in the online travel and hospitality sectors, he has strong experience in technology and business consulting. He worked at IBM Consulting early in his career and received MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Sarosh Waghmar is Spotnana’s Founder, Co‑Chairman, and Chief Product Officer. He leads Spotnana’s efforts to build the industry’s first Travel‑as‑a‑Service platform, partnering with travel providers and global enterprises to deliver a modern technology stack that opens the door to a new generation of travel experiences.

Over more than two decades in travel, Sarosh has built and scaled businesses that rethink how corporate travel is purchased, sold, and serviced. Prior to Spotnana, he founded WTMC, the world’s first TMC to build direct connections to global airlines. When he isn’t working on product and platform architecture, you’ll likely find him in the kitchen, cooking for family, friends, and colleagues.

Eason Zhang is Head of Apps & Strategic Partnership, for TikTok Southeast Asia, where he leads partnerships and commercial strategy across some of the region’s largest digital businesses. His portfolio spans travel, local services, fintech, crypto and gaming, working with leading brands including Trip.com, Agoda, Klook, Traveloka, Grab, Binance and OKX etc.

With extensive experience across the travel and technology industries, Eason previously held roles at Google and Skyscanner before joining TikTok in 2021. He has worked closely with travel platforms and destinations across Asia Pacific, helping businesses navigate shifts in consumer discovery, content, performance marketing and digital commerce.

At TikTok, Eason is particularly focused on how short-form video, creators, search and AI are reshaping the traveller journey—from inspiration and destination discovery to consideration and booking—and how travel brands can turn these changing behaviours into sustainable business growth.

Adilla Arantika is Regional Senior Manager, Partner Apps at Grab, where she leads a group-wide initiative expanding the range of services available to Grab’s 50 million monthly transacting users across Southeast Asia. She is also driving the development of an AI-assisted partner onboarding and business management system to help businesses launch and scale on the platform.

Adilla brings more than a decade of experience across digital products, technology, financial services, e-commerce and strategy. Prior to Grab, she was Head of Digital Product & Monetization at Principal Financial Group, where she owned the P&L of a B2B2C digital investment platform with USD271 million in assets under management and more than 3.5 million retail investors. She also held commercial leadership roles at Lazada and consulting roles at Frost & Sullivan and CIMB Group.

Her work sits at the intersection of technology, digital transformation, customer experience and business growth, with a particular interest in how emerging technologies can make products and services more accessible and relevant across diverse Asian markets.

Adilla has been recognised as a rising business leader and has spoken at industry forums on customer journeys, buyer behaviour, digital business and fintech. She is also the founder of Sinau Purwokerto, a family-run initiative providing free English classes to underprivileged children in Indonesia.

As the Global Head of Travel at Rappi, Guido is in charge of building and running this new vertical inside the fastest growing “superapp” and ecommerce platform in the Latin American region. Guido brings with him over 20 years of experience in travel tech, launching and building teams and businesses across Latin America. He is a passionate entrepreneur and travel industry enthusiast. After founding a reverse auction model OTA in 1999, 123vendido.com, he started and was the driving force behind Netactica, one of the top travel technology providers in Latin America.

Adebayo Adedeji is a dynamic business leader and entrepreneur, best known as the Group CEO of Wakanow, one of Africa’s leading online travel companies. Under his leadership, Wakanow has expanded its operations to multiple African countries, the UK, and the UAE, offering a seamless platform for booking flights, hotels, and holiday packages, along with unique features like “Pay Small Small,” which allows travelers to spread travel costs over time. Wakanow also provides corporate travel solutions and innovative travel experiences through its subsidiaries​. Before joining Wakanow, Bayo had an impressive career in finance and retail, serving as a Senior Finance Manager at Amazon and holding leadership roles at Walmart and PetSmart. He is also a serial entrepreneur, founding Dundu Nation, a food truck business specializing in local delicacies, and Wave Beach Lagos, a leisure destination. Bayo is recognized for his customer-centric approach, innovation, and strategic vision, which have transformed the travel landscape in Africa. He emphasizes continual learning, adaptability, and empathy in leadership and is deeply committed to driving positive change in the industries he engages with​.

Ben Peterson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Purple Elephant Ventures, an innovation hub for Africa’s travel and tourism sector. He has over eighteen years of experience investing in, founding, growing, and managing companies and non-profits across Africa. We have some great conversations about focusing on the big picture and not getting worked up about the minutia in our everyday lives. Ben also gives some great insight on failing fast, learning from our failures, and their venture studio business model.

Iain is the founder of VoiceMap, the leading platform for self-guided audio tours. The app has been installed by over a million travellers, and its almost 1,000 publishers offer tours across over 600 destinations worldwide. They’ve earned over $1 million in royalties along the way.

Before launching the platform in 2014, Iain spent a decade living, working and travelling around the world – including an 18-month journey from London to Shanghai by land, which he documented at Old World Wandering. It was one of the first travel blogs, and a place where – in the words of an editor at National Geographic Traveler – “thoughtful, well-written slow travel writing with a strong sense of history and culture…can be reliably found.” His long-form dispatches were regularly featured by curators like The Browser, Longreads and Longform.org.

His favourite travel experiences almost always have one thing in common: someone shows him their corner of the world. They connect opinions, anecdotes and emotions to places, and use phrases like “I love”, “I remember” and “I hope” to describe things that might otherwise have been ordinary.

He likes to think that VoiceMap has become a place where these human perspectives can be reliably found.

Dr. Andie Ang is a primatologist with over a decade of field experience studying wild primates in Southeast Asia. She has served as President of the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) since 2018, leading outreach and capacity-building initiatives to foster wildlife awareness and protection. Beyond her work in Singapore, Ang collaborates with governmental and non-governmental organisations in the wider region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, on long-term research and conservation of endangered primates. In 2014, she received a National Geographic Society grant to construct aerial crossings for endangered Indochinese silvered langurs in Vietnam’s limestone karsts, a project aimed at mitigating habitat fragmentation. She earned her Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Clarence is a multiple-award winning entrepreneur specializing in environmental sustainability, hospitality, and tourism.

He started his career in government at NParks, then joined the pioneering team to launch Gardens by the Bay in 2012. During this time he founded landscape firm Country Cousins in 2014, and sold it in 2019 to a SGX-listed IFM company.

During the covid pandemic he pivoted to the sustainability sector, founding The Sundowner Nature Experience Centre which offers honeybee tours and F&B classes. To date it is Singapore’s only hospitality outfit with a 5-star rating across Google across 900 reviews. His newest venture is the House of Melissa Boutique Farmstay at Changi Village, Singapore’s only premium farmstay.

His award-winning work in nature conservation centres around his not-for-profit Bee Rescue programme, which relocates rather than exterminates honeybees — of which he has saved 6 million to date.

Amanda Currie is a farmer and food producer based in Central Otago, New Zealand. She and her team steward Tinwald Farm, a regenerative farming and vineyard property where food, landscape, and care for the land are inseparable.

A central focus of Amanda’s work is the restoration of soil health through rebuilding microbial communities—the unseen life that underpins resilient landscapes, nutritious food, and distinctive flavour. Through on-farm composting, microbial inoculants, and biological monitoring, she works to return balance and vitality to the land.

With a background in economics and public policy, Amanda brings a systems perspective to tourism, exploring how authenticity, provenance, and care for place create meaningful visitor experiences that endure beyond the journey.

Rod is a pioneer of the global online travel industry. He was the founder, CEO & Chairman of Viator, the leading global marketplace for tour and experience products. He was subsequently the CEO & Chairman of Rome2rio, the multi-modal search engine; and is currently a non-executive director of Veltra Corporation, the Tokyo Stock Exchange listed seller of tour and experience products, and Jayride, the Sydney-based global marketplace for airport transfers. He is also a member of the board of directors of Tourism Tasmania.

Chris has spent his entire professional life in and around startups and high-growth businesses in travel, hospitality and technology having founded six companies during his 30 years in business. Today he is a co-founder and Managing Director of Thayer Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in emerging technology companies in the travel and transportation space. Immediately Prior to Thayer Ventures, Chris was founder and President of iCare Marketing (sold to Sysco Foodservice Corporation in 2012) and founder and CEO of Dynamic Payment Ventures (sold to Elavon, a subsidiary of US Bank in 2007).

Prior to that, Chris was founder and CEO of CriticalArc Technologies, a supply-chain software provider to the foodservice industry, founder of E&O Kitchen and Bar, a casual dining restaurant based in San Francisco, founder of The Hemmeter Collection, a direct response retailer and founder of Hemmeter Publishing, a publisher and distributor of travel books and content. Upon graduating from Cornell University in 1986, Chris joined Hemmeter Investment Company, a real estate developer of destination-resort properties. Founded by his father in 1962, the Hemmeter organization developed major destination resort hotels in Hawaii and operated several related hospitality and travel businesses in the foodservice, gaming, retail and aviation sectors.

Chris received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Cornell University and his graduate degree from Harvard Business School in 1995, where he was recognized as a Baker Scholar for his academic achievement.

Roger is a veteran travel technology Chair, investor and advisor. He played key roles in the privatisations of airlines and airports including Air New Zealand and Qantas before becoming CEO of ABN AMRO Asia and Global Head of Technology for ABN AMRO Bank. He subsequently built and sold ASX-listed travel.com.au and lastminute.com.au, chaired Webjet until its demerger in 2024, and served as Deputy Chair of Tourism New Zealand.

Roger chairs ASX-listed WebBeds, one of the world’s leading B2B hotel distribution platforms. He is also the founder of Asia-Pacific technology investment bank North Ridge Partners, where he leads the firm’s travel technology practice.

During COVID-19, Roger founded Technology Queenstown, a not-for-profit initiative building Queenstown into a leading travel and hospitality technology hub to diversify the regional economy.

Chris has spent his entire professional life in and around startups and high-growth businesses in travel, hospitality and technology having founded six companies during his 30 years in business. Today he is a co-founder and Managing Director of Thayer Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in emerging technology companies in the travel and transportation space. Immediately Prior to Thayer Ventures, Chris was founder and President of iCare Marketing (sold to Sysco Foodservice Corporation in 2012) and founder and CEO of Dynamic Payment Ventures (sold to Elavon, a subsidiary of US Bank in 2007).

Prior to that, Chris was founder and CEO of CriticalArc Technologies, a supply-chain software provider to the foodservice industry, founder of E&O Kitchen and Bar, a casual dining restaurant based in San Francisco, founder of The Hemmeter Collection, a direct response retailer and founder of Hemmeter Publishing, a publisher and distributor of travel books and content. Upon graduating from Cornell University in 1986, Chris joined Hemmeter Investment Company, a real estate developer of destination-resort properties. Founded by his father in 1962, the Hemmeter organization developed major destination resort hotels in Hawaii and operated several related hospitality and travel businesses in the foodservice, gaming, retail and aviation sectors.

Chris received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Cornell University and his graduate degree from Harvard Business School in 1995, where he was recognized as a Baker Scholar for his academic achievement.

As a long-time operating exec, startup advisor, investor and road warrior, Cara is actively involved in numerous corners of the travel tech industry, including co-hosting the popular Travel Tech Insider podcast. As Venture Partner at Thayer Investment Partners, the leading travel technology venture capital firm, she advises portfolio companies and helps connect the dots between emerging technology players and the leading travel brands and suppliers across the industry. She is a frequent speaker, panelist and startup pitch judge for numerous industry events, and enjoys coaching growth-stage teams on effective go-to-market strategy.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, she and her husband are avid golfers aiming to hit the links in all 50 states.

William is Managing General Partner of Orbit Ventures the Emerging Markets VC the longest running emerging market startup program in the world with over US$125m in investment value managed. Orbit invests in technology startups that digitize traditional industries, boost earnings potential, and drive sustainable growth. Sectors include e-commerce, fintech, travel, media, health, education, and logistics across emerging markets in Asia, Middle East, Africa and LATAM. Orbit provides hands-on support for user acquisition, sales, partnerships, and fundraising. Orbit’s consumer ecosystem has helped our startups scale to 169m monthly active users as of 2Q25. Magnitt named Orbit #6 most active VC in Emerging Markets in both 2023, 2024 and 2H25. William joined Orbit from SingTel Innov8 Ventures where he was a founding Managing Director. Prior to that William was a Partner at Softbank China & India, a VC backed by Softbank and Cisco, leading investments across Asia. William started his career in equity research most recently with Deutsche Bank where he was a top ranked analyst for Internet and Software in Asia and worked on the IPOs for Alibaba, Kingsoft, eLong (Expedia), OnMobile and Infoedge Naukri.

William was ranked #3 stock picker in Hong Kong/China and #1 for Technology, Media and Telecom by Thomson Reuters Starmine as well as #3 equity research analyst in Asia for Software and IT Services by Institutional Investor Magazine. William has done over 350 early stage investments including Bitmex in blockchain, UShopal in ecommerce, italki in edtech, VideoVerse in media, Carota in mobility, Flickstree in media, ELSA Speak in edtech, Tappytoon in media, Coutloot in ecommerce, and Dastgyr in ecommerce. He currently sits on boards including Scantrust, Boost Capital, Pandabus, Fleksy, Goama, and italki as well as Blair Academy. He holds a BA from Bowdoin College.

Roger is a veteran travel technology Chair, investor and advisor. He played key roles in the privatisations of airlines and airports including Air New Zealand and Qantas before becoming CEO of ABN AMRO Asia and Global Head of Technology for ABN AMRO Bank. He subsequently built and sold ASX-listed travel.com.au and lastminute.com.au, chaired Webjet until its demerger in 2024, and served as Deputy Chair of Tourism New Zealand.

Roger chairs ASX-listed WebBeds, one of the world’s leading B2B hotel distribution platforms. He is also the founder of Asia-Pacific technology investment bank North Ridge Partners, where he leads the firm’s travel technology practice.

During COVID-19, Roger founded Technology Queenstown, a not-for-profit initiative building Queenstown into a leading travel and hospitality technology hub to diversify the regional economy.

Chris has spent his entire professional life in and around startups and high-growth businesses in travel, hospitality and technology having founded six companies during his 30 years in business. Today he is a co-founder and Managing Director of Thayer Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in emerging technology companies in the travel and transportation space. Immediately Prior to Thayer Ventures, Chris was founder and President of iCare Marketing (sold to Sysco Foodservice Corporation in 2012) and founder and CEO of Dynamic Payment Ventures (sold to Elavon, a subsidiary of US Bank in 2007).

Prior to that, Chris was founder and CEO of CriticalArc Technologies, a supply-chain software provider to the foodservice industry, founder of E&O Kitchen and Bar, a casual dining restaurant based in San Francisco, founder of The Hemmeter Collection, a direct response retailer and founder of Hemmeter Publishing, a publisher and distributor of travel books and content. Upon graduating from Cornell University in 1986, Chris joined Hemmeter Investment Company, a real estate developer of destination-resort properties. Founded by his father in 1962, the Hemmeter organization developed major destination resort hotels in Hawaii and operated several related hospitality and travel businesses in the foodservice, gaming, retail and aviation sectors.

Chris received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Cornell University and his graduate degree from Harvard Business School in 1995, where he was recognized as a Baker Scholar for his academic achievement.

Tania is the Global Head of B2B Travel for Visa Commercial Solutions, where she responsible for the creation and execution of the business strategy for this rapidly evolving, high growth vertical segment. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in the payments, financial services and telecommunications sectors, Tania has led successful businesses around the world. Prior to joining Visa in early 2024, she managed the Commercial team at Outpayce from Amadeus, serving the global travel ecosystem with new advances in payments. Tania has also previously held senior business development roles at American Express, MasterCard Payment Gateway Services, Vodafone and IDT.

Omri Morgenshtern is the Chief Executive Officer of Agoda, part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG). He was appointed in July 2022. In his former role as COO, Omri was instrumental in driving global operations, Product, Partner Services, and the Customer Experience Group.

Omri joined Agoda in 2014 as Senior Product Owner, Algorithms and Learning Systems, and was later promoted first to Vice President of Product Development, then to Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer in 2018.

He was co-founder & CEO of Qlika, an award-winning UpWest Labs start-up specializing in online marketing optimization, which was acquired by Booking Holdings Inc. in 2014.

Omri received an M.S. Magna Cum Laude in Physics from Tel Aviv University and B.S. Cum Laude in Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics from The Hebrew University.

Idan Zalzberg is the Chief Technology Officer of Agoda. In his former role as Chief Data Officer, Idan was monumental in managing and architecting Agoda’s data and security solutions.

Idan joined Agoda in 2014 as Advanced Technology Architect Director and was later promoted to Vice President of Data, then to Chief Data Officer and to his current role as Chief Technology Officer in 2022.

He was co-founder of Qlika, an award-winning UpWest Labs start-up specializing in online marketing optimization, which was acquired by Booking Holdings Inc. in 2014.

Idan received an M.S. Summa Cum Laude in Physics from Tel Aviv University and B.S. Physics and Mathematics from The Hebrew University.