Asian Banking & Finance and Insurance Asia Summit - Thailand - February 18, 2025

Mr. Arapat Sangkharat has more than 24 years’ experience in financial services and management consulting in Asia and the United States. He joined the Company in August 2020 as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and as Regional Head of Transformation, Maybank Kim Eng Group and was subsequently appointed as Chief Executive Officer effective from 31 August 2021.

He is an executional strategist with expertise in business strategy, digital transformation, merger & integration and execution of innovation blueprints.  He worked with more than 20 financial services institutions including Siam Commercial Bank, Bank of NY Mellon, American Express and Citigroup over the span of his career with Deloitte and PwC.

He holds a Master of Business Administration in Financial Investments from the University of Southern California.

• Country Head of Product Management in HSBC
• Over 20 years of extensive experience in cash management, driving innovation in digital payments and liquidity solutions
• Expert in the digital payment landscape and led the successful launch of multiple digital payments solutions
• Driven digital transformation with passionate for innovation and deep understanding of market dynamics

Naris Sathapholdeja is the Chief Data and Analytic Group at TMBThanachart Bank in Bangkok, Thailand. He leads ttb analytics, driving strategic and management decisions with advanced analytics. He has over 15 years of experience in banking, central treasury and financial market and data analytics, including roles at TMB Bank and as a visiting lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.

Ben Assanasen joins TSI (Thai Setakij Insurance Plc.) as its Managing Director (Non-Motor Business). With Ben’s broad experience and versatility, he will play a key role in supporting various initiatives benefiting the company. He will focus on expanding the Accident & Health portfolio and infrastructure.

Ben brings with him a wealth of industry experience spanning over two decades, encompassing general management as well as hands-on operational roles covering a broad range of functions. 
He has worked for Tune Protect Thailand, an associate company of Tune Protect Group, as the Chief Executive Officer and Group Health Leader, responsible for providing overall management oversight and responsibility across the organization, including profitability and strategic direction.

Ben began his career in the United States, where he subsequently joined American International Group (AIG) for several senior management roles, initially in Thailand as the Head of Accident & Health Insurance and subsequently in Hong Kong as the Regional Vice President of Accident & Health for the Asia Region.

Ben is passionate about growing businesses and developing people. His impressive track record in managing businesses in Southeast Asia and his deep knowledge of the Thai market make him well-equipped to take the business to the next level.

Ben is qualified with Honors, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Operational Research & Industrial Engineering and a Master’s in Engineering and Business Administration from Cornell University, New York.
 

Vikas Jain is the Country Head at Funding Societies Thailand. Additionally, he also drives Fundraise
at the Regional Group level. His career spans more than 20 years across multiple geographies
including India, Singapore and Thailand. Prior to Funding Societies, Vikas has worked with ING, Citi
and HDFC Bank managing large consumer and SME loan product portfolios. He also had a stint with
Singtel developing mobile based nancial products for the underbanked segment. He has a
graduate degree in Commerce (Honours) and is also an MBA in Finance.

Vikas has participated in multiple industry and ntech events as a speaker or panelist, including
Finovate Asia (Hong Kong), Innovfest Unbound, Singapore Business Review’s 20 Hottest Startups
Panel, Financial Inclusion Summit Asia, NUS Entrepreneurship Conference, CX Asia Summit, The
Digital Banker's South East Asia Tour 2024 (Thailand), iFX EXPO Asia 2024 (Thailand),WIKI Finance
Expo Bangkok 2024 ,Private Banking Asia and CXFS Asia Summit amongst many others. He has also
been featured by TVB (Hong Kong), Business Times Singapore and Digital News Asia amongst many
others. He was also on the Aspioneer Cover Magazine as top 10 Fintech Innovators to watch out for
in 2020.

KASIKORN RESEARCH CENTER COMPANY LIMITED (KResearch) has appointed Mr. 
Burin Adulwattana as Managing Director and Chief Economist of the company, effective July 1st , 
2023. 
Mr. Burin Adulwattana holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics and 
economics from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He has prior experiences in the 
financial sector with Credit Agricole Hong Kong, Bank of Thailand, and Bangkok Bank. He 
joined KASIKORNBANK in 2022 as Managing Director and Private Banking Business Head 
before being appointed Managing Director and Chief Economist at KResearch.

Add's journey in financial risk management is a blend of global expertise and local innovation. Now leading Consumer Credit Risk Model Development and Technology at Krungsri, he's infusing Thailand's banking sector with insights gained from a decade in the US financial industry.

His career has spanned from hedge fund analytics at SS&C GlobeOp to fintech innovation at Mnementh Analytics, where he developed CECL software and advised major financial institutions. Add's experience across community, regional, and global banks gives him a unique, multi-faceted perspective on risk management.

Complementing his professional role, Add is a co-cultivator of the Credit Risk Model Community in Thailand. This passion project allows him to foster knowledge-sharing and innovation in the local risk modeling landscape, creating a vibrant network of professionals and thought leaders.

Add's academic foundation - dual master's degrees from Georgia Tech's ISyE program and an economics degree from Thammasat University - underpins his practical expertise. Today, he's dedicated to driving innovation in Thai banking and nurturing the next generation of risk modelers, always embracing new challenges in the dynamic world of finance.

With over a decade of experience in the marketing industry, Rauhan is a dedicated Product Evangelist known for driving organizational success through innovative solutions. Currently representing CleverTap, he excels in enhancing online conversion rates and fostering sustainable brand loyalty.

Throughout his career, Rauhan has partnered with various companies to identify and implement effective strategies that not only boost performance but also align with overarching business goals. His expertise spans product development, market positioning, and customer engagement, making him a key advocate for impactful marketing initiatives.

Passionate about leveraging technology to create meaningful customer experiences, Rauhan is committed to staying ahead of industry trends and sharing insights that empower teams to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Gidon Jerome Kessel has 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, having held a variety of roles across multiple markets.

He is currently the Head of Deposit and Wealth Management at UOB Thailand, where he oversees the investments, advisory, insurance, and deposit functions. Prior to this, he served as the Head of Wealth Management for Citi UK and Citi Korea.

Gidon commenced his career as a management associate at Citi in 1998 and has since held senior country and regional positions across diverse markets in Asia and EMEA. He has worked with leading global and regional financial institutions, including UOB, Citi, and ANZ, with postings in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, London, and Athens.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, a Master of Finance from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney.

Dalad is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief International Business Officer at SCBX - the leading financial group in Thailand that invests in and supports future and high-potential businesses in various sectors. SCBX is the Mothership Holding Company with extensive portfolio of businesses comprising Siam Commercial Bank, various financial technology and digital platform businesses.

In her role as Chief Operating and International Business Officer – Dalad oversees strategic operations, strategic investments and strategic partnerships for the Group. Dalad is responsible for identifying and executing on strategic growth opportunities across financial inclusion solutions, financial technology and climate investing. Dalad is also currently leading the Group’s Thailand virtual bank mandate as part of SCBX’s ambition to be a key actor in solving the country’s financial inclusion problem. Prior to SCBX, Dalad has over 18 years of combined experience in private equity investment, M&A, and management consulting. She is both a former Partner at McKinsey where she was a key member of the private equity and consumer and retail practices; and former Head of M&A at Walmart Asia where she led the origination and commercial due diligence of the US$16B Flipkart transaction. Dalad started her career at Bain & Company and has also held several roles in investment management - working across Singapore, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, China, the UAE, and Los Angeles. 

Dalad is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese and Thai.