Our Key Roles

    Impact Catalyst

    We mobilise collaborative giving to scale Asia-led solutions with global impact.

    Trusted Convenor

    We bridge multi-sector partnerships and cross-border networks to drive collective action.

    Global Thought Leader

    We build capacities, harness insights, and share knowledge to strengthen Asia’s philanthropic ecosystem.

    Our Alliance for Action

    Our People

    Board of Directors
    Edmund Koh

    Chairman

    Edmund Koh

    Chairman

    Mr Edmund Koh is a career banker with more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region during which time he garnered a deep understanding of Asian markets and developed a strong track record in leading and building successful businesses in Asia.

     

    A strong advocate of talent development and community involvement; he is always in the front line of providing mentoring to juniors, knowledge sharing and nurturing the next generation of leaders.

     

    Mr Koh is a board/council member of various committees including the MAS Financial Centre Advisory Panel, the Wealth Management Institute, the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research, and the University of Toronto International Leadership Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada.

     

     

    Janet Ang

    Director

    Janet Ang

    Director

    Ms Janet Ang is the Chairman of SISTIC.com Pte Ltd and an Independent Director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Ltd and Swire Shipping Pte Ltd. She is also a Senior Advisor of the RGE Group.

     

    Ms Ang serves as Chairman of the Public Transport Council, the NUS-ISS and the Singapore Polytechnic Board of Governance. She is also the Deputy Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation Foundation and a council member of the Singapore Business Federation and the Council of Board Diversity. Besides serving on several other statutory boards and CLGs, she is also Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Holy See and a former Nominated Member of the Parliament of Singapore (Feb 2021- July 2023).

     

    Ms Ang was awarded The Public Service Medal in 2019. She was also awarded the Singapore Computer Society IT Leaders Award – Hall of Fame in 2018, the NUS Distinguished Alumni Service Award in 2015, the NUS Business School Eminent Alumni Award in 2014 and most recently, the NUS Outstanding Service Award 2021. Janet graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) from the National University of Singapore, and is an alumni of the INSEAD International Directors Program. She is married to Mr Anthony Cheah Kia Heng and they have four daughters.

     

    Dominic Barton

    Director

    Dominic Barton

    Director

    Mr Dominic Barton is Chair of Rio Tinto and the Chair of LeapFrog Investments, an impact-investment firm focused on emerging markets. He is also a Senior advisor and partner at Radical Ventures a leading AI investment firm.

     

    Mr Barton completed his role as the Ambassador of Canada to the People’s Republic of China in 2021, appointed by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. He was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and served as Global Managing Partner for 3 terms from 2009 to 2018.

     

    Mr Barton was previously Chair of Teck Resources, from 2018 to 2019, and, in 2019, served as a Non-Executive Director at Singtel. He brings a wealth of global business experience, as well as a deep insight of geopolitics, corporate sustainability, and governance.

     

    Michael ByungJu Kim

    Director

    Michael ByungJu Kim is Founder and Chairman of MBK Partners. MBKP is a leading Asian private equity firm, with over $30 billion in capital under management and offices in Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Prior to MBKP, Mr. Kim was President of Carlyle Asia and a member of The Carlyle Group’s Management Committee. Before Carlyle, Mr. Kim was Managing Director and COO of Asia-Pacific Investment Banking for Salomon Smith Barney and an Executive Director at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

     

    Mr. Kim has a BA with Honors from Haverford College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was also a Fulbright Scholar.

     

    Mr. Kim has served or serves on the boards of directors of KorAm Bank, China Network Systems, Universal Studios Japan, Tasaki, Coway, ING Life Korea and Homeplus. He also has served or serves on the boards of trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the New York Public Library, Haverford College, Harvard Business School, the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada and the MBK Scholarship Foundation.

     

    Mr. Kim has been named one of Bloomberg's “50 Most Influential People in the World,” CKA’s “Philanthropist of the Year” and Forbes’ “Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy.” He is the author of the national bestseller, Offerings.
    Desmond Kuek

    Director

    Desmond Kuek

    Director

    Mr Desmond Kuek is the CEO of Temasek Trust.

     

    Prior to this, Mr Kuek was UBS Global Head of Sustainable Finance and Chairman of UBS Optimus Foundation Singapore from 2019 to 2022. He was President and Group CEO of SMRT Corporation Ltd from 2012 to 2018; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources from 2010 to 2012. He served in the Singapore Armed Forces in his earlier years, and was appointed Chief of Army from 2003 to 2007, and Chief of Defence Force from 2007 to 2010.

     

    Mr Kuek holds a Master of Arts (Engineering Science) from Oxford University, and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.

     

    Lubna S Olayan

    Director

    Lubna S Olayan

    Director

    Lubna S. Olayan is Chair of the Executive Committee of Olayan Financing Company (OFC), Chair of Olayan Saudi Holding Company (OSHCO) Corporate Board and Chair of the Shareholders Board of The Olayan Group. 

     

    In 2004, Ms. Olayan became the first woman to join the board of a Saudi publicly listed company when she was elected to the board of Alawwal Bank, and she went on to serve as its Deputy Chair. Following the merger in 2019 of Alawwal with SABB, the Saudi affiliate of HSBC, she became Chair of the newly merged entity, now known as SAB.

     

    She has served on several corporate boards over the years, including Maaden - the largest multicommodity mining and metals company in the Middle East (2016-2020) and Schlumberger (2011-2021).

     

    Ms. Olayan is currently a member of several international advisory boards, including those of Akbank, Allianz SE, Bank of America, Hakluyt, Sir Bani Yas, McKinsey & Company, KIMC and TotalEnergies.

     

    She also serves as a trustee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the WEF Board of Trustees and has served as a KAUST Founding Board member (2008-2020). In addition to serving as President of the Suliman S. Olayan Foundation, Ms. Olayan chairs Alfanar, a UK based charity that is one of the first venture philanthropy organisations in the Arab world.

    Christina Ong

    Director

    Christina Ong

    Director

    Ms Christina Ong is Chairman and Senior Partner of Allen & Gledhill. She joined the Firm as a Partner in 1987, and has for many years headed the Financial Services Department. Her areas of practice include banking, securities offerings, securities regulations, investment funds, capital markets, and corporate finance.

     

    Ms Ong is a member of the Corporate Governance Advisory Committee (a standing committee established by The Monetary Authority of Singapore) and the SGX Catalist Advisory Panel. She also sits on the Board of Directors of Singapore Telecommunications Limited, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, Hongkong Land Holdings Limited, and is an Authority Member of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

     

    Ms Ong regularly reviews and provides feedback on legal and securities developments, particularly amendments to Singapore company and securities law and the listing rules. Ms Ong holds a Bachelor of Laws (Second Upper Honours) from the University of Singapore. She is a member of the Law Society of Singapore and the International Bar Association. She was called to the Singapore Bar in 1975.

     

     

    Mildred Tan

    Director

    Mildred Tan

    Director

    Mrs Mildred Tan is the Chair of Singapore Totalisator Board (Tote Board), Chair of Singapore University of Social Science (SUSS) Board of Trustees and Co-Chair for Global Future Council on the Future of Philanthropy for Climate and Nature, World Economic Forum. She is also Board Director of Philanthropy Asia Alliance, National University Health System (NUHS), Wing Tai Holdings and AIA (Singapore).

     

    In addition, she sits on the Council of Presidential Advisers as a Full Member.

     

    Mrs Tan was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2007, the Public Service Star in 2014 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2025 for outstanding contributions by the Singapore Government. She was a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore from 2009 to 2011.

    Dr Ya-Qin Zhang

    Director

    Dr Ya-Qin Zhang is Chair Professor of AI Science at Tsinghua University, and Dean of Institute for AI Industry Research of Tsinghua University (AIR). He was the President of Baidu Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Prior to Baidu, Dr Zhang was a Microsoft executive for 16 years with different key positions, including Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, Chairman of Microsoft China, and Corporate Vice President and Chairman of Microsoft Asia R&D.

     

    Dr Zhang was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Euro-Asia Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of IEEE and CAAI. He is one of the top scientists and technologists in digital video and AI, with over 500 papers, 60 granted US patents, and 11 books. His original research has become the basis for start-up ventures, new products, and international standards in digital video, cloud computing, and autonomous driving.

     

    He serves on the Board of Directors of four public companies. He is on the industry board of United Nation Development Program (UNDP), and AI global council of the Davos World Economic Forum. He is the Chairman of the world’s largest open autonomous driving platform “Apollo” alliance with over 200 global partners. He has been an active speaker in global forums including APEC, Davos, United Nations, and Bo’Ao Asia Forum.

     

    PAA Team
    Shaun Seow

    Chief Executive Officer

    Shaun Seow

    Chief Executive Officer

    Shaun Seow is CEO of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), a Temasek Trust initiative dedicated to catalysing collaborative philanthropy through dynamic multi-sector partnerships. He works closely with members and partners, to accelerate efforts that drive lasting, transformative change, and advance Asia’s role in shaping a more sustainable, inclusive world.

    Shaun also serves as Temasek’s Head of Community Stewardship, leading a team that enables social capital so that every generation prospers. He aims to drive societal improvement through catalytic philanthropy and partnerships with key stakeholders from across the public, private and people sectors. 

    Previously, Shaun held Managing Director positions in Temasek’s Investment Group and Singapore Market. He joined Temasek in 2017 after helming one of its portfolio companies, MediaCorp Pte Ltd., as its Chief Executive Officer. Earlier in his career, he was a financial editor with The Straits Times and a civil servant in Singapore’s Administrative Service. 

    Shaun read Economics at Cambridge University and was appointed an Eisenhower Fellow by the Philadelphia-based organisation which engages emerging leaders from around the world.
    Priscilla Lim

    Strategic Development Lead

    Priscilla Lim

    Strategic Development Lead

    Priscilla is the Strategic Development Lead at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), part of the Temasek Trust ecosystem, which seeks to galvanise global philanthropists and prime Asia as a force for doing good. In this role, she leads strategy across programmes and funding, as well as impact and communications, working closely with the PAA CEO to shape and deliver on the Alliance’s mission.

     

    Priscilla began her career at the Singapore Economic Development Board and later worked in management consulting before joining PAA. Her expertise spans strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and operational impact, driving initiatives that enable philanthropy to scale and create meaningful change.

    Yash Divadkar

    Partnerships Lead & Health Lead

    Yash Divadkar

    Partnerships Lead & Health Lead

    Yash Divadkar is the Partnerships Lead & Health Lead at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA). In his dual role, Yash leads strategic partnerships with global and regional funders, private sector partners, and multilateral organisations, while shaping PAA’s health agenda across health equity, system resilience, infectious diseases, and climate-sensitive health risks. 

     

    Prior to joining PAA, Yash spent over five years at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where he led public and private sector engagement across South Asia, convening senior leaders from government, business, and civil society to advance regional priorities and contribute to global agendas. Earlier in his career, he worked in financial services with DBS Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, gaining deep exposure to Asian and international markets and building a strong foundation in strategy, partnerships, and cross-border collaboration. 

     

    Yash holds a dual Master’s degree from IE Business School, Madrid — an MBA and a Master’s in International Relations — and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Singapore Management University.

    Claire Oei

    Climate & Nature Lead

    Claire Oei

    Climate & Nature Lead

    Claire is a Climate & Nature Lead at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA). She works closely with members and partners to enable collaborative climate and nature action and mobilise philanthropic capital across Southeast Asia. Her work is grounded in helping align people, ideas, and capital to deliver effective climate and nature action in Southeast Asia.

     

    Prior to joining PAA, Claire worked at the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore, where she led strategy, partnerships, and resource mobilisation across research, policy engagement, and regional programmes. She has also held roles spanning policy, governance, and fundraising, working at the intersection of science, policy, and practice.

     

    Claire holds a double degree in Environmental Management and Law, and a Master’s degree in Geography with a focus on environmental governance. She is admitted to practice law in New South Wales, Australia.

    Erica de Souza

    Climate & Nature Lead

    Erica de Souza

    Climate & Nature Lead

    Erica is a Climate & Nature Partnerships Lead at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), where she drives collaborations with funders, programme developers, and domain experts to advance high-impact initiatives across oceans, sustainable food and energy systems, and nature conservation. She works closely with partners across the region to catalyse solutions that protect ecosystems, build climate resilience, and accelerate Asia’s transition toward a more sustainable future.

     

    Before joining PAA, she served as the Asia–Pacific Regional Manager for Water Security at CDP, where she strengthened the capacity of corporates and financial institutions to assess and manage water-related risks and opportunities. Earlier in her career, she was a scientist at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, contributing to both operations and R&D efforts that supported the country’s long-term water resilience. 

     

    She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from University College London.

    Divaani Ganesan

    Health Lead

    Divaani Ganesan

    Health Lead

    Divaani is part of the Partnerships team at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), where she serves as Health Lead, overseeing the health portfolio and shaping collaborative philanthropic efforts that bring together partners, resources and expertise to achieve meaningful impact on health outcomes across Asia.

     

    Previously, she led strategic community contributions and stakeholder engagement to drive measurable social impact at Temasek International. Her earlier experience includes programme development and donor stewardship at Leap Philanthropy Ltd, as well as engagement and participation roles at the National Arts Council. Divaani began her career at the Singapore International Foundation.

     

    She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Development Studies from McGill University, and speaks French and Bahasa Indonesia.
    Angela Wu

    Inclusive Development Lead

    Angela Wu

    Inclusive Development Lead

    As Lead for Inclusive Development at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), Angela is responsible for cultivating strategic partnerships and advancing collaborative philanthropy for education, employability, and economic opportunity in Asia. She has over 15 years of experience managing impact strategy and philanthropic programs in private, public, and non-profit settings.

     

    Prior to joining PAA, she led The UPS Foundation's social impact and community relations efforts across the Asia Pacific region. She also worked at Habitat for Humanity and the Singapore International Foundation, designing and implementing programs in the areas of shelter, healthcare, and education. She's passionate about community-driven and systems change models, and works closely with multisectoral stakeholders to achieve sustainable outcomes.

     

    Angela holds an MA in International Development from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from the National University of Singapore.

    Fadhilah A R Zamawi

    Inclusive Development Lead

    Fadhilah A R Zamawi

    Inclusive Development Lead

    Fadhilah co-leads the Inclusive Development mandate at Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA). Her work focuses on advancing inclusive growth by expanding access to quality education and strengthening economic resilience for underserved individuals and communities. She works closely with funders, innovators, and ecosystem partners to design and scale catalytic philanthropic initiatives that de-risk new models and enable long-term, systems-level impact.

     

    Prior to joining PAA, Fadhilah was Assistant Director of Economic Policy at Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where she led advocacy on progressive labour policies, including legislative reforms to the Employment Act and the expansion of the Progressive Wage Model. Earlier in her career, she worked at Generation, a global nonprofit focused on transforming education-to-employment systems, where she built and managed multi-country partnerships across Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific. She began her career at McKinsey & Company, advising governments and public sector institutions on education, skills and the digital economy across Asia and beyond.

     

    Fadhilah holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where she was a Lee Kuan Yew Scholar, and a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) with Honours from the National University of Singapore.