11th ASEAN Competition Conference: A New Era for Competition Policy in ASEAN

Dr. Thang Luong joined the ASEAN Secretariat in June 2023. He brings over 20 years of experience from the Government of Vietnam, where he progressed from a Desk Officer to the Director General at the Ministry of Science and Technology. He also served as the Executive Director of the World Bank funded Innovation Project Management Board.

Dr. Luong has extensive expertise in regional integration, intellectual property, competition, consumer protection, SMEs, and tech start-ups. He is highly skilled in negotiation, international relations, leadership, and policy analysis.

His academic background is rooted in mathematics, diplomacy, and governance. His academic work began as a math teacher and university lecturer. He holds a Master of Arts in International Relations, a Master of Arts in Public Policy, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Management.

(via video recording)

Mr. Robert Anderson is an international expert with the International Trade Centre (ITC), Honorary Professor at University of Nottingham’s School of Law, Senior Fellow in the Competition and Innovation Lab at George Washington University. He is currently working with the ITC as part of the team supporting the drafting of the ASEAN Capacity Building Roadmap on Competition for 2030, under the aegis of the EU-ASEAN SCOPE Trade project. He previously worked at the World Trade Organization Secretariat from 1997 to 2019, where he was Team Leader for Government Procurement and Competition Policy. He has led and delivered technical assistance in over 80 countries, including several AMS. In particular, he was one of the core experts to advise Thailand on competition and public procurement activities as part of the EU funded project implemented by ITC. Prior to joining the WTO, Mr. Anderson held senior positions at the Canadian Competition Bureau, where he gained in-depth experience in antitrust matters.

Commissioner Medrano has extensive experience in government service with expertise on intellectual property, public policy and administration, international trade negotiations, international cooperation, and legislative affairs.

Her 27-year public service record spans different technical and leadership roles, most recently as Undersecretary of the Office of the President.

She served as the Chairperson of the ASEAN Experts Group in Competition (AEGC) and the negotiations of the ASEAN Framework Agreement in Competition (AFAC). She also heads the PCC in the negotiation of bilateral and regional trade agreements with competition provisions and chapters. In 2025, she was appointed as the Convenor of the Competition Law and Policy Group at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Commissioner Medrano holds a PGDip. in EU Competition Law, Merit (King’s College London); LLM (Ateneo de Manila); MPPP (Macquarie University); J.D. (San Beda University); B.A., cum laude (University of the Philippines).

She teaches intellectual property and competition law and policy.

Dr. Burton Ong, LLB (NUS), BCL/DPhil (Oxon), LLM (Harv), is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore. He teaches and researches in the areas of competition law, intellectual property and contract law.  Since 2015, he has coached several teams of his undergraduate competition law students representing NUS at the Herbert Smith Freehills competition law moot competition, where they have emerged as international champions in 2015 and 2022, while securing the runners-up position in 2017, 2020 and 2021. He is Head of Competition Law Research at the EW Barker Centre for Law and Business.

An advocate and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and an attorney and counsellor-at-law of the State of New York, he has served as a legal consultant on a range of competition law matters, both at national and regional levels. His current public service appointments include his membership in the Competition Appeal Board and the Casino Regulatory Authority’s Patron Dispute Board.

Mr. Teo Wee Guan oversees the Corporate Affairs Division and the International Affairs, Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning Division in the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). Mr. Teo joined CCCS in 2007, under then Policy and Economic Analysis Division, where he was involved in case investigation, economic analysis of competition issues, government advocacy and market studies. Prior to joining CCCS, he worked as a Principal Economist with the Energy Market Company where he played a key role in liberalisation of the national electricity market of Singapore. He was a Public Service Commission local scholarship holder, and had served in various government bodies and tutored Economics at the NUS Business School for his bond fulfilment. He obtained a Master of Social Sciences (Applied Economics) - Distinction and a First-Class Honours (Economics) from the National University of Singapore.

Dr. Alessandra Tonazzi is Senior Competition Expert at the OECD Competition Division. She is the coordinator of the OECD/Korea Policy Centre competition program, which provides capacity building for officials of the Asia-Pacific countries. Before Joining the OECD, she worked at the Italian Competition Authority where her last position was Director of the Market Studies Division. Previously she was Director of International and European Affairs representing the ICA in international fora and coordinating international cooperation with other competition agencies. In 2022 and 2023 she served as Vice-Chair in the Bureau of the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy. From 2018 and 2023 she served as ICN/UNCTAD liaison to coordinate the work of the two organizations. She authored several articles on antitrust issues and regularly speaks at national and international conferences on competition law and policy. She holds a PhD in Economic Analysis from the University “La Sapienza” in Rome and a MSc in Economics from Warwick University. She graduated in Law and Economics from the University “La Sapienza” in Rome.

Ms. Inge Bernaerts is Director for Strategy and Policy in the Competition Directorate General of the European Commission, responsible for conceptualising and developing policy initiatives in antitrust, mergers and state aids. Under EVP Vestager's steer, Ms. Bernaerts and her team are engaged in an unprecedented exercise to update existing competition policy instruments, including the rulebooks on vertical and horizontal agreements, the notice on market definition and a simplification of merger control procedures. She also led DG Competition's work on the design and inter-institutional negotiations of the Digital Markets Act and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Previously, Ms. Bernaerts held management positions in the Energy Directorate General and was Head of Cabinet to Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility in the Juncker Commission. Between 2003 and 2010, she held different positions in the Directorate General for Competition. Before joining the Commission in 2003, she practised competition law at the Brussels bar and lectured European law seminars at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Ms. Bernaerts holds a law degree from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (summa cum laude) and a post-graduate degree in European law from the Universität Saarbrücken (magna cum laude).

Mr. Matthew Boswell was appointed Commissioner of Competition at the Competition Bureau of Canada in March 2019 for a five-year term. He was reappointed for a two-year term in February 2024. 

Mr. Boswell first joined the Competition Bureau in January 2011 as Associate Deputy Commissioner, Criminal Matters. He subsequently held positions of Senior Deputy Commissioner, Cartels and Deceptive Marketing Practices and of Senior Deputy Commissioner, Mergers and Monopolistic Practices. As a Senior Deputy Commissioner, he led numerous merger reviews and directed major investigations targeting criminal cartels, abuse of dominance and deceptive marketing practices.

Before joining the Bureau, Mr. Boswell was Senior Litigation Counsel in the Enforcement Branch at the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), where he primarily prosecuted securities fraud and related matters.

Prior to his work at the OSC, Mr. Boswell was an Assistant Crown Attorney in Toronto with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario. As a Crown Attorney, he prosecuted all types of criminal offences.

Mr. Boswell has also worked in private practice and began his legal career at a Toronto law firm.

Dr. Eugenia Mardanugraha is a commissioner of the Indonesia Competition Commission (KPPU) serving the 2024–2029 term. She completed her undergraduate studies (S1) in Statistics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), in 1997. She pursued her Master's (S2) and Doctoral (S3) degrees in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, earning her doctorate in 2005.

Prior to her appointment to the KPPU, Dr. Eugenia worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Indonesia. Some of the courses she has taught include Monetary Economics, Macroeconomics, and Econometrics. Although her background is that of a macroeconomist, Dr. Eugenia has conducted extensive research in antitrust economics. A number of her research findings have been published, including papers entitled "Indirect Evidence of Cartel in Indonesian Garlic Trade" (2018) and "An Examination of the Economic Implications of the Amended Competition Law" (2025).

Associate Professor Sudharma Yoonaidharma earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School and Post-LL.M. in International Economic Laws from New York University. He taught business and economic law at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand where he was appointed as a Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Director General of the Chulalongkorn University Intellectual Property Institute and Director General of the Center for Scientific, Technological and Energy Law. In 2012 he was appointed as the Dean of the School of Law, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

At present, Associate Professor Yoonaidharma holds the esteemed position of Vice-Chairman of the Trade Competition Commission of Thailand. He holds positions on various committees, including the National Science and Technology Development Agency Board, the National Energy Technology Centre, and the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency.

Prior to his appointment as a Trade Competition Commissioner, he served as the Energy Regulatory Commissioner from 2018 to 2025 and held the position of National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commissioner from 2004 to 2010.

Ms. Sita Zimpel joined GIZ in 2006 and has almost 20 years of professional experience in managing and implementing various technical assistance projects funded by German Development Cooperation. As part of her assignment in Southeast Asia, she is responsible for several projects on regional economic integration.

Steering teams and activities across multiple countries, she presently focuses on competition policy, consumer protection, and SME promotion within the context of cross-border trade. This includes support to trainings, conferences, policy advocacy, as well as stakeholder engagement in cooperation with the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) and other regional bodies, national competition authorities, the judiciary, business and consumer associations.

Based in Hanoi, Vietnam, Ms. Zimpel holds a master’s degree in Southeast Asian Studies from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. She obtained multiple post-graduate certificates on public and digital policy issues.

Dr. Denis Hew is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, focusing on regional economic integration, international trade policy, and the evolving global economic architecture.

From 2011 to 2022, Dr. Hew served as Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, the research and analytical arm of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). He led a team of policy economists delivering evidence-based studies and technical support to APEC Senior Officials, Committees, and Working Groups, contributing to APEC's mission of advancing trade and investment liberalisation across the Asia-Pacific.

Previously, Dr. Hew worked with the Asian Development Bank, managing technical assistance programmes on regional cooperation and integration in the Southeast Asia Department. From 2001 to 2008, he was Senior Fellow and Regional Economic Studies Coordinator at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, one of the region's leading think tanks, where he also served as Managing Editor of the ASEAN Economic Bulletin, a peer-reviewed journal on Southeast Asian economic issues.

Dr. Hew holds a B.A. (Hons) in Economics from the University of Warwick and both an M.S.c. and Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Manchester. He has published extensively on ASEAN economic integration, trade policy, and regional cooperation.

Mr. Rei Kataoka is responsible for leading engagement with a broad range of international stakeholders including foreign governments, businesses, industry organizations, and academics to shape and advance the Japan Fair Trade Commission's (JFTC) digital market policies. His work currently centers on the JFTC's ex-ante framework for improving competition in the mobile software space.

Prior to his public service, Mr. Kataoka worked in public policy at Salesforce and Google. During his tenure, he addressed a wide range of tech issues in Japan, from privacy to AI. He also served as Co-Chair of the Digital Transformation Committee for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Tokyo and has experience working for a cabinet minister on tourism policy in the Third Shinzo Abe Cabinet.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Nga holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Hanoi University of Technology (1991), a Bachelor of Law from Hanoi National University (1995), and a Master of International and European Trade Law from the University of Amsterdam (2003).

With over 30 years of experience in trade and multilateral policy, Ms. Nga has served as Trade Officer, Deputy Director, Director, and Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Industry and Trade between 1999 and 2023. During this period, she was involved in negotiating a number of relevant Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), such as EVFTA, CPTPP and several FTAs between ASEAN and ít Dialogue Partners.

Since April 2023, she has been Deputy Chair of the Vietnam Competition Commission, and has also responsible for economic concentration affairs.

Mr. Kurt Wee is the Chief Executive Officer of Celligenics Pte Ltd, a regenerative biotechnology company at the forefront of cell-free secretome technology for wound healing, sports medicine, aesthetics, and healthy aging.

With over twenty years in investment and private equity, Mr. Wee has in recent years devoted his expertise to advancing regenerative medicine and longevity science, translating deep research into practical, scalable solutions that address major unmet medical and aesthetic needs.

Beyond biotechnology, Mr. Wee has played a leading role in shaping Singapore’s business landscape. He is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises and a former Council Member of the Singapore Business Federation, where he chaired the SME Committee and spearheaded the nation’s Fair Tenancy framework. He also contributes actively to boards and advisory councils in philanthropy, education, and community service.

In recognition of his contributions, Mr. Wee was appointed Justice of the Peace by the President of Singapore in 2018.

Mr. Herbert Fung oversees data analytics and digital market issues for both competition and consumer protection at the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). He also supervised a range of enforcement cases including the Grab-Foodpanda merger, the Grab-Uber merger, SISTIC’s abuse of dominance, the Singapore Medical Association Guidelines of Fees and the Petrol Market Study.

Prior to joining CCCS in 2008, Mr. Fung was Senior Economic Advisor at the Office of Telecommunications Authority in Hong Kong, and before that, Associate (Equity Research) at Credit Suisse.

Mr. Mun Sung Bae has been Director of the Division of Special-Type Trade Policy at the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) since September 2024. With over a decade of experience at KFTC, Mr. Bae has developed extensive expertise across multiple areas of competition policy and consumer protection.

Throughout his tenure at KFTC, Mr. Bae has held various roles, including Senior Deputy Director position in Consumer Safety/Education and Deputy Director of Special-Type Trade divisions. His diverse portfolio encompasses merger control, e-commerce regulation, and consumer protection initiatives. He served as Deputy Secretary to the Chairman from 2014 to 2016 and was dispatched to the Prime Minister's Office from 2021 to 2022.

Mr. Bae holds a Master of Public Policy from KDI School of Public Policy and Management (2023) and a Master of Laws in Competition Law from Queen Mary University of London (2023).

Ms. Sholthana Begum is the Senior Director of Technology and Digital at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), bringing over 20 years of experience across frontline regulation, central banking, and financial services, having held senior roles at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England.

Throughout her career, Ms. Begum has built expertise in regulatory technology, data-driven innovation, and digital transformation. She has a proven track record in designing, developing, and executing technology and data strategies, whilst delivering operational efficiencies that support regulatory missions.

At the CMA, Ms. Begum leads on all aspects of technology, systems, and digital capability. Her remit covers strategy, infrastructure, data management, digital products, IT services, and cyber security and scalable AI, ensuring that the CMA is equipped with robust, scalable, and innovative technology to meet the demands of a fast-changing and complex regulatory environment - both now and in the future.

Ms. Begum is passionate about harnessing technology and data to strengthen regulatory effectiveness and to drive positive outcomes for markets, businesses, and consumers alike.

Ms. Joy Fuyuno is the Asia Regional Competition Lead and Assistant General Counsel for Microsoft, based in Singapore. Prior to taking on this role in March 2025, Joy was the Asia Regional Commercial & Strategic Projects Lead and before that the Asia Regional Competition Lead from 2011-2017. Joy joined Microsoft and moved to Singapore in 2011.

Ms. Fuyuno has practiced law for over 28 years and has been based in Asia (Singapore and Japan) and covering the region for 19 years. Before joining Microsoft, she was a partner in White & Case LLP’s Tokyo office. She has been in the leadership of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law for over 20 years and was in the leadership of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. She is admitted to the California bar and graduated from Stanford University and Columbia Law School.

Ms. Nur Syahidah Sahrom oversees the development of strategies and policies to support the sustainable growth of Singapore’s digital ecosystem, focusing on human capital development and enterprise digitalisation. She also oversees the governance of personal data and AI, helping to build trust and safety while enabling innovation to flourish. In her concurrent role, she coordinates the implementation and review of the National AI Strategy 2.0.

A career civil servant, Ms. Syahidah has served in the Ministry of Home Affairs (immigration policies), Ministry of Health (ageing and community care policies) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a posting to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

She holds a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and an MBA (Nanyang Fellows) from the National Technological University of Singapore.

Dr. Walter Edgar Theseira is Associate Professor of Economics, School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences. His Ph.D. is in Applied Economics and Managerial Science from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He has published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organisation. He has advised Government agencies on economics research, and is a Board Member of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore. He served as a Nominated Member of Parliament, 13th Parliament of Singapore.

Dr. Johanna Croser is General Manager of the Competition Enforcement, Coordination and Strategy Branch at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In that role she leads teams responsible for investigating anticompetitive conduct from instigation through to civil proceedings and other enforcement outcomes. Her branch also has responsibility for management of the ACCC’s portfolio of competition enforcement work, including matter triage, portfolio reporting and practice management.

Prior to this, Dr. Croser held various roles at the ACCC in the Consumer Fair Trading Division, Enforcement Division and Competition and Consumer Law Unit. In 2023, she was seconded to the OECD in Paris to work on projects relating to empowering and protecting consumers in the green transition and the impact of emerging technology on consumer health and safety.

Dr. Croser experience at the ACCC is complemented by her experience as a lawyer in private practice, after starting her career as an economist with the World Bank and Australia’s Productivity Commission.

Mr. Loke Shiu Meng is the Assistant Chief Executive of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS), supervising the Legal, Enforcement, Fair Trade Practices and Product Safety, Weights and Measures Divisions.

Before joining CCCS, Mr. Loke held various positions in the public service, such as that of Senior State Counsel in the Civil Division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Director of the Legal Services Branch of the Ministry of Education, Deputy Director of the International Division of the Ministry of Law and Justices’ Law Clerk of the Supreme Court of Singapore. He has also spent several years practising as an advocate and solicitor in the Banking, Finance and Insolvency, as well as Appeals & Issues, practice groups of a Singapore law firm, Rajah & Tann LLP. Mr. Loke brings his wealth of experience in both the public and private sector to his work in CCCS.

Dato’ Indrani Thuraisingham is a qualified lawyer and seasoned consumer advocate, with a track record of 30 years of serving consumer associations in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region since 1995. As the current Vice President and Legal Advisor of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) - Malaysia's national umbrella consumer body, she plays a pivotal role in promoting consumer protection across a wide range of areas, including product safety, financial services, digital rights, e-commerce, and sustainable consumption.  Her international post as Head for the Office of Consumers International (CI)-Asia Pacific region, the global umbrella membership organisation for consumer associations worldwide, positioned her to lead more than 55 members across 25 countries in the region from 2008 to 2020. 

She currently holds a non-paid CEO position at the National Consumer Complaints Centre, FOMCA’s sister organisation that mediates complaints between consumers and businesses. She also serves as the Secretary General of the Education and Research Association for Consumers (ERA Consumer), which focuses on building resilient communities at the grassroots level. 

Mr. Xie Fang serves as deputy director-general of the Anti-Monopoly Enforcement Department Ⅱ of the State Administration for Market Regulation of China. He is responsible for conducting anti-monopoly reviews of concentration of undertakings in accordance with the law.

Ms. Cindy Chang is the Director of the Legal Division at the Competition & Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). In her role, she is responsible for reviewing decisions of CCCS, supervising CCCS’s investigations and projects, and providing advice on legal and policy matters. She has experience in investigating both local and international cartel cases; in assessing multi-jurisdictional mergers and co-operation agreements; and in defending decisions of CCCS on appeal. She currently co-supervises the Commitments and Remedies Unit within CCCS.

Ms. Chang is admitted to the Roll of Advocates and Solicitors of Singapore. Prior to joining CCCS in 2012, she was an associate at Drew & Napier LLC and her key areas of practice were in competition, corporate/commercial as well as telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT) laws. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics for Competition Law from King’s College London.

Mr. Johannes Bernabe is a founding commissioner of the Philippine Competition Commission, and later served as its OIC-Chairman. During his time at PCC, he oversaw its Mergers & Acquisitions office, and later the Enforcement office and the Economics division. He co-chaired the International Competition Network’s Advocacy Working Group, and chaired initial negotiations for ASEAN’s Framework Agreement on Competition.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Bernabe was a Senior Fellow at the Geneva-based policy think-tank, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, advising governments and business groups in Asia, Africa and the Middle East on international trade law issues.

Before these, Mr. Bernabe was a trade negotiator and legal adviser for the Philippines at the WTO in Geneva.

Mr. Bernabe currently teaches Competition Law and Mergers & Acquisitions at the University of the Philippines. He has likewise returned to law practice, and leads the consulting group, the Law & Economics Advisory Network, which advise entities on Competition Law and Policy.

Mr. Samuel Chan is the Chairman of Hong Kong Competition Commission. He is a practising barrister and has been appointed to many advisory and statutory bodies. He was former Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Council, Non-Executive Director of the Insurance Authority, Member of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Chairman of the Consumer Legal Action Fund Management Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Town Planning Appeal Board. Currently he also serves as Member of the Operations Review Committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Member of the Working Group on Class Actions. In 2020, Mr. Chan was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in recognition of his significant contribution to the promotion of consumer interests. Mr. Chan is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators and Panel Arbitrator of the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration.

Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC), has been instrumental in shaping Malaysia's competition law landscape since joining MyCC in 2013. Initially serving as Director of the Investigation and Enforcement, he became CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, MyCC has issued multiple policies and decisions, including the groundbreaking USD100 million penalties on chicken feed millers for price fixing. He is currently leading the ongoing amendment of the Competition Act 2010 to introduce the merger control regime and continues to actively guide ongoing investigations such as bid rigging and price-fixing. Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail’s expertise extends beyond Malaysia, earning him recognition as a respected speaker and panellist at over 100 international and domestic platforms, including as the Chairman of the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) from 2019 to 2020.

Prior to joining MyCC, Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail worked at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where he prosecuted cases of genocide and serious human rights violations. He began his career at the Central Bank of Malaysia, focusing on the prosecution of financial crime cases. Datuk Haji Iskandar Ismail holds a law degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia and a master’s in International and Comparative Law from George Washington University Law School, where he was first introduced to competition laws.

Dr. John Small was appointed Chair, Commerce Commission, New Zealand in December 2022, and has been a Commissioner since June 2020. He is the Founding Director of economic consultancy firm, Covec, and was also the former Head of the University of Auckland's Economics Department.

Dr. Small has an extensive experience undertaking complex competition analysis in a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, telecommunications, payment systems, and construction. He was also previously a lay member of the High Court of New Zealand, frequently called as an expert witness before courts, tribunals and commissions. In May 2024, he was appointed as an Associate Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.