MR. STEPHEN LAI

Stephen Lai is a China and ASEAN-focused entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in international business, cross-cultural leadership, and strategic advisory roles spanning finance, technology, and government sectors. A former multinational executive, Stephen has managed regional offices across Asia, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Saigon, and Mumbai. He pioneered large-scale commodity and investment conferences across ten major Asian cities, leveraging his extensive networks and deep understanding of Asia’s business landscape.

Stephen currently consults with Chinese technology enterprises, guiding their international business and partnership development in ASEAN countries to foster synergies in emerging markets. As Chairman of the Malaysia-China (Greater Bay Area) Science-Tech Innovation Alliance and Honorary Chairman of the Malaysia-China Silk Route Business Chamber, Stephen promotes bilateral collaboration and innovation. He also serves as an Advisor (Consultancy Service) to the Asia Pacific Belt and Road Initiative Caucus (BRICAP), a prominent independent think tank, and is the Founder-President of the Penang-Chengdu Friendship Association. His roles as an Exco Member of the ASEAN Economic Club and the World Digital Chamber further reflect his commitment to regional economic growth and technological advancement.

Stephen’s career includes major roles in finance and technology industries. He served as the Chief Representative for ASEAN for a leading Chinese fintech firm listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and held Regional Business Development roles at Reuters, a global financial information leader. He was also an Investment Research Manager at Koeneman Capital Management, Asia’s first quant-based boutique investment firm, and a Business Consultant at Kent Ridge Digital Lab, Singapore’s premier ICT R&D center, now part of A*STAR. In former roles, Stephen served as the Internationalization Advisor to the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shenzhen and as an Advisor to the Vietnam Coffee Exchange.

In academia, Stephen is an Adjunct Professor at DRB-HICOM University of Automotive Malaysia and a Visiting Professor at Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Trade in China. He also serves as a Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship at Cambodia University of Technology and Science (CAMTECH). Additionally, he contributes as an Industry Research Advisor and International Collaboration Partner at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and is a global recruitment and partnership consultant to Han Chiang University College of Communication in Penang.

Stephen earned an MBA in International Finance from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and double degrees in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, where he served as President of the Malaysia Student Association. A former Vice President of the Chung Ling Alumni Association in Singapore, Stephen was also an ASEAN Scholar who studied at Hwa Chong Junior College.

Beyond his professional roles, Stephen regularly speaks at universities and mentors youth in resilience, leadership development, and social entrepreneurship across China and ASEAN countries. Between 2018 and 2021, he served as Strategic Advisor to the State Minister for Trade, Industry, and Entrepreneur Development in his home state of Penang, Malaysia.