Social Mobility APAC Summary Launch

Emily is a Partner of PAS, Ernst & Young Tax Services Limited. She is a chartered accountant with over 18 years of experience as a professional in global mobility, focusing on expatriate and employment tax, immigration, assignment and relocation coordination. She serves as a global mobility advisor, offering sustainability services that engage employees, drive impact through mobility and strengthen a sustainable work-life balance.

Passionate about building a better world, Emily actively champions EY Ripples, the flagship corporate responsibility program at EY. She is dedicated to supporting youth in Hong Kong with developing employability skills and has served as a business advisor for NGOs for about 10 years. Emily strongly believes in learning from the youth she collaborates with, leveraging her skills and experience to empower them. Additionally, she participates enthusiastically in women’s network initiatives to promote inclusiveness and equality within the workplace community.

Puja Kapai is a multi-award-winning researcher, academic and community justice advocate. She is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law and Convenor of the Women’s Studies Research Centre at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Her expertise lies in international human rights law, minority rights and intersectional legal studies, focusing on the rights of marginalised communities.

Puja’s work has influenced policy and law reform in Hong Kong on racial equality and gender-based violence. Her comprehensive reports on the Status of Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong 1997-2014 and the Intersectional challenges experienced by ethnic minority victims of domestic violence broke new ground in putting these issues on the map in HK. In 2018, she published the first qualitative study examining the phenomenon of forced marriages in Hong Kong, while in 2019, she did an in-depth study on identity, belonging and aspirations of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong and the first study on the prevalence of unconscious bias in Asia. Her work and recommendations have been presented to the HK Legislative Council, the Poverty Commission, the UN Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Rights of the Child, the CEDAW Committee and the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, leading to key conclusions, observations and shifts in policy implementation.

Puja is a frequent keynote speaker and was invited to speak on minority girls in education at the UN Forum on Minority Issues in 2019 and on hate speech at the UN Asia Pacific Regional Forum on Minority Issues in 2020. She has presented her work before UN treaty bodies and the UN Forum on Minority Issues and was appointed as a research consultant in respect of the 30th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Minorities. In recognition of her contributions to advancing pluralism, inclusion and equality and the impact of her work inside and outside the classroom, Puja received the International Women of Courage Award 2015, the Faculty of Law’s Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016, HKU’s Knowledge Exchange Award 2017, the American Chamber of Commerce’s Professional Woman of the Year Award 2019 and the 2021 Global Pluralism Award.

Shalini Mahtani is one of Hong Kong’s most authoritative and respected voices on social issues, particularly diversity and inclusion. In addition to founding The Zubin Foundation, among the city’s most accomplished think tanks on issues related to ethnic minority welfare and patient welfare, Shalini is the founder of Community Business, the first organisation in Asia that brings together companies and their management around women, LGBTQ+ and disabilities at work. In 2009, Shalini was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, and a year prior she was awarded an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her services in corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong. She was also recognised by the HKSAR Government for her contribution to issues related to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Shalini has authored research and opinion pieces on diversity and inclusion and is a frequent speaker on the topic. She is also a co-host on both BBC World Service and RTHK Radio 3. Shalini is from Hong Kong. She is a graduate of The London School of Economics. She is married and has three children.

Shruti heads the DE&I Practice for the Asia South, Asia North & Australia, Japan and Middle East & Africa clusters at Citi.

Shruti is a seasoned HR leader with 18 years of experience in leading multinationals, Citi, Unilever and Coca-Cola. She has held leadership roles, partnering with business heads to deliver on ambitious people plans.

Shruti is a dynamic professional with hands-on experience in cross-cultural talent development and succession planning and is passionate about embedding diversity, equity and inclusion for global organisations.

Shruti has extensive experience in Asia, having worked in Singapore, Hong Kong and India. Shruti, who is currently based in Singapore, is committed to assisting leaders in realising their full potential and improving organisational equity for all workers.

Shruti holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Human Resources. She is a certified strategic human resources leader from Cornell University.