2024 Community Business Awards - Judging Panel

To maintain the credibility of our 2024 Community Business Awards, we work hard to ensure a robust and objective judging process. This includes the formation of a Judging Panel with representation from senior members of the Community Business team as well as external stakeholders. 

Each Judging Panel comprised of:

• At least one external expert in the relevant field;
• One senior executive from the award sponsor, where applicable; and
• Two senior representatives from Community Business

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name
 

Bishakha Datta (She/Her)
Programme Lead
Point of View

Bishakha Datta leads Point of View, a Mumbai-based not-for-profit that builds gender equality in digital spaces. In all her work, Bishakha explores marginal, invisible and silenced points of view - or those considered illegitimate. Her film work includes “In The Flesh”, a documentary on women and trans sex workers. Books she edited include “Nine Degrees of Justice”, which explores feminist responses to gender-based violence, and “And Who Will Make the Chapatis?”, an anthology on rural women's political participation. She has served on many not-for-profit boards including the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Breakthrough Trust and CREA. 
 

Chloé Vialard (She/Her)
Lawyer, International Arbitration Group 
A&O Shearman (Sponsor)

Chloé Vialard is a lawyer in A&O Shearman’s International Arbitration practice. Before joining Shearman & Sterling’s Singapore office in 2018, she practiced in the Paris office since 2014. 

Chloé has experience advising and representing companies and state-owned entities in international arbitrations conducted under the rules of various arbitral institutions. 

Chloé also develops collaborations with clients and other stakeholders through legal pro bono, public policy and corporate social responsibility work, including in support of not-for-profit organisations that help women survivors and victims of online harm. 

Chloé spearheads various diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives aimed at supporting gender equality.

Deborah Gonsalves (She/Her)  
APAC DE&I and Singapore Social Impact Lead
A&O Shearman (Sponsor)

Deborah Gonsalves, based in Singapore, is the APAC DE&I and Singapore Social Impact Lead at A&O Shearman. With over 20 years of experience, she specialises in designing and implementing corporate social responsibility, inclusion & diversity and sustainability strategies across various markets. 

She has a strong commitment to community service, advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace and promoting charitable and philanthropic initiatives across Asia. Previously, Deborah was the Impact & Inclusion Lead at KPMG Singapore, where she pioneered numerous programmes promoting community partnerships, DE&I and sustainability. Her career also includes significant roles at ICICI Bank and ICICI Foundation, where she led initiatives focused on financial inclusion, healthcare and education. 

Deborah is an active member of several networks, including the Global Compact Network Singapore and the UN Committee for Women. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from St. Xavier's College, Goa. 

Dr Hannah Griffin-James (She/Her) 
Researcher and Evaluation Consultant 

Dr Griffin-James is committed to the power of evaluation for positive transformations. With over 15 years of experience evaluating diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives, she is an experienced specialist with a focus on balancing metrics and narrative. As the founder of Expert Evaluation, Dr. Griffin-James uses research and evaluation to evidence what works well in an initiative and supports organisations to accelerate change through evidence-based strategies. Based in Hong Kong, Dr. Griffin-James offers a global outlook while being conscious of the local Hong Kong context.

Loïc André (He/Him)
Country Manager
WISE Employment 

Loïc has built and led teams that focus on empowering people with disabilities through employment. The particularity of his teams, aside from their passion for impact, is that they are all professionally trained employment partners with lived experience of disability. Together, they now operate WISE 匯菁, a local charity and social enterprise that provides meaningful pathways to employment for a network reaching over 2,300 talented people with disabilities. They work with dozens of employers, the government, all Hong Kong UGC universities and other charities in creating social impact.
 

Rishi Hindocha (He/Him)
Partner, Finance and Restructuring Practice
A&O Shearman (Sponsor)

Rishi is a partner in A&O Shearman's Finance and Restructuring practice, based in Singapore. 

Rishi has significant experience advising clients on a wide range of cross-border finance and restructuring matters across South and Southeast Asian markets.

He is also a regular speaker at regional industry events and a key contributor to restructuring insolvency publications.

Rishi is a firm believer in lawyers using their skills and expertise pro bono to benefit the community at large. Rishi, as a partner champion on A&O Shearman's Social Impact committee, is actively involved in pro bono and community investment activities.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name
 

Deven Somaya (He/Him)
Managing Director, Global Head of Emerging Commerce Solutions
Co-chair of Citi Women Singapore
Citi (Sponsor)Deven is the Global Head for the Emerging Commerce Solutions team based out of Singapore. Deven leads a team that works closely with the products, sales and geography teams and is responsible for designing & developing new client solutions and creating, incubating new business opportunities. The role has extensive focus on co-developing new commercial solutions with clients and ecosystem partners, identifying and assessing commercial opportunities in new product and service areas. Additionally, Deven is the co-chair of the Citi Women Singapore network and has been active in leading many initiatives and engagements. 

Fern Ngai (She/Her)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialist 

Fern is a seasoned leader and changemaker with extensive experience in both the not-for-profit and private sectors in Asia and Canada. Over her career, Fern has successfully led major change initiatives and built expertise in responsible and strategic leadership, diversity, equity & inclusion, talent development and cultural change.  Fern is a passionate advocate for the rights of marginalised communities and volunteers as board director for several charities. Previously CEO of Community Business, Fern has held executive roles in the technology, HR, governance, strategy and corporate affairs functions at Standard Chartered Bank and was its first D&I champion for Hong Kong. 

Freeda Fernandes (She/Her)
Director - APAC Sales
Aperian

Freeda Fernandes is responsible for Aperian Global’s business growth and client relationships across APAC and has been with Aperian Global for over ten years. She played various roles for the first two years in Bangalore, where she supported clients in leveraging GlobeSmart by collaborating on internal communication and promotional strategies. In her current role, she practices what she preaches by applying cross-cultural strategies every day as she works with clients in Europe, India, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Since her move to Singapore and in her current role at Aperian Gobal, Freeda is on the management team at Aperian Global, driving strategic growth in APAC and for the organisation. She manages sales in the Southeast Asia market and consults with clients on cultivating inclusive workplaces in a globally consistent and culturally relevant way.

She strongly believes in the foundation of getting to know oneself, understanding other people's perspectives and maintaining an open mind to learn new ways.

Prior to Aperian Global, she worked in technology and business process outsourcing organisations in business development and marketing roles. She has always had a keen interest in technology and people, and she continues to be fascinated by both. Freeda has completed her Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering from R.V. College and a Diploma in Business Management from T.A. Pai Management Institute.

She holds a keen interest in psychology, sociology and mindfulness and enjoys seeing life through the eyes of her young daughter.

Paul Clarke (He/Him)
Co-chair
TWF Male Allies Leadership Council

Paul Clarke is a Managing Director in BlackRock's Risk and Quantitative Analysis team, responsible for Counterparty Credit Risk Management. He joined Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in 2000, which merged with BlackRock in 2006.

Mr. Clarke is co-chair of the Male Allies Leadership Council at The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong. He has actively participated in the Male Allies programme since 2020, including as an Influencer Circle lead for two years and then with the Leadership Council since 2023.

Mr. Clarke is an alumnus of the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom and has a BA degree in Business Studies.

Puja Kapai (She/Her)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law Convenor,
Women’s Studies Research Centre Director, Social Justice Summer Internship
University of Hong Kong

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.
 

​

Shruti Thakar (She/Her) 
Practice Head, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Asia, Australia, Middle East & Africa 
Citi  (Sponsor)

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. 

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

Charlene Liu (She/Her)
Co-founder
ShanghaiPRIDE

Charlene Liu was born in Malaysia and has lived in the US, Singapore and China. She is an engineer, community leader, social change advocate and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) expert.

Charlene graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and received a Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University. She has over 20 years of working experience in different areas of the semiconductor, electronics and solar industries, ranging from design, engineering, manufacturing and project management to sales and marketing. She has experience with events, corporate innovation and management consulting at PwC and Deloitte. She was also the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) APAC at Arcadis. Charlene has 17 years of community leadership, commercial event management and D&I advocacy experience. In 2009, she co-founded ShanghaiPRIDE, an annual festival run by volunteers that promotes LGBT+ inclusion; in 2014, Q-Events, an event management company; in 2016, Ladies Who Tech, a social impact community for women in STEM; and in 2019, D&I Consulting DNIC, a consultancy that helps corporations build a more inclusive culture. Recently, she was elected as an Executive Board Member, Women Representative of ILGA Asia.

In 2014, she and team ShanghaiPRIDE were awarded Shanghai Hero by Time Out Shanghai, and in 2018, Best Event Organiser in East China by Huodongxing. Charlene has now embarked on a full-time journey to make the world more inclusive.

Jerome Yau (He/Him)
Chief Executive
AIDS Concern

Co-founder
Hong Kong Marriage Equality

Jerome Yau is the Chief Executive of AIDS Concern and the Co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality. He has extensive experience in executive and non-executive positions in the nonprofit and education sectors, specialising in communication, strategic engagement, policy research and public affairs. Jerome dedicates his efforts to social justice and the promotion of LGBTQ+ health and inclusion. He believes strongly in using positive narratives to mobilise for change.

Jerome has extensive experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders. His dedication lies in enhancing people's well-being through affirmative and evidence-based practices.

Kathy Teo (She/Her)
Founder and CEO
Xpointo Media

Kathy Teo is an out and proud business leader, marketer and entrepreneur. Since 2019, Kathy has advocated for Singapore companies to support Pink Dot SG through the Red Dot for Pink Dot campaign. She is on the board of Outright International, a 34-year-old leading queer human rights organisation headquartered in New York, and currently serves its Board Co-Chair. Kathy co-founded Q Chamber, Singapore’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce that strives to connect businesses and individuals to promote shared economic interests, values and aspirations. She is the founder of Bridge the Digital Divide, a social impact initiative that aims to build digital inclusion in Singapore.

Paul Choi (He/Him)
Board Vice-chair
Community Business

Founder,
Principal Consultant
Twoplus Consulting

Paul Choi is Managing Director and Group Head of Human Resources at the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), where he strategises and oversees all aspects of talent management practices, policies and operations for the organisation. He is a member of the HKEX management committee and reports to the Group CEO. Paul has over 30 years of international experience.

Prior to joining HKEX, Paul was managing director in the Human Capital Management (HCM) division of Goldman Sachs in Asia and the Head of Goldman Sachs University and Talent Branding for Asia Pacific region. Paul worked at a number of multinational organisations including Accenture, JP Morgan and Industrial Bank of Japan in cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York and London.

Paul was recognised with an “LGBT+ Inclusion Champion Award” by Community Business in 2016 for his thought leadership in driving LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and advocating LGBT+ equality in the community. Paul has significantly contributed to winning the bid for Hong Kong to host International Gay Games in 2022. Paul is also a core member of Hong Kong Marriage Equality and one of the Hong Kong Golden Circle members of Human Rights Watch.

Previously, Paul was on the HR Advisory Board of The Women’s Foundation and provided pro-bono Strategy and Business Planning consulting services to not-for-profit organisations including The Women’s Foundation, CareER and Youth Diabetes Action.

​Yaewon Hwang (She/Her)
Senior Partner - Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Greenpeace East Asia - Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei

Yaewon Hwang (She/Her) is a Senior Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Partner for Greenpeace East Asia who is now based in Hong Kong. Having resided and worked in numerous cities worldwide, she has developed a profound understanding of D&I and a global mindset. As a transgender woman, Yaewon is a passionate advocate for justice for all and holds a Master's Degree in International Communication Management.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name

Lawrence Mitchell (He/Him)
CEO, APAC
Wellbeing at Work

Lawrence has a background in corporate and entrepreneurial leadership in fast-changing environments, including publishing, technology, hospitality and FMCG. He was Chief Marketing Officer for nine years for a division of the RELX Group and was part of the leadership team that saw the business transform from a declining trade magazine business into a $4 billion data, analytics and software business.

It was whilst working for the RELX Group in London that Lawrence developed an interest in workplace wellbeing, initially from a self-leadership perspective and then through a recognition that the only way to successfully and sustainably transform a business was by supporting people to build resilience to better cope with the inevitable pressures, challenges and change. Lawrence led a team that grew to 200 people based in 20 countries during his nine years in the role, including managing the divestment of half of the business and the successful acquisition and integration of 10 separate businesses.

In 2014, Lawrence took on the role of Chief Wellbeing Officer and developed the award-winning 'Living Well Programme', which has since gone on to impact the lives of 13k employees working in 50 locations around the world.

Since moving to Australia in 2016, Lawrence's focus has been on helping other leading organisations make wellbeing a strategic priority to elevate their employee experience, culture and performance. As part of this, he leads the annual Wellbeing at Work Summits in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and India and hosts the Finding EQUILIBRIUM Wellbeing Podcast. He is also the author of three books on wellbeing, including "Success without Stress: How to Prevent Burnout and Build Resilience for Optimal Health and Performance.".
 

Wendy Suen (She/Her)
Head of Talent Solutions
ConnectedConsult (Sponsor)

Wendy is Head of Talent Solutions at ConnectedConsult, a division within the ConnectedGroup that specialises in HR consulting services. With a robust background in senior HR leadership roles, Wendy brings strong business acumen and a proven track record of building, developing and scaling high-performing organisations across various sectors. Her extensive experience spans global consulting (Accenture), healthcare (UMP Healthcare), media (GroupM & Omnicom Media Group) and market research (Kantar TNS) in China and Hong Kong. Wendy has a Master of Science in Training and Human Resources Management from the University of Leicester, as well as an MBA from the University of Western Sydney. She is a health and life coach, an organisational development certified practitioner from the Institute of Organisation Development and a certified corporate wellness specialist from the Corporate Health and Wellness Association.

All judges listed in alphabetical order by first name
 

Ansh Sahai (She/Her)
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
SENsational Foundation

Ansh Sahai is a lifelong learner bringing in 17 years of experience in the social change and development field. Having worked with grassroot organisations to international funding agencies in India, learning and development has been the core to her work. She is passionately creative, believes in innovation for sustainability, working together for change and inclusion to be a human value.

Her work has always tried to centre around a stronger future through unconditioning the mindset through consistent actions and change. Her core strength lies in addressing social development challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions. 

Jyothi Sivaramakrishnan (She/Her)
Head of Country HR, India
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) (Sponsor)

Jyothi serves as Country HR Head for India at London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and is responsible for Business Partnership and advisory, driving the people agenda for the location. Jyothi has been associated with her company since 1999 and has since held a variety of senior roles in the business before she switched to serve as a Human Resources professional during her stint with Thomson Reuters. She led the HR function for the Financial & Risk business of Thomson Reuters through the transition to Refinitiv in June 2019 and led the People Service Delivery function till Feb 2021 when LSEG acquired Refinitiv.

With nearly 26 years of diverse experience leading large global teams in Customer Service, Operations and Human Resources, Jyothi is passionate about Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Organisation Culture. She has been an ardent advocate and sponsor of numerous business and employee networks and diverse groups through her career. She has been the sponsor of the Women’s ERG in her organisation for many years. She engages in mentoring upcoming women leaders in the industry.

Jyothi has a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from Mumbai University, a Post Graduate degree in Business Administration from Symbiosis Institute of Management studies.​ Originally from Mumbai, she is now settled in Bangalore with her family and has a teenager son. She enjoys listening to music and is also trained in Carnatic vocals.

Roy Wadia (He/Him)
Communications Chief
WHO/Europe

Since 2022, Roy has served as Regional Communications Chief for the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, based in Copenhagen.

Before that, Roy was Regional Communications Advisor for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia-Pacific Regional Office based in Bangkok.

Born and raised in Bombay, Roy worked at CNN for almost 12 years, launching and producing much of the global broadcaster’s Asia-Pacific news programming before embarking on public health and sustainable development communications—first through WHO China (2003-2006) and then the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) in Vancouver, Canada (2006-2009).

From 2010-2013, Roy was Executive Director of the Heroes AIDS Project in Bombay, under the Gates Foundation’s India Avahan HIV programme, working to reduce stigma and discrimination against key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender persons. Roy has also served at various times on the boards of AIDS Vancouver, the India HIV/AIDS Alliance (now called Alliance India), AIDS Care China and the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), where he also served as Vice Chair for several years.

Roy is married to Alan Hsiung, originally from Taiwan.

Sailesh Raghavan (He/Him)
Vice President Technology
Lead of Enable BRG
Publicis Sapient (Sponsor)

Sailesh is currently the Vice President of Technology at Publicis Sapient, a global digital transformation partner that helps clients drive growth and efficiency. He values collaboration, creativity and continuous learning. He brings diverse perspectives and experiences to the team, having worked with clients across various industries and geographies. As the Vice President of Technology, he leads the experience Engineering domain for Publicis Sapient in India, comprising of more than 1500 engineers. He is responsible for setting the vision, strategy and standards for the domain, as well as overseeing the delivery, quality and performance of the projects. He has been involved in audits of existing applications from an architecture and creative quality standpoint and provided guidance and mentorship to the domain and community.

Sailesh also leads Publicis Sapient’s Enable BRG on PwD inclusion and their accessibility practice in India. He is a great leader on PwD inclusion and their DEI Council.

Shaman Gupta (He/Him)
Co-founder
Misfyt Trans Youth Foundation

Shaman is the Co-founder of Misfyt Trans Youth Foundation. As the former Co-Chair & CEO of TWEET Foundation (2017-23), Shaman has supported thousands of trans youths with access to shelter homes, skills and employment opportunities. Shaman's work has earned him recognition as an Echoing Green Fellow, a Dalai Lama Fellow and a Swedish Institute Leader Lab Fellow. He is also a member of the International Trans Fund Grant Making Panel and continues to contribute to the global discourse and development of the trans movement.

Shaman has a degree in engineering and is passionate about equitable education.

Shilpa Didla (She/Her)
Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Goldman Sachs India (Sponsor)

Shilpa has 18 years of experience in various DEI leadership roles, most recently as Associate Director and Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Kyndryl India. Shilpa earned her M.Sc. in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University.

Shubha Chacko (She/Her)
Executive Director
Solidarity Foundation

Shilpa has 18 years of experience in various DEI leadership roles, most recently as Associate Director and Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Kyndryl India. Shilpa earned her M.Sc. in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University.

 

Sromona Banerjee (She/Her)
Assistant Vice President - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy
Moody's Corporation (Sponsor)

With a solid background of more than eight years in the financial services sector, Sromona is a management professional with an eye for detail. Her fervour for leading transformation is evident in her current role, where she spearheads the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy for the APAC region at Moody's Corporation. She possesses expertise in data analysis and forecasting, market research and corporate communications, coupled with a strong customer orientation and focus on strategic management.

Before joining this role, she had a proven track record in supporting structured finance transactions, with over half a decade dedicated to bolstering primary ratings for CMBS and RMBS deals under Moody's Investors Service. Additionally, she was the Co-Chair for India Women's Business Resource Group and led various initiatives for the professional, mental and physical well-being of our female employees in India.

Prior to joining Moody’s, she worked as an Associate Consultant at Tata Consultancy Services Limited, where she handled a global clientele in the BFSI vertical, conducting client due diligence, designing training modules for new clients and helping in pitch book preparation for new customer acquisitions.