SME ACCelerate Forum 2023

Event Details

SME ACCelerate Forum 2023 is a half-day in-person conference focused on how the business community can support the sustainable growth of SMEs. The Forum is part of AmCham's SME ACCelerate program, which aims to help SMEs achieve growth and development in four key areas: mental well-being, women-led businesses, digitalization, and SME Connect & Learn. The Forum will feature a keynote address by our Guest of Honor Christopher Quinlivan, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Regional Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. Embassy Singapore.

Hosted at Google, this year's theme "AI-Powered Success: Empowering SMEs", highlights the relevance and potential that artificial intelligence (AI) has for SMEs across industries in ensuring business growth. AI is experiencing massive developments today, such as improvements in machine learning, predictive capacities, face recognition and language processing. With the rise of publicly available software like ChatGPT and DALL-E, tools to generate content in the form of generative AI are being championed by large companies and governments. For SMEs, applications of these technologies are wide-ranging, and can include enhancing customer service experiences through chatbots, increasing production automation, making more accurate business models to analyze markets, and better decision making from enhanced information management and input.

Join AmCham as we explore AI's role in enhancing business efficiency through innovative solutions, how AI integration will create growth and competitive advantages for SMEs, and how SMEs providing AI solutions can value-add to larger organizations.

The Forum will also feature booths from CFO Centre, HR Easily, Latin America Chamber of Commerce, and Stone Forest and will conclude with networking over drinks and refreshments.

Please note the following details:

The event is held under the Chatham House Rule https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/chatham-house-rule
Images from the event may be used for AmCham Singapore's post-event information, marketing and promotional purposes.
The personal information provided to us will only be used for event registration and administration.

By registering for this event, you agree and consent to the above.

* For any enquiries please contact the AmCham Programming and Events Team at pe@amcham.com.sg.

* Cancellation Policy: You may request to cancel your registration 5 working days or more prior to the event date. Full payment will be required for any cancellations or no shows thereafter. Replacements will be accepted.

Speakers

Christopher Quinlivan

Regional Senior Commercial Officer at Embassy of the United States of America

Jeff Paine

Managing Director of PS-engage

Rob Schimek

Group Chief Executive Officer at bolttech

Priya Sharma

Managing Director, India & SEA + VP Marketing Asia Pacific of McCormick & Company

Mostapha Tahiri

Executive Vice President, Head of Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa at State Street Bank and Trust Company

Chris Quinlivan is a Senior Foreign Service officer with the International Trade Administration’s U.S. Commercial Service. In August 2019 he began a four-year assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore where he leads a team responsible for trade promotion programs in Singapore and supports U.S. business interests regionally. Prior postings include Ottawa, Canada (2015-19); Beijing, China (2011-15 and 2001-03); Vienna, Austria; Salt Lake City, Utah; Brussels, Belgium; and Athens, Greece. While at the Commerce Department in Washington, DC, Mr. Quinlivan managed initiatives to develop U.S. export opportunities in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Mr. Quinlivan also worked on a Presidential initiative to support the Northern Ireland peace process. Mr. Quinlivan is the recipient of numerous professional honors, including the Commerce Department’s prestigious Gold Medal and Bronze Medal awards, the Chuck Meissner award, and special recognition by the Department of State for his roles in support of four Presidential visits to Greece and China. Mr. Quinlivan has seven years of private sector experience as an account manager and logistics agent. He holds a Master’s in international affairs and a Bachelor’s in business administration from California State University and an international business certificate from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

AmCham SME Committee Co-Chair

Jeff Paine is the Managing Director of Public Sector (PS) Engage which aims to help organizations build better relationships with their regulators, have more impact in the communities they operate in, and develop partnerships to help realize exponential gains in their core business activities. Prior to establishing PS Engage, Jeff was the Head of Government Relations for Southeast Asia for Visa Inc. In this capacity he is responsible for developing constructive engagement activities to develop and maintain relationships with public sector professionals in ASEAN.

Prior to working with Visa, Jeff Paine worked at Microsoft as Director of Public Sector Partner Business where he was responsible for driving revenue via the Microsoft partner ecosystem that supported governments across Asia Pacific. While at Microsoft, Jeff successfully managed multi regional projects for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and spearheaded the implementation of Microsoft’s global Government Engagement efforts in Asia. He also led Microsoft’s public sector team in the development on an innovative executive program for government leaders, academics and Microsoft executives in partnership with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore in Singapore.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Jeff was Director of Business Development for Central Asia Development Group (CADG), a private development organization involved in the implementation of infrastructure, agriculture, and economic development projects in Afghanistan and which partners with various agencies such as USAID, World Bank, UN agencies, and other donors.

Jeff was involved in the successful implementation of reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in southern Afghanistan valued at more than US$30 million between 2002 and 2005. In 2006, Jeff spearheaded the expansion of CASG by establishing the organization’s presence in South East Asia in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Jeff also has experience in the financial services sector having previously worked at Reuters Financial Services as a Business Development Manager and as an Institutional Foreign Exchange Dealer for the Royal Bank of Canada in Singapore, Australia, and Canada.

Jeff holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University in the U.S.A. He attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he has completed a diploma program on Innovations in Governance.

Rob Schimek is the Group Chief Executive Officer of bolttech. He leads the bolttech team across our operations globally, overseeing our growth and partnership opportunities.

With more than 30 years' experience in the financial services industry, Rob has previously held senior leadership roles in insurance, including Managing Director & Group Chief Operating Officer for FWD Group, President and CEO of AIG's commercial insurance businesses worldwide, and Chief Executive Officer of the Americas for AIG. Prior to that, Rob served as President and Chief Executive Officer or EMEA for AIG and was the Chief Financial Officer of AIG's global property and casualty insurance business.

Before joining AIG, Rob was a partner at Deloitte & Touche L.L.P. where, for 18 years, he used his public accounting experience to serve global financial institution clients, including MetLife, The Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Merrill Lynch.

Rob is a C.P.A. He earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Rider University in New Jersey and a member of the Rider University Board of Trustees.

Outside of work, Rob can be found in the gym or competing in some of the world's toughest endurance competitions such as the FWD 78° North Marathon, one of the most northern marathons in the world, and the Ironman World Championships.

Priyadarshini Sharma is Managing Director India & Southeast Asia (ISEA), and Vice President for Marketing, Asia Pacific Zone, for McCormick Inc. Based in Singapore, Ms. Sharma is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the region's Consumer business where she leads multi-functional teams on the consumer marketing strategy and the commercial capability building agenda in the Asia Pacific region. In her role as Managing Director for ISEA, Ms. Sharma leads the business unit's commercial and cross functional operations to deliver on McCormick's growth ambitions in the region.

Ms. Sharma has over 23 years of multi-country, multi-industry experience in global blue-chip organisations. Prior to her tenure at McCormick, Ms. Sharma spent six years with Carlsberg group as part of the Asia commercial and marketing leadership team, where she was based in Hong Kong and Singapore. She also spent three years as Marketing Director based in China. Prior to Carlsberg, Ms. Sharma has worked in well-known consumer goods companies like Procter & Gamble, Pepsi Co and Samsung in Singapore and India.

Outside of work, Ms. Sharma is an author, professional speaker, and a mentor for women leaders. As an avid advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), she is also Chair of McCormick's Women's International Network (WIN) for Asia Pacific, which champions the professional growth and achievement of the female workforce at McCormick. Ms. Sharma is committed to driving meaningful dialogue on DEI issues and creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

Ms. Sharma holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, is an ICA-certified coach and is currently pursuing a degree certification in advanced business communications at Harvard. Having lived and worked in 5 different countries, she is fluent in five languages including English, Hindi and Mandarin Chinese. Ms. Sharma is married and has two teenage children. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, doing yoga, reading, and traveling.

Mostapha Tahiri is executive vice president and head of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at State Street Corporation.

As head of State Street for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions, Mostapha is responsible for all business activities in the regions including driving strategy, stewarding client engagement, developing talent, pursuing growth opportunities as well as managing diverse stakeholders including local officials and regulators.

Before joining us, Mostapha worked for BNP Paribas for 22 years. His last role there was as the head of Asia Pacific for BNP Paribas Securities Services, where he was a member of the Executive Committee. He was responsible for expanding the business across locations and client segments and was at the forefront of building BNP Paribas Securities Services franchise in Asia Pacific.

Prior to this, Mostapha was the head of Institutional Investors Services in Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for developing and managing BNP Paribas Securities Services franchise with asset managers, asset owners and alternatives investors. He has also led digital transformation in the region, leveraging new technologies to foster product innovation and enhance service performance. Before that, he held several leadership positions in Europe and Asia including the role of chief executive officer for Singapore and Southeast Asia, head of Asset and Fund Services in Asia and global head of Fund Services operating model transformation.

Mostapha holds a master’s degree in finance and technology from TELECOM SudParis in France.