Mr. Francis is currently the CEO & President of Republic Cement Services Inc. Prior to his role at Republic Cement, Mr. Francis has held leadership positions in Morocco, India, Bulgaria, Egypt, Sri Lanka, France, and Germany, mainly in the construction and cement industry. He obtained a master’s degree in business administration from ESSEC Business School in France and holds degrees in civil engineering from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon and urban planning from McGill University.

Mr. Francis is currently the CEO & President of Republic Cement Services Inc. Prior to his role at Republic Cement, Mr. Francis has held leadership positions in Morocco, India, Bulgaria, Egypt, Sri Lanka, France, and Germany, mainly in the construction and cement industry. He obtained a master’s degree in business administration from ESSEC Business School in France and holds degrees in civil engineering from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon and urban planning from McGill University.

HE Igor Driesmans, Ambassador to ASEAN was Member of Cabinet of Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice‐President of the European Commission until August 2019. His responsibilities included Asia and Pacific, Cultural Diplomacy, Transport and Fisheries. He served previously as Principal Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service (2014), Desk Officer for ASEAN (2013‐2014), and Deputy Head of the Political, Economic, Trade and Information Section of the EU Delegation to South Africa (2009‐2013). Ambassador Igor Driesmans is an official of the EU since 2003. He holds a Masters in History, University of Gent (Belgium).

Rafael de Bustamante Tello, First Counsellor, is the acting Deputy Head of Delegation in EU Delegation to the Philippines since September 2019. From September 2016 to August 2019 he was the head of the political, press and information section of the EU Delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. Previously he served during four years (September 2012-August 2016) in the EU Delegation to the UN in New York in the human rights and social affairs section. Before his post in New York, he worked for six years on multilateral affairs (United Nations and the International Criminal Court) at the EU Council Secretariat and the European External Action Service in Brussels. From 2003 to early 2006 he worked in the EU Council Secretariat in areas of employment, social affairs and regional policy. For 10 years prior he headed the Representative Office of the Regional Government and the Regional Development Agency of Murcia (Spain) in Brussels. Mr. de Bustamante received his Law degree at Murcia University (1984-1989) and his master in European law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) (1989-90).

Ramon M. Lopez is the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). His extensive government experience with the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), DTI, and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in the early part of his career provided him with a solid background on macroeconomic and industry policy and program development that allowed him to adopt a more holistic trade approach when he moved to the private sector and became a top executive of a major Philippine food and beverage company for over 23 years. He led the entrepreneur advocacy Go Negosyo for 12 years until he was called to serve the country again under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s administration as the DTI Secretary. He chairs several institutions under DTI such as the Board of Investments (BOI), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), the Small Business Corporation (SB Corp.), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and several councils for MSME Development, Export Development, and Price Coordination. He also chaired the ASEAN Economic Ministers when the Philippines assumed Chairmanship in 2017, and is a founding member of the World Economic Forum-ASEAN Regional Strategy Group and Stewardship Board for International Trade and Investment System. He has received several awards such as: the Honorary Agora in Nation Building Award; the Nation Builders Award for Government Service for his role as prime mover in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) development; and the Philippine Innovation Man of the Year Award in 2017 for the promotion of social entrepreneurship through innovation. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines and topped his Master’s Degree in Development Economics at Williams College, Massachusetts.

Mr. Yongzheng Yang is currently the IMF’s Resident Representative to the Philippines. Until recently, he was a Deputy Division Chief at the Asia and Pacific Department of the IMF and the IMF’s mission chief for Myanmar. Prior to that, he was the IMF’s Resident Representative in Pacific island countries from 2010 to 2014 and served as the IMF’s mission chief for Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

Mr. Yang has also worked on countries in Africa and Central Asia, as well as on IMF policies toward low‐income countries. Before joining the IMF in 2001, he taught at The Australian National University and the Macquarie University for 10 years. His research interest includes financial inclusion, international trade, general equilibrium modelling and development issues.

Stephanie Venuti is a Policy Advisor in the Responsible Business Conduct Unit at the OECD, where she leads OECD country engagement in Japan and Philippines, and manages country partnerships under the OECD’s Programme on Promoting Responsible Supply Chains in Asia.

Stephanie also leads OECD thematic work on links between the environment, climate change and RBC, drawing on her expertise as an Australian trained Environmental and Climate Change Lawyer, and working across the Asia Pacific region on environmental law, policy and governance projects.

Previously working for Baker McKenzie’s Global Climate Change Team, Stephanie’s work focused on obligations on companies to address climate change and building enabling environments for the implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing countries.

Prior to this, Stephanie’s work took her to Myanmar and Vietnam in coordinating regional environmental capacity building projects for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and supporting the Myanmar Government on the implementation of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

Commencing her career practicing Law in Australia, Stephanie spent over seven years working with both government and the private sector on commercial environmental matters and environmental risk management. She has a Bachelors of Science and Bachelors of Laws (Hons), and a Master of Environmental Law from the University of Sydney. She is a published author on sustainable development, and international environmental law and climate change, with a focus on the Asia Pacific region.

Chris is the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP). He is a Director of the Philippine National Bank (PNB), Chairman of the Trust Committee and former Chairman of the Board of Domuschola International School. Prior to joining PNB, he was President of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation, Inc. (PMFTC, Inc.) for 2 years and Managing Director of Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc., a position he held for 10 years. He worked in the tobacco industry for 32 years and 27 years with Philip Morris, 25 of which were in management positions including Area Director for the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Yemen, and Horn of Africa.

Chris is actively involved in various business and non-profit organizations that work in social and economic development. He is Vice President of the American Chamber Foundation Philippines, Inc., Director of the Federation of Philippine Industries, Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Trustee of the Philippine Band of Mercy. He is also a Trustee of Dualtech Training Foundation, and a Trustee of Bellagio 3 Condominium and Greenland Community, Tagaytay.

He holds BA and MA in History from Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, U.K., and a Diploma in Marketing from the Institute of Marketing, Cranfield, U.K.

AAMBIS-OWA Party-list representative Sharon S. Garin is the Vice-Chair of the House Committees on Ways and Means; Banks and Financial Intermediaries; and Globalization and WTO.

A CPA-Lawyer by profession, Representative Garin spearheaded the drafting of Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and has been active in the oversight functions of the committee over the Bureau of Customs.

She consequently is a principal author of the First Package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act and has sponsored several priority House measures in the 18th Congress, including the proposed amendments to the Foreign Investments Act (House Bill 1221) and Public Service Act (House Bill 78).

In the 17th Congress, Representative Garin became the first party-list representative to ever be elected as Deputy Speaker in the Philippine House of Representatives and the first ever female Deputy Speaker from the Province of Iloilo.

She holds an Accounting degree from the University of the Philippines Visayas and a Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University Law School. She pursued further studies in Barcelona, Spain where she graduated with an international MBA from Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ESADE).

Dr. Francisco G. Dakila, Jr. is the Deputy Governor of the Monetary and Economics Sector. Prior to this, he was the Assistant Governor of the Monetary Policy Sub-Sector. Before joining the BSP, he worked at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and at the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

He received his Ph. D. and MA in Economics and B.S. in Economics (magna cum laude) from the University of the Philippines-School of Economics. He is a lifetime member of the Philippine Statistical Association (PSA) and the Philippine Economics Society (PES). He is also a member of the International Input-Output Association.

Atty. Jeremiah Banta Belgica is the first ever Director General of the Anti-Red Tape Authority since its creation last June 17, 2018 and having been appointed in said office last July 3, 2019.

Currently, he is the youngest official holding a governmental position with a Cabinet Rank.

A lawyer by profession, and a founding partner of his Belgica Aranas Baldueza Dela Cruz and Associates Law Offices, he is also a licensed Environmental Planner and a Real Estate Broker. He is currently the Secretary General of the national political party, Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan.

He is the first ever awardee of the coveted Most Outstanding Alumni of the PLM College of Law. A former President of the PLM College of Law Student Council and was member of the Debate Team of the UST College of Science where he got his Bachelor’s Degree on Science, Major in Biology.

He is an ordained minister of the Gospel by the Lord’s Vineyard Covenant Community and started the Manila Congregation as a 20-year old pastor. He served as its resident Pastor for almost 10 years and held the position while studying law and even after taking the bar.

He received his legal training as an associate in several law offices the most notable of which is the J. Calida and Associates Law Offices. He is also a former constitutional and political law professor of the Unibersidad De Manila - College of Law and business Law professor of San Beda College – College of Arts and Science. He also worked at the National Parks and Development Committee where he honed his administrative supervision skills.

He is also a founder of many national youth organization with a wide experience in media and public speaking. An avid lover of music and plays several musical instruments but masters in piano and keyboards.

His most cherished jewel after his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is his wife Eunice and beautiful daughter Tori.

Chris Humphrey is a Government Relations professional with close to 30 years of experience of either working for or dealing with Governments and regulatory authorities both in Europe and Asia.

Chris began his varied professional career as a UK Civil Servant where, amongst other things, he was a Private Secretary to a Minister and an Air Services Trade Negotiator covering the Asia Pacific Region.

After leaving Government, Chris moved to the private sector working initially in the Government and external relations teams at two British airlines, before moving to Shanghai, China with Virgin Atlantic where he headed up the airline’s China operation and oversaw the rapid expansion of their business in China. Whilst in Shanghai, Chris also sat on the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce. After a short spell in Hong Kong with Virgin, Chris then joined a UK based security and defence group where he led their Asia Pacific team for over five years and was instrumental in them getting contracts with the Japanese and Singapore Governments and also with SOEs in China.

Chris joined the EU-ASEAN Business Council in 2014 as the organisations first full time Executive Director, and has led the organisation ever since, seeing its membership grow by more than 500% and leading the Business Council’s advocacy efforts across multiple industry sectors.

Amal came to Manila on July 1st, 2018 to lead Sanofi’s Pharmaceuticals Business Unit. Amal, a medical doctor, first joined Sanofi in 1999 as a Medical Sales Representative in Algeria. Since then, she has gained experience in sales, marketing, business intelligence and project management across the company, including serving as Chief Operating Officer in Algeria prior to coming to the Philippines.

Christina Stieber is a graduate of International Law from the Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria. All her career was focused on international business and foreign investments. After studies in the US and various work experiences around the world, she joined the Austrian foreign commercial service. Her first assigned post was in Milano, Italy as Deputy Trade Consul and subsequently, at the offices in New York where she actively promoted Austrian companies in the US. Wine, fashion, advanced technologies and machineries are few of the sectors she helped fostering with specific projects. Back at the HQ in Vienna she held the position Head of International Communication. She was responsible for creating and implementing the international corporate image of Austria as a nation and Austrian companies abroad. Since August 1 st 2017, she is the Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Manila and Head of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Philippines.

Stefan Schmitz is currently Managing Director at Antrak Philippines Transport Solutions Corp. Born in Dusseldorf, Germany. Married with three children. Lives in Paranaque City, Philippines. Experienced Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working over two decades in the project logistics industry in Asia. Founder of Antrak Philippines Transport Solutions Corp “Antrak Logistics”. Skilled in General Management, Project Management, Change Management, Negotiation, Import, Operations Management, Freight, Business Process Outsourcing ( BPO ) and International Business.