Chandran Nair
Founder and chief executive, GIFT

Chandran Nair is the founder of what he believes is a “first” – the Global Institute For Tomorrow is an organisation based in Asia that is focused on the relationship of Asian society and values with those of the rest of the world.

Chandran was chairman of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) in the Asia Pacific until March of 2004. He established the company as Asia's leader in environmental consulting.

For more than a decade Chandran has strongly advocated a more sustainable approach to development in Asia, and has helped the governments of Taiwan and Hong Kong instil these principles into their key decision-making processes. He continues to advise the Hong Kong government, devising a new approach that gives the public a bigger role in key policy making decisions – another first for Asia.

Chandran has worked and travelled extensively; corporations seek his advice on how to meet the challenges of doing business in Asia and of globalisation, on investment geo-politics, leadership development, ethics, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. He has addressed many of these issues at forums around the world, notably at speaking engagements in London, New York, Washington, and Sydney, and all of the major Asian capitals.

In addition to his work with GIFT, Chandran has maintained his interest in business, continuing to provide strategic management advice and coaching to business leaders with a focus on achieving growth targets and bringing about organisational change.

Thomas Tang
Executive director, GIFT

Thomas Tang has been a management consultant for the past 15 years as a director and managing consultant in leading consultancy practices in Asia. These include the PA Consulting Group and GML Consulting. In this time, he has worked with major corporations, governments, lending agencies and NGOs.

A believer in the power of positive change, Thomas has facilitated this process in different organisations through a blend of management techniques, policy changes and shifts in work attitudes. In more recent work with GIFT, he has been instrumental in the development and delivery of various capacity building programmes to help organisations realise their role and worth in society as well as business. He co-developed the first Global Young Leaders Programme held in Yunnan province, China, in 2006.

In the course of his work, Thomas has written numerous reports on sustainable development, civil society and, more recently, climate change.

William K. Lorenz
Global Young Leaders Programme director, USA, GIFT

Bill Lorenz runs his own consulting business in Pennsylvania. Previously with the international consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM), Bill has successfully implemented strategic planning programmes for many Fortune 500 multinationals, integrating environmental health and safety measures into their business
mainstream.

Currently at GIFT, Bill is responsible for business development and operations in North America where GIFT’s outreach is growing.

Aron Cramer
President and chief executive, Business for Social Responsibility

Aron Cramer is president and chief executive of Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). Prior to assuming this position he was based in Paris, where he launched BSR's Europe office in 2002. He also led the establishment of BSR's Hong Kong office in 2001.

Aron joined BSR in 1995, serving as the founding director of its business and human rights programme. Aron has worked closely with dozens of BSR's member companies in many industry sectors, providing advice and counsel on the full spectrum of corporate social responsibility issues, including Ford Motor, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Rio Tinto, and Unilever.

Aron has also worked extensively with public-sector entities, including the World Bank, the United Nations, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Masa Igata
Founder and chief executive, IRIS ASIA Limited

Masa Igata is a founder and chief executive of IRIS ASIA Limited, an investor relations firm for overseas institutional investors.

Prior to forming IRIS ASIA, Masa headed the investor relations advisory group for Japanese companies at Nikko Citigroup based in Tokyo.

He has also worked at the Salomon Smith Barney Japanese equity sales department as a managing director in charge of equity sales.

He is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute. Masa received his BA in Law from Kyoto University.