For future speaking opportunities, email sbrown@commercialriskonline.com
| Company | Job Title | Name | Profile Picture | Speaker Bio | Speaking At |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aon | Head of Construction Asia | Vincent Banton |  | Vincent leads Aon’s regional Construction and Infrastructure practice across Asia and has 23 years of experience in the insurance and construction industries. He has managed underwriting portfolios in facultative reinsurance and direct market insurance together with working as a practicing project engineer for major civil and building construction contractors in the United Kingdom, West Indies and Australia. | Panel Discussion: Managing data centre construction risk |
| Rimkus | Tecnical Director - Technical Services, Asia | Nick Barham |  | Nick is a chartered civil and structural engineer and a testifying expert witness, with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. He started his career working on construction sites and for a multi-faceted design consultancy, before focusing on forensic engineering, dispute resolution, and expert witness work. Nick has been involved in the forensic examination and appraisal of a wide range of civil and building technical and contractual issues and has advised insurers, loss adjusters, lawyers, government agencies, employers, engineers and contractors. He provides forensic technical advice, writes expert reports and has been cross-examined in court and arbitration hearings. Nick is also regularly responsible for the design of new build and remedial schemes. | Workshop: How meteorological variables impact climate risk in SE Asia |
| Strides | Head of Contracts & Risk Manager | Dimson Batanan |  | Dimson Batanan is a Juris Doctor, licensed Civil Engineer, and Quantity Surveyor with over 19 years of experience in contract and risk management across Southeast Asia. Currently Head of Contracts Risk Manager at STRIDES, he has held senior roles at Megawide, Bombardier (Alstom), GE, and Thales. His portfolio includes railways, subway systems, US embassy compounds, naval facilities, power plants and high-rise developments. Dimson brings extensive experience in claims strategy and commercial risk governance – critical to addressing climate risk, inflation, labour shortages and shifting risk transfer strategies in Asia’s rapidly evolving construction and infrastructure sector. | Presentation & panel discussion: Major risks & the future of construction risk in Asia |
| Rimkus | Regional Head, Asia | Steven Beaumont |  | Steven Beaumont is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and internationally recognised expert in construction claims and dispute resolution, with over three decades of experience across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa on a variety of heavy civil engineering, infrastructure, oil and gas, and hydroelectric projects. Steven’s expertise spans quantum analysis, delay and disruption claims, and the strategic management of disputes under FIDIC, NEC, EPC, and bespoke contracts. His career has been defined by his ability to navigate complex contractual landscapes and lead high-value claims, ranging from US$10m to US$300m, on projects up to US$17bn in value. Steven emphasises the use of mediation and negotiation to steer parties away from costly arbitration and litigation. His work often involves close collaboration with legal teams, yet his focus remains on proactive contract administration and early identification of risk to mitigate disputes. Steven has delivered lectures and seminars on claims management and ADR throughout the GCC and Asia and served as a visiting lecturer at Sungkyunkwan University School of Law in South Korea. His presentations offer a practical, real-world perspective on how ADR can be effectively integrated into project delivery and commercial strategy. Steven holds an MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution and a BSc in Quantity Surveying. He holds memberships to several professional bodies. | Panel discussion: Climate change and extreme weather – who bears the risk? |
| MS Reinsurance | IMIA Ambassador | Head of Global Engineering | Matia Cazzaniga |  | Matia is an accomplished insurance executive with over 20 years of extensive global experience in the engineering and construction sector. Currently, he is the Head of Global Engineering at MS Reinsurance based in Zürich and he manages the underwriting of international engineering and construction treaties’ portfolio. Along with reinsurance expertise, Matia brings a wealth of expertise in managing large construction portfolios and dealing with direct market insurance having previously served as the Global Head of Engineering Lines and Construction at Zurich Insurance Company until 2024. He served on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Engineering Insurers (IMIA) until 2024 and now continues to champion IMIA initiatives in an ambassadorial capacity. | Panel Discussion: Managing data centre construction risk |
| Institute of Internal Auditors Hong Kong | Governor, Board of Directors | Andrew Chan |  | Andrew has over 18 years of professional experience in Risk Management, Compliance, Auditing and Finance across a diverse range of industries. Qualified in Australia with Big 4 firms, Andrew moved to Hong Kong over a decade ago and since then has worked in global risk roles at Hong Kong Shanghai Hotels, Dairy Farm, PCCW and most recently at China Light and Power (CLP). A believer in giving back to the community, Andrew was the 2022 Chair of CA ANZ Hong Kong Council. He is currently serving as Governor, Board of Directors at the Institute of Internal Auditors, Hong Kong. He has been awarded Fellowship of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (FCA). | Presentation & panel discussion: Major risks & the future of construction risk in Asia |
| QBE | Regional Property & Construction Manager, Asia | Brendan Dunlea |  | Brendan joined QBE in May 2017 as the Asia Pacific Head of Engineering. He has since taken on the additional role of Regional Head of Property role. Before moving to Singapore Brendan was the Global Head of Power Generation, and Singapore CUO for Zurich. Prior to insurance Brendan worked in various electrical installations & maintenance roles in industries including petrochemical, industrial and real estate. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Australia New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF), the IMIA representative for Asia and Chairperson of the SCI/GIA Singapore Construction & Engineering Committee. | Quick fire presentation: Modular & prefabricated construction - risks and insurance considerations Workshop: From risk to resilience: unlocking competitive advantage through BRI and climate disclosure |
| Allianz Commercial | Regional Head of Short-tail Claims | Charlotte Field |  | Charlotte has over 17 years of experience in the insurance industry both in Australia, UK, and Asia. She leads the Short-Tail Claims team, while driving technical excellence in Allianz Commercial’s services to clients. She fronts engagements with key external stakeholders including but not limited to brokers, clients, and loss adjusters, helping the team in executing their regional strategy. Charlotte first joined Allianz as Claims Manager for the Property and Energy & Construction Lines of Businesses in 2013, based in Sydney. She then moved to Singapore in July 2017, where she was most recently a Senior Claims Specialist. | Panel discussion: Claims – how to navigate megatrends |
| Aon | Managing Director, Construction & Infrastructure | Brian Hearst |  | For nearly four decades Brian has worked in claims, underwriting, brokering and risk management which has given multiple perspectives when it comes to advising clients on solutions to best manage their risk. Working closely with many of the foremost Data Center Development Companies he has brokered in excess of 80 Data Center Projects, including greenfield, new-build, expansion & major renovation, and complex fit-out projects, in North America, Europe and Asia. | Panel Discussion: Managing data centre construction risk |
| Cushman & Wakefield | Risk Manager APAC | Rahul Kumar |  | Rahul Kumar is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of delivering strategic solutions to multinational clients. After building the foundation as an insurance broker servicing all lines of insurance for a diversified group of multinational clients, he joined the in-house Risk Management team at a fortune 100 technology-based industry leader and soon became the APAC lead for Risk and Insurance. More recently, Rahul is engaged as APAC leader for Risk and Insurance for a Global Commercial Real Estate firm. Rahul specialises in structuring and implementing global programs, leveraging his expertise to mitigate risks and optimise insurance solutions for the business. His expertise includes: Global program design and implementation, risk assessment and mitigation strategies, and insurance market analysis and negotiations. | Panel Discussion: Managing data centre construction risk |
| Allianz Commercial | Head of Natural Resources & Construction, Hong Kong and Greater China | Lilian Lau |  | - | Panel discussion: The importance of collaborative sharing |
| Allianz Commercial | Global Head of Natural Resources & Construction, Allianz Risk Consulting | Gordon Lee |  | A chartered civil engineer by training, Gordon is an experienced risk consultant with 17 years’ experience in engineering and risk consulting. He joined Allianz in 2015 and has since risen through the ranks to become Global Head of Natural Resources and Construction for Allianz Risk Consulting. Well-versed in the construction, power, and energy sectors, Gordon also collaborates with other lines of business and teams, such as liability, financial lines, and claims, to provide clients with enhanced risk assessment through the underwriting and claims process. | Presentation & panel discussion: Major risks & the future of construction risk in Asia |
| Swiss Re Corporate Solutions | Lead Claims SEA | Adrian Lee |  | Adrian is a seasoned insurance professional with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. A Qualified Loss Adjuster, he began his career specialising in property and casualty claims, where he spent a decade honing his technical expertise and client management skills. He later transitioned into a Casualty Risk Engineer with an international insurer, gaining valuable insights into risk assessment and mitigation. Since joining Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2019, Adrian has handled complex and high-value claims across general property, petrochemical, CAR/EAR, onshore and offshore energy and power generation sectors. | Panel discussion: Claims – how to navigate megatrends |
| Aon | Global Head of Construction & Infrastructure | James MacNeal |  | James is currently Aon’s Global Head of the Construction and Infrastructure Practice which includes over 1000 specialist colleagues in 48 countries. In this role James is responsible for growth, thought-leadership and best practice in this key industry practice. James is also the relationship lead for certain Aon clients. He has over 33 years of construction insurance experience, of which 18 have been with the Aon Group. He was previously at Marsh where he led the UK Construction Units broking team. | Presentation & panel discussion: Major risks & the future of construction risk in Asia |
| Swiss Re Corporate Solutions | Head of Innovative Risk Solutions, APAC | Andre Martin |  | Andre started his career as a commissioning engineer with ABB in Switzerland. After several years as a consultant with Accenture's Resource & Energy practice in Zurich Andre joined Swiss Re in 2002, underwriting large industrial risks in the Middle East, Asia and Australia. From 2013 onwards Andre was heading the Engineering & Construction team in the APAC region before assuming the role as Head of IRS APAC in 2018. | Panel discussion: When parametric solutions work |
| John Holland Group | Senior Commercial and Risk Manager | Christie Mead |  | Having commenced her career as a solicitor specialising in construction disputes and litigation, Christie has over 15 years’ experience in both the legal and construction industries working across a number of jurisdictions, both nationally and abroad. She has extensive experience in navigating complex legal, commercial and risk considerations on large construction projects with a particular focus on leveraging appropriate risk allocations to drive best for project outcomes. | Panel discussion: Climate change and extreme weather – who bears the risk? |
| Charles Taylor Adjusting | Director, Construction & Engineering | Arnaud Meltz |  | Arnaud joined Charles Taylor in 2023, bringing over 10 years’ experience acquired with a French leading adjusting and forensic analysis firm in Paris, active both as a loss adjuster and technical advisor in amicable settlements and legal disputes. Arnaud is primarily focused on civil and geotechnical engineering, but has also been involved in structural works, commercial buildings, material defects, heavy industry EAR losses. Before transitioning into the adjusting field, Arnaud began his career with a specialized designbuild geotechnical contractor, in which he held different successive positions, mostly overseas (works manager, business manager then Vietnam agency director). | Panel discussion: Claims – how to navigate megatrends Workshop: Deconstructing weather event claims handling |
| HDI Global SE Australia | Head of Construction and Renewable Energy – MENA and Asia | Haris Michaels |  | Haris Michaels, Head of Construction and Renewable Energy – MENA and Asia at HDI Global SE brings over two decades of experience in engineering and construction. After starting his career as a Project Engineer, Haris began with HDI in 2013 and is now responsible for the underwriting of construction and renewable energy risks across MENA and Asia. His passion for the construction industry has helped HDI navigate the complexity of this evolving industry and establish a strong reputation in this sector through the support of numerous construction and engineering projects throughout the region. | Panel discussion: The importance of collaborative sharing |
| International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group | Operations Officer | Diep Ngoc Do |  | - | Workshop: From risk to resilience: unlocking competitive advantage through BRI and climate disclosure |
| Cube Highways | Sr. Vice President and Head - Insurance | Puneet Panchal |  | Puneet has over 17 years of experience in insurance and risk management, including 11 years in the construction industry. Puneet was in business development with the leading insurer in India for 6 years, later leading the insurance portfolio of technology & construction group ANDRITZ for South East Asia region for 9 years. He is currently heading the risk and insurance function at Cube Highways, the largest platform of road highways in Indian region. | Panel discussion: The importance of collaborative sharing |