Joseph Cherian is CEO, President, Dean, and Distinguished Professor of the Asia School of Business. He was the former Practice Professor of Finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Prior to NUS, Joe was Managing Director, Global Head and CIO of the Quantitative Strategies Group at Credit Suisse in New York where he had direct responsibility for over US$67 billion in client assets managed to a quantitative discipline. While at Credit Suisse, Joe served on the Global Executive Committee, as well as various senior management, investments, and risk committees of the Asset Management division. He joined the financial industry in New York after an academic career in the U.S., including as an Associate Professor of Finance at Boston University. He was formerly an Executive-in-Residence and a two-term member of the Johnson Graduate School of Management’s Dean’s Advisory Council at Cornell University and is now an Emeritus Member of the Dean’s Council. Joe currently serves as an Advisor to Asia Asset Management in Hong Kong as well as the Mercer-CFA Institute Global Pensions Index’s Advisory Board in Australia. He has had appointments at Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) Advisory Panel and the National Research Foundation’s Early-Stage Venture Fund Evaluation Panel. He was an Independent Non-Executive Director of Bursa Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, and on the Journal of Alternative Investments’ Editorial Board in the U.S. Joe holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from MIT, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Finance from Cornell University

A distinguished expert in ageing, retirement security, and socioeconomic wellbeing, she brings over four decades of academic and policy leadership in financial security, retirement planning, and active ageing. Her extensive research on income security, financial literacy, and the economic participation of mature workers strengthens PPA’s strategic direction in promoting sustainable retirement savings.

She joined PPA as an Independent Director in 2019 and was appointed as PPA’s third Chairperson of the Board in July 2024. As Chairperson, she provides strong governance oversight, ensuring accountability, transparency, and the long-term sustainability of Malaysia’s Private Retirement Scheme framework. Her evidence-based leadership and deep understanding of demographic change support PPA’s mission to enhance retirement adequacy and build greater financial resilience for Malaysians in an ageing society.

Datuk Wira Ismitz Matthew De Alwis is the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Kenanga Investors Berhad (“KIB”). He also serves as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Directors of Kenanga Islamic Investors Berhad, i-VCAP Management Sdn Bhd, as well as all subsidiaries of KIB. With more than thirty years’ worth of experience, he has a Capital Markets Services Representative’s Licence from the Securities Commission Malaysia. He is a Certified Financial Planner and Islamic Financial Planner. Datuk Wira De Alwis is the Chairperson of the Malaysian Association of Asset Managers, and is currently on the board of the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia. He is a member of the SC’s Assessment Review Committee – Fund Management as well as a member of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Joint Committee (BNM & SC) on Climate Change (JC3) and a member of the Capital Market Graduate Programme Steering Committee (SC). Datuk Wira De Alwis is on the Industry Competency Framework Advisory Panel for the Malaysian Capital Market project undertaken by the Securities Industry Development Corporation. Additionally, he is a member of the Sustainable Investment Platform Steering Committee – Malaysia Sustainable Investment Initiative and a Council Member of the Institutional Investors Council Malaysia. Datuk Wira De Alwis is also Investment Adviser for the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s Trust Management Committee