Asia’s economic outlook 2027: Navigating growth, risk and uncertainty
Taimur Baig, Global CFO Network Honorary Advisor, and Chief Economist, DBS Bank
Chris Leahy, Co-Founder and Asia Pacific Managing Partner, Barbican Advisory
No surprises that as we enter another year, uncertainty lies ahead, along with opportunity. To give you a clear view of what to expect in 2027, we’ve invited Global CFO Network Honorary Advisor and DBS Bank Chief Economist Taimur Baig, and Barbican Advisory Asia Pacific Managing Partner Chris Leahy to share their perspective on growth and risk. Taimur will discuss the new year’s economnic trajectory, while Chris will look at how you can spin risk to your advantage, reviewing M&A activity across the region, and discussing how multinationals can better understand the environment and local partners they work with. Taimur leads macroeconomic researtch at DBS Bank, providing strategic insights across Asia and global markets. He previously held senior roles at the International Monetary Fund and Deutsche Bank, and is widely recognised for his analysis of emerging markets and policy trends, not to mention his popular podcast, Kopi Time. Chris co-founded Barbican, a global corporate intelligence and investigations firm with Asia Pacific offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai.
The new operating environment for global business
Ziad Haider, Partner & Global Director of Geopolitics, McKisney & Company
As geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and technological competition reshape the global landscape, Finance leaders are being forced to rethink long-held assumptions about risk, growth, and capital allocation. In this session, we will examine how politics is influencing trade flows, supply chains, and investment decisions, with a particular focus on the implications for the Asia Pacific operations of multinationals. The discussion will explore what these structural shifts mean in practice, and how CFOs can position their organisations to remain resilient while still capturing opportunity. Joining us for this session is Ziad Haider, Partner at McKinsey & Company and Global Director of the firm’s Geopolitics team. Ziad advises leading corporations and public institutions on geopolitical risk, global strategy, and the evolving relationship between business and government. Prior to joining McKinsey, he held senior roles at the US State Department, where he worked on economic and security policy. Drawing on McKinsey’s latest research and his own advisory work, Ziad will provide a clear framework for understanding today’s geopolitical environment and its practical implications for Finance.
Getting the best out of your body - how to drive your own performance
Alex Mearns, Founder, Levitise, personal trainer and coach
Agnes Lim, Chief Financial Officer Asia Pacific, NTT Data
Lars Daene, Chief Financial Officer Southeast Asia, Adidas
CFOs operate under sustained pressure, yet few treat their own physical and mental capacity with the same rigour they apply to the businesses they run. This session will examine the practical disciplines that underpin sustained executive performance: what to eat, how to train, and how to manage stress without letting it manage you. Alex Mearns leads personal training, nutrition and minset coaching group Levitise, working exclusively with senior executives to get the best out of their bodies and minds. His own career in finance left him overweight, pre-diabetic and burnt out; following a visit to the doctor, he decided to turn his life around. He’ll share on what he actually sees in this executive cohort, before handing over to a facilitated conversation with two CFOs from the network: Agnes Lim of NTT Data and Lars Daene of Adidas, bith of whom use exercise regimes to maintain their fitness and performance. This will be a frank discussion of what you can do to generate positive outcomes from diet, exercise and mindset training, with our panel talking about how they build an exercise routine into their schedules, what they do to ensure they‘re eating right, and how they manage the demands of travel.
Members may attend with a member of their Finance team. Luncheon and light refreshments will be served.