The Council is the highest decision making authority within MBAN and is led by the President. It develops, considers and decides on all key decisions of the Association.
Peter is an accomplished and visionary leader currently serving as the President of the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN). With 20 years of experience at PwC and as a former Managing Director, he has a strong track record in guiding corporates through change and driving innovation. Peter holds a Design Thinking certification from MIT Sloan School of Management and serves as a Vistage CEO Chair, advising CEOs on leadership and decision-making. He also advises a regional F&B player, mentors startups, and runs his own consulting practice. He is recognised for his dedication to driving innovation and fostering growth in the business community.
Elain is the CEO & Co-Founder of Ata Plus Sdn Bhd, with a background in Actuarial Science and Operational Research from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has held positions at PETRONAS, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia Debt Ventures, Digi Telecommunications, and Packet One Networks. Elain currently serves as a Council Member for the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN), President of the Registered Digital Markets Association Malaysia, Advisor to Women in Tech Malaysia Chapter, and holds board positions at Reservoir Link Berhad, Propel Global Berhad, and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). She is also on the Board of Trustees for Khazanah Foundation, Prosperity Development Foundation, and KRU Foundation. Elain has been recognised with the BERG 2019 Women Icons Malaysia award and included in the 2020/2021 Batch of Digerati50 for her exceptional contributions to Malaysia's Digital Economy.
Xelia has extensive experience in Malaysia's funding ecosystem. She began her career at Malaysia Debt Ventures Berhad (MDV), where she played a key role in attracting an international games development company to establish a world-class centre in Malaysia. She then joined Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) to manage a RM 200m Creative Industry Fund. As the Vice President of Investment and Head of Angel Tax Incentive at Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd, Xelia facilitated funding for 185 entrepreneurs, helping them raise close to RM 90m from local and foreign investors. Currently, she is a Venture Partner at ScaleUp Malaysia and the Chief Operating Officer at PitchIN, Malaysia's leading equity crowdfunding platform. Xelia also serves on the Council of Malaysia Business Angel Network and is an Industry Partner to MSW Ventures, Singapore.
Barry brings a rich career spanning over thirty years in marketing, business strategy, and data technology across multinational giants like Ericsson and The Nielsen Company. His expertise spans diverse industries such as FMCG, automotive, retail, telco, and software, showcasing his deep understanding of industry dynamics.
In 2013, Barry transitioned to entrepreneurship after nearly two decades in corporate roles. He successfully founded and led two privately funded ventures: one pioneering data acquisition in market research and the other based in the US, specializing in CX software and analytics, achieving MSC status.
Currently, Barry plays a pivotal role in M&A activities, focusing on acquiring a packaging and high-grade plastics production company and facilitating exits for two technology firms. His skills in investment evaluation, project consulting, mentorship, and M&A transactions provide crucial support to startups navigating growth.
Alan is the Immediate Past President of the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN) and Principal Advisor at NEXEA. He co-founded and served as CEO of MediaBanc Group, the largest media monitoring and insights company in South-East-Asia. Alan fully exited the business in 2014 when it was listed in the ASX as iSentia Group Ltd. Prior to MediaBanc Group, Alan worked in the advertising industry for nearly 10 years at The Star media group and Asatsu. He is an experienced entrepreneur, having co-founded Pacific Forum and Grandmont before starting MediaBanc Group. Alan is known for advising and mentoring companies on strategic growth and regional expansion.
A seasoned Entrepreneur and Angel Investor with almost 40 years of experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Venture Capital from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Dr. Siva is the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of ScaleUp Malaysia, the country's first Accelerator for highly scalable, high-growth regional companies. ScaleUp Malaysia is ranked among the top 15 investors in Southeast Asia by Tech in Asia magazine and has invested in 30 companies. He is also the Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist of Proficeo Consultants, a leading Entrepreneur Coaching & Mentoring company that has supported over 2,000 entrepreneurs in Malaysia, including through the successful "Coach & Grow Program" (CGP) under Cradle Fund. Personally, he has invested in 16 companies as an Angel investor and holds key positions as the Past President and current Council Member of the Malaysian Business Angels Network (MBAN), Council Member of the Malaysian Venture Capital Association (MVCA), and Adjunct Professor at Sunway University. He is also the author of the books "Supercharge your Startup Valuation" and "Blue Sky Innovation: Killer Innovations That Changed The World of Business."
Subash Palaniappan is an accomplished Agile and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience in driving transformation in banking and finance. As the founder of Agile In Tandem, he has consulted prominent institutions such as Maybank, Khazanah, Etiqa, and Alliance Bank, bringing improved efficiency through agility. At Maybank, as Head Agile@Scale, Subash led a substantial shift towards Agile, training hundreds and implementing a custom methodology company-wide. He also served as Head of Innovation Design, establishing fintech partnerships and executing strategic initiatives. With a background in computer science and strong technical capabilities, Subash has coached multiple teams on adopting Agile practices. His expertise in Systems Thinking, Scaled Agile, and leadership makes him an insightful speaker on transformation.
Andrew Thu, the founder of My Lives Global, has started to get in touch with SME related business and industries prior to the setting up of this company. He hopes that My Lives Global will become a prominent startups platform for Malaysian entrepreneurs that enhances business startups ecosystem in Malaysia, leading to the expansion of local startups globally and attracts investors across ASEAN countries to Malaysia
Dr. Daniele Gambero is an expatriate from Italy who has been living in Malaysia since 1998. He is the Group CEO and co-founder of the strategic consultancy firm REI Group since 2007. Additionally, he has founded PropTech start-ups such as Propenomy, Athena SmartCities, and Aivot. Dr. Gambero also serves as the President of the Malaysia PropTech Association for the terms 2019-2021, 2021-2023, and 2023-2025. Throughout his career, he has provided strategic market studies, research, consultancies, investment studies, property market reports, and business valuation services to property developers and government ministries at both federal and state levels. Dr. Gambero is a well-known international speaker who has delivered over 1,000 public presentations and papers in the last 10 years. He is frequently invited as a panelist or keynote speaker for various property and PropTech-related events by organizations such as REHDA, SHAREDA, SHEDA, ASLI, KASI, FIABCI, PAM, PEPS, RICS, Cityscape Global, and various universities and property platforms. He has also spoken at TEDx events and international conferences like Cityscape, Proptech Connect (UK), and Unissu as a keynote presenter on Property and PropTech Markets.
Experienced Fintech ecosystem builder based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Karen has over 20 years of experience in Strategy, Communications and ESG Marketing.
Karen was the Head of Malaysia for She Loves Tech, the world’s largest pitching platform for women-led and women-impact entrepreneurs. She was also part of GSMA Foundation’s mentors for the Pacific Islands/Myanmar region startups program, a yearly initiative with the Australian government.
