Council Members
Climate Governance Malaysia was launched in May 2019, the second country in the world (& first in Asia) to set up the World Economic Forum's Climate Governance Initiative.
Datin Seri Sunita Rajakumar (Chairperson and Director, CGM)
is a professional independent director and a strong advocate of the importance of governance in general and risk management in particular.
She is the Chairman of Bursa-listed Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd, independent non-executive director of Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, MCIS Insurance Berhad (a member of the Sanlam group) and Zurich General Insurance Malaysia Berhad, as well as a trustee of 6 charitable foundations.
As a volunteer, she is the Chairman and Founder of Climate Governance Malaysia [the country chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative], Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia, member of the Global Advisory Board of Nottingham University’s School of Business, the Advisory Panel of the UN Global Compact Malaysia’s Sustainability Centre of Excellence and the External Advisory Committee for Sunway University’s Master in Sustainable Development Management and the workstream lead for government policy for the CEO Action Network, an industry-led initiative to increase sustainability and climate resilience.
Rizal Ishak
is currently director of private equity firm RRJ capital with AUM of USD13bn and Hopu Capital (AUM USD2.4bn) since 2008. As a private equity practitioner, he is a persistent advocate of sustainable/impact investing having served the boards of Singapore-listed and ten country operation Berger International and the audit committees (as Chairman) of two Malaysian-listed companies. RI was senior advisor to govt ICT agency MIMOS and has been on panels and roundtables hosted by ISIS and UNGC. Upon majoring in Bsc CompScience at BostonU he pursued a career in strategy and change management consulting (Accenture fka Andersen Consulting) and equities research and investment banking (CLSA) for the energy/power, TMT, and banking/resources sectors in Malaysia, spore and Indonesia.
Dato Tengku Marina Tunku Annuar Badlishah
is a regional Asia-Pacific C-suite leader with global experience, previously based in Switzerland. She is an accomplished communication and public affairs industry leader with vast experience in crisis and reputation management, relationship building, regulatory compliance, social impact management, and talent development. With over 30 years of experience in the Nestle Group, she is now based in Kuala Lumpur as the Asia Pacific Region Head for the Corporate Regulatory and Scientific Affairs function. She is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of MISC Berhad and a Director of Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
A knowledgeable and passionate advocate of sustainable management, gender equality and diversity, Tengku Marina is a founding member of the Circular Economy Club of Kuala Lumpur. She is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM), LeadWomen and the 30% Club Malaysia.
Jason Khaw Soon Hoe
has volunteered for WWF Malaysia on several projects and was involved in several other NGOs, including the Malaysian Nature Society. He founded the largest online charity website in Malaysia in 2000 - HATI.my. Soon Hoe is an experienced corporate professional in the banking and chemical sectors in Malaysia, Germany and Australia.
Jenifer Thien
Jenifer has over 30 years of international C-suite experience in the consumer packaged goods industry and had the opportunity to work and live in several countries across Asia as well as the US throughout her career. This includes 25 years with Mars Incorporated, where she last served as the Global Chief Procurement Officer. She has successfully led complex business transformation and sustainability programs through her deep understanding of supply chains and what it takes to drive change. Currently Jenifer is an Independent Non-Executive Director of UEM Edgenta Berhad and Jadestone Energy plc; as well as serves on the Advisory Board of Lucta S.A.
Jenifer is a passionate advocate of diversity, equity and inclusion having played a pivotal role in championing women in STEM within Mars Inc. and continues to do so through contributing in organizations such as LeadWomen Malaysia and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.
Dr. Gary Theseira
is a Technical Expert/Trainer at Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC). He has moreore than a decade of experience in Climate Change and Sustainability Policy Development and Negotiation at International and National levels. Skilled communicator in climate science, policy positions and measures, and effects and outcomes of implementation of measures. Gary believes in Big-Picture direction setting, consensus building and multiple-win conflict management and resolution. Strong science and analytical foundation in Agronomy, Forest Ecology, Hydrology and Carbon Quantification with Programme and Project Management, Monitoring and Reporting essentials.
Dato' Henry Barlow
is a current member of the Board of Governors, International School, Penang (Uplands). Is a British national but is now a Permanent Resident of Malaysia with an extensive business interests in both countries.
He was educated at Eton College (Oppidan Scholar) & Trinity College, Cambridge (Trevelyan Scholar, on mark and release work on moths.)
In 1965, led a university student expedition to Mt Kinabalu, Sabah to study the Lepidoptera of the area. This resulted in collecting some 20,000 specimens lodged at the Natural History Museum, London.
Has an extensive experience in banking, investment and plantation industries. He was a board member of HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, Majedie Investments Plc, Guthrie Ropel Berhad, Golden Hope Plantations Berhad, New Britain Palm Oil Limited and Sime Darby Berhad.
Awarded Johan Setia Mahkota by Yang di-Pertuan Agong, June 1998, and in 2003 awarded Darjah Kebesaran Dato’ Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (DSIS) by the Sultan of Selangor, bearing the title of Dato’.
Since 1971, Dato’ H.S. Barlow has lived at Genting Tea Estate, Genting Sempah, Pahang and developed this into an arboretum specializing in rare and endangered W. Malaysian trees. There has been a particular emphasis on the Dipterocarp family (Dipterocarpaceae) such that the collection now includes some 130 out of the 161 W. Malaysian dipterocarp species and a further 30 from Borneo, the Philippines and elsewhere. Many of these species are now all but extinct in the wild due to the felling of lowland rainforest. The W. Malaysian dipterocarp collection is now second only to that at FRIM. Over 50 years of collecting Lepidoptera at GTE have yielded over 3500 species, still counting. The property is being run as a nature reserve, in close collaboration with the S E Asian Rainforest Research Project established by the Royal Society, London.
Dato’ H.S. Barlow is also an author who has published more than 40 books and articles in the media.
Dr Sarinder Kumari
is an independent non-executive director at Sunway Construction Bhd. She has wide experience in policy and strategic planning, project management, trade negotiations, regulatory and Government affairs. She was a Partner at PEMANDU Associates and has served the Malaysian Government in various portfolios with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) in the Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia.