Sunny VERGHESE
Chairman
We all play an important role in ensuring a global transition to net zero. GenZero is managed by a dedicated team of experienced professionals with deep expertise in the investment and sustainability space.
Chairman
Sunny Verghese is the Co-founder and Group CEO of Olam, and post the re-organisation of the Group, he holds charge as CEO of Olam Global Agri and Olam Group Limited (OGL). Olam is listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and ranks amongst the top 30 companies in Singapore in terms of market capitalization.
Sunny is a thought leader in sustainability, particularly in the food and agriculture sector. Under his leadership, Olam has been a pioneer and at the forefront of Climate and Sustainability initiatives.
In April 2022, Sunny was appointed as Chairman of GenZero, Temasek’s Carbon Solutions Platform. He is also currently Chairman of the Board of the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI), Singapore, Chairman of JOil (S) Pte Ltd and also serves on the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University.
From 2018 to 2021, Sunny was Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the global, CEO-led organisation dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable world. He was also a Commissioner of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC) in 2016. He served on the Board of International Enterprise Singapore from 2002 to 2013 and was its Chair from 2008 to 2013.
He has won several awards including ‘Outstanding Chief Executive’ at the Singapore Business Awards in 2007, ‘Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ for Singapore in 2008 and ‘Best CEO of the Year 2011’ at the Singapore Corporate Awards. Sunny was conferred The Public Service Medal by the Government of Singapore in August 2010.
Sunny holds a post graduate management degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and has also completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) from the Harvard Business School. Sunny was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by IIMA in its Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 2011.
Board Member
Goh Swee Chen is a Board Member of GenZero. She is President – Global Compact Network Singapore, a UNGC Local Network and chairs the Institute HR Professional. She is also currently the Chairman at the National Arts Council, and the Chairman of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). She joined Shell in 2003 and retired as Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore in January 2019. She was previously with Procter & Gamble and IBM. A global leader, she has lived and worked in Singapore, Malaysia, Netherlands, Australia, USA, Japan and China. Swee Chen has a diverse professional background, having led significant businesses in Oil & Gas, Consumer Goods and IT sectors.
Swee Chen serves on the Boards of Singapore Airlines, SP Group, JTC Corporation, Woodside Petroleum (Australia) and Resilience Collective. She is also a member of the Legal Services Commission, Singapore Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council and Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel.
Swee Chen had previously chaired/served in the Boards of Shell Joint Ventures in China, Korea and Saudi Arabia, as well as CapitaLand Investment and Centre for Liveable Cities Ltd.
Swee Chen graduated with B.Sc. – Victoria University and MBA – Chicago Booth, University of Chicago. She was named Distinguished Alumni, Chicago Booth, in 2018. She is married with three children.
Board Member
Dr Steve Howard is a Board Member of GenZero. He is also currently the Chief Sustainability Officer at Temasek, the Founding Chair of the We Mean Business Coalition and a member of the LeapFrog’s Global Leadership Council. In addition, Steve is on the Administrative Board of SEforALL, and until recently was Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Environmental and Natural Resource Security.
Steve was Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group and served on IKEA’s Executive Group Management from 2011-2017. In 2015, Steve co-founded We Mean Business, a leading climate change coalition of organisations that helped support the Paris Agreement. Prior to IKEA, Steve was Founder and CEO of The Climate Group, a global NGO that has built networks of cities, states, regions, and businesses committed to a net-zero carbon world. Before the Climate Group, Steve consulted on sustainability for major corporations and institutions, working as a partner at ERM Group in London and a Director at URS Corporation. He has worked with various NGOs and UN bodies on a wide range of global sustainability topics. Earlier in his career, Steve worked in WWF, where he established the Global Forest and Trade Network, chaired the UK Forest Stewardship Council and helped launch and chair The Forest Trust.
Steve is trained as an ecologist and has a PhD in Ecophysiology and Environmental Physics based on research in Kenya.
Board Member
Dr Ruth Nussbaum is a Board Member of GenZero. She has been working with responsible production and sourcing of natural resources for more than three decades and is the Global Director of Proforest.
Ruth has worked with companies, governments and NGOs in more than 40 countries on the practical implementation of responsible practices for forest and agricultural commodity production, supporting collaboration between different stakeholders, developing international and national policies and standards, and writing a range of guides and books.
Ruth sits on the board of the Climate and Land Use Alliance and is also a member of strategic advisory groups for IDH, PepsiCo and APRIL.
Board Member
Alan Thompson is a Board Member of GenZero. He is also currently an Operating Partner at Temasek International. Prior to that he was Joint Head of Strategic Development. Alan was previously Senior Managing Director of the Enterprise Development Group, Joint Head of Private Equity Fund Investments and Managing Director, Portfolio Management, and Managing Director, Telecommunications and Media. He was also based in Sao Paulo for several years as Managing Director, Latin America while he established Temasek’s offices in Latin America.
Prior to joining Temasek in 2004, he was a Partner at Stern Stewart & Co, where he led numerous client engagements on managing for shareholder value across a wide range of industries in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa.
Mr Thompson previously worked in the private equity fund of a large banking group in South Africa, and had ten years of operational experience in the high-tech sector in South Africa, spanning software engineering, systems engineering and executive management roles.
He holds an MBA, a Graduate Diploma in Engineering and a B.Sc. Engineering (Electrical) degree, from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Chief Executive Officer
Frederick is the Chief Executive Officer of GenZero.
In this role, Frederick oversees the direction of the company and leads the execution of our strategies to achieve both climate impact and sustainable long-term financial returns.
Prior to his appointment at GenZero, Frederick held various leadership positions in Sustainability, Portfolio Management and Business Continuity Management in his 12 years at Temasek International. As Managing Director of Sustainable Solutions, he established the team and conceived capability programmes in clean energy, urban, and climate and nature solutions. He led key initiatives such as the establishment of Climate Impact X, a global marketplace and exchange for carbon credits, as well as Singapore’s first brownfield distributed district cooling retrofit project in partnership with SP Group.
Frederick worked on value creation projects with some of Temasek’s large portfolio companies like SingTel and Mediacorp, and led corporate governance and stewardship initiatives within the Portfolio Management team. He also led several community programmes. In 2014, he partnered Temasek Foundation to execute a nationwide delivery of mask kits during a severe haze episode and worked with ST Engineering on the development of the world’s first N95 masks specifically designed for young children.
Frederick holds a MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and a BA and MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Lincoln College, Oxford University.
Chief of Staff
Hui Qing is Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive at GenZero where she manages cross-functional coordination, drives stakeholder engagement and leads special projects.
Before GenZero, Hui Qing was Vice President in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, focused on commercialising sustainable solutions to support the decarbonisation of the built environment. She had a concurrent appointment in the Singapore Market team, responsible for forging strategic partnerships and advancing Temasek’s policy interests with government and other relevant stakeholders in Singapore.
Hui Qing started off her career in the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), overseeing industry development for the Cleantech industry and was based in Beijing where she engaged Chinese companies on their internationalisation strategies. Upon return to Singapore, she joined EDB’s Strategic Growth Partners Division where she was the account manager for large multinationals and Singapore enterprises.
Hui Qing graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering (First Class Honours).
Personal Assistant
Alicia is the Personal Assistant in the CEO Office at GenZero.
Prior to joining GenZero, she worked at various multinational companies including GIC, Merlion Pharmaceuticals and Nokia. She provided secretarial support to senior management and their teams, assisting with both internal and external engagements. She has over 30 years of secretarial experience.
Alicia holds an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Informatics Academy.
Director
Ling Min is a Director in the Investment Group at GenZero, and she is responsible for investments in nature-based solutions and carbon ecosystem enablers.
Before GenZero, she was Director in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group. She accumulated more than 10 years of experience investing in global companies across diverse industry sectors, including transportation, logistics, industrials and real estate. She also led early-stage supply chain technology investments at Reefknot Investments, a joint venture fund between Temasek and Kuehne+Nagel.
Ling Min is also currently a Board observer of C-Quest Capital SGT Asia Stoves and Perennial.
Ling Min graduated from the Singapore Management University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Business Management.
Director
May is a Director in the Investment Group at GenZero, and she is responsible for investments in technology-based decarbonisation solutions.
Before GenZero, she was Head of Sustainability and Innovation at SP Group, a leading utilities company in Asia Pacific. There, she led several key initiatives in energy transition, including strategising its sustainability focus on UN Sustainable Development Goals, investing in cutting edge sustainable technologies and venture-building of innovative business models. Her achievements include incubating and building the world’s first blockchain-powered Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) platform to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.
She also worked at J.P. Morgan’s investment banking arm, in their New York and Hong Kong offices, where she executed strategic business reviews and capital markets transactions across fast-changing economic conditions. May started her career as a financial analyst with Fidelity Investments and with the private equity fund investments team at Temasek.
May graduated from the Boston University with a Master of Business Administration.
Director
Ann-Marie is a Director in the Investment Group at GenZero, and she is responsible for investments in technology-based decarbonisation solutions.
Before GenZero, she was Head of Asia Pacific (Direct Investments/ Impact Investing) at an UHNW European single-family office. There, she led the deal sourcing of growth equity deals across Southeast Asia, Australia and Hong Kong, focusing on Clean tech, Sustainable Food & Agri, and Circular Economy. Ann-Marie also worked as a Thailand coverage banker at Deutsche Bank and UBS serving clients from the real estate, technology, industrials and FMCG sectors.
Ann-Marie graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Business Administration (IT track), Double major in Economics, and Master of Information Systems.
Assistant Vice President
Andrea is an Assistant Vice President in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was the Corporate Finance Manager at Lestari Capital, where he was involved in the structuring and fundraising of a vehicle investing in nature-based projects across Southeast Asia. Prior to Lestari, he was a Senior Manager in the Deals Advisory team at PwC, advising on buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions in Europe and Asia. Andrea started his career in the UK at EY.
Andrea graduated from Cass Business School, City University of London with a Bachelor in Business and Finance, and is a chartered accountant.
Assistant Vice President
Nicholas is an Assistant Vice President in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was Assistant Vice President in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group looking at catalysing solutions in carbon capture and its utilisation, advanced biofuels and hydrogen. Before Temasek, he worked at ExxonMobil.
Nicholas graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Assistant Vice President
Bryan is an Assistant Vice President in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was at Surbana Jurong Capital working on sustainable infrastructure investments and fundraising activities. Before that, Bryan was a Senior Manager in the Deals Advisory team at PwC, focusing on energy and infrastructure M&A in Asia Pacific.
Bryan graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Business, and is a CFA charterholder.
Senior Associate
Taisheng is a Senior Associate in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was in KPMG’s Corporate Finance team based in Singapore, covering M&A, public takeovers, and other capital raising transactions. His coverage included subsectors such as technology, real estate, healthcare, and industrials.
Taisheng graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Accountancy.
Associate
Jacob is an Associate in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was part of Temasek International’s Sustainability Group looking at alternative clean energy solutions in advanced biofuels and nuclear fission.
Jacob graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
Associate
Chun Kiat is an Associate in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was based in San Francisco as an Investment Analyst at Scrum Ventures, where he invested in early-stage technology companies in Silicon Valley. He also co-developed technology that automatically measures water quality in a sustainable manner.
Chun Kiat graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Associate
Chelsea is an Associate in the Investment Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, she was part of Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, covering carbon markets and nature-based solutions. She previously undertook several research projects on climate change and natural disasters at the Asian School of the Environment.
Chelsea graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Earth Systems Science (specialising in Society and the Earth Systems).
Director
Ashley is a Director in the Investment Strategy & Business Development Group at GenZero, where she leads the development of GenZero’s investment strategy and drives business development.
Before GenZero, she was Director in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, focusing on developing sustainability strategy in the areas of carbon markets, climate and nature, sustainability investing and sustainable finance. Prior to the Sustainability Group, Ashley was in the Investment Group and made investments of over US$5b across over 10 transactions in retail, restaurants, and personal care subsectors globally. Ashley started her career at the CIMB Group.
Ashley graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics.
Vice President
Rui is a Vice President in the Investment Strategy & Business Development Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, she was Assistant Vice President in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, focusing on Temasek’s sustainability strategy and related investments in the areas including climate change, nature-based solutions, carbon markets, impact investing.
Rui started off as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong. She has also worked in the CEO’s Office at South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based media group, looking after its corporate strategy and investments. Rui also has experience working with impact investor and micro enterprise incubator in Pakistan and Kenya.
Rui graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice, and obtained from Georgetown University a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy.
Senior Associate
Chloe is a Senior Associate in the Investment Strategy & Business Development Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, she was part of Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, supporting the team on work around the development of carbon markets and shaping the strategy on nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Before Temasek, Chloe worked in Meteorological Service Singapore, an operational pillar under the National Environment Agency.
Chloe graduated from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, with a Bachelor of Environmental Science.
Director
Anshari is a Director in the Policy & Analytics Group at GenZero, and he is responsible for providing thought leadership on policy, regulations and standards in support of GenZero’s investment activities.
Before GenZero, he was a climate change negotiator with the National Climate Change Secretariat under the Prime Minister’s Office. He had represented the Singapore Government at various multilateral fora such as the UNFCCC, UNCBD, IPCC and ASEAN. In total, Anshari has accumulated over 10 years of experience in multilateral negotiations and policymaking.
Anshari has coordinated whole-of-government initiatives such as Singapore’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution and carbon markets strategy. He was also the lead carbon markets negotiator for Singapore, and has co-chaired expert level negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (international market and non-market based cooperation).
Anshari graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science (Life Sciences).
Associate
Benjamin is an Associate in the Policy & Analytics Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was in Temasek International’s Sustainability Group, covering emerging sub-sectors such as sustainable materials and hydrogen. He started his career at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), managing Singapore’s Low-Carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative and supported capacity building of R&D knowledge in the nascent research fields, including hydrogen as well as carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS).
Benjamin graduated from the University of Tokyo, Japan with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Interdisciplinary Sciences (major in Environmental Sciences).
Finance Director
Jeraine is the Finance Director in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero, where she plays an instrumental role in stewarding GenZero’s financial resources.
Before GenZero, she was Finance Director at InfraCo Asia, an international infrastructure development and investment company, where she set up and led the finance team, working closely with international stakeholders and business partners.
She started off as an auditor in KPMG Singapore and London, working largely with banking/financial institution and infrastructure clients. She also spent a number of years working at a UK bank and a Fortune 500 energy company.
Jeraine graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).
Legal Director
Ting is the Legal Director in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero, where she provides leadership on contractual, compliance and corporate governance matters.
Before GenZero, she was at Shell for around 13 years, where she was the lead lawyer for significant investments, assets and projects in the energy value chain which spans across the upstream, LNG, gas, downstream and decarbonisation space.
Ting started off in private practice, focusing on project finance and M&A work. She has broad in-house experience across industries such as IT, F&B, printing and hospitality.
Ting graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Law and has been admitted to practice law in Singapore.
Corporate Affairs & Communications Director
Michelle is Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications at GenZero, providing strategic counsel for external and internal communications as well as fostering partnerships with the public and private sectors.
Prior to GenZero, she was Senior Vice President of Group Strategic Marketing and Communications at DBS Bank, leading external communications for sustainability, capital markets, project financing and transaction banking regionally.
In her early career, she started off as an equity analyst and corporate broker at CIMB. She was also previously the banking and property reporter at Singapore’s flagship business daily, The Business Times.
Michelle graduated from the Singapore Management University with a Bachelor of Accountancy.
HR Director
Yen Chen is the HR Director in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero, where she manages and develops the full spectrum of HR functions, ranging from recruitment, organisational development to employee engagement.
Before GenZero, she was Head of HR and Admin at ADDX, a blockchain-enabled private markets exchange platform, where she was key in setting up the HR function and also in doubling the team size of the company. Prior to that, she spent seven years in GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, where her last held position was Vice President, Talent & Organization, HR.
Yen Chen graduated from Stanford University with a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, and also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.
Finance Assistant Vice President
Kenneth is the Finance Assistant Vice President in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, he was a Finance Manager at Infraco Asia, an international infrastructure development and investment company, providing financial oversight and support across various investments.
He started his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young where he developed and implemented audit strategies across various industries including real estate, hospitality, and technology. He also spent several years working in Keppel Corporation Limited, where he supported the consolidation and reporting function of the group, comprising more than 600 subsidiaries and associates.
Kenneth graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Accountancy and is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).
HR Associate
Shin Kit is the HR Associate in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, she was part of ByteDance and ADDX where she assisted in talent acquisition and employee engagement programmes.
Shin Kit graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Social Science.
Administrative Manager
Fion is an Admin Manager in the Corporate Services Group at GenZero.
Before GenZero, she worked at various multinational companies, including GIC and Prudential Assurance Company, where she managed internal teams while coordinating and implementing projects and events at the same time. In total, she has over 17 years of administrative and operations experience.
Fion is also a registered nurse under the Singapore Nursing Board.