An Extraordinary Evening - Our Distinguished Guests
Wee Wei Ling
Executive Director of Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
Co-Founder, Extra•Ordinary People Ltd
Wee Wei Ling is the Executive Director of Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant. She is also the Executive Director of Sustainability Partnerships, Lifestyle and Assets at Pan Pacific Hotels Group.
Renowned for its authentic Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine since its inception in 1996, Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant group has a regional presence in Singapore, Japan, and Myanmar with five restaurants. The exceptional dining experience is complemented by skilled tea masters who combine acrobatics, gymnastics, and dance in the traditional art of tea pouring.
Apart from Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant, Ms Wee also oversees the management of St. Gregory, the Group’s lifestyle brand, which offers a diverse selection of traditional healing therapies, comprehensive workout facilities, personal training programmes and fitness classes.
A champion of social responsibility, Ms Wee is active in the Singapore local charity scene. She has been the Chairperson of Project We Care, a joint initiative between People’s Association and the private sector since 2011 to encourage corporate volunteerism and in July 1997, she founded Extra•Ordinary People, a registered charity with the Institute of Public Character (IPC). The charity’s mission is to support people with special needs through community-supported initiatives.
Ms Wee was awarded the Public Service Medal (PBM) in 2020. She holds a bachelor’s degree in government and public administration from the former Nanyang University (NTU) in Singapore.
His Excellency Agustin Garcia Lopez Loaeza
Ambassador of Mexico
Ambassador-Designate to Negara Brunei Darussalam &
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Dean of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps of Singapore
Ambassador Agustín García López Loaeza is a distinguished figure in the Mexican Foreign Service. Born on March 5th, 1962, in Mexico, he pursued his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in economics from Columbia University in New York, USA. Fluent in Spanish, English, French, and German, Ambassador García-López Loaeza has had a rich and diverse career in the Mexican Foreign Service.
In 1986, Ambassador García López Loaeza began his diplomatic career as an Adviser for Economic Affairs at the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. Subsequently, he was appointed as the Head for Economic Affairs and Foreign Policy at the Embassy of Mexico in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1993. He then served as the Director of Treasury Affairs with North America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific at Mexico’s Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit from 1993 to 1995.
Ambassador García López Loaeza's economic expertise led him to become the General Director for Economic Cooperation at the Mexican Institute of International Cooperation (IMEXCI) of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in 1995. He later served as the General Directorate of International Finance Affairs in the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit in 2000. From 2000 to 2007, he represented Mexico and the Dominican Republic as the Executive Director and Member of the Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corporation.
In recognition of his achievements, Ambassador García-López Loaeza was appointed as the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 2007 to 2013. He then served as the Ambassador of Mexico to France from 2013 to 2016 and the Ambassador of Mexico to Canada from 2016 to 2017. Subsequently, from 2017 to 2019, Ambassador García-López Loaeza served as the Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID).
As a testimony of his career achievements, Ambassador García-López Loaeza has also received awards for his contributions and leadership. He was awarded as Commandeur de la Legion d´Honneur, conferred by the President of France and Commandeur de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, by the Dean of the Sorbonne and Chancellor of the Universities of France.
Outside of work, Ambassador García-López Loaeza is an avid reader who enjoys historical novels, classic authors, and works related to his areas of expertise. He also shares his love for different sports, cinema, and art history with his wife and children. He particularly appreciates music, painting, photography, and the craftsmanship of Mexico and other civilizations´ cultures.
His Excellency Samer Anton Naber
Ambassador of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ambassador Samer Anton Naber is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Republic of Singapore.
Throughout his diplomatic career, Mr. Naber has served as senior counsel and held several leadership posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Director of the Policy Planning (2020-2021), Director of the European Affairs Department (2017-2020), Director of the Peace Negotiations Coordination Bureau (2011-2013), Director of the North America Department (2009-2011) and Director of the Legal Department (20012004).
Mr. Naber served as Minister Plenipotentiary representing Jordan at the UN Security Council in New York (2014-2015) with a special focus on UN sanctions and humanitarian affairs. Mr. Naber was also a political and legal officer at Jordan’s UN Mission earlier in his career. He has held several posts in Washington, D.C, most recently as a Distinguished Fellow at the International Republican Institute (IRI) advising on MENA regional issues, as well as head of political affairs at the Embassy of Jordan in DC. Mr. Naber represented Jordan at numerous international conferences and forums including the UN Beijing +5 International Women’s Conference, UN Social Development +5 Summit, UN Drug Summit, International Court of Justice proceedings and UNESCO Executive board meetings.
Mr. Naber holds a B.A. in Political Science & Economics with distinction from the University of Jordan (1992) and an M.A. in International Law from the University of Hull U.K (1994). He is the recipient of Jordan’s Istiklal (Independence) medal of the First Order from H.M. King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein.
Mr. Naber is married and has two children. He is passionate about humanitarian, gender issues, and is an avid hiker/rock-climber.
Joris Dierckx
Regional Head for Southeast Asia, BNP Paribas
Joris Dierckx is the Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking for Southeast Asia and CEO of Singapore Branch at BNP Paribas.
Joris started his banking career in 1995 as a graduate trainee at Generale Bank in Belgium. At Generale Bank and subsequently at Fortis, he held various roles in export and project finance in Brussels, Dublin, Mumbai and Singapore. In 2008, Joris was appointed country head for Japan at Fortis, while also serving as interim Head of Merchant Banking Asia during the integration with BNP Paribas. Since joining BNP Paribas in 2010, Joris was successively country head for Greece, South Korea and India.
Joris holds a Post-Graduate diploma in Sustainable Development from the University of London and a Post-Graduate degree in Finance from the University.
Nguyễn Quốc Khanh
Founder & Chairman of AA Corporation
Mr. Nguyen Quoc KHANH was born in Vietnam, graduated with an architectural degree from the Architecture University of Ho Chi Minh City in 1983 and has almost 40 years of experience in the interior decoration industry to date. Currently, he is the founder and Chairman at AA Corporation.
AA Corporation was established in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The organisation offers an expert and customized interior one-stop solution, extensive experience, exceptional craftsmanship and bespoke furniture for luxurious hospitality projects and resorts worldwide. In addition, AA Corporation also provides office solutions, ODM products, Design & Build services with OEM furniture for overseas markets. AA Corporation now sets the vision of sustainable growth in both quality and speed to provide complete interior solutions as a leading interior furniture manufacturer in Vietnam and globally. Mr. Khanh is a member of YPO since 1997 and CEO since 2011 respectively.
Lý Quỳnh Kim Trinh
Founder & Concept Director of Runam, Vietnam
Mrs. Ly Quynh KIM TRINH, Mr. Khanh's wife, is an accomplished interior designer and the founder of NISO Corporation. NISO Corporation owns and operates a variety of cafés and restaurants in Vietnam, including notable names such as RuNam, Ciao Café and Café Terrace.
Mr. Khanh and Mrs. Kim Trinh have two sons, Nguyen Quoc CONG and Nguyen Quoc CANG. Cong is a Film Producer and Director in Vietnam; whilst Cang is the founder and MD of Éponji Collection – a furniture brand designed with sustainable materials. Cong and Cang currently live and work in Vietnam.
All family members are food lovers, with an emphasis on Vietnamese cuisine. They love art, lifestyle, music and traveling to immerse themselves in the world’s many vivid cultures.